Hi folks,

Wife's car wouldn't start about a month ago, AA came out, turned out to be the steering lock. Same thing happened again over the weekend, but isn't the steering lock, just a bunch of clicks when pressing the start button. System OK on the display, just not trying to start.

After a bit of research on here I figured it could be the solenoid on the starter, so I ordered a repair kit, that has now arrived, so I went about removing the starter and as "luck" would have it, the smaller of the two electrical connectors on the solenoid sheared off when I tried to undo the small nut. Is this effectively the end for this starter now and I'll need a replacement, or has anyone got and handy solutions? I removed the solenoid lid to see the contacts and plunger internals, and I can see the other side of the connector I've broke, so it looks like I could in theory replace it if I were able to get a replacement.

Alternatively I wonder if I could get someone to weld or solder a thread back on the outside of the starter, as I just have the stump of the original connector left, it's flush to the outside.

It might help if I could find out what this connector is for, I was really hoping it was an earth, and the thicker additional earth I have running from one of the starter mounting bolts directly to the battery earth would negate the need for this broken wire.

The remains of the connector can be seen in the middle of the pic below, above and to the right of the round dust cap for the main electrical connector.




Freelander 2
2007
TDI HSE
Auto

Thanks in advance

Roger

They are cheap out there:

https://www.getoffroad.com/parts/electrica...gKkbvD_BwE FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

This is true. I found a company selling the OEM Denso ones for about £160. Any benefit in any of the particular makes?

Would be nice if I could get this one repaired, even if I could bodge it for now, just to prove it was the starter causing the non-starting, hence my starting with the £16 starter repair kit, sods law eh...

Thanks again

Roger

Well I ordered a replacement starter motor and fitted that and no difference. The car doesn't attempt to start. Just dash lights come on, system check OK on the display, foot is on the brake pedal, then a few clicks from down in the passenger foot well.

I'll find a link to the other post on here, but in the mean time the other post the guy had similar issues, called the AA out and they suggested a fuse/connector in the passenger foot well, he disconnected this, reconnected and the car fired up, he had to do a this a few times again at a later date. It's the brown one, I've located this, and taken a picture for you guys, my issue is that I can't work out how to remove it? It looks like there's a big grey clip that should unlock it, but I'm being cautious as I don't want to snap it and then have to replace it. Any tips on how these come out guys? Or pointers on what to try next with the car?





Thanks in advance

Roger

The grey lever has a small limb that clips on the lateral. That small limb must be lifted slightly and then the lever must be rotated as in the picture below.



Last edited by alex_pescaru on 6th Oct 2018 3:06 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Sorry, double post....

Cheers for the reply. I'll go and give that a go.

In the meantime, a bit of a breakthrough. Reading the post below on here, the guy managed to start his in a similar state to mine by removing relay 1 in the engine bay and going through the motions of starting the car, then leaving it, and putting a piece of wire in the relay (Left to right, using his picture) and then my car at least turns over. It didn't start as per his, but at least it tried to.

http://www.freel2.com/forum/topic27748-15.html

Someone suggested in his post that the steering lock had messed up, which was the original problem reported by the AA to my wife. I've checked the steering lock on my wife's and it's not engaged, so in effect it is always off, and possibly confusing the car, hence not sending the start signal to the relay I've removed, which I'm over riding by shorting it, but as the immobiliser is still on, the car doesn't fire up, probably the fuel pump being electronically or blocked or however it would work.

He goes on to to say his was fixed by getting the steering lock replaced, with a Volvo part, but it needed to be reprogrammed by Land Rover. So I'll do a bit more digging on this front, but if it's a case of LR needing the car in to reprogram it, I'm going to be a bit stuffed...

Thanks

Rog

Morning folks,

Didn't get out to try the big brown multiplug as yet, pouring with rain yesterday, and you need to be outside the car to twist yourself into position to get at the plugs.

Reading another post last night, they mentioned fuses 4 and 8 in the passenger foot well, specifically 8 which is brown/orange in colour, I'm wondering if this could be the brown plug I've confused with the brown multiplug? That said they did refer to it as the brown multiplug, not a fuse, but when it's light I'll go out and try both.

Also another search on the web regarding the steering lock suggested the locking mech tends to stick, remove the lower cowl below the steering column and hit/tap the metal block and it tends to sort it. I've borrowed the pic for reference, plus a link to the instructions, in case it helps someone else.

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-t41436_ds559727



Meanwhile, another thing that cropped up yesterday whilst fitting the new starter motor. The wife was just off out after I'd fitted it and retested with no luck. She pointed out that only one brake light was working. This rung bells, as I read something about brake light circuits/ECUs causing starting issues, but can I find this info now, no! This ring any bells with you guys?

Link to the post on here regarding the brown multiplug, more for my reference, as I've got about 50 windows open in Chrome...

https://www.freel2.com/forum/topic22521.ht...b878648d59

Thanks in advance

Roger

It sounds like the steering lock to me take the shroud off around the steering wheel and give the lock a good tap with something it can be taken off and cleaned the two shear bolts need drilling out and replacing.

Cheers for the suggestion, hopefully get a look at it again this afternoon or tomorrow.

I managed to workout how to remove the big multiplugs down by the passenger foot well. Left them unplugged for a couple of minutes, plugged back in, retried, no difference.

So I'll remove the steering column shroud next, give the lock mechanism a bit of a whack, hoping either the steering wheel will lock, then I'll try the key again, or maybe try hitting the lock mechanism whilst the key fob is in as this might flip the immobiliser switch and get the thing started. At least if I can workout what's causing the problem I can go from there, still fairly in the dark at the mo...

Thanks again

Roger

It was the whacking and moving the wheel about started mine working again good luck.

Morning folks,

Just wanted to report back that I've managed to get the wife's car started and running again. As suggested I've removed the lower part of the steering column shroud, 2 Torx screws underneath, they were either T10 or T15 screws, undo the easy to reach/see screw first then you'll know for sure, before trying the one up inside the column. Then a bit of pushing and pulling on the sides of the plastic shroud caused one side to open up, then the other. I then used a weighty and stubby socket extension and started tapping around on the metal locking mechanism. Initially without the key in to see if the steering lock would engage, it didn't so I inserted the key continued tapping, and pressing the start button suddenly there was life and she fired up. Took her for a 20min drive. On return removed the key and the steering lock engaged. Wife then took it out for a run, armed with the necessary bits to attempt to restart if (when) necessary.

I'll do some more research, but I think new lock mechanism is the long term fix, but this needs to be reprogrammed, probably by LR, and although I can probably fairly easily install it, the care presumably won't start until programmed, so I'll probably have to bite the built and get LR to both install and program.

Thanks again for your help folks, no doubt be back with other issues as they arise...

Roger

As your in Kent, if you are close enough get a price quote from RCV Landrover at Paddock Wood, they are a good independent and should be cheaper than an LR dealership. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

Nice result .

Cheers guys. RCV are about 45mins away, so not too bad I'll give them a call next week and see what they say.

Thanks again

Roger