[RRToadHall]

Fortunately this is only the second time in almost three years.. She just died. Pleanty of power to everything, acts like dirty battery terminals but they are spotless and shiney. I'll be checking grounds tomorrow but have a feeling that a new fuse box will be on order Monday... just a gut feeling.

 

[RRToadHall]

Re: Where no Range ROver should ever have to go

Apparently the issue is a toasted fuse box. Although the it appears to be perfectly fine I have suspected it for various issues for quite sometime. Sure enough, once I pulled the board out of the fuse box I found lots of burning, corrosion and a warped power bars. Atlantic British here I come!

 

[RRToadHall]

Re: Where no Range ROver should ever have to go

Ah heck, I'm not worked up or upset. I haven't even lost my smile through this yet. Fecal matter exists in the universe. When you drive tempermental rigs like our you step in it or it hits the fan. Fortunately save for a failed alternator taking out the battery a few months ago I have been trouble free for well over two years. :thumb: Hey, I'll tilt a few back anyway. :mrgreen:

 

[RRToadHall]

Re: Where no Range ROver should ever have to go

Is it just me or do P38's still look majestic even on the back of a flatbed :think:

I'd have to agree on the whole. However those white ones just look like the milk man gave up in midst of deliveries. :mrgreen:

 

[RRToadHall]

Re: Where no Range ROver should ever have to go

factory 255/55 18. They are Nitto Terra Grapplers and I love them.

 

[RRToadHall]

Re: Where no Range ROver should ever have to go

:lol: I actually forgot that Ron's was white as well. I was giving a jab from across the pond at YOUR milk wagon. :mrgreen:

I still have a day of poking about under the hood and under the rig to check cables etc. I am only 60% sure it is the fuse box. Everything else checks out so far. I jsut have a gnawing feeling that I am overlooking something VERY simple. Grounds are spotless and tight, relays check out OK. All of the cables are clean and corrosion free at each end, save for the starter end, I haven't checked that yet. However a fouled cable at the starter would not account for the sudden ignition failure. No error codes logged on the ECU. ECU and BeCM have not lost synch. The old girl just won't quite turn over even though the starter very firmly engauges. It all just acts like a dirty battery terminal... :evil:

 

[RRToadHall]

Re: Where no Range ROver should ever have to go

Battery age? Battery voltage?

Apologies Paul, I should have posted the obvious first. Battery and Alternator are only a few months old as both were replaced just prior to the RRnet gathering road trip. Battery has 12.2v after sitting stationary for 48 hours and numerous electrical tests. I have also recleaned the cables at the alternator and made sure they were nice and snug.

 

[RRToadHall]

Re: Where no Range ROver should ever have to go

It is your starter!! Mine went out the day I was to leave for Colorado. All power looked good connections good, voltage on the starter good. Engine would barely turn over. Ordered new starter and replaced and nothing not even the clicking of the solenoid, only from the ecu. More checking and ordered anther starter installed and all worked. Hate it when the new part is also bad. So test you started BEFORE installing.
John

I would agree with that sage advice except that the starter firmly engauges, it just isn't getting enough juice to turn much. Also, a failed starter would not cause an immediate ignition shut down while driving... would it? :think:

 

[RRToadHall]

Re: Where no Range ROver should ever have to go

It's not that I am fat and/or lazy, but I hate getting under my rig without the EAS in wading mode. QUIET RON AND KAM. My last check tonight is to check the starter connections and jumper test it. I am pretty sure it will test fine. If it doesn't I have TWO issues landing at once. Then again it's a Brit and British problems rarely like to be alone. THey often like a pal to keep them company in the hard times. :?

 

[RRToadHall]

Re: Where no Range ROver should ever have to go

Carl the Battery could show good voltage but not have the amps to sustain the cranking of the starter.
New battery or not.
Sorry for the bad luck there
Scotty

Ahhh, very true... except that the jump start attempt made no difference.

I am guessing that I have two issues that just happened to have landed at the same time. The most disturbing is the sudden ignition failure. It's not a fueling issue because there was no sputter and there is pleanty of fuel pressure. I doubt a mechanical failure as it was sudden without any clanking, screaching etc. All the spark plugs are spotless, oil is squeaky clean (just changed a couple hundred miles ago), no change in coolant level...etc. All items with BeCM and ECM check out as fine and communicating. When I fix the cranking issue I can check for spark.

Second is the no cranking issue. I haven't been able to chack the starter yet. The solinoid is definately working. It engages firmly and rocks the whole rig with key, RovaCom, and jumper. I am guessing that the starter has failed and I already have one on order just for the heck of it.

Since the fuse box PCB was burnt and showed corrosion I ordered one of those as well. However, I am happy to entertain any additional ideas. :thumb:

 

[RRToadHall]

Re: Where no Range ROver should ever have to go

So, Carl, did you take it to Biggs for the diagnosis and you are doing the operation yourself? Those guys have taken care of mine a couple times (unfortunately). Great guys

Steve and Jim are simply the best around. Terrific guys to work with and very flexible and accomodating. I too would reccomend Biggs to anyone. If I had it towed to Bigg's I am sure I'd be back on the road by now. However I am in no big hurry as I have other cars I can drive. I have been using a buddies testbook and older RovaCom as my RovaCom "Extreme" is once again an extreme paperweight. :roll:

 

[RRToadHall]

Re: Where no Range ROver should ever have to go

Thanks to the good folks at Bend Rovers (yes there really is an "R" in their name) and Ron I think I am looking at a MUCH bigger issue. With no spark plugs in place, new bench tested starter and three batteries attempted, my poor babe has a no go attitude. No turnie Mr Magoo! I wil crawl under with a HUGE wrench/socket and give things an attempt. Yes Ron, I did thing backwards. I should have turned by hand first, and then by battery. However, it was getting very dark, it was raining and I am fat and lazy. :mrgreen:

 

[RRToadHall]

Re: Where no Range ROver should ever have to go

sniff sniff

It's official. With no hint of issue, no warning and no easy way out, I have a seized engine. As the old girl didn't make even a hint of a wimper before seizing I am hoping for something simple like a failed timing chain jambing things up. Obviously this is a lack of sleep induced pipe dream, but I can still hope.

 

[RRToadHall]

Re: Where no Range ROver should ever have to go

sniff sniff

It's official. With no hint of issue, no warning and no easy way out, I have a seized engine. As the old girl didn't make even a hint of a wimper before seizing I am hoping for something simple like a failed timing chain jambing things up. Obviously this is a lack of sleep induced pipe dream, but I can still hope.

Daymn.

Hmm, didnt the man from Omaha shupack put some research into a LT1 engine?

No offense to anyones hard work, but I wouldn't touch an LT1 in this life time. If I want an LT1 I'll go buy a Chevy. :? Nah, The old girl dies too quickly and too quietly to be catastrophic. I get her torn down and figure out what I am going to do.

 

[RRToadHall]

Steering things back on topic. After a round of rechecking, the engine is firmly seized. No clunks, squeals or bangs. She just stopped. I will have the heads off shortly to check the top end of things. So far eveything is very nicely clean. Coolant galleries are SPOTLESS. almsot no carbon on intakes. Rockers are discoloured from dino oil, but no sign of sludge, fouling or heating. Lifters and cam are nice and shiney as well.

After a hot sunny day beverage it will be time to look for a dropped liner.

 

[RRToadHall]

Front engine oil leak finally found

SOrry for not reporting back sooner. With Granny from hell, various high drama bits and getting old I haven't had much time to pull more engine bits apart to find the issue. When last I checked in on subject everything was nice and clean, no signs of stress or overheating. No "sawdust" or even gold dust in the oil sump, there has never been a hint of dust or shavings on the magnetic sump plug.Water pump has been removed and looks like it is brand new. I have double checked with the previous owner and gone through my pile of receipts, and it appears that it really does have 160K on it.

On alighter note, I have finally FINALLY found the source of my front end oil leak. There is some odd ball thing called a CMP sensor that I have never noticed in reading through RAVE before. There is a note in RAVE to remove it to get to the timing chain and discard it's "O" ring. I found what is left of an "O" ring, it looks like a snotty bit of old rubber band left over from a high school science project. The whole front cover, left of the sensor, looks like black cottage chesse from oil leakage.

The sad news is that I am still unable to crank the engine by hand or by starter. I am reduced to something in the front cover (hoping for a jambed timing chain) or something pretty major under the heads.

 

[RRToadHall]

Yup, sumps off, that's how I know that there is no hint of shavings or metal dust in the sump. Fortunately I have a pneumatic two point lift and it slid right out. I would love to have been able to use my "Extreme" but it is in paperweight mode once again and was shipped back to Colin once again. I think his equipment has racked up more air miles being returned to him than I have in my entire life!

 

[RRToadHall]

Nasty discovery this morning. I pulled the cam sensor and found two nice metal flakes magnetized onto the end... this can't be good. Fortuntaely/unfortunately those metal flakes were just a couple flakes of graphite type material and rubbed right off. Hopefully I'll get the front cover pulled today at some point and see what the damages are. Along those lines, I have found conflicting reports as to if our engines are noninterference or not. :think:

 

[RRToadHall]

Crapolla. Front cover is off, everything is nice and shiny, no slack in the timing chain and still no hint of why this booger is seized. :evil:

 

[RRToadHall]

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll take another look at the old starter in a bit. It's not likely as the flywheel and reluctor ring (what I can see of them) are spotless and as new with no wear at all on the teeth.

Keep the ideas coming folks, I'll entertain anything as I keep pulling things apart!