1997 Defender 90 Won't Start

[michal63]

1997 US market Defender 90 automatic, w/ fuel injected V8 will not start. Starter cranks but no ignition. New battery and fuel in tank. Very sudden (and surprising) onset: Moved it 50 yards at night and the following morning it failed. Fuses and relays appear fine... Have had it for 6+ years w/out a single problem.

Thoughts, ideas as to what to check or look at?

Thanks in advance!
-Michal

[TerryS]

I suggest you start with the basics: Have you checked to see if you have spark at the plugs? Pull a plug wire, hold it near the block and have someone crank.
Next, can you hear the fuel pump run for about 3 seconds when you first turn the key on? Have you checked to see that you have fuel at the rail (at the injectors)

[michal63]

Thanks for the response! Good Ideas. No spark. Fuel pump is *not* running. I haven't checked the fuel injectors given the other two. Honestly, the last car that I did any work on was normally aspirated

[TerryS]

Yeah, well I get my 'normally aspirated' fix on numerous other Landies arund here to keep my hat in the ring.
Sounds entirely electrical here tho. I'm not as 'up' on GEMS as I am Lucas, but if I remember correctly, there is a Multifunction Relay which controls Ign & Fuel pump. It isn't like the little cube, 4 (or 5) pin relays, but black wedge shaped with many pins, should be located near your ECU. Check your socket and pins for corrosion, and giving it a good whack never hurts either. My Defender manual doesn't have squat for '97 schematics, so check the dowloadable Rave Manual.

[michal63]

Thanks again for the responses. I'm happy to report that the problem is resolved! Tracking power to the fuel pump yielded a broken wire toward the rear end of the wiring harness (resulting, I suspect, from someone's earlier probe of the same circuit which had ultimately corroded in the salt air -- the car is on MVY). Reconnecting and sealing the break seems to have addressed the problem with the fuel pump.

My earlier report of no spark was incorrect... I was being too timid with the spacing/placement of the wire from one of the plugs. Fortunately, resolving the fuel pump issue rendered this (dumb) mistake irrelevant.

Your comments were very helpful and encouraging. Without a in this forum response, I would likely have had the car towed to the dealer. The pointer to the the manual was particularly useful. Given that I have three land rovers (06 range rover, 00 disco II and the defender), I'm likely to come back here often.

In reviewing all of the wiring on this car there are clearly things that deserve to be much better sealed/protected than they actually appear to be -- a project I might take on over the winter.

Regards,
-m

[TerryS]

My mom and dad had a house on Tower Hill, overlooking the harbor in E'town for 40 odd years , so I know well what the damp salt air can do to cars out there. My sister still lives there and carrys on the battle.