02 Freelander TD4 battery and 3 amigos woes

Hi all, 1st post (longish so apologies) and I, or should I say my Freeloader, has developed some common problems. My mech skills I would rate as intermediate, as long as I have a trusty Haynes and a shed load of confidence (I own a MG ZR which has had every problem known and then some! sneeze while driving an it'll develop another fault :suspicious.

Okay, here is the rundown for ye all;

Bought car in Aug 08, current mileage is 47k, ran sweet since buying. A week ago went out and it wouldnt start. Seemed like battery probs, but the battery retention clip threaded and I couldnt get the damned thing out to charge, charger at other hoose and it was in the drive nose first so couldnt jump with t'other car. That reminds me, I need some extra long jump leads :doh:

Anyhew, had to call the AA as I wasnt 100% sure. He checked the battery and then the alternator and the usual, all fine except the battery failed the life test he did. So outcome, knacked battery! As he couldnt get the clip off either he couldnt replace the battery, so with a jump the car started and off I trotted to National Tyres to get a new battery (Varta). £80 fitted. Plus they had to crack the battery holding clip to replace. It still holds the battery tightly though.

All was well, until 2 days ago when coming home I got in the car and turned the ignition, click click click and nowt. Went back into the house and came out a couple of minutes later and one turn and it started. :wtf:

Fine for a day then, this morning went out, click click click and nowt. Left it a few minutes, and click click click nowt. Got the geniscan out and plugged it in, no fault codes logged. Took out the battery and stuck it on the charger, charger said battery was low, must be a duff replacement battery then??? So I phoned National Tyres and they said fetch it back and they'd replace. So I let it charge for a bit then stuck it in and it fired first time. A duff battery it is then??? Hmmn, not sure I buy that but.....Trotted off to get it replaced around 5:30ish, just before I pulled into the garage the 3 amigos appeared. Not knowing what they were at the time (the handbook said nowt) I put it down to the battery and left it at that. Had the battery replaced and left.

Went out for a spin and a bit of shopping. On way back, around 8pm the 3 amigos reappeared. So got onto t'internet to investigate and here I am.

From what I've read I can guestimate that the battery problem is due to the starter solenoid and not a duff battery (wonder if I could get my £80 back :lol. And from what I can gather the 3 amigos are down to either dodgy sensor or a knacked abs pump is it? Cant remember as I've read so much stuff.....

My question is, could the two be linked? Could a dodgy solenoid prompt the 3 amigos to appear or vice versa? I'm not too up on the Freelander as yet, though I have an idea I pretty soon will be :scratching_chin:

If you've made it through the ramble I thank you......:drum:

Riki

Could be a dodgy earth connection somewhere.
If you can't be bothered to fiddle about,,,,
then,,
Auto electrician time i reckon, let him put a tester on it. That will flash up straight away.

:welcome2:

Fine for a day then, this morning went out, click click click and nowt. Left it a few minutes, and click click click nowt.

Click to expand...

try this......Landrover / Freelander Diesel Starter motor Repair Kit on eBay, also, Land Rover, Car Parts, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 18-Jan-09 10:58:16 GMT)

Went out for a spin and a bit of shopping. On way back, around 8pm the 3 amigos reappeared.

Click to expand...

check for broken/damaged wiring under gearlever gaiter.

New starter at Island 4x4 - £130 or £150 recon/exchange at dealer. I did it with the Hanyes and a couple of big spanners! Approx 2hrs.

Not sure how that can be related to 3 Amigos though - but starter is a common issue. Try tapping it with a hammer (not too hard) which might free it up a but. Mine was ok for months after doing that but changed in the end as it started getting really bad. Could have cleaned up the contacts but I didn't fancy having to do it all again if it didn't work.

Update: Today, car has been parked up overnight. Last run at around 1am for a good hour or so. Went to start, click click click nowt. Then click, nowt, click nowt, then started.

After getting it started I took it for a drive and that is where things became worse. First I had a driver flash his lights at me so I looked behind, big plume of blue smoke barrelling out the exhaust. Turned the car round and head back home to investigate.

On the way back the 3 lights came on and stayed on, then the radio started playing on/off, then the parking light came on and off, then the car started to lose power. After this, the speedo just died. No idea what speed I was doing at all. The car managed the next few miles limping its way home. A puff of blue smoke, no speedo, no radio, 3 lights on, feeling like it's going to cut out on me (though that might just be limp home mode??:crutch: ) dunno if i've missed owt.

Since doing my research online I think I've figured out probably a dodgy solenoid in the starter. And that 3 amigos could be down to a dodgy brake pedal sensor.

But, having only limited mech skills and no experience with diesels I am at a loss.

Any views??? Feel like putting a light to the thing.......:mad2:

riki b said:

Any views??? Feel like putting a light to the thing.......:mad2:

Click to expand...

I think yu will find that is the most common suggestion

not sure about your specific car, BUT:

had similar electrical symptoms to yours a few years back with the exception of the blue smoke (totally different vehicle). As I was a long way from home, called the AA who sent an independent contractor (guise motors - top dog mechanic). Within about a minute of listening to my symptoms he looked at the terminals on the alternator and found the main positive terminal with a deteriorating crimp lug. Pulled the cable off, recrimped and on my way in 20 minutes. Maybe worth 10 mins with a torch.

3 amigoes have a few causes, commonly brake pedal switch, but could be caused by the problems you are having.

good luck and welcome

Where on the hippo is the alternator located, I have a dodgy shoulder which inhibits my movements somewhat, so is it an easy'ish job to get at?

Just to add, car wouldnt start today, instrument panel was lit up like a chrimbo tree, then the battery light went really dim, so I though another dud battery, so I removed the batt and stuck a multimeter on it and it is reading 12.11 volts, just giving it a boost charge at the mo and will try to get the engine going to get some more readings on load.......I'm almost positive it's a bad connection somewhere, it's just trying to trace it now.

If any of u good folks could give me some directions under the bonnet on where to check I'd be much obliged.......Cant get a Haynes till next week so am not sure what everything is, I'm used to working on a petrol engine.......

Also, can anyone shed some light on what fuses control what.......
Riki

Just to give you an update on my prob, it turns out it was the connection between the starter motor and the alternator which was causing my problem.

The crimp clip which connected to starter has completely corroded and was not tight on the thread (which had un-threaded at the base???) therefore it was creating a loose connection. Only noticed it yesterday when I smelt a burning smell from the font of the engine. Whipped off the cover and the wires were burning away.

Therefore, there was only an intermittent return from the alternator to charging the battery (explains why when I and RAC guy checked the return feed it appeared okay!) but because of the loose connecton the ecu was reading all sorts of faults and this in turn caused the lights to come on.

Anyhew, stuck a nut at the base of the thread to lock it off, re-crimped the batt-starter wire, bought a new wire for the connection from starter to alternator (£3.50 from local motor factor) and jum started the car then checked all the readings on multimeter. All good, all fixed. Took for a good hour long run and no probs.........

So before spending any money replacing parts/getting a garage to look etc, remove the enigine cover and check the connections from the battery to the starter and the starter to alternator. If they are corroded or loose then replace/tighten and see if that resolves the problem.

Hope this is of help to someone
Riki

Nice feedback Riki and a cheap fix too....

...........,and at the end of the day, thats a fault that could potentially happen on any make or model of vehicle, so hopefully wont put you off your Freelander.

Steve

did your 3 lights go out?

HI,my fookin gaylander has same symptoms ,have replaced battery coz after a charge it only held 10 v,charge light stays on and get a burning smell with plenty of smoke from alternator area,will check starter connections but pretty sure alternator is nazzed too,also am getting large plume of blue smoke from exhaust when it starts ,what was the cause of your blue plume,or was it cured when you replaced the wiring from your starter ?