Just when you think you've got everything sorted...!

Popped out to the shops last night and noticed that she took longer to start than normal (which kind of prompted me to look at the leak off pipes). Came to start her this morning and took ages to get her going, lots of spluttering and then finally came to life.

Popped the bonnet and lots of air coming through the fuel line after the diesel filter (can't see before as the line is opaque!). So am presuming that the lift pump is dead / dying - tank is getting low on fuel.

Haven't noticed any problems before now - run the tank very low over the past few weeks, and didn't notice any problems with lack of power, so maybe it is just starting to go?

Anyone agree with it being the lift pump? or could there be something more simple (hopefully!) to check first.

Is the lift pump fitted to the top of the tank, or is it one of those right in the bottom, like one in an Audi I once replaced (a right nightmare!). Anyone done this job, how difficult? The pumps aren't too expensive thank goodness.

Cheers,

Matt

P.S. I keep hearing that RAVE is available on this forum, but I can't find it - can anyone point me in the right direction?

mmaddock said:

P.S. I keep hearing that RAVE is available on this forum, but I can't find it - can anyone point me in the right direction?

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Just type RAVE into the search box at the top of the page and try one of the many links. Just tried it so I know it works.

After you have downloaded RAVE, you will need to download a program such as "alcohol120%" (Google it) to burn a CD. The download of RAVE will not run unless you do this. It is also possible to burn a psuedo CD on your hard drive, I don't think this is such a good idea as you are stuck with using it on one computer.

Matt-

The key might be that let the tank run very low. You may well have picked up sludge/debris/an old shoe (who knows what finds it way into fuel tank over time!).

Pop the lines and filters and have a look -- may not be anything more complex than that.

Going forward, keep 1/4 tank or more...

Datatek said:

Just type RAVE into the search box at the top of the page and try one of the many links. Just tried it so I know it works.

Click to expand...

Did try that, but got bored with dead-end links so gave up! I thought it was actually on the forum somewhere. I'll have another go!

Cheers,

Matt

evansdave said:

Matt-

The key might be that let the tank run very low. You may well have picked up sludge/debris/an old shoe (who knows what finds it way into fuel tank over time!).

Pop the lines and filters and have a look -- may not be anything more complex than that.

Going forward, keep 1/4 tank or more...

Click to expand...

I'll have a look later on.

Just been out and filled her up. Popped the bonnet and don't see any air bubbles now, but going to leave her for an hour or so and go out to try again so will see if I get the same thing with a full tank.

Matt

Just realised RAVE doesn't work if you have a Mac!!

Will have to wait until my copy of Win7 turns up and I get it installed on here.

mmaddock said:

Just realised RAVE doesn't work if you have a Mac!!

Will have to wait until my copy of Win7 turns up and I get it installed on here.

Click to expand...

If Win 7 is as good as Vista, you might have a very long wait

Datatek said:

If Win 7 is as good as Vista, you might have a very long wait

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Win7 is bloody fantastic (even better than Mac OS.X IMHO). Was running the beta and then RC on my old laptop for ages - got Vista off as quick as possible!!

Matt

Maybe I'm just an old cynic, but I saw lots of comments like that about Vista pre-release. Vista turned out to be so good that Microsoft supply a free XP downgrade disc with Vista Business. I will wait at least a year before I even consider any new version of Windows.

Most new version have generally been slower than their predecessors, and the emphasis has always been on image, lots of pretty features that are useless and just waste CPU power. The latest version of Messenger is a good example of this philosophy.

XP in my experience has been the least worst example in terms of reliability and performance. Still much slower than the OEM version of Win 95 though!

Sounds like the the old favorite " cracked tube" on the lift pump. It only shows up when the fuel level drops below the level of the crack. A cheap fix is to keep it topped up over a quarter tank, otherwise its a new pump.

rewmer said:

Sounds like the the old favorite " cracked tube" on the lift pump. It only shows up when the fuel level drops below the level of the crack. A cheap fix is to keep it topped up over a quarter tank, otherwise its a new pump.

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Been out and started her from cold with a full tank - fired up straight away no problem and no bubbles.

Think I'll fit a new lift pump as I'm planning a 3 month 'expedition' so prefer to get everything sorted now rather than break down in the middle of nowhere!

Matt

Datatek said:

Maybe I'm just an old cynic, but I saw lots of comments like that about Vista pre-release. Vista turned out to be so good that Microsoft supply a free XP downgrade disc with Vista Business. I will wait at least a year before I even consider any new version of Windows.

Most new version have generally been slower than their predecessors, and the emphasis has always been on image, lots of pretty features that are useless and just waste CPU power. The latest version of Messenger is a good example of this philosophy.

XP in my experience has been the least worst example in terms of reliability and performance. Still much slower than the OEM version of Win 95 though!

Click to expand...

Had I not been using it for a good few months I would agree, I've got going on for 20 years experience in IT now so I've been around plenty of Windows releases! but it really is a big step forward for MS. It runs pretty much as well as XP on similar spec machines that Vista couldn't contemplate (i.e. older, slower hardware), definitely a huge amount faster than Vista on newer stuff, and the interface/graphics/reliability of Win7 has Mac OS.X beaten hands down, despite what the blinkered Mac fan's say! (and I say that as a Mac user and general Apple 'fan' - just not a blind one!).

Matt

Well good luck to you, I've been in computers of one sort or another for 40 years, I still reckon, on past experience, that when the production version of Windows 7 finally arrives, it will when used to it's full in different applications prove, as has always been the case, to be full of holes.
A lot of the fancy graphics stuff is really not relevant unless you are gaming or publishing (where Mac dominates I think). I still run CAD on 95, the graphics are more than capable and it is so much faster and simpler to use.

rewmer said:

Sounds like the the old favorite " cracked tube" on the lift pump. It only shows up when the fuel level drops below the level of the crack. A cheap fix is to keep it topped up over a quarter tank, otherwise its a new pump.

Click to expand...

Is it not possible to pull out the pump and replace that piece of tube?

Running fine now that the tank is full. No problem even after an overnight break, starts up immediately as before.

Matt

Anyone with RAVE able to tell me how I get to the lift pump in the P38's tank please?!

Was hoping there was a hole in the floor somewhere, but can't seem to find one!

Cheers,

Matt

i am sure its tank out unless you cut a hole in the floor

j the range said:

i am sure its tank out unless you cut a hole in the floor

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That's what I'm afraid of!

RAVE say's drop the the tank. I have seen it suggested that it's possible to cut a hole in the floor for access. I used to use that trick on MK2 Jags to acces the inboard disc brakes.

i would take the tank out if it where me i would not fancy cutting my boot floor