I've just spent a good hour poring over the ETM in RAVE trying to work out which connectors/splices/earths/modules might be common to all of the things that don't work.
It all gets a bit nuts when you get as far as the radio and windows etc as there's four doors with four windows, outstations, multiple speakers etc. I'm fairly certain the issue won't be with a component in an individual door and will be more centralised. I think the only central component that comes up in all the circuits is the BECM and the connectors for that.
I'm sure I'm using the ETM wrong but I've no idea what I'm doing with electrical diagrams and I've admitted defeat for now.
I'll check the connector to the instrument panel when I get a chance. It'll probably be the weekend now. I'll also test some more electrical equipment to try and pin point where the issue might lay. Electric seats, mirrors, horn, tailgate. I'll see if it will actually go in to gear and drive too.
In the meantime, any suggestions gratefully accepted!
Unfortunately I'm having electrical issues at the moment so my windows won't open!
Once it stops raining I can open the doors instead. I've got a wet vac so planned on pulling the carpet out some time over the summer and going at it with that.
Hopefully the plastic/leather surfaces are easier to deal with and I can just give them a good going over with some cleaner and a brush.
I'm not putting much effort in to it at the moment as I want to be sure it's worth the effort. If the engine issue and now the electrical issue turn out to be really serious I'm not sure much more will be happening with it!
I knew they got hot but didn't realise it was that quick!
When my parents used them when I was kid they took ages to heat up and pop out. I pulled this one out before it popped. It was only in a few seconds!
12V socket works and so do the wipers.
With the headlights on the dials light up.
On a side note, those 12V cigarette lighters heat up quick. That's all I had in the car to test the socket. Plugged it in for all of three seconds and tapped my finger on and off it as quickly as I could. The skin on my finger literally sizzled and now I have a burnt finger :(
Yeah, I think so.
I've not checked the wipers or 12V socket but neither the radio or the message centre work.
The pink/white wire gets a ground connection when the key is turned to P1.
Nothing else happens though. No noises from anywhere in the car and nothing lights up.
With the key turned to P2 The dash beeps, the SRS light comes on, the heater display comes to life, the heater fans spin up and the suspension lights come on.
Fuse one gets 13.5V when I hook up a jump pack (it's lighter than the battery and easier to move around!).
No obvious signs of corrosion but the carpet is wet.
StrangeRover wrote:
Would it be worth checking for water ingress into the BEcm?
I had thought I'd be directed towards the BECM at some point.
So far, as the engine is running, I figured it was probably ok. I imagine the engine needs more from the BECM to work than the instruments do.
Mine clearly has a water ingress problem. A couple of years ago I sealed everything around the pollen filters etc but it's still getting in.
Mine has been parked up since August and the dampness coupled with a completely sealed environment (well, sealed besides wherever the water is getting in!) has resulted in a film of surface mould over much of the interior :(
Once the engine side is sorted everything on the inside is going to need a properly through deep clean. Might need a new carpet and headlining. The headlining had already started to sag and was in need of attention anyway.
Not checked for power at the fuse. The battery has been taken back out of the car to go on charge again. I started it several times to draw oil and coolant through, stopping the engine to top up fluids etc. I didn't leave it running very long each time so the battery didn't take on much charge from the alternator.
I'll check for power when I hook the battery up later.
I use genuine ones if it's a regularly scheduled oil change.
I've used a few Mahle ones recently while trying to get to the bottom of my oil pressure issue. Before it went off the road it went through several oil changes over a couple of weeks and I didn't want to re-use any of the filters in case they had metal particles in. I was also using different grade oil each time.
The Mahle ones looked to be pretty decent for a much lower cost.
Tested my fuses as I've got no life from the dashboard, centre console or diagnostics port
Hello everyone! I've been a way for a while as my car was the off the road. I'm trying to get it back up and running now but running in to a few issues.
It went off the road for an oil pressure issue. Now that I'm furloughed and the weather has (or at least HAD) improved I've replaced the oil pump in the hope that it cures the pressure issue.
Over the winter the battery died. I've recharged it and although it's way down on CCA (445 instead of the 830 it's rated for) it is enough to start the car.
However, when I turn the key in the ignition there's no life from the dashboard or window switches. The only light that comes on is the SRS one. There's no rev counter, fuel gauge, warning lights etc. The window switches don't work. The interior lights DO work. I tried to connect the Nanocom but there's no life there either. I DO get the warning sounds from the dashboard though.
The remote central locking doesn't work but I didn't try manually locking it with the key in case it didn't unlock again.
As the engine starts I'm assuming the car isn't in a state of lockout.
I've checked all the fuses in both fuse boxes and they're all OK. I was hoping that Fuse 1 under the seat would be blown as that looks like it powers most of the things that don't work. It's fine though :(
I've not checked the relays yet.
Neither fuse box looks burnt out/melted/corroded
Besides the plugs for the oil pressure switch and crank position switch I don't remember disturbing or disconnecting any other wiring while replacing the oil pump.
Where should I go next?
At the moment I've no idea if the oil pump fixed the pressure issue as there's no life to the dash. I'm wary of running it for too long being unable to know how well it's doing.
If he's doing any proper offroading on much more than a mild slope in a field he very definitely wants to use low range manual mode - especially if inexperienced.
If he's on a serious slope and leaves it in high range it will change up through the gears as gravity takes over and the vehicle speeds up. He'll then be left to use the brakes to slow it down and this can be very dangerous on a proper slope, putting himself and anyone in front of him at risk. If the wheels lock up it will just slide away and lose an ability to steer or control the speed. ABS is of limited use in this situation.
He'll also want to use low manual for going UP hills too. If left in high range 3 the vehicle will start in 1st then change up to 3rd as it needs too, losing momentum and changing the load on the tyre. This will need the throttle input adjusted to compensate for the change in gearing. Get the throttle input change wrong and you'll spin the wheels and lose traction or slow down/lose more momentum. Low manual 3 and it will start from a standstill in low 3rd and won't try to change gear and he won't risk a loss of momentum or change in traction and he can apply a steady throttle.
High first is too highly geared for a safe descent on a big hill. I've been in situations where low first has been a tad too high too. Low first on a P38 is quite a bit higher than low first in a Defender.
Using high third for going up proper hills also puts far greater strain on the drivetrain as the gearing is higher. You risk breaking something expensive, especially if you're climbing something bumpy. The shock load going over a bump and coming down on the wheels can easily be enough to make a diff go bang in low range (I've seen it). Provided the diff or drive shafts don't go that load is transferred to the transfer case and gearbox. In high range you're using more throttle input turn the higher gears. The engine is pushing on the drivetraine a lot harder so there's a lot more resistance when the shock load goes back through the system.
Plodding around on relatively gentle fields/slopes in high auto is fine but if he's going on proper climbs and descents he really should be using low manual.
The only prep I've ever done is to fit mud terrain tyres and raise the air suspension.
Worst I've ever suffered is a cracked front bumper. I'm not sure what kind of land you're going to be driving through but I've mainly been playing around in old rocky quarries, muddy hills/ruts and greenlanes.
You'll want to use low range and make sure you press the sport button. This puts it in to manual mode. If you leave the sport/manual button off it will still shift gears automatically for you. This could be catastrophic when going down a steep hill!
With manual mode off the car will auto-shift between all the gears UP TO the one you have the gear stick in, If you activate the manual mode it lock the gearbox in which ever gear you have the stick in.
For descents you'll want to lock it in first and avoid the brakes.
To go up a hill you'll want to lock it in third and use as little throttle as necessary. The traction control is excellent at scrabbling you up a hill with appropriate tyres.
If you find yourself beached on a rut try moving the steering left to right through the full steering range while applying some power. This will help the knobbly bits on the sides of your tyres to try and find some grip if you've worn away the mud below the tyre.
Wet grass is possibly the worst terrain you could encounter. It looks so innocuous but offers no grip AT ALL. I found the other week that the car WILL take off like a toboggan on a wet grassy slope. Even locked in first gear and using no brakes the tyres had so little grip they were sliding on the grass. Using the brakes made it worst as it caused the car to want to turn and I was worried it was going to roll over!
If you have the handbook for the car it has a section in it with some general advice for offroading. How to traverse side slopes etc. Worth a read if you have it.
As you're in America I have no tips if you're off rock crawling - that's rather different to anything I've done!
Enjoy your trip, take lots of photos and show us what you get up to!
Gilbertd wrote:
Do the lights stay on after the ignition is switched off? I know if you turn the ignition off first and then teh lights you get the headlight delay so you can find your front door but I always thought the lights would time out if you left them on.
Mine turn off after a little while. I've not timed it but it's quite a long time. Long enough for people warn me I've left lights on when I get out.
Sorry, not sure what's happened.
I typed another bit about a possible leak from the seam behind the upper windscreen trim.
It's not shown up though.
This will sound nuts but have you looked inside the interior light?
Occasionally, after a bout heavy rain, I get a water leak from the interior light. It drips on to the centre console and in to the foot well as well.
It was a rather poorly timed photo of me...
Ah well, it's the photo we have :)
I can't remember what it was that had me confused now lol
It also shows that I need to lay off the pies a little bit!
Went to pick Ryan up from nursery in it. He seems to like it :)
Yeah, it's a bit different. Should be a good bit cheaper to run than the P38 (even on LPG). Got 46mpg on the way home on country roads, having a little bit of fun here and there. Should be able to see 48-50mpg on my commute if I'm sensible.
It's a little bit smaller but we figure we don't really need two family cars as we still have the Freelander on the road. Most of our driving is two people - a commute and dropping off or picking up from nursery.
No engine swaps. At least not until the warranty expires :P