Help - please!

Hi,

Hoping someone here can help - or at least help me brainstorm.

Vehicle: 96 110 CSW 300tdi

Problem:
Will not crake. 'Engine immobilised' light (the warning lamp with the picture of a key superimposed over an outline of the vehicle) constantly on. Keyfob(s) inoperative. EKA has no effect.

Checked:
Fuses in the engine bay
Spider (joints re-soldered several months ago). I have tried an improvised 2 wire bypass. No luck - but then given that the 'engine locked' lamp is constantly on so maybe its not the spider at all.
Alarm fuse (in the binnacle)

And now to muddy the waters..
On a long drive down to England a couple of weeks back a couple of very odd things happened. My spotlights died and 5 minutes later the dashboard led blinked rapidly and constantly and the 'engine-immobilised' light came on. I still had a couple of hours to go and as it was the middle of the night I kept going.

The next morning I discovered that the spotlight relay had melted and blown the offside headlight fuse. But it still started. I changed the fuse and fitted a new relay, I also changed the key-fob battery. Shortly after that I discovered that I had no break-lights - another blown fuse. Also the break-light fuses were blowing as soon as I could change them. While trying to sort that out I noticed that the reversing light came on when the ignition was turned on - then it wouldn't start.

I had a poke around under the car and almost by luck discovered that the loom had been rubbing on the gearbox. It had severed one wire, and stripped the insulation off of 4 others and they were melted together. I managed to separate and repair them. In an instant the electrics were fine and it started first time. HOWEVER the 'engine-immobilised' light was still on.

With all the other blown fuses in mind I decided to look for the alarm/immobiliser fuse and check it (its tucked in behind the ignition switch by the way). Had a look, it was fine. Thought 'sod it', tried to start the engine to park it up and… nothing. That was Sunday. Still nothing today.

As mentioned I have tried the EKA to start the engine - it started the second time I tried this - thought 'great maybe the key-fobs have become decoded', turned it off went to get the key-recoding instructions - came back and it wouldn't start again (even with the EKA) So now of course I'm wondering if that was just a coincidence.

Over the past couple of days (in the time I have had) I used some instructions (it was actually a picture - though very clear one) to make a spider bypass without luck (though the instructions I found showed a 2-wire bypass but I see the official bypass has 3 wires), I have looked to see if I maybe pulled a wire out while rooting around in the binnacle, tried the EKA method a dozen times but all without success..

So - if anyone can see light through these confused ramblings - please. I could use another head.

Tim

It does sound immobiliser related.

Would want you to check with soemone else before doing (my Defender has an aftermarket immobiliser) so I'm not that familiar with the spider.

Would taking the neg lead off the battery and leaving it disconnected for a couple of hours before reconnecting force any sort of reset?

Sometimes worked with a TVR I had whose immobiliser was a real s**t

Other thought, given the link to the melted wires you found (am presuming the engine immobilsied light wasn't on before) - is that the voltage surge caused by the wires you found melted together has left other wires damaged that you've yet to find.

May be that more wire tracing looking for damage is needed

Good luck Tim - sounds frustrating

i have got rid of immobilser on a few and light if you unplug green box behind dash after .pm if you need info ,takes 15 mins

Thanks folks. I have a horrible feeling the electrons somewhere in the immobiliser circuit are fried. The loom that had warn through also feeds the spider as well as the lights at the back. I think the best thing to do is dump the immobiliser. Its just a bloody nuisance.

Suggest PMinng James (I don't know him personally but his advice is always spot on) to get you back 'on the road'

Wouldn't leave the Landy with no immobiliser - maybe worth getting a Thatcham Cat 2 after market device fitted - cost would be £100 - £150 fitted

Have you tried replacing the battery in your key fob? Asks one with experience


Tazz

Sure have Tazz. Made no difference..

The nice thing about living in the middle of nowhere (I'm up in the highlands) it there aren't too many car thieves..

Tazz070299 said:

Have you tried replacing the battery in your key fob? Asks one with experience


Tazz

Click to expand...

Good call.

If you have a twin button one. you may need to remove the fob battery hold both buttons for about 30 seconds and refit the battery.

Not so sure about the engine check light though........

Anyone know if this could be a fault caused by the shorting out of the wires past the gearbox, that needs clearing?

Bromsgrove Defender said:

Good call.

If you have a twin button one. you may need to remove the fob battery hold both buttons for about 30 seconds and refit the battery.

Click to expand...

And then, according to the book, "operate the 'lock' button at least four times within range of the vehicle to re-synchronise the handset"

Tazz

James had a very direct solution but I'm wondering about revisiting the damage to the loom to see if I missed some damage - or even pulled a wire off while I was trying to get getter access to the loom by trying to pull it a little closer.

Picture of the damage here by the way..

Timus said:

James had a very direct solution but I'm wondering about revisiting the damage to the loom to see if I missed some damage - or even pulled a wire off while I was trying to get getter access to the loom by trying to pull it a little closer.

Click to expand...

Yup and I agree with him, but as Tazz said if you've changed your key fob battery, that too can make starting the engine imposible.

Oh, sure, that is first on my list!

(should add I only changed on of the two fobs - I changed the battery in the second yesterday)

^ Nope. It was worth a try though.

If all else fails.... I have had 2 LRs fitted with these and bought off the same guy. I think it cost me under £40 to have it fitted by a MOBILE auto electrician (lot cheaper) One of the reasons was that the LR thieves know how get passed a factory fit alarm.... the other... they are a doddle to use.
New TOAD STERLING TOUCH KEY Thatcham CAT 2 IMMOBILISER | eBay UK

Yeah - that may be the end result - look like a good price too. Ill recheck the wiring tonight (if I missed a damaged wire I think it would explane the symptoms). Failing that I'm just going to remover the immobiliser. Rechecking the wire will help me determine how to remove it even if I cant fix it.

Went out, wiggled the loom a bit, wiggled the wire on the top of the starter - started first flick. turned off - wiggled again - started again.. started 10 times in a row.

So its the wiring it seems. A job for the weekend. My sincere thanks to all you you for helping clear my head. You have been great where other forums have been frankly useless.