13Somerset
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Hello, I'm looking for help on my 1997 Range Rover P38 4.0L 140Kmiles. Once every six months or so, my P38 door locks would jump into life and start locking and unlocking wildly and tremble as if possessed when parked and switched off in my back yard. It would settle down after a minute or so and it sometimes helped if I locked and unlocked with the remote fob. Once it started as I locked my Jaguar next to it, but it could have been coincidence. Recently it's got far more frequent and worse, to such an extent that it starts locking and unlocking as I'm driving along and at the same time, the instrument panel goes haywire with gauges whipping up and down and all the warning lamps flashing on and off. The door windows stop operating and recently, the indicators stopped working. During these episodes, it's impossible to read dash panel display and the remote fob buttons have no effect. However, the engine and lights etc keep working (NB turning off engine and then restarting at roadside has no effect on condition) and after half a mile or so, it often clears it's self anyway. But then sometimes it starts again as I enter my drive. When this happened first time, I disconnected the battery and then reconnected it the following morning -with the key in position 1 and door open and found problem gone! Although, last time this happened I got out and tried the key fob remote again but found the red light had stopped working and then my passenger opened her door and set the car alarm off! I disconnected the car battery as before and reconnected the following morning but found on opening door, that the alarm still sounded (for 30 seconds unless disturbed again) and 'engine disabled, use remote key' showing on panel. Remote fob is new but i changed the batteries anyway but it had no effect. So, I resorted to using the EKA code in doorlock. This gave unusual bleeps and alarm still sounded as I got in car, but stopped as soon as I inserted and turned key in ignition and started the engine! I then got out and locked doors and pressed remote lock button etc to synchronise key fob and locks again.
Recently, worse has followed, as now, when I drive, the door locks start chattering and instrument panel etc goes haywire as before, but the ALARM also SOUNDS! So I have to drive home with bystanders thinking a carnival is coming. Disconnecting the battery and reconnecting and using EKA gets it going the following morning. I have also clamped a thick rag and some wood over the siren to quieten it. The result of all this is that I no longer look forward to driving my Range Rover. So, i would be extremely grateful if someone could let me know if it's something like a lose earth causing the problem and if so, which one and where, or what else it could it be please. I have considered the local Cell net and TETRA masts and my neighbour's ham radio transmitter, but believe my remote receiver aerial has been disconnected -as my remote fob only works close to car anyway, so car shouldn't be affected by other signals.
Any information or suggestions would be very much appreciated.
By the way, I would like to share a surprising tip on flat batteries/becm problem. My fuel filler-flap release-button stuck down in the depressed position once and for the next three days I had a flat battery every morning, -until I noticed the button and flicked it up with a knife blade!
I look forward to hearing from you.
Recently, worse has followed, as now, when I drive, the door locks start chattering and instrument panel etc goes haywire as before, but the ALARM also SOUNDS! So I have to drive home with bystanders thinking a carnival is coming. Disconnecting the battery and reconnecting and using EKA gets it going the following morning. I have also clamped a thick rag and some wood over the siren to quieten it. The result of all this is that I no longer look forward to driving my Range Rover. So, i would be extremely grateful if someone could let me know if it's something like a lose earth causing the problem and if so, which one and where, or what else it could it be please. I have considered the local Cell net and TETRA masts and my neighbour's ham radio transmitter, but believe my remote receiver aerial has been disconnected -as my remote fob only works close to car anyway, so car shouldn't be affected by other signals.
Any information or suggestions would be very much appreciated.
By the way, I would like to share a surprising tip on flat batteries/becm problem. My fuel filler-flap release-button stuck down in the depressed position once and for the next three days I had a flat battery every morning, -until I noticed the button and flicked it up with a knife blade!
I look forward to hearing from you.
