Water issues?? Stalling! - Land Rovers Only

GSxTC · 03-26-2007, 06:21 AM

So, my D1 has water issues. If you take it through an automatic wash, drive through a large puddle, or try to go through soupy mud it stalls and sputters. I thought maybe moisture was getting in the distributor, so I replaced the cap and rotor as well as plugs and wires. Apparently this wasn't it. I can't find where water is getting into anything to cause this.

Anyone have any ideas? It's a '94 D1 with the 3.9.

Buddy Lee · 03-26-2007, 06:50 AM

Look at everything that has juice running through it. Put dielectric grease on all the wire connections at the distributor end as well as the spark plug ends. I don't have a Dizzy on my 97's but there should be a plug that connects the dizzy into your wire harness. Make sure that's sealed and not getting wet. Then if you plan on getting wet a lot you might want to seal or relocate your ECU. On mine it's on the passenger side on the fender behind the washer bottle. If you seal it up with silicon it might help things out a lot.

GSxTC · 03-26-2007, 07:12 AM

I didn't realize the ECU was located under the hood. Maybe that's what it is then. I'll pull it today and check for signs of moisture.

taskforce121 · 03-27-2007, 07:07 PM

Just out of curiosity GSxTC, does the problem (sputtering, etc.) go away once the engine heats up. i am chasing a gremlin in my 97, and the profile is similar. Humid day, engine sputters and bucks until engine temp heats up. rainy day, engine sputters and bucks if driven prior to warming up. car wash with heavy spray to undercarriage, engine sputters and bucks until moisture is disapated. otherwise runs well in dry conditions. just curious if yours displays a similar MO.

phil

GSxTC · 03-27-2007, 09:18 PM

Mine is fine until I get water under the hood. Then it has to dry out before it runs right again. Otherwise she's right as rain. She is cold blooded though...

werldcup · 03-28-2007, 09:21 AM

I had a similar problem in my Subaru.. The fender liner had come loose and water was spraying from my tire directly onto my air box causing stalling and bucking. I would check for a damp air filter, maybe your box isn't sealing well.

Rovin4life · 03-28-2007, 04:53 PM

take spray bottle or a hose and very carefully spray parts of the engine whist running to see the location of the problem.

TerryS · 03-29-2007, 07:02 AM

On Gems('96-'99 1/2) engined cars, the ECU is in the right rear of the engine bay, and the multifunction relay is right in front of it. This is a source of problems with water. Pull your ECU out and check that the case hasn't corroded through, allowing water into the ECU. My son's '97 had this problem, and the multifunction relay terminals were a nonstarting issue when they were wet.
On Lucas engines, I really don't know where the ECU lives on pre '96 Discos, but water into the rail sensors and ECU H2O sensor on the manifold give them fits

03-26-2007, 06:21 AM	#1 (permalink)
GSxTC Roll Me R'Over Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Tomah, WI Posts: 32 Gallery: 0	Water issues?? Stalling! So, my D1 has water issues. If you take it through an automatic wash, drive through a large puddle, or try to go through soupy mud it stalls and sputters. I thought maybe moisture was getting in the distributor, so I replaced the cap and rotor as well as plugs and wires. Apparently this wasn't it. I can't find where water is getting into anything to cause this. Anyone have any ideas? It's a '94 D1 with the 3.9.

03-26-2007, 06:50 AM	#2 (permalink)
Buddy Lee Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 358 Gallery: 0	Look at everything that has juice running through it. Put dielectric grease on all the wire connections at the distributor end as well as the spark plug ends. I don't have a Dizzy on my 97's but there should be a plug that connects the dizzy into your wire harness. Make sure that's sealed and not getting wet. Then if you plan on getting wet a lot you might want to seal or relocate your ECU. On mine it's on the passenger side on the fender behind the washer bottle. If you seal it up with silicon it might help things out a lot. __________________ '97 Disco

03-27-2007, 07:07 PM	#4 (permalink)
taskforce121 Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 46 Gallery: 0	Just out of curiosity GSxTC, does the problem (sputtering, etc.) go away once the engine heats up. i am chasing a gremlin in my 97, and the profile is similar. Humid day, engine sputters and bucks until engine temp heats up. rainy day, engine sputters and bucks if driven prior to warming up. car wash with heavy spray to undercarriage, engine sputters and bucks until moisture is disapated. otherwise runs well in dry conditions. just curious if yours displays a similar MO. phil __________________ ------------------------------- We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.

03-28-2007, 04:53 PM	#7 (permalink)
Rovin4life Former NAS LR TECH, Current AUS LR TECH Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: DOWN UNDER Posts: 1,664 Gallery: 0	take spray bottle or a hose and very carefully spray parts of the engine whist running to see the location of the problem. __________________ I work on Rovers. Got a question just ask.

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03-26-2007, 07:12 AM	#3 (permalink)
GSxTC Roll Me R'Over Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Tomah, WI Posts: 32 Gallery: 0	I didn't realize the ECU was located under the hood. Maybe that's what it is then. I'll pull it today and check for signs of moisture.

03-27-2007, 09:18 PM	#5 (permalink)
GSxTC Roll Me R'Over Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Tomah, WI Posts: 32 Gallery: 0	Mine is fine until I get water under the hood. Then it has to dry out before it runs right again. Otherwise she's right as rain. She is cold blooded though...

03-28-2007, 09:21 AM	#6 (permalink)
werldcup Mean and Green Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 100 Gallery: 0	I had a similar problem in my Subaru.. The fender liner had come loose and water was spraying from my tire directly onto my air box causing stalling and bucking. I would check for a damp air filter, maybe your box isn't sealing well.

03-29-2007, 07:02 AM	#8 (permalink)
TerryS Moderator Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Bloomfield, CT If I died today, I lived there all my life. Posts: 2,032 Gallery: 0	On Gems('96-'99 1/2) engined cars, the ECU is in the right rear of the engine bay, and the multifunction relay is right in front of it. This is a source of problems with water. Pull your ECU out and check that the case hasn't corroded through, allowing water into the ECU. My son's '97 had this problem, and the multifunction relay terminals were a nonstarting issue when they were wet. On Lucas engines, I really don't know where the ECU lives on pre '96 Discos, but water into the rail sensors and ECU H2O sensor on the manifold give them fits

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