Servicing a P38 Range Rover V8

THE second-generation Range Rover P38A is one of the most affordable entry points to Land Rover ownership. So if you own one, it’s likely you’ll be maintaining it yourself to some extent. Equally, if you’re considering ownership, you may be wondering how much you can tackle yourself. Thanks to their relatively proven engines and drivetrains, P38As are some of the simplest models to service at home.

The same doesn’t perhaps carry for diagnosing and repairs, thanks to the pioneering use of a Body Electronic Control Module (BeCM) which every electrical item routes though, from the engine to the door locks. Diagnosing an issue and pinpointing the cause can be a little tricky, as the BeCM itself can fail too, and is coded to the car. Don’t let us talk the car down though, because a P38A is a superb vehicle. It just needs a slightly different approach to diagnosing problems when they do arise. Servicing, however, is another matter entirely.

Here, we look at how to service the V8 P38A, which is something anyone could do comfortably in a morning