2004 L322 Vogue 4.4 Petrol not starting - Help needed

Hi guys my car which was working fine this morning suddenly refused to start this afternoon. It initially started but as soon as I put it in reverse to back off my driveway it cut out and then wouldn't start again. The ignition is turning over trying to start but it's not firing up.

I called the AA out and the patrolman did various checks and said he can hear the fuel pump priming so he doesn't think it's a fuel supply issue. He said he had an error code on his code reader for 'key code unrecognisable', we tried both keys and neither started the car. He thinks it's either the immobiliser, the car ecu or the transponders in both keys at fault. The error code he said he got was P4976, I've searched the net for this code and can't find anything on it?

Does anyone have any idea on how I should go about fixing this, we tried disconnecting the battery for 10 mins and then touching the positive and negative terminals for 10 seconds but that didn't help.

Thanks in advance for any advice

If the steering unlocks and you can turn the key in the ignition, the transponders are OK. When you put the key in the barrel (or near it) you will hear a solenoid click over and the steering lock disengages.....you are then able to turn the key - this is the transponder in the key telling the car that the righ key has been inserted and to unlock the barrel and steering.

Did your AA man check for fuel pressure at the rail? There is a schrieder (spelling) valve on the fuel rail, turn the ignition on and wait a few seconds for pressure to build up, then press the centre of the valve in while catching any fuel with a rag (caution it will be at high pressure if there is any pressure so ensure you are safe!).

If you are getting fuel pressure then it could be immobiliser issue, if you get no pressure it is fuel pump.

I had this on mine, one momnet all was well, the next it refused to start! turned out to be a duff fuel pump.

That codef I don't recognise either....would you know what gear he was using as oftentimes, it needs to be Land Rover specific for certain faults!

Hi Saint thanks for your fast reply, right so I have just been out to the car to check what you suggested and when putting the key into the ignition the steering is definitely unlocking. The plot then thickened - I tried starting it and the engine started for about 2 or 3 seconds before spluttering out and stalling. It seems like a fuel supply issue so I have no idea why the AA patrolman was getting key/immobiliser fault codes on his code reader. Do you know if a faulty fuel pump would throw up an error code, when the AA checked there were not any present?

I did ask the AA man to check the fuel pressure on the schrieder valve but he didn't do it, he said he could hear the fuel pump priming and that the error codes meant the immobiliser wasn't letting the car start. I guess it was lazy on his part as he should have checked it. I will check it myself tomorrow but I don't know where the valve is, could you tell me how to access the valve and also how I should go about doing the test (sorry for the basic question but I'm a bit of a novice).

Thanks

A faulty pump won't show a code generally....

The valve is under the acoustic cover of the engine - undo the 4x 5mm socket cap retainers and lift off the acoustic cover, on the silver fuel rail on the lefthand side will be a small valve with a screw on cover, undo this and like letting air out of a tyre, press the centre of the valve, cover the opening with a rag to catch any fuel that may spurt out.....if you get a good spray of fuel, you have fuel pressure, if it is just a dribble, you don't.

Just because he could hear the pump running doesn't mean it is producing pressure!

Here is a pic of the valve:

Hi I will try that in the morning, do I need to turn the key in the ignition on before I press the shraider valve or am i supposed to check it with the key out of the ignition?

knightrider said:

Hi I will try that in the morning, do I need to turn the key in the ignition on before I press the shraider valve or am i supposed to check it with the key out of the ignition?

Click to expand...

Key in position 2 so the pump runs

It should spurt out with some pressure!

If it dribbles out or nothing comes out its more than likely a Pump fault..

H

I've just checked the fuel pressure at the schraeder valve and it was intermittent, a couple of times I got fuel coming out when pressing the valve but then when I kept trying there was nothing coming out.

I tried with the ignition on and also whilst trying to start the car, on one occasion when starting the car there were jets of fuel shooting out but every other time I tried nothing came out.

I went to the fuse box at the back of the car and removed the fuel pump relay and ran live 12 volt wire to the fuel pump but I couldn't hear the fuel pump priming/whirring noise (I had the rear drivers side seat raised up to hear better).

I also got the car to start once and it was the same it spluttered and cut out after 2 or 3 seconds. On the basis of the above I'm thinking faulty fuel pump seems the most likely cause unless there is anything else it could be?

Sounds like fuel pump to me!

Our resident RR god AKA Saint.V8 has a brilliant guide https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/4-4-v8-bmw-in-tank-fuel-pump-replacement.200394/