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Low gear in a p38 1996

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1996 gear low p38
2K views 13 replies 4 participants last post by  nosync 
#1 ·
For the past two years I haven’t been able to shift into low gear!, when I go to neutral the transmission signal in the dashboard keeps beeping with nothing happening, today I tried something unconventional I was backing up and without going into complete stop I put the car in drive and the car “hiccuped” little bit and then I shifted into low gear and lo and behold it worked!

I know this is not a scientific experiment but it’s worth trying before spending the money.


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#4 ·
If you shift with the car still moving just a bit, it's often easier for the gears to engage.
 
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#6 ·
What? It just was mentioned!:dance:
I suspect this issue does not come up much as most drivers of these magnificent offroad beasts do not have occasion to need low range thus never go there. I shift mine into low every time I change oil as a preventative measure.
Don't use low and it will seize up eventually.
Be sure to lube the U joints with every oil change as well. This has been mentioned, but bears repeating.......
 
#8 ·
HA!
For about 10 years in Hawaii, it spent near to 80% of it's time hauling equipment up and down the volcanoes on the Big Island.
I went through a set of Coopers in about 2 years.....
Now it is here in California, I have done a bit of fun off roading, and plan a bunch more.
P-38s are darned near the best off road machine on the planet and need to be used as such! (Only thing possibly more capable is the Classic with that strange and wonderful rear Boge strut!)
 
#9 ·
The traction control of the P38 works really well.
I had a few occasions that rise the height of the car got me out of trouble..
I also have a Disco 1, but it has stock size tyres and all roaders, the P38 has bigger muddies and the TC, and that makes it a better off roader than the Disco.

But... the comfort and the ease of the P38 makes a bit boring sometimes ;)
 
#11 ·
If you unbolt the gear change motor, you can turn the selector shaft (by hand or with a pair of pliers). Chances are with no load the motor will switch to high as well, so you can just reconnect it. If it doesn't, check connections just to be sure and worse case you can shift it by directly applying 12V to the (removed) motor to get it in the right position.

Filip
 
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#12 · (Edited)
Thank you Filip, I have taken the motor out: frozen dead ( bench tested it) turned the selector shaft all the way, but had to turn it back just a little to fit inside the frozen receptacle ( I assume I cannot leave the shaft exposed, correct?).

That fixed the gear ratio issue, but caused the continuous beeping and select neutral message ( to be expected from reading about the switch topic) so I disconnected the cable to the ECU as one member mentioned: quiet now but seems to be in “sport” mode ( delayed shifting = worse gas mileage).
Any concerns in what I did so far?


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#13 ·
You are correct, you can't just leave the motor off. There's a good chance vibrations will cause the shaft to rotate, which could leave you without drive while on the road. Not fun I can assure you, especially not with a loaded trailer in tow on a road with no hard shoulder...

If the gearbox ECU thinks the car is in low, that could affect shift points. The signal comes from pin 35 on the transfer box ECU, a brown-yellow wire. It needs to be 0V for high range, you could always measure to be sure, and then an earth to see if that makes any difference. The BECM should also react and display the correct gearing.

Filip
 
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