Since I've had the car it's done this, starts great first time of the day but then after a trip, sometimes, it won't start at all... you turn the key and the ignition comes on, the steering lock unlocks, but it does nothing when you turn it to start, just as if you had taken the starter motor off.... At first it was very intermittent but lately it has started getting worse, you now have to leave it up to an hour before it will start... sometimes it goes days and will start fine every time, yesterday it did it twice, today it did it once, but was then fine later on... sometimes a few tries and it starts....

The immobiliser and steering lock are working fine, doesn't matter which key I use...

It has had two starters and is the same with both, although the replacement was a second hand one so there is the outside chance both have the same fault!!!!

I fitted a new ignition switch, just the electrical part, yesterday

Battery is super size and only a couple of months old and is fully charging at 14.2volts...

No faults showing with the IID tool that would relate to this....

When it starts it is quick and efficient with no laziness....

Sometimes it starts if you hold the key in the fully start position for a few seconds.

It seems to me that it's a heat related issue and maybe something is building up a resistance when it gets hot???

So please get your thinking heads on and fire some ideas, doesn't matter how far out or crazy they sound, it seems to be something very weird

Thanks Pete

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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

This might be worth a try - I had this on my p38 and it turned out to be the cable from the battery to the starter had internal corrosion. Nip down to the local factors and buy another cable and put it on leave the others there and see what happens should cost about a tenner. I ended up doing battery to starter and alternator to stater
Good luck

+1 what Sandyt said. You can try this by shorting it out with a jump lead which should give immediate effect.

Also, I'm not sure about the configuration of your starter motor but most work by using the same solenoid to both actuate the contacts and the engagement. If it is sticking you will hear a small "click" when you turn the key. Holding it in the start position merely keeps the magnetic field energised and eventually (hopefully) the "sticking" will be overcome allowing connection.

One other thing to check would be the "signal" lead to the starter for breaks / corrosion. I currently have exactly the same issue with my telehandler but I know it to be the signal lead which has a bad connection and occasionally needs a wiggle.

Only my ten-penneth worth you understand!!

Thanks chaps, pretty sure it's not the starter, although I could be well wrong....

I have checked the leads and they are clean and appear fine, it's very difficult to get to the leads with the starter on, when I changed it, it was much easier to take it off and then remove the leads, it's got a built in heat shield and is pretty awkward to get to....

There is no direct trigger wire for the starter, the ignition switch talks to the ECM, it talks to the Ignition interlock relay, if it has received power from the ecu's for the immobiliser and the steering lock then it triggers the starter...

Going to try the Ignition interlock relay that lives behind the battery, next cheapest thing to try....

Although.... just had a thought, the starter doesn't click at all when key turned to crank, but if you hold it there then there is a click a few seconds later, it's not from the starter but it could be from the Ignition interlock relay switching out, but I haven't checked yet as every time I start playing the darn thing works!!!!

Do wish it would just pack up totally...!!!!!

If it is the interlock relay clicking then it's either the internals of the relay, it's getting a signal and tripping and not putting out power, or the starter motor itself and I've had two with the same issue...

Have to wait till someone else is home, it's light and not working, to test further....

Don't you just love em..... Pete

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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

I hate things like that.

If I may offer some more ramblings which could be food for thought - have you tried things like moving the gear lever when it won't start? As you said, the starter doesn't get a direct signal from the ignition but instead via the ECM once it decides everything is ok for the car to start. Therefore, if something like the gear position switch is playing up the ECM will decide conditions are ok to start.

Good luck with it - hopefully it will be one of those things that you just come across

Eidt: Must read all posts

Thanks chaps, yeah tried that loads... forgot to say in the first post....

I'll work my way through it, quite like the challenge really, just wondered if anyone else had had the same...

As they say, "A problem is just a solution you haven't found yet" Pete

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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

From your description I think it is unlikely but I would check the earths. John
2008 Stornoway Grey 3.6 Tdv8 Vogue
2005 TD6 Java Black Vogue - Written off!!
GAP iiD BT
2003 Discovery TD5 Auto, Nanocom Evolution - gone to a new home!
MasseyFerguson 152 - No electronics!! - Sold

Pete, buddy, have you tried a new starter relay? could be a simple £5 fix. Are but hang on a minute we're talkin' L/R here, it's probably a special shape relay made by Vestal Virgins on the ninth Sunday of the month and therefore costs 1.5 pounds of flesh!  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

For Starter Relay, read Ignition Interlock Relay, they just give it a posh name and a big price tag...... Pete

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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

OK 2.5 pounds of flesh  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Is it definitely only when it's hot ?

Ie I'm just trying to rule out the causes that would cause the issue irrespective of temp...

So it prob can't be ignition switch, or it'd also do it when cold......

Seems a little strange. Got to be an issue around the activation of the starter rather than anything further up the chain.

I had an issue on my 7 series where it would just spin over for ages and then fire, or fire up no problem and it was the idle speed control valve sticking, but the starter always worked in that case, so not that. 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

Have you checked the cable to the gearbox and the linkage ?? Maybe when it warms up the linkage/cable moves out of "park" just a little too much so it won't engage the inibitor switch. In the Wiki Stan put the gearbox linkage clean up and grease up method. MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Just worth having the petrol/lpg switch over solonoid schecked. Maybe this is happening at exactly the temperature the ecu allows the engine to switch over. A long shot I know!!!

I was thinking about this last night and I guess you have tried switching off the LPG - long shot but thought I would mention it to rule it out.

.. Howard
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2002 4.4 V8 LPG Tartarini
Have RSW AllComms in Cheshire J17 M6 - happy to help.
*Gone: Classic Vogue SE Auto V8 3.9