StephenM
Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 44
  
|
Hi everybody,
I hope someone can help - I've only just bought my 2008 Discovery 3 (took delivery last Thursday) and already I have had to be recovered (Thanks to Land Rover Assist and the AA).
I was driving up from Berkshire to Yorkshire on Friday through some serious rainfall and around Tamworth the red battery light lit up. My wife looked up in the owners manual what to do and it said if this light comes on whilst driving then stop and call for assistance. This we did and an AA man came within 40 minutes and checked the charging voltage and declared that everything was probably ok (13.5 volts) and that we should be alright to carry on, but take it to a Landrover garage on Monday to have it all checked out.
We carried on and the light went out for a while and then came back on a few times. We had all of the electrics going as the weather was really foul. We arrived safely at our hotel and the following day it started with no problem at all, the engine turning over on the starter very briskly. We drove around the North York Moors with no problem on Saturday and set off back home at about 15:00. The red warning light was on all of the time.
By the time we got down to Watford Gap services on the M1 we were just under 1/4 full of diesel so I pulled in to tank up. As I rolled to stop at the pump the engine cut out. I thought this was a bit unusual - especially for an automatic diesel. Anyway I filled up with diesel and - it wouldn't start. The engine turned over just as normal with no sign of any labouring at all. I called Land Rover Assist again and they called out the AA again. This time in less than 30 minutes. Of course the car started first time without any sign of a problem except for the alternator light being permanently on. He was a pretty diligent chap though and he got me to drive the car around to a less congested area in the services so he could do more tests. He plugged in his (Bosch, I think) analyser, all bluetooth connected to his computer and looked for fault codes. There were none. He checked for leaks in the fuel pipes - in the areas he could see there were none, and no drips under the car. After half an hour checking he scratched his head sand said he couldn't find anything wrong. He revved the engine whilst watching the fuel pressure readout - 250 mBars (?) normal. He said I should be alright to carry on - but he would follow me for 9 miles or so down to the next junction to make sure I was ok. So we set off again and there wqas no sign of any trouble.
Nine miles down the road, having flashed my hazard lights to say thank you, we parted company and he peeled off to Northampton.
Five minutes later the engine management light briefly flashed, the car shuddered, the rev-counter fell to zero and then all recovered ok. Another 5 minutes and it happened again, then again, and again ... I was fortunately in the nearside lane doing a steady 60 in the Saturday night traffic and slipped the gearbox into neutral and pulled over, hazzards flashing and coasted (heavy going steering and braking a Discovery without the engine) until I saw a 'Police Patrol Vehicles only' parking point which I thought would help get us a bit safer, further from the traffic.
I called Land Rover Assist again and - to cut a long story short, aftyer 90 minutes we were recovered from just south of Northampton to Toddington Services by CMG. 20 minutes later an AA Recovery vehicle arrived and we were taken home to Berkshire. Of course, when we got off the recovery vehicle, I started the engine up - no problem and was able to park the car safely away from the road.
I have to say that for the 200 or so miles when I was able to drive the car in blissful ignorance of these events, it was a superb experience. The engine was responsive, visibility and comfort were excellent, fuel consumption was a respectable 32.3 mpg - we both love the car. I just hope this is a simple fault, a one-off that we can forget about.
I will of course be taking this up with my dealer on Monday, but I just wondered if anyone else had had a similar experience or had an idea as to what might have gone wrong.
The AA were fantastic and I'm mighty glad that Land Rover Assist use their services. 
Cheers ...
StephenM
|
 24th Jan 2010 12:21 pm |
|
|
MikeS2005
Member Since: 13 Sep 2008
Location: Midlothian
Posts: 920
 
|
Hi
Your problem probably lies with the alternator there is a fault within the windings of the alternator mine also gave similar warnings to what you have experienced.
The AA guy should have checked that your vehicle was producing between 14.2 to 15.2 with everything switched on then did the same with everything off.
A normal car produces the reading that he got and he would have presumed this was ok but infact it is not and should produce the above voltages.
If it is still under warranty thay should change the alternator and the battery as there is a good chance that the battery will have been damaged by the non charging alternator
I hope this helps
cheers
|
| 24th Jan 2010 8:31 pm |
|
|
StephenM
Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 44
|
Mike,
Thanks very much for your reply.
Just a thought though, how long should one expect the battery to last travelling with dipped headlights, air-conditioning and wipers going full time if the alternator was u/s? I managed 200 miles at an average speed of about 35 with just about everything full on and the battery still cranked the engine as though it were fully charged.
I am expecting a Land Rover Technician to arrive tomorrow to check it all out and I will be sure to mention your advice.
Many thanks. 
StephenM
|
| 24th Jan 2010 8:46 pm |
|
|
Chicken Duck
Member Since: 11 Nov 2009
Location: Italy
Posts: 1387
|
I have had similar problems with two cars i have owned in the past(not disco's) And yeah they turned out to be fuel pumps let us know when you get to bottom of it,and good luck
|
| 24th Jan 2010 9:22 pm |
|
|
MikeS2005
Member Since: 13 Sep 2008
Location: Midlothian
Posts: 920
|
Hi
On my car I had replaced the battery two months earlier and out of the blue my alternator warning light pops on I tested it and it was giving me a reading of between 12.2 to 13.3 luckily I am in the trade so made a few calls and was told I should be getting output voltages of between 14.2 to 15.2.
The remanufactured alternators unfortunately for me were all on back order and I had to buy a new one for a 2009 model which evidently bolts straight on, the alternators are made by Denso we eventually discovered that there is a fault within the windings of the alternator which in some cases causes the car to output only a percentage of its actual power others competely die and strand the car.
My car ran no problem but I knew to switch all auxcillaries off and not use it at nights so the alternator stranding me was not an issue well at least for the couple of days I was waiting on the new alternator to arrive
cheers
|
| 24th Jan 2010 10:35 pm |
|
|
ELD70
Member Since: 28 Jan 2008
Location: Romford.
Posts: 901
 
|
Sounds the same as I experienced when collecting my car and a few others have had the same happen when collecting used cars from a dealer. The brains that is TFC put a good theory forward and it's one I go with.
These cars are stored in a dealer and do not really move apart from the daily start up to move them onto the forecourt etc. Condensation possibly forms in the fuel tank which eventually gets pulled through the fuel lines causing these problems. Once it has sucked through and caused these hiccups the problem will then be gone. It explains why my car spat out its dummy two hours after picking it up and a few others who have just picked up vehicles. Also explains abscence of fault codes when checked.
Thats my opinion, no idea whether its right or not ! Now driving BMW 330d Touring....misses D3...but not when at traffic lights 
|
| 24th Jan 2010 11:35 pm |
|
|
StephenM
Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 44
|
Well ....
As promised, the Land Rover Technician arrived this morning at 09:30, listened to my tale of woe but looked distinctly unhappy. Needless to say the engine turned over briskly and started first time. He checked the voltages and said it was most likely an alternator problem but couldn't explain why the fuel pump might be cutting out. In any case it was not something he could fix so he volunteered to drive it to the dealer and hand it over to them.
I rang the dealer (Lancaster Land Rover, Reading) to check it had arrived safely and they promised to look at it tomorrow.
Looking on the bright side, they could have it fixed in a couple of days ...
I'll keep you posted.
StephenM
|
| 25th Jan 2010 2:13 pm |
|
|
StephenM
Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 44
|
So 2 days have gone by and Lancaster Land Rover (Reading) are perplexed. 
"We have changed the alternator, sir, but the alternator fault light is still coming on."
"We have never had this problem before and we are waiting on Land Rover to tell us what to do next. I suppose it is possible that the new alternator has the same fault?"  
 Stephen
--------
|
| 27th Jan 2010 11:42 pm |
|
|
StephenM
Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 44
|
Lancaster Land Rover phoned me yesterday to let me know that it was not the alternator or the fuel pump after all. They say that Land Rover instructed them to replace the Control Unit.
All is now well Stephen
--------
|
| 30th Jan 2010 8:30 am |
|
|
