'96 Disco not starting

[rickead2000]

Hi,

I've got a '96 300 tdi Disco that has a strange problem.

In the mornings, it will start fine.

However, once the engine is hot and I try to restart it shortly after switching off, quite often I will turn the key to Start and nothing will happen.

Continually repeating this and the engine will eventually start - sometimes after 30 seconds sometimes after 20 minutes.

When turning the ignition, I can hear a click coming from somewhere around the radio and then when turning to start I hear a click coming from somewhere around the glovebox?

I have tried locking/unlocking the car with the fob incase it was the immobiliser, but this doesnt really seem to have any effect.

I am not sure what is causing this. Someone suggested its a broken Spider? But I have no idea where/what this is and how to confirm this is at fault.

Can anybody point me in the right direction?

I don't think it is the battery because as soon as the starter decides to turn, the engine starts immediately. Its either all or nothing!

[Madoobri]

Someone suggested its a broken Spider? But I have no idea where/what this is and how to confirm this is at fault.

Can anybody point me in the right direction?



Have a look here (http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=86)... if the spider is indeed the problem :Idunno:

[BrianH]

The symptoms you describe are identical to those previously experienced with my own 300tdi. I changed the starter motor on mine thinking it was that, but I later traced the problem to a sticky relay. The relay is located in the driver's side footwell.

I didn't bother to change mine as it happens. I wired in a push button directly to the starter motor's solenoid (which is what the sticky relay powers). Now whenever the fault happens I just press my start button instead. I'm a bit reluctant to use my start button all of the time because I should really have worked out the currents involved and perhaps used the switch in conjunction with a relay. I don't want the contacts on my switch burning out so I just use it in emergencies when the starter motor's relay sticks. In fairness, I should probably just change the relay and be done with it!!!

Brian

[BrianH]

Oh by the way, don't be fooled into thinking that the relay must be good because you hear a click when you turn the ignition. That just means that A relay is clicking, not that THE relay is clicking :D

Brian

[Les Henson]

The alarm spider controls starter motor and fuel cut-off switch, but not necessarily both at the same time if it's faulty. Land Rover supply a bypass plug for the control unit which you just plug into the part of the wiring that usually plugs into the spider unit. I don't know the part number, but the thing is only about a fiver.