Vehicle problem

I had something similar once - mine was caused by an capacitor in the radio suppression system that shorted out when it heated up. A side cutter did the temporary fix.

When the LR2 does not start, does the battery seem to be strong? I once had an Olds that had week cell in battery. When the engine was allowed to warm up to normal operating temperature by driving 15 -20 min. then shut off for only a few min the battery was dead. Allowed to cool for 30 min and it was good as new. Have a load test done on battery. Apply 1/2 rated cold cranking amps of the battery to the battery for 15 sec, while watching the battery voltage with an accurate volt meter. The voltage should not drop below 9 volts. If it is good, try cleaning the battery post to battery cable connections. Good luck.

sorry, but cliff it, worst auto ever built and it gets wose

All am I asking is help MR. VICINI. Almost everything were made by humans, and humans are not perfect. Therefor, the by product are not perfect either.

The replies that you receive would a lot more specific if you were a little more specific. Trying to figure out what is wrong like this is very frustrating. Many if not all of us have faced a vehicle that would not start when asked to. Of this I am sure. When my battery was stolen, I was not checking for a bad coil. Does your engine rotate when engaging the starter switch?

For example, what is the outdoor temperatures when the problem is happening? Very hot; hot; cool; day or night...things like that.

You mentioned it sitting up for a week...as if that might be a factor. Was there any problem before that? Can we eliminate the idle time as a factor?

When you say "won't start"...how so exactly? Won't crank? Won't kick over? Starts then stumbles and dies? Starter relay clicks? Doesn't click? Solenoid engages? Doesn't?

Similarly, does the engine stop on its own? Or only refuse to re-start while hot?

When it does start, does it start strongly...as if plenty of starter battery? Or start with difficulty?

When you say "hot engine"...base on what? Your intuition? Temp gauge above mid point? Temp gauge at top of range? Radiator hose hard when squeezed? Other?

When the engine refuses to restart after "hot," did you attempt the "flooded start" routine as specified in your manual? Pedal to metal start?

How long is it (in minutes? hours?) before the engine will restart on first attempt?

Did you check battery charge by checking headlights (or metering, etc) at the time when no-start condition arises?

Did you check for spark when no-start arises?

Did you check radiator level?

Is the fuel tank full? Half empty? Near empty?

A couple of things come to mind... First would be a bad alternator that is not keeping the battery fully charged, but make sure the battery connections are cleaned of any corrosion that may be keeping the alternator from charging it. If the alternator is bad, or corroded battery connections are preventing correct charging of the battery, then when you let the vehicle sit for a few minutes, the battery will pick up some voltage from "internal" charging. Then, when you drive it for awhile, engine firing will draw down the battery, instead of relying on alternator voltage to fire it. I'll put my money on a bad alternator.

If you have a voltmeter, measure the voltage across the battery terminals with the engine off, then start the engine and again measure the voltage. Engine off... should measure about 12.5 volts - engine on... about 14 volts. Less than 14 volts, and you, likely, have a bad alternator.

If your Disco 2 is a diesel you may have either just water or water with diesel bug in it - organisms that live in water that has collected in your tank and eating the diesel. Both do not burn well in the engine. My Disco 1 had a similar problem. I got rid of it by putting water emulsifier in the fuel to get rid of the water and a biocide to get rid of the bugs. Your mechanic, a diesel engine specialist or 4x4 centre should be able to help.

If you have a petrol vehicle (or one if the drive-by-wire diesels) it may be an electrical problem, get an auto electrician to help.

And to the contributor that said "cliff it" - my '93 disco 1 diesel is the most comfortable and reliable car ever, and runs very well, average 10 l fuel / 100 km. And that having done 290000 km on it's original engine. It keeps it's oil inside where it belongs - which cannot be said for a lot of other vehicles I have had, and that includes the 740i and the 230SLK. All it takes is a bit of common sense and an understanding of how a car works - so carry on with your Disco 2, once it is fixed it will be a wonderful car again!

Good Luck

RKM

I have a '96 Disco I and have had electrical issues with this vehicle. I have heard that the Disco II can have a wide range of electrical/electronic problems. I would suggest searching on a Land Rover-specific web site for a similar issue. www.discoweb.org is one I have found to hold a plethora of information. I am almost certain you are not the first person to experience this problem. Good luck.

Pose a question to the guys at "Car Talk" on NPR on any Saturday morning at 11 am EST and hopefully they will have the correct answer for you. I listen to their talk very often when i remember to put the radio on at that time and they are amazing at solving car problems. Just try

vshwn7@aol.com

As a mechanic I have seen this problem before but not to this specific vehicle, so use with caution. Most often this is caused by a cracked coil. After a coil gets hot it spreads apart just enough to cause it to open, therefore no spark. After it cools it will work fine until it gets hot again, eventually it will not work at all. Worth a check to see if that is the cause. Hope it helps.

Jay

I just found that the coils are hanging behind the engine(no screws in it), it is possible that the coil/s has been damanged by the engine as it move back in fort. I will check it later 'cause I have limited time. Thank you.

Thank you all for your response. My time is very limited so I didn't try all of your suggestions. I will do it sometime. Once again, thank you all.

You may check your fuel pump rubber diaphragm which may malfunction when hot , and stops fuel supply to the engine . When cold it may function again . This may be one of the many causes

I had this happen with my Rover. It was the fuel pump, located in the gas tank. Cost over $1500 to have the dealer diagnose and replace it. Lots of places on the web sell Rover parts if you try to do it yourself.

current fuel pumps located in the fuel tank are rotary type pumps. the easies way to check a fuel pump problem is to disconnect the fuel line at the fuel Rail or the throttle body on older cars. crank and see if fuel spurts, if so check ignition, check the coil first then go to the module.

If that fuel line is under 60 psi of pressure, are you ready for the results?

The procedure you recommended is dangerous. If you think your engine lacks fuel, ADD SOME. Squirt a small amount into the air inlet. If it starts on that fuel, then you had no fuel being delivered. Get a fuel pressure gauge to test for fuel pump function. This is not a place for Good Luck. Be careful.

i think you must review the transformer of the ignition system, some cases when it 's hot, after some operation time, can fail. when it´s cold you can start two or three times your vehicle.