P38A Deflating the battery...here we go again.

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DanClarke

DanClarke

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Location
Benfleet, Essex
Like so many others I have been here before with the P38 Bat-Flattery issue in a P38.
Jumped in the car on Sunday and saw 12.4 volts reported on the MP3 playing doo-dad.
Jumped in today to take the Missus to the DIY and garden centre to spend some of my money and was greeted with 11.6V on the Doo-dad.... so something is draining the battery.
Drove there & back (about 8 miles in all and good speeds) and it reported 12.4 when I pulled up on the drive and turned the engine off and the ignition back on. It reports 14.3V when the engine is running and you plug the Doo-dad in so I know the Alternator is performing pretty-much as it should.
I have already pulled the aerial lead off the RF sensor as soon as I picked the car up, so I guess it must be time to hunt for a second-hand "improved" RF Sensor unit on flea-bay.
When it is dark tonight I will sit in the car and see if the BECM keeps waking up (you can usually tell if it wakes up because the red-led on the gear selected display goes brighter).
Did LR ever go beyond part number YWY500170 to fix this problem?
 
Dont buy it from the bay.... you will get the old part in the new box, a lot have reported back saying that, unless you know how to tell them apart...
 
Dan,

May not be of any help, but it could be something else/new keeping BECM awake.

I bought the upgrade RF rec shortly after getting my P38 back in 2011, didn't have any issues from then on with battery drain.

Only about a few months ago it started draining again, well annoyed. Anyway, after having the multi-meter on it and trying various pulling of fuses, nothing worked. BECM wouldn't go to sleep.

Out of desperation I tried the fuel flap release button on dash, pressed it, checked the flap itself to see if there was anything there that could cause it and shut it again. Had a cup of tea before I started to cry and just happened to check the meter. 0.03A - sound asleep. Jumped in the seat and just happened to notice the fuel flap release button was now sitting almost flush (god knows how I managed to notice this!!). I had noticed that it wasn't always coming back up after pressing. Took it apart and apparently they are known for splitting apart under the binnacle surround (not just the multi-plug but above this where the contacts/springs are). Sure enough mine had old tape wrapped around it and with the pressing of the button during fill ups it probably dis-lodged it, causing it to prevent the signal back to BECM. Took it apart, cleaned it, reset the 2 springs (to allow it to spring back flush) and put new tape around it.

Had no more issues and I'm now very gentle when pushing this button (it now always pops back up).

Might not be your issue but worth a look/check.

Gary
 
The 3rd Generation RF receiver (the good one) has the same part number as the 2nd Generation- YWY500170.
Only way to tell them apart is to look inside the box. Ignore the oft quoted advice about blue stickers etc. Anyone can stick them on!
Here's a well circulated pic from Eliot Mansfields web pages, which highlights the differences:
wp5ededfd6_05_06.jpg

Maybe your battery's getting old and tired? Now the cold nights are here they quickly show up battery problems.
page12.html
 
Last edited:
Yea sounds right, didn't get it right the first time, had a second go.... still not right, try a third... this is like a Rocky film, waiting for IV
 
Mine normally is fine for 2 weeks and will still start but last week in Czech in the middle of the country with no radio signals anywhere, it was flat in the morning. Temperatures dropped to frosty at night so I'm guessing my battery is on the way out.
If your battery isn't fairly new, I'd replace it if I were you.
 
gazcabs said:
Dan,

May not be of any help, but it could be something else/new keeping BECM awake.

I bought the upgrade RF rec shortly after getting my P38 back in 2011, didn't have any issues from then on with battery drain.

Only about a few months ago it started draining again, well annoyed. Anyway, after having the multi-meter on it and trying various pulling of fuses, nothing worked. BECM wouldn't go to sleep.

Out of desperation I tried the fuel flap release button on dash, pressed it, checked the flap itself to see if there was anything there that could cause it and shut it again. Had a cup of tea before I started to cry and just happened to check the meter. 0.03A - sound asleep. Jumped in the seat and just happened to notice the fuel flap release button was now sitting almost flush (god knows how I managed to notice this!!). I had noticed that it wasn't always coming back up after pressing. Took it apart and apparently they are known for splitting apart under the binnacle surround (not just the multi-plug but above this where the contacts/springs are). Sure enough mine had old tape wrapped around it and with the pressing of the button during fill ups it probably dis-lodged it, causing it to prevent the signal back to BECM. Took it apart, cleaned it, reset the 2 springs (to allow it to spring back flush) and put new tape around it.

Had no more issues and I'm now very gentle when pushing this button (it now always pops back up).

Might not be your issue but worth a look/check.

Gary
Click to expand...

Mine had been replaced when I got it. Old one was int he glove box!
 
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