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[Crazycarzowner]

 

Right now, I've had this annoying problem when starting the Disco. It sometimes happens, other times starts straight away 

1. Put the key in
2. turn through 1 & 2 to position 3 to engage starter will the starter engage............??
3. No, but hold the key at position 3 for roughly 3-4 seconds and the starter engages and car starts 

It does it at every 3 or 4 starts, whether hot or cold, I'm no electrics expert so here's what I've checked so far -:

Starter off, tested engages every time when jumped with the battery.

Fuses all appear to be in order (thought they would or it wouldn't start at all)

Now here's interesting, Multimeter test to the positive wire of the starter - nothing, then if I try it by turning key & holding in position 3 eventually I get power??? 

So I'm thinking possibly a ignition switch or could it be an inhibitor switch fault?

[Kevin Wood]

Has it got an immobiliser?

I'm thinking this could be blocking the starter signal, if it's taking longer than usual to disarm.

What about if you delay with the key in position 2 for 10 seconds or so, before finally turning it to position 3? Does it ever delay then?

[Crazycarzowner]

Sorry Kevin, I forgot to mention that. It does have one of those spider immobiliser boxes which I've looked up on the various LR forums & they are a pain for the solder going dry & detaching from the board. So I bought one of the bypass boxes & spent 3 hours dis-assembling the dash to get to the spider, removed it and fitted bypass...........made no difference, sometimes it started sometimes took 3-4 secs to engage 

[VXL V6]

You need to think more out of the box.


Cranking handle 

[Nick W]

You need to think more out of the box.


Cranking handle 

It's a Land Rover; the cranking handle is normally used to beat the bloody thing into submission.

[Crazycarzowner]

Cranking handle

Not got one of them I'm afraid 

[Viral_Jim]

Not sure what age of Disco it is, is there a magnetic switch/relay that pulls in to engage the starter motor?

Could be that the magnetic part is on the blink so takes longer to pull in and make the connection?

[Crazycarzowner]

Its a '96 plate Disco Jimmy, where is said relay located please?

[Viral_Jim]

Jason, TBH I am not certain, basically my post was educated speculation based on a similar problem I experienced with my kit car (although in my case that was a delay that got longer and longer until the car ceased firing altogether).

A bit of Googling turned up this thread which may be of help, it identifies the location of the relays. I think you can eliminate the relays by turning the key and putting your ear to them. They should "click" as they engage.

The problem could also be the starter solenoid, which is on the side of the starter motor. Once you have eliminated the relays as a cause of your issue, try starting the car by turning the key to position 2, leaving it there for 5 or so seconds and then turning to pos. 3 to start the car. If this "cures" your issue, I would bet on the starter solenoid. As for a fix - not sure whether you can just replace the solenoid or if its a new starter.

[Crazycarzowner]

Thanks Jimmy 

[Andy H]

Has yours been off road?

A classic problem is mud getting into the pre-engaged starter and preventing the starter pinion from sliding along the shaft. The starter motor doesn't start turning until the pinion has engaged far enough for the solenoid contacts to touch.

I had the opposite problem once (in my early v8 RR), it engaged and started but wouldn't disengage. I turned it off and pulled the key out and it carried on cranking so I had to disconnect the battery to get it to stop.

It was a few years ago now but I think I had it out, stripped, cleaned and back together (and working) in under an hour

[hoofing it]

Does it have a 300tdi engine I can't mind when they changed to the td5

[henryd]

Does it have a 300tdi engine I can't mind when they changed to the td5

No,Jason's drinks unleaded at a vast rate (v8)

[05omegav6]

My Omega does thie occasionally too... Never bothered me enough to look into it, but the five seconds pause cwn be unnerving

[Crazycarzowner]

Andy H

No as far as I'm aware its not been off road, as a matter of fact its not been anywhere really. Prior to me buying it this time last year it was off road stuck in a barn for the best part of 5 years and I've only used it occasionally over the last year (about 1000 miles).

Haha henryd  Yup mine is the petrol gulping V8 soon to be LPG'd 

Thanks for the replies guys, this site is a lot better than the Discovery site I'm PAYING to be a member of. You can put post up there and they have cobwebs on them before they get read & replied to 

Gonna start with the starter relays in the am if it ain't too wet tomoz and take it from there.