Disco don't Start

Hi

I did a steam clean on my 1996 Disco V8i today. It was engin and chasis. But
after that it just don't want to start.

I have checked the plugs, distributor and coil. It is not wet but dried it
out and still it didn't want to start.

Can anybody help as I need to go on a trip on friday?

Petrus

On Wed, 8 Dec 2004 21:18:29 +0200, "Petrus van Breda"
<maillistatspsoftdevdotcom> wrote:

>Hi
>
>I did a steam clean on my 1996 Disco V8i today. It was engin and chasis. But
>after that it just don't want to start.
>
>I have checked the plugs, distributor and coil. It is not wet but dried it
>out and still it didn't want to start.
>
>Can anybody help as I need to go on a trip on friday?
>
>Petrus
>

You need to trace the fault, either forwards from the coil or
backwards from the plugs.

I'd start by pulling a plug lead and seeing if you can get a good
spark to the block. The answer is probably 'no'. Then see if you can
get a spark from the coil - dizzy lead. Then check the connections to
the ignition amp and coil. Have a real good look at the rotor arm,
and if in any doubt throw it away. I've had big problems with an
apparently perfect rotor arm....

I'm sure someone will be along to tell you how to test the coil - my
method was always to swap it with a spare! Likewise the ignition amp.

Also check that you haven't dislodged the vacuum pipe from plenum to
distributor (although I'd expect it to still start with that
completely missing).

Presumably it turns over fairly lively? And it does have petrol in
it?

HTH
--

Tim Hobbs

'58 Series 2 88" aka "Stig"
'77 101FC Ambulance aka "Burrt"
'03 Volvo V70

My Landies? http://www.seriesii.co.uk
Barcoding? http://www.bartec-systems.com
Tony Luckwill web archive at http://www.luckwill.com

Petrus van Breda wrote:
> Hi
>
> I did a steam clean on my 1996 Disco V8i today. It was engin and
> chasis. But after that it just don't want to start.
>
> I have checked the plugs, distributor and coil. It is not wet but
> dried it out and still it didn't want to start.
>
> Can anybody help as I need to go on a trip on friday?
>
> Petrus

Well.........

On sunday I was driving with the wife and kids to get a new hoover, cos I
broke the last one, she says. What is a hoover? I say.

Gets a few miles down the road and the lightweight starts to stutter a bit,
seems like well doggy fuel. A mile of this and I pull over, lightweight
dies.

OK so its a fuel problem, change filter, pull pipes out, loads of fuel over
the hot exhaust. OK so its not fuel.

Time for the very nice man from the AA!

He comes out, ignition problem. Tows me home. Nice tow bar, can they be
bought anywhere?

Monday: fit new points, condensor and coil. rest was new anyway. Lightweight
fires up great, few little trips around, running sweet.

Wednesday am: Get in car to drop kids off at childminder and to drive to
work. No chance, no spark. Lots of smoke coming from the front and a smell
of burning plastic. It was OK just the solenoid burning. Poured water on
that and off to work in a friends car.
Get home from work with a new solenoid. Fitted it, lightweight starts up
first turn of the key. Great!

Today am: Get in car to drop kids off at childminder and to drive to work.
No chance, no spark.
Kick car, say lots of strange words, kids offer a few suggestions (swear
words) is that what kids learn in schools these days?

Get home tonight: arm myself with a very large hammer, go and talk to
lightweight.
Look inside dizzy, looks OK just a little bit of brown string.
Nope not brown string but some very old cloth covered wire attached at one
end to a screw on the outside edge of the dizzy.....

.....so I replaced the earth lead. Lightweight starts up.

Tomorrow......?

Nigel
--
Lightweight 1979
nigelATleginDOTorg
Google first
ask later

Hi

Never do a steam clean on the engin, this is where all my trouble started
and I ended up with an expensive bill.

1. The booster between the coil and rotor went. This was replaced and all
seems ro be working fine.

Went on holiday and then one morning on a dirt raod she starts to sputter
and backfire etc. Get going and off we went to the LD Dealer. Nothing wrong
she runs good.

A few hours later the same and then it disappeared. Over one weekend this
happens again and I said I will se on monday morning. Go for a drive and she
just didn't want to go. With luck I got back to our camping site. Tried
everything but no go. Called LD and they send a loadbed to take her in. Take
of the truck and all is fine.

LD suggest they keep her overnight and lend me a Freelander. The next day I
got a call. It happened to teh machanic as well. It is the airflow sensor.
They need to replace this. It will cost about $ 1,700. This has been
replaced and I have done about a 2,000 kilometers and all seem fine.

The only thing still happening is she sometimes run uneven when she idle.

Regards

Petrus


"Nigel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Petrus van Breda wrote:
> > Hi
> >
> > I did a steam clean on my 1996 Disco V8i today. It was engin and
> > chasis. But after that it just don't want to start.
> >
> > I have checked the plugs, distributor and coil. It is not wet but
> > dried it out and still it didn't want to start.
> >
> > Can anybody help as I need to go on a trip on friday?
> >
> > Petrus
>
> Well.........
>
> On sunday I was driving with the wife and kids to get a new hoover, cos I
> broke the last one, she says. What is a hoover? I say.
>
> Gets a few miles down the road and the lightweight starts to stutter a
bit,
> seems like well doggy fuel. A mile of this and I pull over, lightweight
> dies.
>
> OK so its a fuel problem, change filter, pull pipes out, loads of fuel
over
> the hot exhaust. OK so its not fuel.
>
> Time for the very nice man from the AA!
>
> He comes out, ignition problem. Tows me home. Nice tow bar, can they be
> bought anywhere?
>
> Monday: fit new points, condensor and coil. rest was new anyway.
Lightweight
> fires up great, few little trips around, running sweet.
>
> Wednesday am: Get in car to drop kids off at childminder and to drive to
> work. No chance, no spark. Lots of smoke coming from the front and a smell
> of burning plastic. It was OK just the solenoid burning. Poured water on
> that and off to work in a friends car.
> Get home from work with a new solenoid. Fitted it, lightweight starts up
> first turn of the key. Great!
>
> Today am: Get in car to drop kids off at childminder and to drive to work.
> No chance, no spark.
> Kick car, say lots of strange words, kids offer a few suggestions (swear
> words) is that what kids learn in schools these days?
>
> Get home tonight: arm myself with a very large hammer, go and talk to
> lightweight.
> Look inside dizzy, looks OK just a little bit of brown string.
> Nope not brown string but some very old cloth covered wire attached at one
> end to a screw on the outside edge of the dizzy.....
>
> ....so I replaced the earth lead. Lightweight starts up.
>
> Tomorrow......?
>
> Nigel
> --
> Lightweight 1979
> nigelATleginDOTorg
> Google first
> ask later
>
>

In article <[email protected]>,
"Petrus van Breda" <maillistatspsoftdevdotcom> wrote:

> Hi
>
> Never do a steam clean on the engin, this is where all my trouble started
> and I ended up with an expensive bill.
>
> 1. The booster between the coil and rotor went. This was replaced and all
> seems ro be working fine.
>
> Went on holiday and then one morning on a dirt raod she starts to sputter
> and backfire etc. Get going and off we went to the LD Dealer. Nothing wrong
> she runs good.
>
> A few hours later the same and then it disappeared. Over one weekend this
> happens again and I said I will se on monday morning. Go for a drive and she
> just didn't want to go. With luck I got back to our camping site. Tried
> everything but no go. Called LD and they send a loadbed to take her in. Take
> of the truck and all is fine.
>
> LD suggest they keep her overnight and lend me a Freelander. The next day I
> got a call. It happened to teh machanic as well. It is the airflow sensor.
> They need to replace this. It will cost about $ 1,700. This has been
> replaced and I have done about a 2,000 kilometers and all seem fine.

The mass air flow sensor is a devil. Same thing happened to mine - each
time I took it in, it behaved perfectly, and several different garages
had it in for overnighters and everything. Finally I nailed it when I
went to pick it up and *as I drove it off* it started to falter, having
been tested perfectly up until then.

Now, of course, it'd be the first thing I'd check

>
> The mass air flow sensor is a devil. Same thing happened to mine - each
> time I took it in, it behaved perfectly, and several different garages
> had it in for overnighters and everything. Finally I nailed it when I
> went to pick it up and *as I drove it off* it started to falter, having
> been tested perfectly up until then.
>
> Now, of course, it'd be the first thing I'd check

How does one check a MAF sensor and can it be serviced or repaired ?

Greg
98 V8i Disco

> > The mass air flow sensor is a devil. Same thing happened to mine - each
> > time I took it in, it behaved perfectly, and several different garages
> > had it in for overnighters and everything. Finally I nailed it when I
> > went to pick it up and *as I drove it off* it started to falter, having
> > been tested perfectly up until then.
> >
> > Now, of course, it'd be the first thing I'd check
>
> How does one check a MAF sensor and can it be serviced or repaired ?

From experience of gas sensors on boats, they really don't like being wet
and tend to fail totally, irreversibly and expensively. If a MAF uses the
same type of sensor then they are probably just as delicate and I guess a
power wash will destroy them.
TonyB

Hi

We open it up and there is soem indication off water & cleaning material in
it. According to all my manuals and info one can not repair it and must buy
the complete unit.

Will not do a power steam clean again. Cost me a fortune. Interesting fact
that Land Rover here in South Africa said. If one have the strong cleaner
and one would allow it to spary on your hand it will force water underneath
your skin. They also say that it will handle the normal water of going
through a river etc. but usually it will pack up if you spay it with force.

Regards

Petrus

"TonyB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > > The mass air flow sensor is a devil. Same thing happened to mine -
each
> > > time I took it in, it behaved perfectly, and several different garages
> > > had it in for overnighters and everything. Finally I nailed it when I
> > > went to pick it up and *as I drove it off* it started to falter,
having
> > > been tested perfectly up until then.
> > >
> > > Now, of course, it'd be the first thing I'd check
> >
> > How does one check a MAF sensor and can it be serviced or repaired ?
>
> From experience of gas sensors on boats, they really don't like being wet
> and tend to fail totally, irreversibly and expensively. If a MAF uses the
> same type of sensor then they are probably just as delicate and I guess a
> power wash will destroy them.
> TonyB
>
>