QuestionI have a 1999 range rover 4.6 hse, and after about 10 minutes of driving I get an open book symbol. Everything seems to be working fine, All of the flaps work when I change air flow direction. It seems to maintain the corert temp. The temp controls all seem fine. I am able to lower and raise the temp on both sides. If I restart the car right after the fault apears, it goes away and comes back in 10 minutes again. I never loose heat and it seem to maintain the desired level. Could any else besides the a/c or the heat cause the problem "heated seats ect".. ? I know that most inform to bring this to the deal and replace the servo and air flow mechanics. I don't feel like dropping 1000 dollars if I don't have to. Is it ok to just ignore? Or maybe anything else that I can check out or do?
Thanks
Phil
AnswerHi Phil,
Your Rangies AC problem will have to be analzyed by either the dealers testbook OR a similiar device. Thanks to a very good article from Rovers North, there are some steps you can take to help solve your Rangies AC problem:
Land Rover air conditioning systems are either manually controlled or electronic, depending upon model. All Discovery I (‘94-'99) and Range Rover Classic models use manually controlled heat and air conditioning.
Discovery IIs (‘00-'04) and P38A Range Rovers (‘95-'02) use electronic systems. The Discovery II system signals a problem by sounding “beep beep beep” when started, and the AUTO display flashes for 20 seconds. The Range Rover P38A system signals a problem by displaying a notebook symbol in the bottom right corner of the control panel.
Discovery II fault codes may be read by an owner, but specialist tools may still be needed to fix the problem. Range Rover P38A codes can only be read with the Land Rover specialist test systems (the dealer TestBook or T4, or the aftermarket Rovacomm, ROVACOMLITE, or Autologic.)
Some auto parts shops have these devices and are willing to read your (and reset) your codes to help you find the fault. I've known Advance Auto to do this for free...its sort of an incentive or courtesy (if you will).
If your air conditioner comes on, but then gets warm after a little while check your compressor. If the clutch is not engaged but the system is on tap the end of the clutch (the part that isn't spinning) with a ball peen hammer. If it snaps into engagement, shut the vehicle off and check the gap between the two clutch plates on the compressor. This gap can increase with age to the point where the compressor will stop engaging reliably. You can usually fix this by removing a shim from shaft after removing the outer clutch plate.
If your fans do not blow at high speed open the fuse box behind the battery and pull out the yellow relays one by one. Inspect them for brown discoloration and replace any damaged ones. These relays are a common cause of blower trouble.
If your system is adjustable on one side, but not the other – meaning one side is stuck on hot, cold, or somewhere in between you probably have a bad servo motor set. Land Rover sells these servos in sets of three (left, right, and center blend). A VERY resourceful owner could replace these items at home, but most people will do better to find a specialist. This repair takes most of a day to complete.
Best of luck, Phil.
Regards,
JohnMc
