L322 4.2 SC Cranks but No Start

Hi all, first post and I confess I have tried other forums before finding you but there seems to be a greater enthusiasm here to get these girls running. I come from a Mercedes SLK230 but having decided that I no longer want to struggle getting out of that little sweetie in a busy supermarket car park so I've gone the complete opposite and got an RR! Problem is it cranks over, tries to start but won't pick-up. I'm sure you know the problem ... some cylinders fire but not enough to take it off the starter motor. I bought the car (2005 4.2 SC 117k miles) as a non-starter so my loss if a disaster, I'll take that on the chin.

I viewed the fault codes when I picked it up and as my first time with a car with ODB2 technology I am disappointed at the lack of information they give. They seem to limit their message to "there is something wrong with your car"! Anyway one code related to the MAF, I cleaned that and thought some of the codes may not be current so clear the codes, try to start again and hopefully the codes then showing are the problems. I fitted a new battery from Tanya (Powerline 019 Capacity (C20) 82 Ah
CCA (EN) 720 A) and turned her over. It recorded these codes ...

U0300(55) ... Internal control module software incompatibility ... ATCM (All Terrain Control Module) not configured ... Configure the module using the approved diagnostic system".
U2023(86) ... seems to be reporting a communication problem with the TCM (sorry but my manual is a little vague on this code).
U0073(88) ... the "Control Module Communication Bus "A" Off" and suggests "Check the control module installation/configuration. Refer to the lost communication statement at the start of the Network Communications section in the workshop manual".

They are not very giving of help other than to tell me "there is something wrong with your car"!

I thought fuel starvation could be the problem so tested the fuel line pressure by cutting the rubber fuel hose just before the fuel rail to fit an inline gauge. One thing I found strange was that the pipe was empty of fuel raising my expectations that I had cracked it but no. However things still didn't run smooth. With ignition on it only registered 24 PSI. I then got distracted by the wife moving bags of compost around the garden and on returning the pressure had dropped to 22 PSI so I turned the ignition off and on again and this time it hit 40 PSI. I then cranked the engine and got 50 PSI. I'm wondering if either the pressure sensor misbehaved or it was just cleaning the air out of the system. Anyway it's been a constant 50 PSI ever since so no problem there. A further clue that made me think along the fuel starvation line is that when I crank the engine and some cylinders fire they only do so initially. By the time the lazy start ends none are firing suggesting that some received fuel at the start but for some reason the fuel was not flowing fast enough to keep up with required quantities.

Sorry for the long post but the better my info the better the help and all help will be gratefully received ... can't wait to get her on the road.

As an observation, the battery is on the small side. I'm pretty sure that the fuel pressure at the rail should be more than 50psi,@Saint.V8 would know, I have tagged him so he should show up at some point.

A weak battery can give all sorts of odd, random errors. That battery sounds very small to me and not up to the job of running a range rover, let's see what others come in with. Could be the single issue

Coms problems can come from voltage theft. Usually, as said by our experienced peeps a faulty /week battery will starve low voltage computer's when the engine cranking kicks in. A good and correct battery is a good way to start ruling out odd behavior from sensors that control the many functions and running tasks.

Thanks guys, I have been told of the problems with batteries ... what rating should I go for ... this was their recommended battery for an L322 4.2 SC but if it's not up to scratch I'll replace it.

Datatek, my manual obtained from other forums says the fuel pressure should be 3.5 Bar which equates to 50 PSI ("Fuel rail pressure with gauge attached, at idle and A/C switched off ... 335 kPa (3.35 bar) (48.57 lbf/in2") and I'm showing 50 PSI with engine static and just ignition on so I guess it's OK but if it should be higher I'm happy to find out.

STOP PRESS: just looked it up on the Lucas website and they recommend an LP020 which is a 110AH, 920A rating and Halfords recommend Yuasa HSB020 which is rated the same 110AH and 950A so yep, I think I've been sold a runt!

I hope that gets you sorted. Make sure the battery is fully charged before you connect it up, it should read around 12.8v when it's full and rested (been off charge at least an hour)

kermit_rr said:

I hope that gets you sorted. Make sure the battery is fully charged before you connect it up, it should read around 12.8v when it's full and rested (been off charge at least an hour)

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Hi Kermitt, I'm getting around 13.2 volts with my (runt) battery but the last volt takes a lot of charging! I've had it on an intelligent charger all night so will disconnect now and let it rest for a least an hour and check the readings. I was questioning the battery in my mind before and was considering making a claim under warranty as not fit for purpose because even when starting with 13.2 volts it dropped to 11.5 after one go with the lazy start which I was beginning to interpret as "are you feeling lucky" every time I went to start it. I'll post the readings later.

firlandsfarm said:

Thanks guys, I have been told of the problems with batteries ... what rating should I go for ... this was their recommended battery for an L322 4.2 SC but if it's not up to scratch I'll replace it.

Datatek, my manual obtained from other forums says the fuel pressure should be 3.5 Bar which equates to 50 PSI ("Fuel rail pressure with gauge attached, at idle and A/C switched off ... 335 kPa (3.35 bar) (48.57 lbf/in2") and I'm showing 50 PSI with engine static and just ignition on so I guess it's OK but if it should be higher I'm happy to find out.

STOP PRESS: just looked it up on the Lucas website and they recommend an LP020 which is a 110AH, 920A rating and Halfords recommend Yuasa HSB020 which is rated the same 110AH and 950A so yep, I think I've been sold a runt!

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Damn that's a big difference. That battery you have will do a 4 cyl diesel and only some but certainly not a big motor like this and its electronics, hopefully that's your problem stemmed.

firlandsfarm said:

Thanks guys, I have been told of the problems with batteries ... what rating should I go for ... this was their recommended battery for an L322 4.2 SC but if it's not up to scratch I'll replace it.

Datatek, my manual obtained from other forums says the fuel pressure should be 3.5 Bar which equates to 50 PSI ("Fuel rail pressure with gauge attached, at idle and A/C switched off ... 335 kPa (3.35 bar) (48.57 lbf/in2") and I'm showing 50 PSI with engine static and just ignition on so I guess it's OK but if it should be higher I'm happy to find out.

STOP PRESS: just looked it up on the Lucas website and they recommend an LP020 which is a 110AH, 920A rating and Halfords recommend Yuasa HSB020 which is rated the same 110AH and 950A so yep, I think I've been sold a runt!

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Go look at Battery Megastore on line, if it will fit the MF31-1000 is the way to go 115Ah 1000CCA £95 ish delivered.
So fuel pressure is good.

Around 50psi sounds like a good figure to me....I think it is around 3.8bar as a nominal which is 55(ish)psi.

Have you tried getting it to fire on the devil juice that is easy-start?

If she fires on that, then we can rule out ignition and ECU issues (mostly) - and then the chief culprit would be fuel.

Maybe remove the coil covers if possible then crank her over for a period of say 25-30seconds (be mindful not to overheat the starter!). Then quickly whip out the plugs and give them a sniff and see if they are covered/smell of petrol...if yes, time to look elsewhere - if no, time to check the fuel delivery system over.

Datatek said:

Go look at Battery Megastore on line, if it will fit the MF31-1000 is the way to go 115Ah 1000CCA £95 ish delivered.
So fuel pressure is good.

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Thanks for the tip-off Datatek ... have looked and it seems a bargain. BTW, have checked with the official Land Rover battery and rather strangely it's 110Ah but only 750Amps! I was thinking of going for the Yuasa with a 5 year guarantee which seems worth it the way these vehicles seem to go through batteries but the Hankook has a 4 year guarantee and chances are I will have swapped it for a later model by then. I'm going to order it and it should be delivered tomorrow.

Saint.V8 said:

Around 50psi sounds like a good figure to me....I think it is around 3.8bar as a nominal which is 55(ish)psi.

Have you tried getting it to fire on the devil juice that is easy-start?

If she fires on that, then we can rule out ignition and ECU issues (mostly) - and then the chief culprit would be fuel.

Maybe remove the coil covers if possible then crank her over for a period of say 25-30seconds (be mindful not to overheat the starter!). Then quickly whip out the plugs and give them a sniff and see if they are covered/smell of petrol...if yes, time to look elsewhere - if no, time to check the fuel delivery system over.

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I like your diagnosing thought process Saint. My mind seems to have crumpled because it's the first time it's confronted ODB2 codes! I've stripped and rebuilt Lotus Elan and Lamborghini Espada but am behaving like a rabbit in the headlights because of the bl00dy codes! Back to basics and forget the computer.

Fuel pressure at idle should be around 65 psi it shouldn't fluctuate

A bog standard OBD reader won't really heed much results as the L322 is a complicated beast.

try cranking her over with yer foot depressed 1/2 on the loud pedal.

firlandsfarm said:

Thanks for the tip-off Datatek ... have looked and it seems a bargain. BTW, have checked with the official Land Rover battery and rather strangely it's 110Ah but only 750Amps! I was thinking of going for the Yuasa with a 5 year guarantee which seems worth it the way these vehicles seem to go through batteries but the Hankook has a 4 year guarantee and chances are I will have swapped it for a later model by then. I'm going to order it and it should be delivered tomorrow.



I like your diagnosing thought process Saint. My mind seems to have crumpled because it's the first time it's confronted ODB2 codes! I've stripped and rebuilt Lotus Elan and Lamborghini Espada but am behaving like a rabbit in the headlights because of the bl00dy codes! Back to basics and forget the computer.

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Make sure the battery dimensions will fit before you buy.

Henry_b said:

Fuel pressure at idle should be around 65 psi it shouldn't fluctuate

A bog standard OBD reader won't really heed much results as the L322 is a complicated beast.

try cranking her over with yer foot depressed 1/2 on the loud pedal.

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Hi Henry and thanks for your input. I'll see what the fuel pressure is at idle when I can get her to start.

What would you suggest as an OBD reader, I have never had an OBD car before so had no idea what to expect and just bought an actual (cheap) plug-in with downloadable software off eBay. Is there a particular one you would recommend? I was considering the iCarSoft but didn't know if it was worth the relatively high price. And is it just the viewing device and software I need to upgrade or do the actual units that plug-in to the car also make a difference?

Datatek said:

Make sure the battery dimensions will fit before you buy.

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Good thinking Datatek and you got me in a half panic! The 643/644 battery is well known to me as a hobby farmer, I use them on a tractor and an excavator but I noticed the additional height compared with the 020 hence the panic. I knew a 643/644 fits because I tried the one off my tractor in the RR but had to check and yes, it is the same size as my 643 so yes it fits.

Have a look at Blackbox Solutions Rovacom IQ, if it covers your car it is unbeatable.

Datatek said:

Have a look at Blackbox Solutions Rovacom IQ, if it covers your car it is unbeatable.

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Thanks again Datatek I'll have a good look tomorrow from a quick glance I haven't a clue what it is they are talking about most of the time ... I'm not familiar with the terminology.

firlandsfarm said:

Hi Henry and thanks for your input. I'll see what the fuel pressure is at idle when I can get her to start.

What would you suggest as an OBD reader, I have never had an OBD car before so had no idea what to expect and just bought an actual (cheap) plug-in with downloadable software off eBay. Is there a particular one you would recommend? I was considering the iCarSoft but didn't know if it was worth the relatively high price. And is it just the viewing device and software I need to upgrade or do the actual units that plug-in to the car also make a difference?


Good thinking Datatek and you got me in a half panic! The 643/644 battery is well known to me as a hobby farmer, I use them on a tractor and an excavator but I noticed the additional height compared with the 020 hence the panic. I knew a 643/644 fits because I tried the one off my tractor in the RR but had to check and yes, it is the same size as my 643 so yes it fits.

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Just a little input: the correct battery will fit with only a mm, or so, off the side wing. No need for tractor batteries or anything else. You will have to open the bonnet to service height.

Thanks GoldRover but there is some doubt as to what is the 'correct battery'! I have been sold a battery that was claimed by the supplier (and many other suppliers) to be correct but now appears to be under-powered (Type: 019 82Ah CCA 720A). Other suppliers claim the Type:020 is the correct battery (110AH 920A ... I notice from another thread (Here) this was your preferred/current battery a couple of years ago). Rimmer Brothers are offering a "Genuine Land Rover Battery" for the L322 with LR logos etc but it is 'only' 110Ah CCA 750A ... a higher Ah rating than the one I was sold but not much better in terms of total capacity. The Land Rover Handbook for the 4.2 SC L322 only goes as far as to say "Battery type Group 95R, sealed for life" which is non-specific because both the type 019 and type 020 are within that group (and possibly others)! So what is the 'correct battery' ... there doesn't seem to be any agreement and LR themselves sit on the fence.

I'm taking the view that a car (tractor, lorry, bus, excavator) battery is a car etc. battery and what counts is the physical size, the voltage and the Ah and CCA ratings. The 643/644 battery I have bought fits the space and is it more than powerful enough being more than the 020. That it is also used in many heavy duty situations is a plus ... it's tried, tested and respected.

firlandsfarm said:

Thanks GoldRover but there is some doubt as to what is the 'correct battery'! I have been sold a battery that was claimed by the supplier (and many other suppliers) to be correct but now appears to be under-powered (Type: 019 82Ah CCA 720A). Other suppliers claim the Type:020 is the correct battery (110AH 920A ... I notice from another thread (Here) this was your preferred/current battery a couple of years ago). Rimmer Brothers are offering a "Genuine Land Rover Battery" for the L322 with LR logos etc but it is 'only' 110Ah CCA 750A ... a higher Ah rating than the one I was sold but not much better in terms of total capacity. The Land Rover Handbook for the 4.2 SC L322 only goes as far as to say "Battery type Group 95R, sealed for life" which is non-specific because both the type 019 and type 020 are within that group (and possibly others)! So what is the 'correct battery' ... there doesn't seem to be any agreement and LR themselves sit on the fence.

I'm taking the view that a car (tractor, lorry, bus, excavator) battery is a car etc. battery and what counts is the physical size, the voltage and the Ah and CCA ratings. The 643/644 battery I have bought fits the space and is it more than powerful enough being more than the 020. That it is also used in many heavy duty situations is a plus ... it's tried, tested and respected.

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With the Range Rover's appetite for amps, fitting the biggest battery possible is always worthwhile. There are many posts from owners that have fitted big batteries and found electrical gremlins have disappeared.
I have 6 Hankook batteries on vehicles at the moment and have found then to be very good.
Make sure you fully charge any battery you buy BEFORE fitting. Fitting a part charged battery may shorten it's life because unless you do enough long runs to charge it, it will remain in a low state of charge.

OK, while waiting for the new new battery and the Easy-Start to arrive (no shops nearby) I thought I would take a plug or two out and have a look. What a palaver! My plug socket doesn't grip the plug tight enough to pull it up, the long nose pliers are not long nosed enough so I resorted to a special tool ... a length of fencing wire with a crook bent on the end! Worked a treat. Only pulled one so far and maybe I should invest in a new set of plugs! It's been running soot black rich and is so carboned up I suspect there could be some HT leakage. The gap is not bad, I get just a little resistance with a 1mm/40 thou feeler gauge.

One thing I did notice was that the spark plug tunnel was very oily, the outside of the plug was wet with oil. I can't see where it could be coming from, no visible oil leak to run into the tunnel. Now going to remove the rest of the plugs.

Any thoughts on the best spark plugs to replace them with?