Petrol light, radiator gauge and handbrake light on and beep!

Evening all
I once again would like some help please. I filled my 2002 P38 Vogue (GPL Dual Fuel) up today, no problem. After driving for about five minutes it felt different, about a mile later the petrol light, radiator light and handbrake light came on briefly and the car beeped. It carried on driving, I turned around and headed home and it beeped again after about ten minutes. Once I got home it started again fine, but I didn’t dare use it so took another car for my day out. My other half took the Rangey out and had no issues at all and when he put the code reader on there were no faults showing. I believe (he doesn’t) that the car has leaked something onto the drive in little spots yesterday and again this morning. It’s not water, and we checked the oil and the radiator fluid and they are all fine. Before I finish, it’s an automatic and I feel that some days you can move the automatic gear stick easily backward and forward and other days it’s harder. Today it was so easy a baby could have moved it! Any ideas on what maybe wrong please? I honestly daren’t take it out in case it’s something bad.
Thankyou. Claire

Diagnostics would be the best investigator.

Someone with Nanocom would be best, what diagnostic did hubby use?

PS I have seen people worry about leaks to find out a cat would pee there in the night. Would explain why it’s not oil or coolant

Auto gear-stick: always apply handbrake in N, make sure vehicle is supported by the handbrake and then put in P. Same as any auto.

Is the brake fluid level stable? The later model has brake lines that go behind the fuel tank and they tend to rot behind there where you cannot see it.

Thanks for your reply. We are using a ‘OBD2 Diagnostic OBDII Lecture’.
I know what you mean about worry...it’s just living in rural France breaking down is so much more complicated than in the UK. I’ve been in this situation so many time with my car I’m a nervous wreck now

Grrrrrr said:

Auto gear-stick: always apply handbrake in N, make sure vehicle is supported by the handbrake and then put in P. Same as any auto.

Is the brake fluid level stable? The later model has brake lines that go behind the fuel tank and they tend to rot behind there where you cannot see it.

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I didn’t know that about that handbrake, I’ll do that from now on. To be truthful the handbrake doesn’t stop the car moving! I’ve been known to drive with it in and forget to take it off many times over the last ten years.

I don’t know about brake fluid levels but will look into it thank you.

The V8 will overcome any handbrake but you should notice it. You'll see the handbrake drum on the back of the transfer box. Make sure no fluid is dripping from it. If so it is a £5 seal on the rear output shaft from the transfer box that is going. Not a bad job.

Grrrrrr said:

The V8 will overcome any handbrake but you should notice it. You'll see the handbrake drum on the back of the transfer box. Make sure no fluid is dripping from it. If so it is a £5 seal on the rear output shaft from the transfer box that is going. Not a bad job.

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Wow wouldn't be amazing if it was something so simple. First thing tomorrow morning I’ll see if we can find it. Thank you.

With flashing lights and the (worst ever sounding) beeping I would expect a few codes. Many readers will not interact properly with a P38, for some stuff but not much usually, P38s are funny like that.
I’ve never heard of your one, but nanocom is the best money wise, it will do pretty much everything and talk to BECM well, others can do few more things than nanocom but price jumps considerably with little gain. I’m not saying buy one, more like find someone that already has one

Are there any nanocoms in France I don’t know but there are some great LZ members there.

RangeRoller dt said:

With flashing lights and the (worst ever sounding) beeping I would expect a few codes. Many readers will not interact properly with a P38, for some stuff but not much usually, P38s are funny like that.
I’ve never heard of your one, but nanocom is the best money wise, it will do pretty much everything and talk to BECM well, others can do few more things than nanocom but price jumps considerably with little gain. I’m not saying buy one, more like find someone that already has one

Are there any nanocoms in France I don’t know but there are some great LZ members there.

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It is a weird one, never associated those three lights before.
In my last thread Nanocom was mentioned too. There are members in France I’ve found on site but sadly a fair distance and the fear is it would play up half way there and then what....

As far as im aware they aren’t related. But being a RR there’s no 2 the same, they all have original issues/personality disfunctions

Did it display a message on the screen when it beeped?

I must point out you seem a hardcore P38 driver. You know it will break on the way, it beeps and flashes, but you persist anyway?
My kinda landy owner

RangeRoller dt said:

As far as im aware they aren’t related. But being a RR there’s no 2 the same, they all have original issues/personality disfunctions

Did it display a message on the screen when it beeped?

I must point out you seem a hardcore P38 driver. You know it will break on the way, it beeps and flashes, but you persist anyway?
My kinda landy owner

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You’ll like this....:I don’t know if there was a message as the bulb has gone behind the screen on the dash and I don't know how to change it....so I’m not sure there was a message.

Thanks and yes, love my P38 despite his quirks. Hard work but a great car when running smoothly.

The dash warmings/weird lamps etc sounds like an earthing issue to me.
Bad earths always cause weird unpredictable faults.

Wazzajnr said:

The dash warmings/weird lamps etc sounds like an earthing issue to me.
Bad earths always cause weird unpredictable faults.

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Oh. I’ll get that looked at. Thanks.

its a bad earth on the electrics side. does everything cut out briefly ?

as to the fluid leak, possibly.. have you checked the gearbox oil? you need to undo the hex key and pop your finger in if you can touch oil its ok, if not the level has dropped. the gearbox feeds oil to a cooler via a pipe and runs back again. I've just replaced my oil cooler as it sprung a leek.

the occasional gearbox shift being tight is the shift cable from the selector to the gearbox

ukadamwest said:

its a bad earth on the electrics side. does everything cut out briefly ?

as to the fluid leak, possibly.. have you checked the gearbox oil? you need to undo the hex key and pop your finger in if you can touch oil its ok, if not the level has dropped. the gearbox feeds oil to a cooler via a pipe and runs back again. I've just replaced my oil cooler as it sprung a leek.

the occasional gearbox shift being tight is the shift cable from the selector to the gearbox

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Hi, it was only three lights and the car continues driving as it happened so not sure about the ‘out briefy’.

We will look into the gearbox oil, when we find it. Sounds interesting.

Is the gearbox shift a problem or just a quirk?

Thanks again.

CJMoore said:

Hi, it was only three lights and the car continues driving as it happened so not sure about the ‘out briefy’.

We will look into the gearbox oil, when we find it. Sounds interesting.

Is the gearbox shift a problem or just a quirk?

Thanks again.

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mine's been stiff for a year.

ukadamwest said:

mine's been stiff for a year.

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Glad it’s not just mine being odd then.

CJMoore said:

Glad it’s not just mine being odd then.

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Is the gearbox oil box hard to find please as we don’t have a ramp. Would it be easier to take it to a garage and ask them to change the oil? Had it for ten years and never done anything with transmission gearbox oil .

Hi, if the gearbox oil is that old at minimum ,no telling how old it is then a oil and filter change would be a good idea and maybe add a bottle of lucas transmission fix cant do any harm.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LUCAS-TR...638603?hash=item4aecfdd74b:g:Oj4AAOSwu4BVntaq

brianp38dse said:

Hi, if the gearbox oil is that old at minimum ,no telling how old it is then a oil and filter change would be a good idea and maybe add a bottle of lucas transmission fix cant do any harm.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LUCAS-TR...638603?hash=item4aecfdd74b:g:Oj4AAOSwu4BVntaq

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Thanks I’ll look into that.

Gearbox oil is easy. Doesn't even need a jack. lie on your back about 2/3rds down the drivers door pull yourself underneath.. the gearbox sump has large has head plug facing forward get a large socket on the hex head, undo it stick your finger in the hole if you can touch fluid it's ok if not put some in.

A filter change is easy undo the sump bolts sickening off the bolts on the cross member as it will be fiddly getting it off.. undo the filter with torx heads (iirc) remove filter. put new o ring on filter bolt new filter up new gasket on the sump put sump back on fill up (cant remember quantity for a sump refill but RAVE will tell you) and then follow process as per RAVE to exercise the shift. job done. light up a cigar.