So my trusty 103,000 mile 3.6TDV8 L322 ignition is becoming progressively more temperamental. When the issue started, I'd have to insert the key, wait for the glow plug light to go out, attempt to start, nothing happen, remove key, repeat two or three times before she would start. Tonight it took 9 attempts.
I know the transponder is working because you can here the locks retracting when you hold the key fob near the ignition switch so all good there. I'm guessing its the ignition switch itself that's at fault after a few hours browsing the various threads on here.
Looks like a new lock costs about £100, but my question is how difficult is it to fit? My RR is the facelift model which has the key on the front dash below and to the right of the Satnav screen. Has anybody here changed their switch and if so, how big a pita was it to do?

Last edited by JPJ64 on 22nd May 2020 11:08am. Edited 2 times in total

I helped a mate do his a few years ago and it was a bit of a pain. Nothing too difficult but it took quite a bit of time as a lot of the dash needs to be removed. We wasted ages trying to find shortcuts without doing all of the dismantling but failed.
Unless someone has found a shortcut I would advise to follow the manual.

Well it turned out not to be the ignition switch after all.

Today after a lovely run through the Northumberland countryside, her indoors suggested calling at a local garden centre. Returning to the car it simply refused to start. A swift visit by a helpful AA man diagnosed a rotted out energiser lead terminal, that was so corroded the lead had simply fallen off. He couldn’t fire the starter with his energiser tool so he thinks the corrosion has gone further inside the solenoid case.

The car will arrive home tomorrow on a flat bed, and it looks like a new starter motor required. I will keep you posted!

So the new OEM starter arrived from Rimmer Brothers on Tuesday (great service again) but a socially distanced visit from my eldest daughter (an ICU nurse on the front line) meant it was Wednesday evening before I could get to work fitting it.

First hour went to removing swollen wheel nuts

First problem was removing the heat shield over the starter motor as one of the bolts is on a bracket shared with the exhaust and was a little tight. Also access to the other two bolts on the heat shield is a bit restricted when you are working on the ground, might be easier on a ramp. Loosening the starter bolts was relatively easy but then comes then comes the fun bit of wrangling the starter out of the car. After much trial and error I managed to remove the starter through the side (over the anti roll bar). You need to make sure both front wheels are off the ground to get the anti-roll bar in its lowest position and then the starter will come out with a bit of a tug. Installation is just the reverse procedure but that had to wait until Thursday evening as I didn't have the right gauge of terminal to crimp onto the exciter wire.

The exciter terminal on the old starter motor had corroded away completely. Looks like the age old problem of dissimilar metals.

I'm not going to claim the car started first turn of the key, because all my attempts to get rolling again on Saturday had obviously knocked the battery voltage. I did get her to start at the third attempt and after an hours running last night, she started first turn of the key this morning. Also she started a lot quicker than she had been starting so the old starter motor was, in hindsight, obviously failing for quite some time.

Removing the old and fitting the new starter needed only basic tools and wasn't all that difficult, but was time consuming as I'm not as nimble as I once was at crawling under cars and working overhead

Glad you are sorted, it always amases me how rotten a lead can become and still work..!!

At least now you don't have to worry each time you turn the key...

 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
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