starting problem

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stebo88

Member
Posts
53
Location
liverpool uk
Hi, i have a 2000 1.8 5 door freeland. For the last 2 weeks every time i start the car it blows the fuse for the starter motor. Ive replaced the starter motor twice and replaced the battery. Ive also cleaned all the connections and replaced a loose connection to the starter motor but its still blowing the fuse when i start it up. Any ideas what this could be?
Thanks in advance.
 
Hi, i have a 2000 1.8 5 door freeland. For the last 2 weeks every time i start the car it blows the fuse for the starter motor. Ive replaced the starter motor twice and replaced the battery. Ive also cleaned all the connections and replaced a loose connection to the starter motor but its still blowing the fuse when i start it up. Any ideas what this could be?
Thanks in advance.

correct fuse rating?

follow the wire to check for chafing, and therefore shorting.

also recheck earths incase it's high resistance. you can test this by sticking jump lead to bat neg and other side to starter motor/engine block. see if it doesn't blow when you start it with that on.
 
I changed the relay today and its still blowing the fuse. I got a multimeter delivered today aswell but have no idea how to use it.
 
Corroded or loose contacts underneath the fuse box, maybe.

Any damp or leaks anywhere near the starter ?

At night or in the dark somewhere ..get someone to start it while you watch for any sparks.
 
Didnt think of checking underneath the fusebox. It started happening after i drove through a puddle (i didnt see it as was on a bend) to fast. The water went over my windscreen so i gathered water had got at something to cause it.
 
Sorry for late reply trax. I tried that and it still blew the fuse. Changed the earth lead, the wire from relay to starter, the wire from the battery to the starter, the starter motor twice, the battery, the relay box, the fuse box... its still blowing the fuse 😠😠😠😠😠😠😠

Going to try the ignition switch tomorrow but im on the verge of giving up if im honest
 
I know this is a long shot , have u looked inside ur ecu box to see if any water got in the bottom or also underneath the fuse box

was once told if u get someone to turn over the engine in the dark and someone watches under the bonnet u can sometimes see a spark if a lead is burnt out and sparking

hope u get ok mate , must be driving u insane

but as it happended since going through water there must be some trapped somewhere causing the short , but in a puddle somewhere it can't drain away

have u got a tin of electrical cleaner and pull the plugs off everything that may have got wet, spray them and put back together causing the short
 
It really is driving me insane lol.

Il try the ignition switch and the ecu tonight dont know what else it could be. Ive tried everyting else.
 
Ignition switches are prone to failure on the Freelander, but that just raises a signal to an ECU. From here, I'm presuming, but...

That ECU checks the security ECU (imobiliser etc) and raises a signal to the starter relay. Up to this point there's not a lot of power being used - definitely not enough to blow a starter fuse - and I don't suppose the starter fuse is even passing any current at that point.

Presumably the starter fuse is only on the feed that goes from the battery through the relay and to the starter motor itself.

I haven't got a curcuit diagram - maybe you can have a look at the RAVE CD/PDF for guidance?
 
A friend is trying to help me figure out the problem but lives far away so cant come help. He told me to connect a jump lead to the positive on the battery and touch the other end on the solenoid connection. I did this with the wore off the connection. It started but blew the fuse. He said that with the wire not being connected to the starter motor there shouldnt have been power going through the fuse. Any ideas whats going on??
 
Also i know its a long shot but i noticed a brake light was out. Could this be causing it?

are all ur brakes lights out or just one

wonder if by going through the water that its entered through the bulkhead

was there any water by the drivers floor etc ir carpets wet , or maybe hit the back of the fuse box inside the car

just trying to also think of a resolvement before they come with the straight jacket , lol

think electrics must be the most annoying issue

with all the wires off the starter motor and still blowing the fuse my only thought it somehow wires are touching , maybe causing the short ?

trouble is its not easy to see all the wiring
 
Not sure how the fuse could blow when disconnecting the positive supply to the starter - as current would go from battery, to starter, to earth then back to battery.

Incidentally, which fuse is going?

Looking at Rave, Fuse 1 in the engine compartment box is a a 30amp 'N' colour fuse. This is inline to the Starter Solendoid Relay - ie the wiring goes from battery to Fuse 1 to Starter Solenoid Relay and then onto the Starter Solenoid and then to earth.

The Starter Solenoid Relay is activated by a feed from the CCU. The CCU will raise that feed when the key is turned in the ignition and the security allows the starter motor to be driven.

Incidentally, within the Relay housing, the Fuse F1 feed does also appear to feed into a "Heated Oxygen Sensor" relay (whjat ever that is!) - but looking at the wiring diagram, that relay does not appear to be supplying powering anything!

Rave also states that there is a Fuse F5 in the passenger compartment box that is a 10amp 'WR' colour fuse for starter motor. However, looking at the wiring diagram, there is a direct feed from the positive terminal on the battery to the starter motor and the starter motor is then earthed - so there is no fuse shown in the circuit diagram!

What ever, it appears there are 2 feeds to the starter motor - 1 for the solenoid and another for the motor itself. In your test where you put a jump lead from battery to the 'starter motor' - you probably actually put a feed from the battery to the starter solenoid - this would mean that the starter motor curcuit was being used as normal and the problem is there.
 
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