P38A 2.5 diesel- want one but scared!

They're great motors..

The only time the dash has to come out is if the heater matrix goes, the blend motors and fans etc can all be had without issue..

EAS is píss easy to keep right, once you understand it you'll be surprised how simple it really is, and how much smoother it is compared to anything on coils.

The Auto Vs manual argument is a matter of personal choice, the Manuals are quite rare, however the Autos are great units and are paired well to the Diesel unit..

Water ingress is almost always down to the Pollen filter housings and the screws in the scuttle allowing water to wick down them, a dab of sealant on the screws and sealant or excluder under the pollen filter covers fixes the leaks.

Electrics contrary to popular belief among the haters are actually not that complicated, sure they can throw hissy fits but it's usually for good reason, water ingress in to the BECM is one culprit!!

I'd say a NANOCOm is a must, yes they're expensive but they'll pay for themselves within the first year..

One major upside is also they don't rot away before your eyes, I can appreciated the hesitancy to own a P38 if you've owned old pre-ECU cars but to be fair I owned an old RRC and to be fair I'd swap welding up its unending corruption for electrics any day

As for the V8 vs Diesel argument, if you make BIO then go for the Diesel, to be fair the P38 is a great motor to drive regardless of what engine is in it, and coming from a 200tdi 110 you'll find the Diesel P38 quite nippy and quiet!

I love my V8 though, mainly for its ability to fly past slower moving traffic even when fully loaded

Drivetrain wise they last the course.

Comfort is great when on EAS, the seats are fantastic.

Go on..

Get one!

Flossie said:

I have read about the leaks into the cabin from the heaters or blend motors whatever they are and the pain to replace involving dash out stuff. I also read posts from up to a couple of years back when they were current posts (so I've been thinking about a 38 for a while!) Useful stuff too like using Audi? Bits to fix leaky matrix's or something, don't recall exactly.
Just had another look at them ont net , lots of petrols not so many diesels and lots on springs which I don't want unless it's easy/cheap to return to bags..
Is there anyone with a 38 closeish to me? Telford, Shropshire.

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Matrix o rings can cause leaks into cabin, so can the pollen filters. Sunroof drains don't help either. It's easier with the dash out rather than fighting bits of plastic and ducting. Matrix is an easy fix, just replace the o rings. You could fit an audi matrix but I don't see the point really.

I'd be tempted to go for a PFL myself. Later ones don't seem as well put together as the older ones. Avoid the 94/95 as thats when they were sorting out the niggles.
Earlier engines didn't have a MAF or EGR so had less to go wrong.

As for the suspension side of things, actively avoid buying one on springs. It'll be cheaper to buy and fix one with issues than to try and reinstate the whole system depending on how much has been removed. A car on springs will have been neglected whereas one still on air will have been maintained.

Do the tailgates rot on them like the classics?
I hate welding cars that's why my 110 has a galv chassis and bulkhead and other galv bits.
I've looked at ads on eBay and I can't seem to see what the facelift differences are, some had nicer headlamps but we're earlier cars so retro fitted maybe?
What changed at facelift?

lower tailgate is aluminium and the upper is steel neither rust the lower tailgate can corrode though "edit"

Different lenses front/rear are the biggest cosmetic difference between the later and early example.
Masked headlights and clear lenses even the fog lights changed

Flossie said:

Do the tailgates rot on them like the classics?
I hate welding cars that's why my 110 has a galv chassis and bulkhead and other galv bits.
I've looked at ads on eBay and I can't seem to see what the facelift differences are, some had nicer headlamps but we're earlier cars so retro fitted maybe?
What changed at facelift?

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Bottom of the tailgate does corrode yes, but being aluminium it's treatable.

Clear indicators, different dials. Later 4.6's had 4 pin diffs front and rear. There's more info if you search for it. James Taylor did a book which makes for interesting reading.

For me, this looks a tidy example. But would investigate further into MOT history, that can tell you a lot about a cars past.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Range-Rover-P38-2-5-DSE-Automatic/193982512258

D2206 said:

Bottom of the tailgate does corrode yes.

Clear indicators, different dials. Later 4.6's had 4 pin diffs front and rear. There's more info if you search for it. James Taylor did a book which makes for interesting reading.

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I agree..

Weirdly I've taken apart a few late model P38 front diffs all 4.6 and none of them were 4-pin, weird...

Henry_b said:

I agree..

Weirdly I've taken apart a few late model P38 front diffs all 4.6 and none of them were 4-pin, weird...

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I believe it was only very late cars that had them. They also had the 4 wheel TC. Either that or most have been pilfered. I'm hoping to drop on to a set of low mileage axles to build up, but i'll be fitting aftermarket diffs so the 4 pins aren't important.

D2206 said:

I believe it was only very late cars that had them. They also had the 4 wheel TC. Either that or most have been pilfered. I'm hoping to drop on to a set of low mileage axles to build up, but i'll be fitting aftermarket diffs so the 4 pins aren't important.

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Yep even mine a december 2001 build was a 2pin

But as you say not really important if you're building them up!

Henry_b said:

Yep even mine a december 2001 build was a 2pin

But as you say not really important if you're building them up!

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Ashcroft offer an interesting ATB diff centre which could be interesting. Don't fancy going down the air locker route lol.

D2206 said:

Ashcroft offer an interesting ATB diff centre which could be interesting. Don't fancy going down the air locker route lol.

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The ashcroft unit does look good.

Flossie said:

I'm nearing 60 and I love my 110 to bits but cronky knees and back are taking their toll on me now.
I make biodiesel and I need a more comfy bus to run around in and love landrovers so a P38 diesel seems ideal being veg oil tolerant too.
However, I'm very old skool, never really moved with the times and I've never owned a car with ECU's or anything, my 200tdi 110 is joyously simple in that respect.
I know I'll need a nanocom? From what I've picked up from reading posts and maybe a few other tools too, mechanical stuff doesn't scare me , complicated electronics and auto boxes do even though I've never owned an auto.
Maybe auto P38's are better than manuals? Is there a particular year of P38 where niggles were ironed out or indeed, where they got worse?
I want a real clean one not a project, hoping to keep it that way.
Is there a comprehensive buyer's guide anywhere, I've found vague ones which have just scared me more.

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My '95 seems reliable enough. '97 was a changeover year with double the exhuast expense. Personally I would stay pre-EGR and 4W TC unless you're seriously going to green lane it, in which case you'd probably go airlocker or limited slip diff anyway.

@Tenebreaux Gave a lot of bits away to the boys over the years but there’s still some things in there depends what you need bud

Earlier ones don’t have the EGR and faff seem to run happily on biodiesel and are pretty much within your comfort zone mechanically. I prefer the manual transmission but if it’s a car to enjoy in the platinum years an auto would likely suit you betterer.

Henry_b said:

Yep even mine a december 2001 build was a 2pin

But as you say not really important if you're building them up!

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They were supposed to be 4 pin from '99 onwards but they seemed to be using up 2 pin parts for a long time afterwards. That or they only went on 4.6 and the fitters weren't that careful. Or maybe they've been swapped out by previous owners? Either way, the subject has come up a lot and general opinion is that there aren't as many 4 pin as there should be.

D2206 said:

For me, this looks a tidy example. But would investigate further into MOT history, that can tell you a lot about a cars past.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Range-Rover-P38-2-5-DSE-Automatic/193982512258

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I've looked at that ad a few times now but I don't like his description, no mention of what it's got (leccy stuff) or if it's on springs and the "drives ok" bit put me off too, I don't know what a good one should be like tbh.
I saw a nice one in Bradford I think it was, silver (lovely colour for a RR) think it was 3k but that was on springs.

Henry_b said:

They're great motors..

The only time the dash has to come out is if the heater matrix goes, the blend motors and fans etc can all be had without issue..

EAS is píss easy to keep right, once you understand it you'll be surprised how simple it really is, and how much smoother it is compared to anything on coils.

The Auto Vs manual argument is a matter of personal choice, the Manuals are quite rare, however the Autos are great units and are paired well to the Diesel unit..

Water ingress is almost always down to the Pollen filter housings and the screws in the scuttle allowing water to wick down them, a dab of sealant on the screws and sealant or excluder under the pollen filter covers fixes the leaks.

Electrics contrary to popular belief among the haters are actually not that complicated, sure they can throw hissy fits but it's usually for good reason, water ingress in to the BECM is one culprit!!

I'd say a NANOCOm is a must, yes they're expensive but they'll pay for themselves within the first year..

One major upside is also they don't rot away before your eyes, I can appreciated the hesitancy to own a P38 if you've owned old pre-ECU cars but to be fair I owned an old RRC and to be fair I'd swap welding up its unending corruption for electrics any day

As for the V8 vs Diesel argument, if you make BIO then go for the Diesel, to be fair the P38 is a great motor to drive regardless of what engine is in it, and coming from a 200tdi 110 you'll find the Diesel P38 quite nippy and quiet!

I love my V8 though, mainly for its ability to fly past slower moving traffic even when fully loaded

Drivetrain wise they last the course.

Comfort is great when on EAS, the seats are fantastic.

Go on..

Get one!

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What would I actually need to get nanocom wise?, I've seen them for £500 iirc but do you then need other stuff to get it to work on the 38 diesel?
I guess they tell you engine faults and stuff but do they go as far as to tell you why the sunroof don't open or the radio won't come on and the like?
Sorry, stuck in the 1970's tech me.
I fitted relays, electric windows, extra lights etc in my 110, so not a total electrical retard

Flossie said:

I've looked at that ad a few times now but I don't like his description, no mention of what it's got (leccy stuff) or if it's on springs and the "drives ok" bit put me off too, I don't know what a good one should be like tbh.
I saw a nice one in Bradford I think it was, silver (lovely colour for a RR) think it was 3k but that was on springs.

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Unfortunately you can have a well written advert and the car is a complete pile of scrap. It's just a case of looking and picking one that just feels right. Have you decided on a spec that you want? Worth checking the facebook groups too.

RangeRoller dt said:

Earlier ones don’t have the EGR and faff seem to run happily on biodiesel and are pretty much within your comfort zone mechanically. I prefer the manual transmission but if it’s a car to enjoy in the platinum years an auto would likely suit you betterer.

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What's a maff? Lol!
Heard of an egr though, can they be removed, blanked off?

Flossie said:

What would I actually need to get nanocom wise?, I've seen them for £500 iirc but do you then need other stuff to get it to work on the 38 diesel?
I guess they tell you engine faults and stuff but do they go as far as to tell you why the sunroof don't open or the radio won't come on and the like?
Sorry, stuck in the 1970's tech me.
I fitted relays, electric windows, extra lights etc in my 110, so not a total electrical retard

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You need the Nanocom Evolution for EDC (NCOM06). That has the license for the P38 diesel only. You could plug into other P38's but it won't communicate with the BECM.

The nanocom will talk to every system on the car. Handy piece of kit if you know how to use it.