More photos to follow later Rob unless I have some on my phone already

And will re try the becm tonight.

Standard early GEMS but with the tell tale sign of a bunch of additional wiring going into the ECU loom. See the wiring coming out of the tape by the input to the ECU box, that isn't standard so where does that additional wiring go? If it had LPG, it could be the wiring for that but it hasn't......

This bit here sir?

That's it, that ain't standard. Normally the wiring in the rubber tube goes straight into the ECU box with nothing coming off at that point.

I shall investigate and report back

Ok this may not help at all but here goes nothing

Breakaway cable

Then goes and splits in to two

1 set of cables going under fuse box to white connector

second set heads towards plugs that are under the coolant header tank

Afraid I have no idea what is going on there. Just checked my 96 and the wiring to those two plugs under the header tank look original but the bit coming out of the ECU box isn't. You've got the alarm sounder disconnected too......

Yes just spotted that on the photos.

I'm wondering if I put it in. It goes off due to immobiliser

Where do your plugs from underneath the header tank run to. Back to the ecu

Dont worry about the alarm sounder, if you want a peaceful life - especially since your wiring's all over the shop. . I wonder if you unwind the pvc tape back to the ECM cable, and look at how it's spliced in, and to what, it may give us a clue as to what they were trying to achieve?

Is the PO uncontactable?

The connections under the header tank connect some of the underbonnet wiring to the rest of the car, it carries things like the ignition switched supplies, the oil pressure and temp senders back to the BeCM, that sort of thing. Whip the lid off the ECU box and see if there is anything in there other than the ECU. There's 3 big plugs go to the ECU, so if you identify which plug and which colour wire, it should be possible to identify what circuit things are connected to.

If there is a spurious wire connected to pin 26 (second in on the top row with a black wire) on the middle, red, connector to the ECU, that may be very relevant as that is the mobilise pin that gets a code from the BeCM when the immobiliser is turned off. There was an Australian company that did a unit that sent the code irrespective of the alarm state but I would have thought you would have found another box lurking somewhere.

I don't know if it helps Grizzly, but this is off mine - so clear signs that someone has "broken in" to yours (if proof were needed, which it probably isn't )

Any sign of the starter relay btw (RL16?)/ any missing relays/ fuses in general? How does the fuse box look - any blackened sockets/ burnt smell? Just trying to work out what caused them to do all this re-wiring in the first place

I'm thinking that somehow the ECU has been frigged so it is enabled as soon as the ignition is turned on (ECU from a Morgan perhaps?) but as soon as the key is turn to the starter position a code is sent which is wrong so it is then immobilised. Normally a ground from teh ignition switch goes to the BeCM and, assuming it is happy and the immobiliser isn't triggered, that ground is passed to the fusebox to energise RL16 and fire up the starter. So I suspect the pushbutton is bypassing the BeCM and applying a ground directly to RL16.

I suppose it's possible that the ECU is already enabled so it is only the BeCM that thinks it is immobilised. In which case, entering the EKA should enable it. Have you got the EKA yet?

Hi

Yes the start Relay is missing from the fuse box, and there is a spade terminal in one of the live points. This is the wire that is fed I believe from the magic silver button some how.

I do have the EKA code now, yes landrover emailed me it back yesterday after I sent them photos of the log book.

If I pull the ecu out, will it have a part number or code to suggest it is original or as you say from another

Try entering the EKA now you have it and the hazards flash when you turn the key. Early cars didn't need the 4 turns to lock to initialise it, so you just enter the first number by turning to unlock (clockwise). If the number is 1234, that is 1 turn to unlock, 2 turns to lock, 3 turns to unlock, 4 turns to lock, then to unlock and all your doors should pop open. Do it slowly and deliberately, making sure you fully return the key to the centre position between each turn and make sure the hazards flash on each turn. If it accepts the EKA, then you will be able to sync the fob too. In fact, if it accepts the EKA you may find you no longer get the engine immobilised message so can put the starter relay back in and start it on the key.