Ok so I did a search of the site an google before posting this so excuse me if it is already somewhere but this really got me out of a pickle. Also need some HELP appease

We were travelling from Northumberland to Noth Devon when a few miles from Doncaster the FFRR just bumped and died! Came up like blackpoool illuminations on the dash. AA man had no idea. OBD could not find ecu and whilst the starter solenoid clicked in but did not turn over.
Checked the symptoms in google for a 2002 4.4 litre Range Rover vogue L322 of trans failsafe. Engine fail safe. Hdc inactive. Air suspension inactive. Temp gauge gos to TOP HEAT. Abs inactive. Battery light and found A wonderful thread SADLY on another forum. I’ve mentioned everything again to help anyone else find this in google.
Before this all happened there was a slight smell in the cabin of electrical burning.
Aa man came out and both his and my fault readers powered up off the port but neither could find the ECU.
I thought maybe alternator but the battery had really good charge and AA had a jump pack attached.
AA man thought it had got hot and called a recovery truck - SOP.

Ifound a threwsd on another forum which has great photos but not sure if it is ok to share the link- Dtan?
Low and behold the plug on the stat had melted.
I routinely carry all tools in the RR so whipped off the ecu cover and found a burnt out fuse, fuse 1 30amps.
Replaced the fuse with a spare and cut off the stat plug and taped everything up.
Reconnected the battery and vroom all working.
Left it running and didn’t seem to overheat.
Still got it recovered being 100’s of miles from home and not wanting to risk the stat or head gasket problems and will properly investigate the other end.

HAS ANYONE HAD ANY EXPERIENCE WITH ECU LOSS OF COMMUNICATION?

More importantly for me does the temp reading go all the way to top really fast when there is no ecu communication??

I know the heater in the stat is faulty but at trying to work out if the stat will
Be faulty?? The temperature gauge was faulty?? Or if there is a risk to the head gasket???
Should of said that used the purge screw on the expansion tank to release pressure and there wasn’t much at all and the coolant level was really good.
Side of road test showed the engine warming and the stat opening as temp cooled and rad temp raised.

Quote:

"...A wonderful thread SADLY on another forum..."

Amazing Phil!! Such an enormous help today thank you so so much - sorry I didn’t put two and two together!

Any input on the temp gauge and possibility of overheating?

There was no overheating chime and we stopped almost immediately as the lights all came on.

I’m hoping all is ok- perhaps a stat replacement that’s all.

Are you saying that your temperature gauge is still pegged at maximum, even though you've sorted the wiring short and replaced Fuse 1?

Phil

No it is at normal.

BUT it was pegged at maximum when the fuse was broken- I was trying to understand if the pegging was because of the fuse or hot coolant

(I’m worried about the head gasket)

The thermostat is mechanically set to open around 105°C.

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What a relief in reference to the pegged temp gauge. I had a feeling that would be the case but I didn’t want to rely on said hunch given the fact that my pregnant partner, two year old son and I were 500 miles from home!

Thank you as always for your invaluable forum input Phil.

Will order a new stat now and will probably look to do the lower temp mod on Haylands advice & tuck the connector away.

Have a great day!