Freelander will not start since replacing the inlet manifold gasket

Hi all,
First post and I'm asking for some help please?

My '99 FL started to loose water, and after checking the engine over replaced the inlet manifold gasket! I changed the oil, may as well it was on the old side.

Put it all back to gether again, and now it will not start!

If I unlock the car put the key in the ignition turn it to position II, all the doors unlock! Turn the key to start the engine, the engine turns, but does not fire.

I've run the battery flat trying one thing and another from running the engine to recharge the valves to disconnect the battery to (light) reset the ECU (trying to drop any errant code entry) cleaned the dizzy, it was wet.

I've a spark on the plugs, and can smell petrol in the pots.

I'm thinking the odd door unlocking action is a symptom, but of what I've no idea.

Any ideas?

Try locking the car then pressing the unlock button 5 times. This will reset the locking system that has been changed due to lack of power when battery was flattened.
This might work, it's an odd fault though.It may also reset the immobiliser which is likely the culprit.

why did you just replace the inlet gasket it will be the cylinder head gasket that has gone if you are loosing water

Ok, will do when the battery is charged up!

God I wish I still had the 110! Much easier to solve!

Hi Teddy,
The inlet manifold join is poor on these things, I had massive water loss, a prime symptom of an inlet leak it it also the easiest and cheapest fix. (£2.00 v £100)
So I dropped the oil as it was old to see if it was milky etc, it wasn't, so after getting a new head set (bolts included) I only needed the inlet gasket!
A little annoying but I at least I have the bits ready now for when it goes I guess!

Eliminate the cheapest fixes first, that's what I did.
Unfortunately for me it was the expensive one that fixed it for me, but ce la vie eh

Reset the inertia switch?

Hoyt-Protec,
I cheated, I've just swapped the battery for another and tried the lock sequance......no change!

Vissie said:

Reset the inertia switch?

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Hi Vissie,
I'm no Freebie fanatic so I'm guessing you mean the 'button thing'y' under the bonnet? top right corner of the engine bay?
Yes, I have, no change!

It stuck on me once before, un-plugged it knocked it a few times, it freed up and all was fine!

To make matters worse, I've a friend who works for LR, he came over and took a look, not happy....!
He's never seen a Freebie do the door thing and not start.
No codes are read form the system ( I want his laptop)

I'm really lost on this, I'll add when the drivers door is closed (after the key is in position II, and all the doors unlock) I can hear the unlocking system activate for a second time!
The dash switch for the doors has no effect at all, the windows work all of them as do the mirrors!

Your immobiliser light going out when you goto ignition2?

You plip is resynced and working i assume? If not enter the EKA and try again see if it starts.

teddywood1 said:

why did you just replace the inlet gasket it will be the cylinder head gasket that has gone if you are loosing water

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Wrong Teddy.

The inlet manifold gasket actually has a water seal as well. They can quite commonly leak on the 1.8K series engine.

Hawkmoon, did you drain the coolant before taking the manifold off or did you just take the manifold off the engine and then let it drain from there?

Sounds like a shorting issue to me or you've gotten something wet.

Vissie said:

Your immobiliser light going out when you goto ignition2?

You plip is resynced and working i assume? If not enter the EKA and try again see if it starts.

Click to expand...

The LED stops flashing as soon as I unlock the car via the remote!
Seems fine, in all its operations, but then again so does everything else, bar the odd lock actions and not starting!

I'll get the EKA code and try that ...maybe tomorrow.. one thing my friend pointed out were a bunch cable bundles I'd not noticed before under the inlet manifold, saying these may have come loose.

One looks like a real pig to get at, a second does not look any easier to get at either, but still if this is all it is great!

It won't be anything to do with immobiliser or unlocking issues. Remember that the engine turns and you've a spark at the plugs. This wouldn't happen if the immobiliser wasn't turning off.

There are a number or cables that could have been disturbed or become wet while taking off the manifold. The most important of these being the injector loom.

freebiker said:

It won't be anything to do with immobiliser or unlocking issues. Remember that the engine turns and you've a spark at the plugs. This wouldn't happen if the immobiliser wasn't turning off.

There are a number or cables that could have been disturbed or become wet while taking off the manifold. The most important of these being the injector loom.

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Hello freebiker,
Looking at the cables under the inlet manifold there are more than a few to check.
I'm working through them so far they seem ok, clean, and a good solid click when I reconnet them.

However, the battery if flat again, so it's on change for now, one thing that I'm really not 100% sure about is the fuel pump.

I'm sure I could hear it before but now nothing.
'If' this was the immobiliser messing me around then I should have no spark, but I do, if the FL is 'secure' both fuel and spark should not be possible, or have I misunderstood the sequance?

Makes no sence, guess I need to trace the wires to the pump see if it is ok.

A really frustrating thing is I considered the EKA code as a serious option so I went to get it and well the code in the docs does not match the VIN, so I called LR, and they gave me a totally different code!
.....and its mostly letters (i.e double didgit number entry per letter!) awesome!!

I'll be twisting the key for an age then, if I run that operation...maybe some other time not now, seems a little OTT it the pump has failed!

Hawkmoon said:

'If' this was the immobiliser messing me around then I should have no spark, but I do, if the FL is 'secure' both fuel and spark should not be possible

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You're right there.

When the immobiliser is activated, many engine functions like spark, fuel pump and injectors are disabled... therefore you can rule out immobiliser problems.

The fuel pump is under the rear seat on the right hand side and is easy enough to test if you remove it from the tank and run some water through it hooked up to a battery. Make sure it's totally dry before putting it back in though.

The fuel lines may have kept their pressure if you've been turning the key an awful lot, which might explain why you're not hearing the pump. After all, you did say there was petrol going through as you could smell petrol in the pots (cylinders?)?

Keep working through the cables etc, it definitely sounds to me like its electrical and even if something seems dry, a bit of WD40 or GT85 wouldn't go amiss.

A bit of a long shot but worth a check... is the accelerator cable disturbed at all on the throttle body? If the throttle body was closed due the cable being slack/loose then that would cause the engine not to fire up.

Thanks for the confirmation.

Well the plot thickens!!...kind'a...

The doors still unlock when I turn the ignition, but I being told that this is programable option, apparently, anyone aware of this ?

The fuel pump is definatly not running, no sound at all from it!

Wires appear to be fine around the inlet manifold, no blow fuses. Gotta missing something but what?
:frusty:

if you put a teaspoon of petrol in the air intake does it fire then?

Hi Freelance,
I could try, can't hurt to see if it tries.

It'll have to wait for the weekend, time to go back to work. :doh:

Thanks to who offered suggestions!

The Freebie is working and runs as smooth as it ever did!
:5bparty: :5blurk5: :5bhurray:


The fault!!!
Inertia switch was tripping every time time I closed the bonnet, or stuck my head in that part of the engine bay looking for loose wires blah blah!

Do i win a forum cookie since i guessed it first ?

Vissie said:

Do i win a forum cookie since i guessed it first ?

Click to expand...

raise:

LOL!
It really was one of them 'you gotta be kidding me' moments.

After checking and double checking this or that connections, following this or that wire to its end, bell tests and a few grazed knuckles...a very sensative cut off switch was giving me a head ache!

Its been replaced and so far so good, water appears to be holding, the new oil has made no end of difference so SO much smoother to drive.