Proper Range Rover

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Bedfordrl

Member
Posts
33
Location
Bordon,Hants
Hi.
I have a problem with my 1983 three speed auto.

Now and again, and mostly now, she will not start but there is a very odd noise from the right hand side of the dash which sounds like shorting electrics.

The battery is fairly new ,but could be suspicious but could it be the switch that stops the engine starting in gear?, or could low voltage not open/close the switch properly.

Will toddle out now with the multimeter but wonder if this is a problem anyone has had before?
 
Not sure about that sound, I am guessing you don't have ABS on that model so wouldn't be ABS pump, which is quite loud...
 
Didn't think the engine would start if its in gear, my auto definitely doesn't, thought I was in park I was in reverse and took me 10 minutes of non starting to work it out. That was when I first got the disco and was unfamiliar with auto's.
 
No mate ,she will probably still be around when the last of the modern Range Rovers electrics have gone pop or out of fashion with footballers wives, and I have seen more modern Range Rovers covered in more rust than mine has.
I would expect a little trouble on a vehicle that is nearly thirty years old .

Any hoo , have checked the battery and it is fine, it is definitely something to do with whatever it is that stops you starting it in gear, looks like an early ecu ,fancy ruining a descent motor with one of them on.
Am now delving into the depths of the factory manual.
 
Bedfordrl said:
No mate ,she will probably still be around when the last of the modern Range Rovers electrics have gone pop or out of fashion with footballers wives, and I have seen more modern Range Rovers covered in more rust than mine has.
I would expect a little trouble on a vehicle that is nearly thirty years old .

Any hoo , have checked the battery and it is fine, it is definitely something to do with whatever it is that stops you starting it in gear, looks like an early ecu ,fancy ruining a descent motor with one of them on.
Am now delving into the depths of the factory manual.
Click to expand...


Early ECU eh. Maybe one of the valves has blown. :D:D:D
 
Valves !!, no it is not that old .Silly boy.
I always thought ECU's were a very modern invetion until a friend had trouble with his Volvo S1800 and we tracked it down to an ECU board which was huge.
 
Bedfordrl said:
Hi.
I have a problem with my 1983 three speed auto.

Now and again, and mostly now, she will not start but there is a very odd noise from the right hand side of the dash which sounds like shorting electrics.

The battery is fairly new ,but could be suspicious but could it be the switch that stops the engine starting in gear?, or could low voltage not open/close the switch properly.

Will toddle out now with the multimeter but wonder if this is a problem anyone has had before?
Click to expand...

You don't say if it is cranking but not firing. If not cranking, check the starter solenoid relay and associated wiring.
 
No, it is just clicking from this ECU looky likey .
This is the same thing that clicks if you put the gear lever in anything other that neutral or park.
 
Mind I have had trouble in the past with starters on the five speed one that I got over by putting another earth straight from the battery to the engine.
 
Ooo !! they look expensive , not sure why she needs one as she is carb fed can I just do away with it and jury rig something to stop her starting in gear?.
 
Like to help but can't. just looked through my collection and don't have any wiring diagrams for an 83. 87 is nearest i have.
 
Am going to ask around , certainly not paying the £300 plus that I have seen mentioned, that is £50 more than I paid for her several years ago!!.
 
it dont have an ecu..no c omputers at all,in any form, shape or whatever.

if it dont start then it is get the meter out and go looking for no voltage where there should be some..

start with dodgy engine earth,could be trying to sink current via throttke cable,bonnet release etc..
then positive feed to starter (big cable)
then starter solenoid feed,including starter relay
then inhibit switch on gearbox.
then starter
then ignition switch..

its an early(ish, well late really) rangie..but its rather crude on the sparky side..

have fun.easy stuff..
 
oh..expect lots of ****e to be thrown your way as a newbe...ignore and play along,or dont bother coming here..dont take offense!!!its the best forum for info and help going..just most of us are old cranky gits and take the ****...
 
Thanks, just waiting for the rain to stop.

Was a bit taken aback with the comments about her being old as ,as far as I am concerned, 1984 was the last year of proper Range Rovers as that was the last year of CKD and everything from that date is a pain to work on.

Also I have been driving Land/Range Rovers for 38 years and have belonged to Land Rover clubs from Denmark to the Midlands to Wales to Hampshire and found two levels of owners , one whom are always covered in oil and squashed fingers and the others in Land Rover logos all over who wave a cheque book around at the faintest whiff of trouble.

I once took FAC to a Landrover bash at Solihull to Gaydon and we were parked up at Gaydon behind a CSK , the day before I had been getting cows off a mountain in Wales and she was dripping cow **** in the car park ,the owners off the CSK were wiping the marks left from people looking under their bonnet.

They are same sort of people who always have their cars on the club show stand ,never the ones held together with bailing twine and with drip trays all along the chassis.

I know which ones I would rather see.
 
Bedfordrl said:
Thanks, just waiting for the rain to stop.

Was a bit taken aback with the comments about her being old as ,as far as I am concerned, 1984 was the last year of proper Range Rovers as that was the last year of CKD and everything from that date is a pain to work on.

Also I have been driving Land/Range Rovers for 38 years and have belonged to Land Rover clubs from Denmark to the Midlands to Wales to Hampshire and found two levels of owners , one whom are always covered in oil and squashed fingers and the others in Land Rover logos all over who wave a cheque book around at the faintest whiff of trouble.

I once took FAC to a Landrover bash at Solihull to Gaydon and we were parked up at Gaydon behind a CSK , the day before I had been getting cows off a mountain in Wales and she was dripping cow **** in the car park ,the owners off the CSK were wiping the marks left from people looking under their bonnet.

They are same sort of people who always have their cars on the club show stand ,never the ones held together with bailing twine and with drip trays all along the chassis.

I know which ones I would rather see.
Click to expand...


Tongue in cheek mate take no notice. But the thread title is a bit of a goad. Luckily your thread has not attracted some of the more acid contributors on here. If it ever does you ain't see nothing yet. Good luck hope you get it sorted. :)
 
No probs.
Update is that the ecu lookie likey is in fact a Speedomatic Cruise computer.

That would explain the sensors on the propshaft then.

I have put a new earth strap on and narrowed the noise down to a relay under the dash that looks like a starter relay, problem is I cannot find any Lucas relays with that number on , its either an 8 or 3 then 3188H which does not correspond to any relay so far I can find.
Also it only has three connections where a starter relay has four C1 is negative G2 is earth and W1 is live.
Am trawling wiring diagrams
 
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