P38A A fool and his money.....

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Do you remember my tribulations about non starting and EAS faults? Well here's a post script.
Turned out that the blowing of fuses in the starter circuit was down to the EAS compressor being seized!
Yes, the new one that I thought I was clever to have bought in an ebay 'make an offer' back at the start of lockdown.
I know, I know, I should have known better for a hundred quid but the ad offered OE spec, 2 year guarantee etc.
I should have solved the problem, as I did in the end, by fitting a seal set to my old one - about a tenner for the whole kit!
Ebay no help - "You've had it too long." Paypal offered to help but although it was sent from the Midlands, it had to be returned to China and even then the decision on a refund lay with the seller! Best price to return it was 60 quid! That's a NO then.
We live and learn I suppose.
To be fair, over the years I have had good experiences with cheap, pattern parts. Maybe my comeuppance was long overdue.
 
Thanks gents, that's reassuring, in a strange sort of way. Still, the outcome has been reliable starting and a fully working EAS, although the original silly little fault has returned, insofar as when we start up she does a sort of royal curtsey to the access position and then back up to height. It is quite a novelty and I'm not going to attempt a fix any time soon. I'm sure that a more important fault will be along any day soon!
 
Thanks gents, that's reassuring, in a strange sort of way. Still, the outcome has been reliable starting and a fully working EAS, although the original silly little fault has returned, insofar as when we start up she does a sort of royal curtsey to the access position and then back up to height. It is quite a novelty and I'm not going to attempt a fix any time soon. I'm sure that a more important fault will be along any day soon!
Sure someone had a similar problem and it was the driver pack,but I may have dreamt it.o_O:D
 
Sorry... :oops:
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Hi. I've just been reading through both of your posts on this topic because yes, you guessed it, I am currently having the exact same issue. I apologise for this being so long but I need to get the setting right, as I'm sure most of this is familiar to you. So please bear with me and if anyone else can help I'll appreciate your input as well.
Over a week ago now I was out with my wife having a drive as it was beautiful weather for it. Anyway, we stopped at one tourist attraction and off we went to have a look around. On coming back to the car to set off for another destination we got in the car and then, nothing other than a click.
The car had power and was doing everything correctly except for starting. It wouldn't. I checked all of the fuses and at the time I didn't see any that had blown (I was wrong). So I then thought it must be the starter because everything else was fine (it wasn't of course). So I called up Green Flag to come out and have a look and see if they could help. He gave the same diagnosis as I had, the starter motor was dead (he did say he isn't an expert at all on the P38). Anyway, we had to call a towie to come get us and take us home. So after an hour or so of waiting and a further hour or so later we were back home and by then it was late so left it for the night. I asked around on forums etc and everyone I spoke to said yes that it definitely was the starter motor.
The next morning we went out to the car to see what the problem was. That's when I discovered the 40 amp fuse (position 40 I think) had blown. So I replaced it with the spare and tried it again and boom the car started first go and I was able to drive it from the front around to the back in our drive.
I thought nothing of it at the time and we didn't need to use the car again until a few days later.
A few days later I needed to run my daughter up to the nearest town for her to catch the train into the city. We all got in the car and were ready to set off. I turn the key and........nothing. Exactly the same as on our drive a few days earlier. So I looked at the fuses again and saw that the 40 amp fuse was yet again blown. Having no spares I had ordered some but they weren't going to arrive until the weekend at the earliest. That didn't happen and we only got them yesterday. The joys of internet shopping and living in a very small village. We don't even have a chippy. Go figure.
Anyway, I had also decided to replace the starter motor to completely rule that out, and given the original one was from March 2001 when the car left the factory it wouldn't hurt to change it anyway and refurb the old one to keep as a spare. We needed to go for another run-up to town and while waiting for the suspension to rise I realised "duh the fuse is blown so it won't work." We then drove on bumstops (not nice) to the mechanics workshop down the road about half a mile to use his airline to raise the suspension (yes I fitted the bypass. He loved that setup btw and no he knows nothing about these cars. His words not mine).
So after I had received the starter motor and everything else I needed for the job it was then when it hit me. I was sitting in the men's thinking room and thought "Why does it have to be the starter? The EAS also uses the same fuse (makes no sense to me why it is like that but anyway it is what it is and obviously people more in the know made it so it must be right.....ish)."
So after another day of reading and testing the battery and EAS (I can't get under the car at the moment so having tested the starter plus I figured I'd leave that until I have completed these jobs first). Anyway, I discovered that everything was fine when doing a continuity test except for the power to the compressor. The compressor itself is showing 0 and the multimeter gave a little beep as I believe it should do from what I have read and watched (electrics are a dark art to me). It was then when testing the continuity from the connection from the car to the compressor I found it was reading roughly 40ohms and not zero like the others. Anyway, after much more reading, watching videos, and testing, it would always give the same reading. Not knowing exactly what I was doing I wanted to make sure I was doing it right. I also tested the connection for the valve block itself and the multimeter beeped as it should do, which made me happy.
So, now having read your post it really got me thinking. Like yourself, I had replaced the air compressor over a year ago now (about November 2019). Just as you did I also bought a compressor off eBay made by Dunlop and it was brand new. But then a few months after having replaced it the new one failed. It just wouldn't work at all. I tested it and no matter what it wouldn't do anything at all. I contacted the seller and he was more than happy to send out a replacement new item, same manufacturer. This was about March of 2020. Since then we have had no issues with it at all, until now (I think). So now I am really wondering if this was the same brand you bought and were having problems with.
Does all of the above appear to be what happened for you? My car is a 2001 4.0HSE.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read all of the above and if anyone can point me in the right direction it will be greatly appreciated.
Kind regards

Craig.
 
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Craig, I feel your pain. I soon got over being semi-stranded at the roadside but the biggest sh4fting in over 40 years motoring still boils my blood! We're not allowed to name and shame here but the Chinese outfit who sold the pump are still trading on ebay albeit the P38 pump is NLA. Very pleased that the repair kit for my old pump, about a tenner, also on ebay, has worked well, the old pump is still giving good service. That other pump is on a conspicuous shelf in my garage, where I can make obscene gestures at it when I pass by!
My suggestion is to recon your old and trusted pump. I also made up a 'shunt' lead to activate the starter 'just in case.'
best of luck with it mate.
 
Hi and thank you for responding. I do plan to refurb the old, original, compressor now having read your posts. Thankfully like my father I don't throw out 'knackered' pieces or parts. So I shall see if I can take bits of the 3 'spare' compressors I have and get the original one working again. I really hope that is the issue because at the moment aside from replacing a blown fuse all the time & needing to grab some air off the local mechanic, it is driveable. Although I never knew the trick for keeping the car in the raised position overnight. So I will have to give that a go tomorrow.
Thanks again.
 
Hi. I've just been reading through both of your posts on this topic because yes, you guessed it, I am currently having the exact same issue. I apologise for this being so long but I need to get the setting right, as I'm sure most of this is familiar to you. So please bear with me and if anyone else can help I'll appreciate your input as well.
Over a week ago now I was out with my wife having a drive as it was beautiful weather for it. Anyway, we stopped at one tourist attraction and off we went to have a look around. On coming back to the car to set off for another destination we got in the car and then, nothing other than a click.
The car had power and was doing everything correctly except for starting. It wouldn't. I checked all of the fuses and at the time I didn't see any that had blown (I was wrong). So I then thought it must be the starter because everything else was fine (it wasn't of course). So I called up Green Flag to come out and have a look and see if they could help. He gave the same diagnosis as I had, the starter motor was dead (he did say he isn't an expert at all on the P38). Anyway, we had to call a towie to come get us and take us home. So after an hour or so of waiting and a further hour or so later we were back home and by then it was late so left it for the night. I asked around on forums etc and everyone I spoke to said yes that it definitely was the starter motor.
The next morning we went out to the car to see what the problem was. That's when I discovered the 40 amp fuse (position 40 I think) had blown. So I replaced it with the spare and tried it again and boom the car started first go and I was able to drive it from the front around to the back in our drive.
I thought nothing of it at the time and we didn't need to use the car again until a few days later.
A few days later I needed to run my daughter up to the nearest town for her to catch the train into the city. We all got in the car and were ready to set off. I turn the key and........nothing. Exactly the same as on our drive a few days earlier. So I looked at the fuses again and saw that the 40 amp fuse was yet again blown. Having no spares I had ordered some but they weren't going to arrive until the weekend at the earliest. That didn't happen and we only got them yesterday. The joys of internet shopping and living in a very small village. We don't even have a chippy. Go figure.
Anyway, I had also decided to replace the starter motor to completely rule that out, and given the original one was from March 2001 when the car left the factory and it wouldn't hurt to change it anyway and refurb the old one to keep as a spare. We needed to go for another run-up to town and while waiting for the suspension to rise I realised "duh the fuse is blown so it won't work." We then drove on bumstops (not nice) to the mechanic workshop down the road about half a mile to use his airline to raise the suspension (yes I fitted the bypass. He loved that setup btw and no he knows nothing about these cars. His words not mine).
So after I had received the starter motor and everything else I needed for the job it was then when it hit me. I was sitting in the men's thinking room and thought "Why does it have to be the starter? The EAS also uses the same fuse (makes no sense to me why it is like that but anyway it is what it is and obviously people more in the know made it so it must be right.....ish)."
So after another day of reading and testing the battery and EAS (I can't get under the car at the moment so having tested the starter plus I figured I'd leave that until I have completed these jobs first. Anyway, I discovered that everything was fine when doing a continuity test except for the power to the compressor. The compressor itself is showing 0 and the multimeter gave a little beep as I believe it should do from what I have read and watched (electrics are a dark art to me). It was then when testing the continuity from the connection from the car to the compressor I found it was reading roughly 40ohms and not zero like the others. Anyway, after much more reading, watching videos, and testing it would always give the same reading. Not knowing exactly what I was doing I wanted to make sure I was doing it right. I also tested the connection for the valve block itself and the multimeter beeped as it should do, which made me happy.
So, now having read your post it really got me thinking. Like yourself, I had replaced the air compressor over a year ago now (about November 2019). Just as you did I also bought a compressor off eBay made by Dunlop and it was brand new. But then a few months after having replaced the compressor the new one failed. It just wouldn't work at all. I tested it and no matter what it wouldn't do anything at all. I contacted the seller and he was more than happy to send out a replacement new item, same manufacturer. This was about March of 2020. Since then we have had no issues with it at all, until now (I think). So now I am really wondering if this was the same brand you bought and were having problems with.
Does all of the above appear to be what happened for you? My car is a 2001 4.0HSE.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read all of the above and if anyone can point me in the right direction it will be greatly appreciated.
Kind regards

Craig.
Welcome Craig, Your first mistake was taking your missus out.second is not becoming a member sooner you would have received guidance. Anyway your amongst friends now.;):D
 
Whilst you still have a full tank of air, remove the self levelling relay under the passenger seat. As I understand it, just a small leak from any of the air bags will cause the self levelling to 'chase' the lost air right down to the bump stops. This happens even with IGN Off.
 
Later models split the starter onto its own fuse, I believe.

I now carry a sack of 40A fuses in case it happens again! When I get time I think I will put a smaller inline fuse on the EAS power line.
 
Thanks guys. I've been a member since 2018 but forgot my password so I have been reading many posts since then, just without commenting. It's only yesterday the password hit me like a wet fish to the face. Anyway, it is what it is.

"Whilst you still have a full tank of air, remove the self levelling relay under the passenger seat. As I understand it, just a small leak from any of the air bags will cause the self levelling to 'chase' the lost air right down to the bump stops. This happens even with IGN Off."
It was through your threads that I learned of this. So now that I have a workshop air compressor again I can raise the car myself and then do exactly that. So thank you.

Thanks for the heads up there about this Kurt fellow Oakey. I'll see if I can hunt him down.
When it comes to pulling apart things like compressors & valve blocks I am reasonably good with those things (my dad used to repair them and taught me a little). When it comes to mechanical knowledge I know I'm not so good but I'm better at that than I am with electwizardry, I'm not afraid to ask for assistance and guidance on that front.
Cheers

Craig
 
Hi, Grrr (interesting name). My car is from March 2001. So I don't know how much later it was they separated the EAS & starter motor. I bought a pack of 10 40 amp fuses so in the meantime, I am doing just that but it feels even more so like throwing money at the car without actually fixing the problem. I know, I know, we do that anyway while these cars are in our possession. As I hope to have this car for at least another 20 years I'll continue to throw money at it.
 
Hi, Grrr (interesting name). My car is from March 2001. So I don't know how much later it was they separated the EAS & starter motor. I bought a pack of 10 40 amp fuses so in the meantime, I am doing just that but it feels even more so like throwing money at the car without actually fixing the problem. I know, I know, we do that anyway while these cars are in our possession. As I hope to have this car for at least another 20 years I'll continue to throw money at it.
There's 6 R's in Grrrrrr, :rolleyes: I'll tag @kurtjohnson10 for you to make it easier.;):D Forgot your password,how is that possible;):oops::D
 
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