Warning lights in the middle of Africa

mwanafunzi · Dec 26, 2023

Diesel Freelander 2 in the middle of amboseli in Kenya some 9 hours from home.

It refused to start with “HDC not available” plus a brake warning light. After 3rd attempt it started and send to run normally. I checked brake fluid level, it’s good.

I just stopped it and it restarted without problems but still with the brake warning light. Any thoughts? Cross fingers and keep going? I’d rather be stranded here in the camp than the middle of nowhere! And if we make it back to civilization, what’s the prognosis?

kermit_rr · Dec 26, 2023

Low battery?

mwanafunzi · Dec 26, 2023

It turned over briskly

Nodge68 · Dec 26, 2023

mwanafunzi said:
Diesel Freelander 2 in the middle of amboseli in Kenya some 9 hours from home.

It refused to start with “HDC not available” plus a brake warning light. After 3rd attempt it started and send to run normally. I checked brake fluid level, it’s good.

I just stopped it and it restarted without problems but still with the brake warning light. Any thoughts? Cross fingers and keep going? I’d rather be stranded here in the camp than the middle of nowhere! And if we make it back to civilization, what’s the prognosis?

Normally those symptoms are a warning the battery is at the end of its life. The Freelander 2 is very power hungry, so batteries need to be top notch. Normally a battery that is over 4 years old is on borrowed time, and should be replaced.

Graculus · Dec 26, 2023

Check the brake pedal switch, it will give a HDC fault and a non-start condition unless both sides of the switch agree on brake pedal position.
The HDC warning may go away if you drive it over 12mph (from memory).

Warning lights in the middle of Africa

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