My new p38

Hi guys. Bought myself a p38 2 weeks ago and I absolutely love it. It's a 1998 4.0se in dark blue with cream leather and 96000 miles on the clock. He'll of a lot of car for £1500 I think. Just fitted 4 new tyres and a dab radio which is brilliant.Also got a full multipoint sequential gas system here to fit to it this week. However, 2 weeks in and got coolant leaking into the drivers footwell. Also took it out at 5 am this morning across the fields to go goose shooting and got well stuck in the mud. Had to get towed out by a Mitsubishi warrior! After that, driving through the fields it felt like it was a 2 wheel drive and was sliding about everywhere but the warrior looked much more in control. Any ideas??? Good job I'm a mechanic!!

Leak is the Heater Matrix O Rings - do a search loads of posts about fixes also look on rangerovers.net

As for stuck in the mud - it's all about tyres....

Maybe a check on the functin of your VCU is in order - again search on here for the method...

Basically jack up one whel and using a long wheel brace try to turn it - it should be very stiff, seized = knackered VCU, spin freely = driveshaft or propshaft or VCU/Transferbox broken.

You're heater matrix O rings are leaking and you have crappy tires.

Put 4 brand new Goodyear wranglers on it last week. Was very wet though!! I've seen the posts about the matrix o rings so I might change them tomorrow. Wouldn't swap it though. Some friends were with me today and they all loved it!!

Go and do SaintV8 check.

I run with crappy tyres most of the time and no issues off road (mildyof course)

Hmmmm. Don't spend any more money on it until you do SaintV8 check

Sorry for my ignorance but what's a saint v8 test???

timmy264 said:

Sorry for my ignorance but what's a saint v8 test???

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I'm Saint.V8 and I outlined a test above to check your Viscous Coupling Unit in the Transfer Box....

You mentioned it seems to run funny as if in 2wd....checking the VCU and transferbox function will point out if you have any driveline issues...

Thanks ill get it jacked up in the morning.

Welcome to the madhouse :hysterically_laughi
If you are replacing the heater feed "O" rings, I recommend replacing the crappy pozidrive clamp screw with a Stainless Steel Socket Head (Allen type) screw-much easier to access in the future with a ball ended allen key and a better head as a bonus. The size is, I think, M5 X 30 mm long. The biggest problem is getting access to the head of the original pozidrive screw to remove it but the various write ups give a load of info. on "How to".
I no longer own a P38 but do know a little bit about them and have a few bits and pieces lying around.
If you are stuck, the shower on here will give you loads of good info. and I am in Aberdaron-approx. 12 miles from Pwllheli if you are really stuck..for urgent info or bits just PM me.

A quick but not conclusive test on the VCU is to find an empty car park, put the car on full lock and drive slowly round in a circle..if one of the tyres at the front sounds as though it's "Scrubbing"-do the test as described to confirm.

Thanks for all the help. Love this forum!!

P38 Range rover is a great tool offroad, capable of far more than some would have you believe. Just be carefull when wading, main ECU (BeCM) is under the drivers seat and you don't want to get that little Mother F****r wet !!!
Take a look at this.........
Part 1. Ralph drowns and recovers his Range Rover P38, Part 1 of 2 - YouTube
Part 2.Ralph drowns and recovers his Range Rover P38, Part 2 of 2 - YouTube

Check the front prop shaft is there. Sometimes removed when the VCU seizes to save the front diff from breaking, check also that the front diff is not broken.

let us know how the "Saint V8" checks go

Well just jacked the n/s front wheel up. Both props shafts there and ujs in good condition but greased them up anyway. Chocked the back wheels and can turn the front wheel by hand, although slowly and with a bit of effort. If I remove the chocks the car moves backwards so the coupling must be working slightly. New coupling do you think??

timmy264 said:

Well just jacked the n/s front wheel up. Both props shafts there and ujs in good condition but greased them up anyway. Chocked the back wheels and can turn the front wheel by hand, although slowly and with a bit of effort. If I remove the chocks the car moves backwards so the coupling must be working slightly. New coupling do you think??

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You have not understood what the VCU does, it acts as an automatic diff lock on the centre diff. The test is with one front wheel off the ground box in neutral handbrake on you should be able to turn the wheel slowly with a constant force, it will take a lot of effort.
If it's impossible to turn the wheel the VCU has seized, if you can turn it it's fine.

sorry your right, I didn't fully understand. I'm a forklift mechanic so haven't come across four wheel drive before. If I jack one wheel up and put it in neutral with the handbrake on I can turn the wheel with a strong arm but it does need some force. I've jacked each wheel up in turn and you can feel each half shaft is connected to the diff so they're not snapped.

timmy264 said:

sorry your right, I didn't fully understand. I'm a forklift mechanic so haven't come across four wheel drive before. If I jack one wheel up and put it in neutral with the handbrake on I can turn the wheel with a strong arm but it does need some force. I've jacked each wheel up in turn and you can feel each half shaft is connected to the diff so they're not snapped.

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Sounds like the VCU is OK then....

So do you think the four wheel drive is ok. Felt just like a 2 wheel drive and slid about dverywhere but might be my inexperience off road

Really think that may be a combo of tires, lack of off-road driving experience and the weight of the beast. When I took my RRC into the wrong kind of mud with the wrong kind of tires the first time, I barely made it out and nearly ended up in a creek. They were Yokohama Geolanders H/TM's. I was used to driving lighter weight vehicles and the fall line really can take over if you're not careful. If you look at my profile pic you can see the Beast with hard core mudders. With those the thing is a tank in goo.

timmy264 said:

So do you think the four wheel drive is ok. Felt just like a 2 wheel drive and slid about dverywhere but might be my inexperience off road

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It will be the tyres/inexperience. Watch it on ice, the traction is amazing when pulling, so is the way all 4 wheels lose grip when you lift off