Engine management lamp & Handbrake warning lamp on!

Hi, I have an L Series 1999 Freelander 1 diesel with an intermittent warning lamp fault. The Engine management lamp and Handbrake warning lamp come on at the same time, and it doesn't affect the engine power at all. I'm unable to find any fault codes stored and suspect an electrical fault.
Has anybody had similar symptoms and/or managed to resolve this fault? Your help and advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

Not had that one! Remember that the handbrake light is also the low hydraulic fluid light so worth a check for safety's sake.
The eml feed comes from the engine management unit and the handbrake light is a simple switch on the handbrake and a level switch in the fluid so why they happen together is really curious.
I'll have a look at circuits to see if there is a common factor, like ground connection or something.

Circuits show what I described above. Handbrake on or low fluid send a 0v to a lamp in the instrument module.
Eml is fed from engine management unit to instrument module.
Only common fault I can see is a short or damp in the instrument module.
If no codes stored then the lamp hasn't been initiated from the engine management.

Thank you for your post Andy. It is a strange one and I still think it will be a wiring fault somewhere. It would be great if you could pin-point something. I don't have a wiring diagram at the moment so I'm going to struggle.

Thank you Andy. The fault also only occurs when driving and not when stationary.
I'll check the instrument module area. I was unable to read the fault codes with my reader. Could you recommend a compatible code reader.

Does it have ABS?

See my thread TD4 29,300 miles for a reader that will work with the Freelander 1.

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/td4-29-300-miles.377837/

Nodge68 said:

Does it have ABS?

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It does have ABS.

That's the link. The ABS ECU and EDC both send signals to the Ipack. I'm pretty sure the ABS ECU will put the handbrake light on if there's a fault detected.
There got be a communication issue or something, which is upsetting both computers, so 2 seemingly unconnected lights are being put on.

Thank you Nodge for checking. Are these control units near each other, and is there a possibility of rain water getting to them.

The EDC is under the bonnet, between the battery and fuse box.
The ABS ECU is under the driver's seat if I remember correctly.

Ok ta. It'll be typical for these warning lamps to come on during its next MOT.

Nodge68 said:

The EDC is under the bonnet, between the battery and fuse box.
The ABS ECU is under the driver's seat if I remember correctly.

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On the L Series the ABS ECU is under the drivers seat.

It does communicate with the ECU, not sure what each sends each other.

Pretty sure the Amigo LEDs on the dash though are hard wired through to pins on the ABS ECU - there is no 'networking' involved.

Thank you GrumpyGel. Could it just be damp in the Instrument Cluster?

Jim804 said:

Hi, I have an L Series 1999 Freelander 1 diesel with an intermittent warning lamp fault. The Engine management lamp and Handbrake warning lamp come on at the same time, and it doesn't affect the engine power at all. I'm unable to find any fault codes stored and suspect an electrical fault.
Has anybody had similar symptoms and/or managed to resolve this fault? Your help and advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

Click to expand...

Not sure about the intermittent warning lamp, but I have the three amigos with the handbrake light on again. It started after the rh driveshaft was changed some two weeks ago. The garage reading showed fault from ABS but as historic on the garage reader and not on mine that I had. After deleting they appeared again some days ago. When it happened on the LH after the driveshaft change it was the wiring of the ABS sensor, don't know for the right side at the moment, but had still some MAF and wheel speed sensor malfunction shown which also didn't come up on the garage reader. When the handbrake is on it doesn't drive well at all compared to your one.

mbrokof said:

When the handbrake is on it doesn't drive well at all compared to your one.

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Mine don't drive well with Handbrake on either !!!

Jim804 said:

Thank you GrumpyGel. Could it just be damp in the Instrument Cluster?

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As said above it could be a wiring fault and dampness where (if they do) the hand brake and EML lines go close together in the dash could be an answer.

It could be a networking fault between the ABS ECU and engine ECU that both of them pick up on and flag.

To be honest, I'm clutching at straws - first post was simply some info that I've looked at previously.

When you say "unable to find any fault codes" does this mean you read the codes and there were none, or the device you used couldn't connect?

I'd be taking it to a workshop with a device that can read the codes.

Thank you for your input.

Yes, unfortunately my readers don't get through.I may have to take it to a Landrover specialist just to get the codes read.

andyfreelandy said:

Mine don't drive well with Handbrake on either !!!

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That's what I would like to find out @andyfreelandy, if that light influences anything in the electronics, because I would have thought it's just an indicator, when the handbreak has been applied.