My P38 turns over but will not start.

After spending a small furtune on sorting out an intermitant fuel starvation problem and eventually finding a bad connection at the top of the fuel pump (on the inside of the top) and this had been missed by the garage and was found be an auto electrician and my self when we dropped the tank on the road side and removed the pump I thought my problems were over. Unfortunatly I was wrong. The car again will not start. I have checked and found fuel to be pumping, but when I have put a timming light on the plug leads I am not showing any spark (no flashes on the strobe, has anyone got any ideas where I should start looking. I am not getting any instroment panel warnings of any faults
Regards
Bob

Hello, Had the same problem last week on my P38a 4.6HSE.
Is the 'check engine' light on with the ign on? If not (mine wasn't) then the engine is imbolised. Could just need the engine ecu and BECM to be recoded. Easy if you have test book or rovacom ect.
With out reading the fault codes your crank shaft sensor may have failed (this should have a fault code inthe engine ecu if it is at fault)
The problem with mine was that for some reason the BECM had reset its enging type so couldn't talk to the e ngine ecu.

I've just had the same problem.

Drove a good 200 miles and then on way home I stopped for traffic and it cut out. I wouldnt start at all just turned over but never tried to fire. Waited for RAC and when they turned up it started up, then turned the it off and it would start again. We checked for spark but there was none at all. Now if you leave the car for an hour it will start but every so often it just dies and there is no spark.

Anyone got any ideas? waiting for it to be recovered back to me now by the RAC.

Could be a failing crank sensor,they often dont log a code - best checked with an oscilliscope.

I've done the rear crank sensor also. It started as an intermittant fault, sometimes cutting out. Its a cheap part and easy fix.

Before you start taking car to pieces, check the rf receiver is not getting 433mhz signals from elsewhere. Can only talk automatic which has a small red light at side of gear shift. Arm the car and watch. After a few minutes, the light will go out and stay that way until you disarm the car again. If the light comes on again, the BECM has been woken up by the rf receiver getting a rogue 433mhz signal. Full details of what happened to us are on my "introduce yourself" posting

Sounds to me like the ECU is starting to fauil, happened to me just last weekend and it's the last major fault that broke the back.

P38 is a lovely car, when they work that is but seriously how much money should you spend on a car to just drive it?

Bought a Disco today, P38 up for grabs immediately if not sooner!

Well its definately not interference from anything else. Car has now been recovered to me and its the same. When its cold it starts fine but as soon as it warms up it stops. No fault codes and no spark.

dave_r said:

Well its definately not interference from anything else. Car has now been recovered to me and its the same. When its cold it starts fine but as soon as it warms up it stops. No fault codes and no spark.

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Sounds more and more like a weak crank sensor,find a local garage and get them to scope it for you,it should be a nice 36-1 AC waveform.

Well had the crank sensor replaced and it looks ok now. The car used to run for 5 - 10 minutes then just stop with no spark, now it seams to be fine.

The bonus is I've now found what seams to be a reasonable garage to look after it as well as the bill for finding the fault and fixing was very good compaired to what others were quoting.

dave_r said:

Well had the crank sensor replaced and it looks ok now. The car used to run for 5 - 10 minutes then just stop with no spark, now it seams to be fine.

The bonus is I've now found what seams to be a reasonable garage to look after it as well as the bill for finding the fault and fixing was very good compaired to what others were quoting.

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Who are they then ? They might be able to help others.

Who are they then ? They might be able to help others.

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Good point, I used Queen St Garage in Taunton.