Urgent help/diagnosis required guys....

....i can hear the key barrel solenoids click upon inserting the key but turning it further to start doesnt crank the engine nor can i hear the starter motor engaging (not even a clunk). All i can hear (the best i can describe) is an electrical whirring noise and can see the dash symbols flicker briefly together with the headlights coming on (headlights are in the off position when this happens).

The battery reads 12.39v with a volt meter ( i had just completed a 10 mile drive and needed to go out again an hour later when these shenanigans kicked off).

So is this a duff starter motor or a problem with the ignition barrel ? how do i test each?

(i noticed the trip distance and date/time on centre display had re set itself to zero when attempting to start it up numerous times - so was there a battery disconnection at some point?)

Last edited by Zain on 18th Dec 2018 6:03pm. Edited 2 times in total

Have you tried jump starting her ? They seem to be a bit fiddly if battery is not full .Even if it is reading full I would try that first . Good luck.

nope not yet...tis pitch black outside.

The only reason im discounting battery at this stage is because i had been on a good 20 mile roundtrip before i parked up and the battery voltage drop to 12.39v was only measured after numerous repeated starting attempts (i really thought it would have dropped much further the way i continued trying).

Might just disconnect the battery cables tomorrow and put the battery on the ctek charger and then give it a try at starting

If you can smell burning or a shorted wire in the engine bay check your thermostat wiring.

If that has melted then check your fuse in the ECU box for the stat- that will cause the issue you have

I have More info on that if the symptoms above present

This thread http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic47537.html

RRPHIL ‘s link has the full repair details in

I wouldn’t assume that the battery is ok just because you are seeing healthy voltage. The fact that trip distance and time reset in cranking suggests that voltage is dropping to a very low level in cranking. Just reading the voltage of the battery at rest wont tell you much if there is a dud cell on the battery. You need to test it under load, which is best done by somewhere with a battery load tester. I believe AA, RAC etc often carry them in their vans.

There is a possibility of a faulty alternator, although that seems unlikely with the at rest battery voltage. If a diode in the rectifier goes short circuit, it can drain the battery in a very short time (and get very hot in the process).

Another alternative, which would be a bit of a result as a quick and cheap fix, could be loose battery terminals. Check both the positive and earth terminals are tight. A loose terminal can lead to a high resistance joint. At very high current (starting) this can cause very high voltage drop at this point in the cuircuit, effectively reducing the voltage to the rest of the vehicle. Current: 2010 Range Rover L322
Vogue SE, TDV8 3.6, Bournville
-----------------------------------
Now gone: 2002 Range Rover L322
Vogue, TD6, Giverney Green

The following circuit diagram might help. There are essentially three possibilities:

1 - insufficient battery voltage to starter, which in turn might be caused by failed battery, low charge, high drain (e.g. from alternator) or high resistance in the circuit.
2 - failed starter, including the relay that is in the starter itself
3 - failed immobiliser, which could be due to ignition key code reader or deeper in the system such as ECM.


Possibility 1 is by far the most likely of these because trip/clock is getting reset, which suggests starter motor coils are being connected, leading to low voltage. If you can jump-start, you will have definitely narrowed down to possibility 1.

Click image to enlarge

Many thanks for the detailed replies - very informative.

So far I’ve only managed to check for burnt thermostat wires, which gladly there is no evidence of. Had the ctek charger on for 10 hours. The voltage on the battery immediately after disconnecting the charger was 13.10v. I’ve left everything disconnected for the night so I can recheck the battery voltage in the morning to determine if the battery drops below the magical 12.5v. (Battery is 11 months old, VARTA silver 110ah).

Hoping all goes well with the battery tomorrow , i’ll tightly secure the battery cable clamps onto the battery posts and fire it up (famous last words).

Do you get B+ coming in and out of R102 (starter relay)?

Can you feel a click in this relay? If it has cables or chips it is usually my nightmare. I am in Costa Rica Please update your drop down list

UPDATE:

Seems the battery held its charge overnight (12.67v reading). After cleaning the battery posts/cables with wire wool i then securely tightened everything back up and fired her up. Result! So either it was a low battery charge or a loose connection. Only time will tell.....but as of now its Happy Days!

(if its short lived, as it usually is with the fatty, i'll be back...... )

A very big thank you to everyone for their input!

Good glad it was simple .Now to save yourself a bit of grief get yourself a jump start pack and carry it with you .Xmas is coming 👍