Discovery wont start...

Bought a 1996 Disco v8i 3.9 ES with LPG a couple of weeks back and didn't use it for a week, went to use it after/during some wet and windy days, it unlocked with the remote and i tried to start it, the lights on the dash came on and headlights came on but when i turned the key to start it nothing, the starter didn't turn it over and the headlights didn't dim or anything, tried a few times and pressed the unlock button a few times on the remote, after some fiddling the starter engaged and the engine fired up first time. On the way back it started first time with no issues. Didn't think any more of it.

Today about a week later i just cannot get the starter to engage, when i turn the key to start the radio goes off but the headlights don't dim and the starter wont start, nothing from the engine bay at all. Has been a lot of wind and rain recently but didn't think that would cause an issue.

I have some DIY experience working on cars and a garage full of tools but i really don't know where to start as nothings happening when i try to start at all, if it cranked over id at least have somewhere to begin.

Can anyone shed some light on this? any suggestions/help would be appreciated.

That sounds like a bad connection on the starter or perhaps the starter solenoid is faulty. I would firstly clean these connections and if necessary, use a single jump lead to put a direct power connection to the starter just to see if it then turns over, if so then you have a bad connection in between somewhere. Also make sure the earth strap to the engine is intact and making good contact.

Jump lead from battery earth to starter motor body is a good test to eliminate bad earth.

More 'hard core' is to remove the starter and bench test it to see if the motor will spin with a 12v supply.........usually using jump leads off your own battery.

cheers guys, will try to get under it the weekend and check the starter

Thinking on, may also be worth reading this thread The Definitive Alarm Spider Post - LR4x4 - The Land Rover Forum.

well thanks for the help but it may have just been the battery being a bit low. :5bbanghead:

Had a good day for the weather so went out and swapped some fuses out, some previous owner had bridged them with wire rather than replace them properly, and while i was measuring the voltage with a meter it was down to nine volts, it has been sat for weeks now as it wouldn't start, so i thought cant hurt to try, got my other car and some jump leads, at first there wasn't anything but i did notice the other cars idle rose when i turned the starter so fiddled with the leads and left it a bit, tried again and was happy to hear the mighty v8 roar into life!

So iv whipped the battery out and stuck it on charge.

Beats me why you turn lights and stuff on before starting ...