newbie! P38 cutting out when warm

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mattfletcher

New Member
Posts
147
Location
walsall, west midlands
Hi, after several years of dreaming about v8 range rovers, Ive finally took the plunge and bought one. Only trouble is, it's got an issue.
Right Im sorry and ashamed that my first post on here is a trouble shooter one, and hopefully as time goes on, I will get myself and my RR, known and involved in this forum.
But for now I'm stuck with this problem, and due to me being new to the RR scene, thought Id post this up here to see if any of the knowledgeable members on here could help me out.
Right down to the nitty gritty; The RR is a 1995 p38 4.0se on LPG. What the problem is, is that it starts up sweet, runs sweet, no smoke no noises or rattles etc, but as it starts to warm up after about 10 minutes it cuts out and wont start until you've left it to cool down abit. The top Radiator hose is warm, the header tank gets warm (although the level in the tank does rise every now and again as if there's an air lock). The viscous fan seems to be spinning fine, there's no water mixing with the oil, or oil mixing with the coolant. The temperature gauge was reading a third of the way when it cut out, so wasn't overhaeting according to that. I'm thinking maybe coolant temp sensor? but thought I'd check on here first to see if anyone has had the same problem.
Many thanks in advance for any advice or help. Matt
 
mattfletcher said:
Hi, after several years of dreaming about v8 range rovers, Ive finally took the plunge and bought one. Only trouble is, it's got an issue.
Right Im sorry and ashamed that my first post on here is a trouble shooter one, and hopefully as time goes on, I will get myself and my RR, known and involved in this forum.
But for now I'm stuck with this problem, and due to me being new to the RR scene, thought Id post this up here to see if any of the knowledgeable members on here could help me out.
Right down to the nitty gritty; The RR is a 1995 p38 4.0se on LPG. What the problem is, is that it starts up sweet, runs sweet, no smoke no noises or rattles etc, but as it starts to warm up after about 10 minutes it cuts out and wont start until you've left it to cool down abit. The top Radiator hose is warm, the header tank gets warm (although the level in the tank does rise every now and again as if there's an air lock). The viscous fan seems to be spinning fine, there's no water mixing with the oil, or oil mixing with the coolant. The temperature gauge was reading a third of the way when it cut out, so wasn't overhaeting according to that. I'm thinking maybe coolant temp sensor? but thought I'd check on here first to see if anyone has had the same problem.
Many thanks in advance for any advice or help. Matt
Click to expand...







:welcome: to LZ :D
 
TBH Gav, Ive had it running once so far, due to the battery being dead flat and spending a little longer than desired working out how to get the keycode to work, I think it was running on gas at the time, right up untill it cut out it was perfect revving nicely, then all of a sudden let go of the revs, it cut out and let out a hiss, as if the gas was backfiring. Would the coolant temp sensor be the one sitting next to the top rad hose on the top of the engine? Would I be able to test it by unplugging it and seeing if it would run on? Or would that just bring a different fault up?
 
i know there are two little plugs on there, if you remove em the engine wont run!!! so, by taking em off you wont know anything, try it it shouldnt hurt. but make sure they are clean good connections when they go back on. if you have a multi meter you could test resistance on the sensors and post back, maybe someone will know what readings you should get

also just run it on petrol for now to get the problem sorted then you can sort the gas side out later.

dont charge the battery up on the car, and if your jumping it earth the body not the battery terminals, otherwise you can damage the becm!!!
 
also some lpg systems will only change once car is warm, if there is a problem with lpg and the car switches over it will cut out!!
 
Hi guys, had another look at the RR yesterday, managed to keep it running longer than 10minutes and the first time I started it it was on petrol so shouldnt be a gas fault. Now Ive managed to drive it but you put it into drive, its dead flat and start popping and banging through the exhaust. This symptom familiar for anything in particular?
 
what condition is the ignition system in? i would have a look at when it was last serviced and if there is no evidence or its been a while start there. its best to service a car as soon as you get it then you knoe where you stand and its no very expensive.
 
Hi Gav, I am thinking the coil packs are breaking down when they get warm, and obviously killing power. Im going to get the plugs out the weekend and start from there. My mate just contacted me and told me to check the crank sensor. The car itself has been stood for 2-3 years so it is going to get a proper service, but want to get it running right first. They said the temperature gauge used to go up then it would cut out, so thats when they parked it up. Cut out yesterday about a third of the way up the temperature gauge, after I tried to drive it and it started to pop and bang. Then when you try and start it, it sounds like its low on compression then it was starting and cutting straight back out.
 
i'm sure its nothing much, but i'm unsure if the guage is related to the poor ignition as such. i'm thinking on the same lines as you but maybe leads are breaking down. if your gonna be/wanting to get it running you will need a service and new plugs and leads.

one thing to try is when it gets dark, if you can, go somewhere where it is very dark and look for any blue tracking around coils/leads.

the crank sensor isnt expensive either, i will have a known good one i can send you for postage if you want just to illiminate it(update your profile with your location info too!!!)

the lpg side wont have been serviced either so when its sorted i would get that booked it just to get it tuned up etc!!
 
Thanks again Gav, I'm going to check that stuff out the weekend hopefully and see the condition of the ignition system and go from there, also going to do engine flush and oil change, and put a fuel treatment in it. Are the coil packs expensive? Also had it running yesterday again, starts first crack, and runs sweet, then cuts out and it does start again but not for long.
 
mattfletcher said:
Thanks again Gav, I'm going to check that stuff out the weekend hopefully and see the condition of the ignition system and go from there, also going to do engine flush and oil change, and put a fuel treatment in it. Are the coil packs expensive? Also had it running yesterday again, starts first crack, and runs sweet, then cuts out and it does start again but not for long.
Click to expand...

you could try putting gas analyser on it and see if that tell you anything, thats if theres anyrhing that can tell you. thats if you have one!
 
Hi guys, had another look at the Rangie today, started first time as normal, hunting alot, so we cleaned out the air intake and the IACV and ran alot smppther. Then after ten minutes cut out like normal, tried to start it again and its spinning over really quick like it's got not compression and then stops like the engine is semi ceased. Any suggestions guys?
At the moment we're working on worse case scenario, piston rings? But going to check for damage to the inlet manifold gasket, which would make it suck in more air I guess? then plan b is checking the flywheel for cracks, which would be expanding when it got warm and giving a false reading to the crank sensor? Then plan c is going to be heads off and check whats happening round the block?
Or would I just be wasting my time with plan a and b?
 
i'd hold off on the heads yet. its some kind of sensor. if its not burning oil or lossing water/pressurising water then i would be reluctant to take heads off. i would go round the sensors, have you tried the maf sensor, if i leave mine off it refuses to even start, similarly if i leave intake off(its blown off with lpg backfire before) also plugs to maf sensor does the same. check the plugs all along the branch of loom from the maf sensor, theres about 4 of em i think right up to the tps.

there is some silly reason why it wont hold but i'm pretty sure its not heads/gasket!!
 
Would a sensor make the engine sound like the engine was half ceased? Like the old fords used to do? Saying that we have started stipping to get to the inlet manifold, and the plugs on the injectors are all rusted up inside. Nah dont think its the head gaskets, Ive been told if it was the head gaskets it wouldnt run as smooth as it would to start with. What about the flywheel being cracked? Is that a common fault? Also does this sound like symtoms of a cracked block?
 
pretty sure its not the block, mine ran fine with slipped liners but it pressureised the coolant, ran lumpy on the block with dodgy rings but there was loads of smoke. check the tangs on the fly wheel are all straight and there. if the injector plugs are ferked and rusty the obviously this wont help!!!

i would clean and check everything that you can first. check all the intake, if there is no air flowing over the maf sensor it will run crap/not at all. also check all the plugs on top of the intake manifold. there is also a sensor on the front case between fan pully and crank pully, check the wires to this as they may have hit the pulley and got damaged.
 
i hate to ask the obvious, but have you fitted new plugs, i just had a nightmare with mine, see overfuelling lse in this forum., and it came down to bad plugs that had done less than a 1000miles.
also i had a similar problem with a 4.6 lump, that would run and then cut out, that turned out to be a camshaft failure on number exhaust lug..
hope this may help
 
for the sake of it i would change the plugs before you oik the top off it, for the sake of half an hour, then at least you can illiminate that from the equation. then check all the plugs and connections, then take it to bits. youd be gutted if you took it all apart only to find your plugs are cracked. any plug really will do for the pur[pose of this excorcise, just make sure they are the correct thread length.

on the omega(gm ecotec) type engines, the breathers block causing the rocker gasket to blow and then oil gets into the plug wells and knackers the plugs, it doesnt take long for it to run like a bag of spanners. its usually ok til it warms then its a pain to keep running etc. this wont be happening on yours as there is no plug well but if the plugs are shagged, even an invisible crack can cause the power to arc.
 
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