HELP - MAJOR ISSUES w/2005 LR3!!

[LandyBoy]

2005 LR3 began acting very strange and nearly stranded me. Started get many warnings: HDC fault, parking brake fault, transmission fault, suspension fault, ABS amber light, Airbag SRS Red, DSC Light Amber - lights were blinking all over.

Navigation system went dark - I pulled over and put gearshift in Park - when I tried to return to drive it would not shift. I turned the vehicle off and then it would not start (battery sounded like it was discharged - its only 6 months old). After 5 minutes it started and I got home. Could there be a common failure that generated all of these warnings and is preventing the vehicle from starting??

FYI - I am hearing a low whirring noise in the engine compartment - is the Gen/Alt maybe the problem?

HELP!!!!

[bbyer]

What I mean is that I do not think very much is wrong. My experience is the more lights and nasty messages, the less serious the problem.

Given that you have a new battery, I would be removing the battery cables, cleaning them and reinstalling. Before you do that however, when at home, with the engine off and near a battery charger, turn the head lights on and see if they last for more than a couple of minutes. If you have a volt meter, measure the battery voltage before you turn the head lights on and after you turn them off.

In ideal circumstances, the battery voltage should be at least 12.4 volts DC before you turn the head lights on and not much less than 12 after a couple of minutes - probably should be about 12.3 but .... With the engine running, battery voltage should be closer to 14 volts.

If the posts are clean and tight, it may be that your alternator is quitting. My view is that often the alternator does not quit completely. Instead of nothing, it puts out about 13 VDC but with almost no amps. I know that does not sound rational, but the regulator within is controlled by the Engine Control Module rather than battery or buss voltage and that leads to strange goings ons, at least by the norms of yesteryears. A Land Rover is not a normal vehicle as you by now know.

[LandyBoy]

Thanks for the advice! When I checked battery fluid levels I did note a bit of crud developing in one post. BTW, as I have been scanning other similar posts I keep seeing references to the brake light switch as a possible culprit. Do you put much stock in that possibility?

Thanks!!

[bbyer]

Glad you asked; I am probably one of the prime apostles re the brake light switch dogma. The link below is to my treatise on it. If there is any good news, you do not have a Toyota where a brake light switch concern leads to no start.

Somehow LR avoided that - you just get nasty messages such as "replace the tranny", "there is no hope", "all is lost", "cruise control not available" and other messages of that sort but at least your 3 does start and will still go places - well the Toyota's do to, but it is to the dealer on the top of a flat bed.

The fact you are having starting problems is why I did not mention the switch but while you are fooling around, and once you get the starting problem sorted out, then yes, I would replace the brake light switch just because it will cause problems in the future. For me, I noticed that cold weather, as in below freezing is when the nasty messages start to appear when the switch is tired and unhappy.

DISCO3.CO.UK Photo Gallery - Brake Light Switch Replacement