Electrics died and restarted, engine did not

[Jsmooth65]

Long time no see, guys! The Range has been demoted to a shop car for now, as I try and work on my other cars. In the middle of an Audi 01E 6-spd rebuild.

Wife is driving the Range, called me this morning and said she was driving on the highway when all the electronics turned off. Headlights, radio, interior lights, dash, but the engine did not die, and everything came back on after about a second. No beeps or messages! She went about her way no problem.

She thinks she has some kind of evil spirit following her around, and this did not help....

All the usual threads similar to this seem to point to a CPS or alternator, but I don't see how the engine would maintain power during this outtage. Battery is probably 2-3 years old, Interstate.

[RRToadHall]

Well it certainly wouldn't have anything to do with the CPS. Your symptoms would be the other way around. Your engine would die adn your electrics would still be running. I would doubt your alternator as well. They "usually" give some warning and you would still have electrics via the battery. I would check your maxi fuses first followed by a good inspection of the fuse box.

[John W]

I agree With Toad,most likely an issue with the fusebox

[Jsmooth65]

Thanks guys, I will be checking that out tonight. She drove home last night and made a few stops, with no issue. Then on the way to work this morning it happened a couple of times. In the evening its about 30 degrees F and the truck is parked in a parking garage all day, and at night its parked in the driveway. In the morning its been about 19 degrees F with lots of frost. So I'm thinking this has something to do with the fusebox and one of the eletronics being used during a cold morning (heated windscreen, washer pumps, etc). I will say that a week or so ago we had a blizzard, and when I got home and turned the truck off, one of my wiper pumps was stuck "on" and whirring like crazy. With the truck off. So I just disconnected the sucker (I have easy access because of my rockrover bumper), but I reconnected it later when everything thawed out.

Anyways, hopefully I get to the bottom of this wackiness.

[Jsmooth65]

So another update. I checked all the maxi fuses and the fuse box and I don't see any corrosion or signs of damage. I did drive the truck last night and experienced the symptoms. The truck would have a slight hiccup, and all the gauges would swing to zero and back to normal as well as "gearbox fault." I could only get it to do it when both seat heaters and both windscreen heaters were on. So I will be running the electrical sticky this weekend and see what I come up with.

[RRToadHall]

While you are at it I would remove the passenger seat... it;s only 4 bolts and a screw... and clean the BeCM plugs and inspect for a spill. Having HVAC functions mysteriously come on sounds more like a BeCM issue.

[Jsmooth65]

None of the HVAC stuff was coming on mysteriously. When I turned all the heating elements on (seats, windscreens), then the truck would exhibit the power hiccup and gearbox fault randomly, but consistently. With those elements turned off, it doesn't seem to ever exhibit the power hiccup.

[TheoR]

Problem sounds a lot like a dying alternator. Maybe worth a rebuild if it has not been replaced/rebuilt in awhile.

[RRToadHall]

None of the HVAC stuff was coming on mysteriously. When I turned all the heating elements on (seats, windscreens), then the truck would exhibit the power hiccup and gearbox fault randomly, but consistently. With those elements turned off, it doesn't seem to ever exhibit the power hiccup.

Apologies I missread again. Definately sounds like a weak alternator with those symptoms.

[Jsmooth65]

Um, so, found a nickel and a penny in the cig lighter. Think I found my problem...

[Jsmooth65]

Found the coins in there because my wife was driving the truck and she tried to plug in her phone charger, and it wouldnt go in. She tried to pull out the coins with a nail file while the truck was running and it arced something crazy and killed the battery or something, because she had to get a jumpstart. Got it home and I gave it a good charge. Ran fine the whole day. Tried to run it today and it died while driving down the street. Was able to start up again after a little bit. I think this experience has fried the old alternator (original on 155k miles), so I am picking one up tomorrow. Battery is charging in the meantime. Hopefully its not bad too.

[leftlanetruckin]

Ours would blow a fuse when the missus tried plugging a fone charger into the socket a few years ago. Junked the charger and never had an issue again.

Martin

[Jsmooth65]

Oh the fuse blew alright. Only after she fiddled with the coins trying to get them out for awhile. Everytime the coin would touch the side, the truck power would fade. Until it just totally arc'd and turned everything off.

[Jsmooth65]

Well, this has turned sour. Got the new alternator in and started her up like a champ. Didn't get a chance to really run any post-install diagnostics, because during the install I must've touched the upper radiator nipple and broke it off, AND broke the molded hose off the rubber hose where it goes into the radiator. WTF! I said bad words to the range rover.

Luckily radiators dont seem too bad to find and I've already got a radiator and a new expansion tank hose on the way.

So the way I see it, 6 cents worth of coins just cost me about $500.

[wreckrunner]

I am sorry, but you have just made me laugh! I left my wife in the Rover with the engine running so the A/C would keep her comfortable while I ran in to pick up a pizza...... Got back into the car and she is unusually quiet? We have no A/C, no HVAC panel lights, radio is out, whole bunch of other stuff????? Then amid tears and blubbering she told me she spotted 'something' in the bottom of the cigar lighter and decided to fish it out with her handy hand bag scissors, she said there were a few sparks and everything stopped working! I decided not to kill her and dump her body in the desert! I also decided not to tell her that it was only fuse #8 under the passenger seat that had blown..... she was so well behaved when we got home! I went and sat in the garage with the hood open, smoked a couple cigarettes, listened to some good jazz on the radio...... then went inside and told her! Lol, she went crazy with me, especially as I could not stop laughing and giggling! Lol, she is talking to me again now ! lol