P38 gearbox fault and engine dies

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feyniriel

feyniriel

Active Member
Posts
126
Location
Finland
Hi everyone,

Was driving my 2.5 diesel automatic 1999 P38 today and the engine light flashes yellow, gearbox fault beeps, then oil lamp & battery lamp come on as engine shuts off and I pull to the side. I turn the ignition and car starts again.

I keep driving thinking it was a random electrical fault. Then it feels like the power steering and braking is feeling off and the accelerator is revving the car strangely.. as if there's a delay or it jumps up to 2000rpm too fast, then back down fast. It also feels like driving on a bumpy road even though the road isn't bumpy, car is strangely shaking. Sometimes while idling it shakes a bit as if it's misfiring. Car dies again with a gearbox fault as I'm in a roundabout.

Car restarts and I manage to drive home and inspect with nanocom. Gearbox faults are as follows:

Invalid engine temperature data
Invalid engine rpm data

Engine faults are:

Injector timing value out of expected range
Type: invalid fault, major fault
Rpm = 84
Inj. Flow = 79
Occurrance = 15

(^ I have had this fault for a long time. I suspect someone did a bad job of reattaching the injection pump, before I bought the car.)

Fuel flow value out of range
Type: too high, too low, major fault
Rpm = 86
Water temp = 64
Occurrance = 12

^ this is a new fault I haven't seen before.

Any idea what this is a symptom of? I can't tell if it's coming from the engine or gearbox.
 
Datatek said:
Auxiliary belt slipping causing lack of power from the alternator would be my guess especially as you mention the power steering. Or the alternator is failing.
Click to expand...
The belt is certainly making a screeching noise when turning the car off. We'll take a look later today, thanks.
 
Datatek said:
Auxiliary belt slipping causing lack of power from the alternator would be my guess especially as you mention the power steering. Or the alternator is failing.
Click to expand...
Would the auxillary belt slipping cause the engine to turn off mid-drive and a gearbox fault? As far as I know most cars can still drive without an alternator or a belt (provided they ignited with a working one)🤔
 
If your worried about your FIP look at the modulation % on your nanocom. *With warm engine at idle
If it was your no4 injector it would flash the orange inj sign on dash. I don’t think this is main thing you have.

Belt would explain few of those particular faults. Becm EDC would likely have a tantrum from that. I would check your belt, ancillaries, pullies and fulcrum isn’t seized up
 
RangeRoller dt said:
If your worried about your FIP look at the modulation % on your nanocom. *With warm engine at idle
If it was your no4 injector it would flash the orange inj sign on dash. I don’t think this is main thing you have.

Belt would explain few of those particular faults. Becm EDC would likely have a tantrum from that. I would check your belt, ancillaries, pullies and fulcrum isn’t seized up
Click to expand...
Do you mean the timing modulation %? This is what the nanocom showed after pulling home, with the engine warm and idling:
 

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I had the same a few weeks back . It was due to low voltage. Regulator in alternator and poor battery at fault. New regulator and new battery cured spurious electrical faults that kept throwing up. Failing that as said check fuse box, smell it for any signs of burning
 
I forgot to mention that when I started the car again after having it in Park for a few hours, I released the handbrake and the car moved as if the Park wasn't holding anything at all. Not sure if this is gearbox related.
 
feyniriel said:
Do you mean the timing modulation %? This is what the nanocom showed after pulling home, with the engine warm and idling:
Click to expand...
Honestly I’ve never seen a figure like that. Have you fitted new chains recently?

It should be set at 50%, as the chains wear and stretch % goes up. Eventually the engine starts to die and or/the chains let loose. Setting static timing puts it all back to where it should be
 
RangeRoller dt said:
Honestly I’ve never seen a figure like that. Have you fitted new chains recently?

It should be set at 50%, as the chains wear and stretch % goes up. Eventually the engine starts to die and or/the chains let loose. Setting static timing puts it all back to where it should be
Click to expand...
Have not had a timing chain change done, don't think this car has ever had one done. It has 270tkm. I've been meaning to get it done this year.

How does one go about setting static timing? Would the car be safe to drive with the modulation % low like that?
 
Wait see what the others say.

It can be risky if it’s too slack (%high) incase the chain slips, I’m guessing it’s either too tight (so shouldn’t slip) or there’s something I’m not aware of causing a strange reading?

Static timing is bit iffy if you’re not used to it. It’s in RAVE but there are a few addendum in a separate section of RAVE that are also relevant. Once you have done it once or twice it’s easy and makes a huge impact on how your engine performs.
There’s few ways to accomplish it, I believe the best way is using dti as specified in RAVE but in a pinch if you don’t have the timing kit use whatever method suits.
 
RangeRoller dt said:
What does 4% mean? How is it even running like that ?!? 🤔

Perhaps if you get a chance to run it up to warm with idle and take another reading
Click to expand...
Modulation should be 50% with the engine temperature at 95C. Never seen one as low a4% and with stretched chains it goes the other way towards 80/90%. So the question is, why is it at 4%? Low battery volts, failing alternator etc may be causing false readings, the other faults are common indications of a lack of volts.
 
We checked the aux belt, it feels loose. We have a spare belt and tensioner fortunately.
Fuse box looks and smells normal.
There's a gap on the EGR pipe, we'll try to tighten that.
After starting the car, the alternator doesn't charge for about 5 seconds, then charges as normal.
Upon starting the car cold, the engine is clearly running badly, rpm jumping up and down.
Timing modulation % is at 12% when I start the car cold. As the engine warms up during idling it climbs back to 4%.
The car is vibrating irregularly when idling, there is a low vibration sound (not sure if from the engine or gearbox) that comes, builds up, then disappears quickly and returns to normal engine idle vibration/sound. I'll try to post a video here.
Another thing we noticed was idle rpm jumping between 819 and 841 without touching the accelerator. Isn't it weird for the idle to jump like that, specifically between these two numbers? You can notice it in the needle very slightly.
 
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