1996 P38 DSE Manual. Help Please! Videos included.

Datatek said:

You have an Email with the aircon fans mod.

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cheers

Glow Plugs, leak of pipes, water pump, tensioner and belt replaced

fired up first go.

filling the coolant system I would say it’s taken 10-11 litres. However there is 100% an air lock somewhere.

It didn’t want to fill up via the expansion tank (only took about 3litres. So I filled up via rad and managed to get some more in.

waiting for car to cool down and I’ll see. No hot air through heater though (I know it works). And it’s running considerably hotter

Put the filler cap on and with the engine running repeatedly squeeze the radiator pipes until the heater pipes warm up.
Put the heater to hot with just a little fan speed and set to dashboard vents, that way you can feel warm air starting to come through as it bleeds and heats up.
You should also have Coolant coming back into the tank while it's running with cap removed

Mark Piercy said:

Put the filler cap on and with the engine running repeatedly squeeze the radiator pipes until the heater pipes warm up.
Put the heater to hot with just a little fan speed and set to dashboard vents, that way you can feel warm air starting to come through as it bleeds and heats up.
You should also have Coolant coming back into the tank while it's running with cap removed

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Managed to get some heat coming in. And car is sat at steady temp on idle.

seems to be taking an massive amount of water still? Just topping up at the expansion tank

Coolant is 11.3 litres (20pints).
You have checked hoses (one at back of head), rad drain plug etc for drips or leaks?

Anyone give me an idea exactly how full the expansion tank should be when cold.

taken it for a 10min drive. Running hotter than before.

leaving to cool and will top up

Mark Piercy said:

Put the filler cap on and with the engine running repeatedly squeeze the radiator pipes until the heater pipes warm up.
Put the heater to hot with just a little fan speed and set to dashboard vents, that way you can feel warm air starting to come through as it bleeds and heats up.
You should also have Coolant coming back into the tank while it's running with cap removed

Click to expand...

+1 on squeezing heater hoses and parking on a steep slope with nose up in the air. Stat should have a hole at 12 o'clock and little pipe from top of rad should be clear.

Nialox said:

Anyone give me an idea exactly how full the expansion tank should be when cold.

taken it for a 10min drive. Running hotter than before.

leaving to cool and will top up

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There're marks on it.

My expansion tank just fills up, takes the lot. I filled it with hose pipe once

If you look on the filler tank there is a waste line on it. The cold mark is on or just below that... Without looking at my own I can't be 100%... As it is a thousand miles away... Literally. Hopefully storm what's his face doesn't bugger off with it...

Car all sorted. The old pump that came out had a metal impeller. Made out of like sheetmetal as opposed to a cast one. Looked like it could move more water than the one that’s just gone in. Play in the shaft though so it was buggered.

glow plugs and leak off pipes in too. Can’t say it wants to start with 1x heat up of the plugs in the morning. It still wants two heat cycles before it starts. Annoying rythmic clacking noise still there too

That pump would have blown and cooked your engine, possibly destroying your rad/V fan with it.
Should fire up 1st beat when cold. Do you have any bubbles in clear fuel line from the filter housing?

good job I’ve a new one in!

can’t see any bubbles in fuel line. Does seem to be a heat thing though considering the 2x glow plug heat solves all.

You could test the glow plugs to see if they are all actually getting voltage. They should be okay considering you said say it fired up first time previously?
Have you done lift pump test? - wammers thread in tech section. Should get 180mils.

RangeRoller dt said:

You could test the glow plugs to see if they are all actually getting voltage. They should be okay considering you said say it fired up first time previously?
Have you done lift pump test? - wammers thread in tech section. Should get 180mils.
View attachment 200785

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yeah seems like that’s the next port of call. Am I right in saying there’s a relay to replace if not

Nialox said:

yeah seems like that’s the next port of call. Am I right in saying there’s a relay to replace if not

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If you fitted new glow plugs, are you sure you got the right voltage ones?

Datatek said:

If you fitted new glow plugs, are you sure you got the right voltage ones?

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+1.

Stc 3103

Datatek said:

If you fitted new glow plugs, are you sure you got the right voltage ones?

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Got them from the local specialist in the end. So I presume so. It does actually fire up first go. And a lot better than previously. Just not perfect....

I had a clattering noise from the fip on the engine à while ago and unplugging the little map sensor on the fuel filter housing stopped this from happening.
In the end the fuel pump in the tank had started to fail and eventually gave up and refused to start.
I replaced the fuel pump with a VDO unit and that was the end of the noises and the start up issues for me!
Don't be tempted by the cheap in tank pump.. You'll be dropping the tank again soon.... And don't cut a bloody hole in the body work!!
Try unplugging the map to see if the noises stop. It may shed some light in the noises, if not then further investigation is needed before you venture out in it and end up on a recovery truck