[davee]

Hi, a little introduction, i am a member on another forum and the guys over there are great superb and helpful, i have come over here to well ask a few questions, i know its not the done thing but i reckon i will be on here a bit more !!!

i am new to owning a p38 this is the first one i have discovery and defenders and classic range rovers the p38 is for the wife to replace her L200, BUT since the ownership of this P38 i now realise why i have stayed clear for so long !!!

Since the day we got it its never been right from the day i bought it could hear it wasn't running right and when i got it back i plugged it in to my diag for a load of codes

too lean bank 1&2
camshaft position sensor/ circuit malfunction p0340
as well as the usual ABS now and then (not worried)

I have gone down the usual route

Cam sensor changed
Crank sensor changed
Wiring harness checked from cam and crank sensors to ECM
Wiring tested for cam earth and positive from fuse 26

i have probed the cam wire whilst it was running (blue wire to ecm at tick over) and it produces around 7 - 8 v

the fault will clear without the engine running but after you start it up its a matter of seconds before the fault will re appear and is un clearable with the engine running.

I am running out of ways forward, i have no test equipment to look at wave forms, i can't believe i am the only one to ever get this fault ? but reading the net of with i have trudged for weeks on it, and its not too common a fault

I have stopped the wife from using the car for fear of further damage as it seams to be getting worse she only used it for about 4 days and i have took it off her and now its stood around for 2 weeks i feel like a right **** head.

The previous owner knew about this fault he had changed the plugs to try and correct it ( he's not mechanically minded at all he even had to buy the spanners to chage them !

 

[WARover]

I have read your post and may not be able to offer any help other than to say that I feel your pain and frustration. I have a 1999 Bosch (Thor) 4.,0 which is very similar to your 4,.6. I had the P0340 code, a copy of RAVE, and a basic understanding of the "trouble shooting process". Since it has been almost two years now, some of what I encountered is vague in my mind.

I remember having to lie on my back and reaching up and unscrewing the sensor from the side of the engine block. A small part of about 1" x 2". I then disconnected it and replaced it with the new part. This was on the right (LHD passenger) side. Isn't there also one on the opposite side?

Secondly, you have traced the wiring to the ECU. The ECU is very easy to remove and take it to the bench for a closer inspection. I remember opening mine, looking for anything that appeared to be out of order. That is, solder fatigue , etc. You may take a look there.

My gut tells me that the MAF comes into play here. This device has a different way of performing its function that on the GEMS. You may want to check to see of your symptoms of a defective MAF on a Bosch mirror your issues.

I have a feeling that you will quickly solve your dilemma and learn to love your P38 with its problems as you do your other Rovers.

 

[Cornishman]

Too lean Bank 1 and 2, look at the O2 sensors, make sure that their genuine Bosch, these things only like genuine.

 

[Guest]

if WARover was talking about the CAM sensor, when questioning if there would be one on the right side too...Since the V8 only has one camshaft it's likely to have only one cam sensor.........


What diagnostic equipment do you use? I read often that universal equipment give strange faults on a P38 (and other Land Rover models introduced before 2004) so you might be searching in a wrong direction perhaps?

 

[davee]

Hi thanks for replying I don't think it's a maf fault as it's throwing a cam code it's really doing my head in now it developed this fault during the previous ownership

I am not after a quick fix but surly I am not the only owner to have this issue, I can't understand why if I have code 0340 and have checked the wiring and changed the sensor the fault still exists

 

[Cornishman]

Don't take these fault codes too literally. If there's one thing I've learnt over eight years of P38a ownership it's that fault codes are only a pointer and not always the answer.


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

 

[Ringo]

Cornishman speaks true. I remember having this code once along with another that said my box was out of sync with my speed or something. The problem stemmed from the MAF. I sprayed contact cleaner on the sensor and that helped for a bit. I saved a bit of money buying a new one because I referenced that Land Rover part to the Bosch part and then using the Bosch web site, that part to another car manufacturer, (BMW I think).

 

[Gilbertd]

There's a lot of bits on the P38, especially on the Bosch controlled Thor, that are common to the 5 series BMW. BMW did own Land Rover at the time it was built after all.

 

[davee]

well i have borrowed a identical good car, set about swapping bits maf, cam sensor, crank sensor etc etc no further forward i also used a oscilloscope on both vehicles and tapped into the wire just before the ecu they both have identical wave forms.

So i leaves 2 options

Ecu
or
Serious mechanical failure, the cam timing is so far out the ecu is saying its wrong,

but if the cam timing was that badly out it wouldn't run as well as it does right ?

 

[Guest]

worn camshaft?

 

[Gilbertd]

Even if the camshaft was completely worn out, the notches for the cam sensor wouldn't wear as they don't touch anything. It wouldn't give a cam sensor error it just wouldn't run very well. I suppose it's possible that the cam chain is badly stretched which would put the cam timing out.

 

[davee]

t wouldn't give a cam sensor error it just wouldn't run very well. I suppose it's possible that the cam chain is badly stretched which would put the cam timing out.

it would put the timing out, but would the code be 0340 or would it be another code say a misfire code generated by the fact the timing is out ?

the cam doesn't tick like they usually do the guy before swears he never had a cam replacement and he done 40k in it and he replaced the plugs just before i got it as he realised it had developed a slight misfire but this didn't cure it.