P38 Diagnostics

Last night while towing my empty car trailer there was a beep and all the eas lights started flashing along with the light on the dash with the RR and an arrow showing.

Just had a look on eBay for the lead to connect to the laptop so I can use the Storey Wilson software and came across these people selling this set which "supposedly" does engine and gearbox reading???? Looking through the feedback it is all good, and as a basic reader it is cheap enough, the eas leads on there own cost about £25, so this for £75 with P&P is tempting but has anyone tried it? Is it just another eBay con that is to good to be true??

LANDROVER P38 EAS ENGINE GEARBOX RESET DIAGNOSTICS KIT | eBay

Steve

both pieces of software are free, so really you are paying for 3 cables.
pm datatek he sells the eas unlock cable bundled with the software for a lot cheaper than ebay.

Yes looks too good to be true, but if you want to try it for the rest of us go ahead.

Whilst towing EAS should be locked in standard height.

ELM 327 OBDII reader can be got for a tenner or less off Ebay. Easy OBDII basic software is free. EASunlock Software is free and lead can be got for Datatek for just over a tenner. So all in all £75.00 is a lot of money for something you can get if you shop around for less than £25.00 all up. Will only work on petrol Range Rover ELM 327 does not as far as i am aware communicate with diesel diagnostics.

So as I thought, more over priced eBay bull****!!

I already have the Storey software downloaded so just need a lead for the eas.

I was under the impression that the standard obd11 readers would not read much on the p38. Is it worth getting one for what they will read?

Of to PM Datatech............

Steve

wammers said:

Whilst towing EAS should be locked in standard height.

Click to expand...

I never knew that

Do you think that because I never lock it in standard this is what may have caused the fault?

All the lights are on, it seems to be at the top setting and the compressor seems to stay running. I'm hoping that just a quick code check and clear is all I need to do!! The bags all look ok and it has stayed up since this time last night so I'm assuming that it has just thrown a bit of a hissy fit, do you think I might be right?

Steve

gulfbluersr said:

I never knew that

Do you think that because I never lock it in standard this is what may have caused the fault?

All the lights are on, it seems to be at the top setting and the compressor seems to stay running. I'm hoping that just a quick code check and clear is all I need to do!! The bags all look ok and it has stayed up since this time last night so I'm assuming that it has just thrown a bit of a hissy fit, do you think I might be right?

Steve

Click to expand...

That's what it says in the hand book. If the compressor runs continuously at extended height you will have a leak in a bag that is normally covered at standard setting. Clear the faults and see what you get, they do throw fits now and again. Look for the leak.

Just got home to find eas cable arrived from Datatek in the post today, so VERY BIG thank you to the man!!

Just set it all up and checked for faults and got all these......

5 : F8:32_Hidden
6 : RR signal incorrect
7 : F8:128_Hidden
0 : Engine speed fault
1 : Vehicle speed fault
0 : Cannot lower FL
1 : FR valve stuck open
6 : FC:64_Hidden
7 : FC:128_Hidden

The passenger rear dropped over 2 days so guessing that there is a leak in that corner, trouble is it is ****ing down so not wanting to get soaked investigating that yet!! What do the experts here get from these faults??

I guess the next step is to run the car and pressurise it all up and check faults again?

Steve

gulfbluersr said:

Just got home to find eas cable arrived from Datatek in the post today, so VERY BIG thank you to the man!!

Just set it all up and checked for faults and got all these......

5 : F8:32_Hidden
6 : RR signal incorrect
7 : F8:128_Hidden
0 : Engine speed fault
1 : Vehicle speed fault
0 : Cannot lower FL
1 : FR valve stuck open
6 : FC:64_Hidden
7 : FC:128_Hidden

The passenger rear dropped over 2 days so guessing that there is a leak in that corner, trouble is it is ****ing down so not wanting to get soaked investigating that yet!! What do the experts here get from these faults??

I guess the next step is to run the car and pressurise it all up and check faults again?

Steve

Click to expand...

It's not unusual to get a list of historic faults, clear them and re-read and see what you have.

laptop went flat so had to wait for this stage!!

this is what I have now after clearing faults, running it all up to pressure then checking faults again, the dash still says eas fault and the rocker switch lights have not gone off......

0 : Engine speed fault
1 : Vehicle speed fault
0 : Cannot lower FL
1 : FR valve stuck open

Dark now and still ****ing down! so I guesss not much I can do to check things till the morning, hopefully will be dry and I can crawl around it to check what is happening.

All the bags have filled up and the compressor seems to run all the time, so do you think I'm right in thinking there must be quite a leak somewhere or do those fault codes mean something else?
Engine and vehicle speed I assume are because it is not running or moving so nothing to worry about there?
I guess I will do a search on the faults to see what turns up.....
steve

I have never actually seen the first 2 faults on your list after clearing old faults.
With the others and the compressor running all the time I'd be looking for a leak or checking the compressor is making good pressure.

EAS - System Information Document said:

ENGINE SPEED OR VEHICLE SPEED
A signal from the alternator (phase tap) is used to determine engine speed, while the signal from the vehicle speed sensor is used to determine road speed. The fault messages are set when the ECU sees values for either speed above a set limit. Use any icon under Dynamic Tests to locate the problem. Verify that the latest speed sensor is installed (see TIB P93//68-003).

Click to expand...

This would suggest you have some other problem, other than the EAS.

mcapinha said:

This would suggest you have some other problem, other than the EAS.

Click to expand...

That sounds a bit more complicated to trace can you explain what to test at all please?

Did a bit of investigation today before the rain came again!!

Sprayed soapy water about and failed to find any leaks, the bags are "ok" looking, not brand new but have seen a lot worse, the car is a 1999 with 107,000 miles, so based on that I am guessing that they are around 3 or 4 years old at the most assuming they were changed around the usual expected 8 year lifespan, they look to good to be originals!!

Sprayed water around the pipes from the valve block, nothing even wiggled them about.
checked the exhaust outlet valve for the white powder, and all clean.

ran the car and all 4 corners come up but now the compressor either does not want to run anymore or it is not running because the system is full up to pressure.

I guess I need to hot wire the pump to test it I also then need to check and test the thermal switch. I have read so much on this the last few days I think my head is going to explode!! I'm just confusing myself with it all now! Can someone save me searching back through everything and tell me how in simple terms to check the thermal switch and to hot wire the pump, bearing in mind I don't get on with wires at all!!

Thanks

Steve

mcapinha said:

This would suggest you have some other problem, other than the EAS.

Click to expand...

You sure that info is not for a Classic? P38 road speed is from the ABS as far as I'm aware and I thought engine speed is from the ECU/crank sensor.

gulfbluersr said:

That sounds a bit more complicated to trace can you explain what to test at all please?

Did a bit of investigation today before the rain came again!!

Sprayed soapy water about and failed to find any leaks, the bags are "ok" looking, not brand new but have seen a lot worse, the car is a 1999 with 107,000 miles, so based on that I am guessing that they are around 3 or 4 years old at the most assuming they were changed around the usual expected 8 year lifespan, they look to good to be originals!!

Sprayed water around the pipes from the valve block, nothing even wiggled them about.
checked the exhaust outlet valve for the white powder, and all clean.

ran the car and all 4 corners come up but now the compressor either does not want to run anymore or it is not running because the system is full up to pressure.

I guess I need to hot wire the pump to test it I also then need to check and test the thermal switch. I have read so much on this the last few days I think my head is going to explode!! I'm just confusing myself with it all now! Can someone save me searching back through everything and tell me how in simple terms to check the thermal switch and to hot wire the pump, bearing in mind I don't get on with wires at all!!

Thanks

Steve

Click to expand...

If it came up to height the compressor did it's job, why try hot wiring it? Use the dash button to drop it to access height, then back up to normal height and see if the comnpressor runs or even better use the EAS software to turn the compressor on and off. Frigging around trying to hot wire things is dangerous if you don't know what you are doing and you have already proved the compressor is working because it came up.

Datatek said:

If it came up to height the compressor did it's job, why try hot wiring it? Use the dash button to drop it to access height, then back up to normal height and see if the comnpressor runs or even better use the EAS software to turn the compressor on and off. Frigging around trying to hot wire things is dangerous if you don't know what you are doing and you have already proved the compressor is working because it came up.

Click to expand...

To be honest I don't really want to mess with hot wiring it as that means playing way too much with wires that I'm not sure of!!

The lights on the dash have all stayed on, even the message still says 'eas fault' the height switch still does nothing and looking at the car I think it is right up at highest. I was thinking that it may be worth using the software to deflate the system and then see if the compressor starts and takes it back up to the top. I was unsure if this would be a good thing to do though? It has not yet gone to hard fault but then is it the end of the world if it does? I have enough cars about that I won't be using this till it is sorted so if it ends up on the stops it's not the end of the world!!

I'm thinking that while it is off the road now would be a good time to do a pump and valve block refurb, even if they are not the cause of this fault, are the ebay kits ok or is there anywhere better that you could suggest to get a set?

Thanks

Steve

gulfbluersr said:

That sounds a bit more complicated to trace can you explain what to test at all please?

Did a bit of investigation today before the rain came again!!

Sprayed soapy water about and failed to find any leaks, the bags are "ok" looking, not brand new but have seen a lot worse, the car is a 1999 with 107,000 miles, so based on that I am guessing that they are around 3 or 4 years old at the most assuming they were changed around the usual expected 8 year lifespan, they look to good to be originals!!

Sprayed water around the pipes from the valve block, nothing even wiggled them about.
checked the exhaust outlet valve for the white powder, and all clean.

ran the car and all 4 corners come up but now the compressor either does not want to run anymore or it is not running because the system is full up to pressure.

I guess I need to hot wire the pump to test it I also then need to check and test the thermal switch. I have read so much on this the last few days I think my head is going to explode!! I'm just confusing myself with it all now! Can someone save me searching back through everything and tell me how in simple terms to check the thermal switch and to hot wire the pump, bearing in mind I don't get on with wires at all!!

Thanks

Steve

Click to expand...

I explained in another thread how to check relay, compressor and thermo switch have a look at that. Copied here for you.

OK for simplification the thermal switch being open circuit deactivates the relay pulldown circuit.

Relay pulldown comes from pin 8 on ECU to pin 1 on relay 20, and is grounded through pin 2 on relay 20. With relay pulled down current then passes from fuse 40, 40amp through relay, in via pin 3 and out through pin 5 to compressor motor. This also puts power from negative side of motor through thermal switch to pin 16 on ECU. If no circuit is detected at pin 16 the ECU switches power off at pin 8. Deactivating relay. Providing motor is ok in compressor. The following checks can be done. Remove relay and feed pin 1 + and pin 2 - relay should click and there should be continuity across pins 3 and 5. Relay OK. Feed pin 5 + on socket, motor should run. Motor OK. Check continuity from green wire to orange wire. No continuity. Thermal switch duff. Continuity thermal switch OK. If all checks OK, ECU should be able to run compressor unless there is a pressure switch fault as the pressure switch also deactivates power to pin 8 ECU, pin 1 relay 20 to stop motor when tank is full.

DO NOT connect positive feed at any time to Orange wire or you will blow thermal switch.

Now then, just so I am sure that I have got this right, this is the part I need to do..........Feed pin 5 + on socket, motor should run. Motor OK. Check continuity from green wire to orange wire. No continuity. Thermal switch duff. Continuity.......

Like I say wire and me don't go together but I do try!

So what I need to do is remove the relay and see which is marked 5 post and jumper wire from pos battery to that, pump should run...... yes? Are we talking about the relay in the engine fuse box? I have worked out which one that is, or are we on about the relay under the seat? I've not dared look under the seat yet!!

Then with my meter set to ohms pull the plug from the pump and check across the green and orange this will give me the continuity check ....yes?

Sorry for being a bit daft but I don't want to get this wrong and make more problems!!

Thanks

Steve

gulfbluersr said:

Now then, just so I am sure that I have got this right, this is the part I need to do..........Feed pin 5 + on socket, motor should run. Motor OK. Check continuity from green wire to orange wire. No continuity. Thermal switch duff. Continuity.......

Like I say wire and me don't go together but I do try!

So what I need to do is remove the relay and see which is marked 5 post and jumper wire from pos battery to that, pump should run...... yes? Are we talking about the relay in the engine fuse box? I have worked out which one that is, or are we on about the relay under the seat? I've not dared look under the seat yet!!

Then with my meter set to ohms pull the plug from the pump and check across the green and orange this will give me the continuity check ....yes?

Sorry for being a bit daft but I don't want to get this wrong and make more problems!!

Thanks

Steve

Click to expand...

If you don't know what continuity is and you talking about relay under seat maybe you should get someone to do it for you. Relay 20 is in fuse box in engine bay. You need a multimeter with a continuity tester on it. No voltage is used to test continuity other than the battery in the multi meter. Don't be trying to test thermo circuit from battery of car. Note the bold print advice at bottom of answer.