Problem starting up disco!!

Hi Guys,

I am in need of your expert knowlage of all things Land Rover, my Disco is currently sitting in Budget tire and exhaust centre in edinburgh.
I had to get whole new exhaust system installed which is fine but since exhaust has been installed the bloody disco wont start up!!

I am not sure what the cause of this could be, the engine seems to be trying to start as starter motor is working ok and plugs seem to be sparking although not sure if they are sparking enough and fuel is getting through ok, the guys from budget took plugs out and cleaned them up but still no luck.
I am hoping this gets resolved today as disco was working perfectly fine until this new exhaust was fitted.

Any ideas as if guys cant fix it would be nice to give them few suggestions?

What model, age, engine type have you got - does it have cats?

Could they have distubed the Lamda sensor (or whatever it's called!) in the exhaust??

Yeah sorry guys,

Its an 1996 Discovery 3.9 v8 auto with petrol engine with 2 x cats on exhaust system, its like the engine is lacking compression.

I took it to the garage on saturday and it was driving perfectly, the guys fitted new exhaust etc and as i was reversing off the ramp the centre box on exhaust started rattling so guys discovered that it was a faulty part, i ended up leaving disco there until new part arrived.
The guys fitted the new centre piece yesterday and after that they couldnt get the disco to start up.

I know its not the immobiliser as starter motor is firing up and i am getting sparks on plugs.

Any ideas?

They have had the disco for 5 days now and i am starting to get seriously ****ed off with this.

Sounds daft I know but did they reconnect the lamda sensors?

Also, are they sure that the part of the exhaust they replaced isn't blocked?

If the cat was rattling, did it come away complete? I replaced the cat on a non-running vectra and found that it had destroyed itself and blocked the exhaust up.

No expert but hope this helps.

When you turn key to start disco, the starter is firing up and you are getting some compression coming through the exhaust when you cover the end up with your hand.

I really hope my disco is not fecked as its in really excellent nick with only 60k on the clock.

you'd be best off getting it recovered to a proper garage, feck knows what those grease monkeys will have been doing to it

if you play your cards right you might be able to get them to cover the recovery costs

had this happen a couple o years ago on a vectra, turned out it was a faulty box that had collapsed inside and the baffle packing was blocking the pipe, the garage only found it when it blew a big ball o crap and baffle out of the end pipe. result, a full new system gratis as it had fooked up the cat and it was a recognised problem at the time

Thanks for that guys, the reason the new centre piece had to be replaced was because the baffle screwed up but disco still managed to start but it was rattling so this one they have fitted is another new part, surely this one cant be screwed up like the other one.

Ok,

Since my last reply i have had call from budget and they say they have taken exhaust off again to check that there is no blockages in the system and as far as they can see exhaust is all ok.
They tried to start disco up with the exhaust off and still no luck.

Anyone know now what prob could be seeing as the new exhaust seems to be fine?

The Lamda Sensors Disconnected !!!!!!!

Is there any fuel coming through? They could have tugged a wire off the fuel pump!!!!

Yeah fuel seems to be coming through ok.

So as some of you say do you think the lamba sensor has been fecked about with??

thebiglad said:

The Lamda Sensors Disconnected !!!!!!!

Click to expand...

Looks like "thebiglad" knows what he's saying!

Get it out of there unless they make it go NOW.

Bed your boots some of their drug-crazed yobbos - sorry skilled fitters - had your car out for a "test drive". Check for condoms, Buckfast bottles and wacky-baccy fag ends ....

thebiglad said:

The Lamda Sensors Disconnected !!!!!!!

Click to expand...

or changed left with right cable

What do you mean or changed with the left cable?

In my understanding engine should still start up albeit like a bucket of ****e but still should fire up??

Yep sounds like the LAMDA sensors to me, the ECU is sensing an incomplete circuit and has gone into fail safe mode to protect the engine

That's my verdict

get LR to recover it and prove it is that and fix - ALL costs to Budget of course, if they refuse it is their liability, threaten to sue for costs AND damages - you just might be surprised with their sudden change of heart

Mackenzie85 said:

What do you mean or changed with the left cable?

In my understanding engine should still start up albeit like a bucket of ****e but still should fire up??

Click to expand...

sometimes it will start up and run like ****e and sometimes it won't start at all , seen it happen both ways , depends on the state of the motor and how the ecu handels the prob , sometimes it will just shut down , not sure why but it does.

Yeah i could get land rover to come and get disco from garage, but it will cost between £85 - £100 for the recovery and a booking in fee for them to look at it.
What i am worried about is that if it is not the Lamba sensors and something else then Budget may not be liable.....it could be a coincidencial issue and i will then have to pay.
Budget are putting new spark plugs and leads on as they think that it is not sparking as much as it should be, they have had the distributer off and have cleaned it all up etc.
I will mention the LAMBA sensor to them though.........

FFS don't let them do anything to it unless they are paying. they'll change the plugs and leads then replace the lambda and tell you it was the plugs and charge you full whack.

Get them to put in WRITING exactly what will be done/not done, and most omportantly WHO pays what etc.
Be prepared to stand youyr ground, and if they won't play ball, making a polite but loud scene in the reception can have a good effect
(I say be polite, not suggesting you wouldn't, but swearing etc will only aggrivate it and will make it look like it's you who is not being reasonible

Determined persistance usually always pays . . . . (I know, I sucessfully sued my bank and won to the tune of £5k . . but that's not a story for this forum)