My disco is temperamental…figure this one out!

Me? Patronising? As if!

Re-reading your first post it does sound like you had the sticky throttle problem before you lost power... Sorry if I got it wrong.

In my uninformed opinion I'd say most likely is a problem with the throttle cable [as Roj suggested], now it's shifted and so keeps the idle to 1800 and that's giving you more on the top end. 2nd I'd go for andyt109's idea. So my advice would be to change the throttle cable and adjust the idle screw. Simples.

ok..

but...even when the idle was at 800, if I revved it, I could go all the way up to red line (of course not driving, i mean when stoped) so the cable issue wasnt restricting the accelaration..

what I'm trying to explain is for example..
on one of my bikes, which still has a chocke cable, if I pull the choke cable so the idle sits higher, it doesnt make any difference when riding around, I dont have any more power because of that..

When the engine isn't underload it needs less fuel for a given rpm, or for a given amount of fuel you get more rpm, (so you can red line it with less fuel than it would take when underload), put it under load and you get fewer rpm for a given amount of fuel.

Your cable is sticky and the idle position has changed, you are now getting more fuel at idle, hence the higher idle rpm and more fuel when you put your foot down under load, hence more power.

Change the cable before it decides to go back to the old setting

On an unloaded engine even 1/2 throttle will rev it to the max, loaded is a totaly differant matter, id change the cable and see where that goes, trouble with strange problems like this is they need to be aproached step by step illiminating one thing at a time and begining with known problems is allways the best way to start.
Ive had similar when a threaded adjuster slipped on a throttle cable but it never fixed itself just lost power till i put a hose clip on to space the outer cable back, possably the act of manualy pulling the pedal back up has over/re adjusted the cable, i cant see it but you never know ?
Nearest problem ive had was a sticky waistgate on a pug 406 turbo diesel, that used to get the power back then loose it again if i revved it hard in gear but by the time i checked the waistgate it had freed off again, never stuck under manual movement only when it reached overboost for some reason, changed it and cured it so never botherd to look deeper into why it did it just assumed it was haunted or some ****
well it was french they do weird things for no reason :doh:

Well...
got up at 9 today to tackle this ****e....

the disco is frozen.. can't even open the bonnet!
Tried starting it to warm up, but won't even start.... it didnt start once when we were out on sunday, but lately it would take about 5 seconds to start, slowly turning and then firing up... but nothing today.

Wonder if its the battery...when we were on the plains everytime I went through water the battery light was coming up, so I wonder if it was the alternator belt slipping and probably its not charging the battery..the batt is about a year old.

get battery checked after a full charge

yeh.. I was all ready with my voltimeter and all...

does anyone know what readings (if everything is fine) should I get?
on the battery and the alternator?

Yu cant check a battery or alternator without loading them - get yoself to halfrauds or similar, who can do both tests FOC

The Mad Hat Man said:

Yu cant check a battery or alternator without loading them - get yoself to halfrauds or similar, who can do both tests FOC

Click to expand...

i fought you could ?????
i fought a good battery should chuck out 13.5 volts perhapes im mistaken then !!:doh:

The Mad Hat Man said:

Yu cant check a battery or alternator without loading them - get yoself to halfrauds or similar, who can do both tests FOC

Click to expand...

yeh..the problem is getting there...even if I get it going it might not start again.

On the Sunday i drove all the way to the plains, parked there for 30min, then I realised I was in the wrong place, it started, drove to where everyone was.
Stoped.
then I had to move mine to the front of the queue, it started and I moved it 10m...
after a while went to start again and nothing....DV and others gave me a push downhill and it started..

drove all morning without turning the engine off, we stoped for lunch...finished lunch it started again.
drove all afternoon, stoped at the end of the day switched off...and then turned on again, drove home and has been parked on the drive, and now nothing..

12v + on battery .

13_14v+ engine running.

well.. its just over 12V on battery... but no start.
tried jump leads...no start

I wonder if its the starter motor? I've only fitted a new one in April and I dont use the land rover much

does it tick and not turn over,?
if so wack the starter motor with a big hammer and try again.
if not "tick" try earth straps,

yeh I can only hear a click....but dont think its the same as last time my starter motor went, so i have my doubts about it..

I have a mates disco parked outside my house with a snaped cambelt, so tomorrow I might just take his started motor and try on mine as his is new..

hows that "tick the earth straps?

to me guesing the plains strike again.Take yer s motor off clean take apart if ya got a spare.

there not to bad to clean out.I took the case off mine and used eletru****erie cleaner spray and greased all the connections when dry with silicone grease from plumbers the wackede it back on with an old bike tube made as a gator for leads.been fine since.I would try the other its only gunna take a couple hours.