97 Land Rover Discovery alarm disabled the fuel pump

[jastutte]

dang. some people know how to talk themselves out of help fast.

two in two weeks.

OP, slow down. the people on DiscoWeb are some of the most knowledgeable out there. take the time to do a little reading and research. and try not to get your feelings hurt over inferred tone in the forum posts. also, punctuation helps. your posts read like breathless ramblings and take a little deciphering. i know, i know. i'm not using proper capitalization. But, I can when I want to drop my annoying, pretentious affectation and communicate in an understandable way. Like I and others have said, there are lots of people on here willing to help. We just need clear communication on what the issues are.

And don't feel bad about not knowing proper terms or using incorrect ones. We all had to learn this stuff at some point. As long as you're willing to learn and get your hands dirty, most of the people here are willing to help.

 

[terryjm1]

Based on what I can see in the video and photos you have a whole lot going on. I do not want to be a Debbie Downer but it is going to be very difficult for most folks to help you without evaluating the issues in person. I am way too far from SC to do that. Hopefully someone well known here may be close enough. I say well known because you never know who is on the internet and I would be very cautious having just anybody offer in person help.

Sadly, Land Rovers can be very costly to repair even when you can do the work yourself as well as very difficult to diagnose problems even for seasoned Land Rover mechanics. A lot of general repair shops won’t work on them. (This is why they are relatively inexpensive to purchase.)

Wiring in particular is rather involved with these as well. The alarm system (which immobilizes it) can be maddening. There are so many things that can cause it to malfunction finding the specific issue can be extremely challenging. A lot of problems can have the same symptoms but not have anything to do with the alarm system. Digging into the wrong systems can make things worse.

It is very common to find these Land Rovers with a lot of deferred maintenance and incomplete repair work just to keep them moving. After a while the problems really start to multiply.

All that being said, if you were driving it previously and a problem then surfaced, I would go back and put back as much as possible that you have already modified in the wiring and start diagnosis over reporting exactly what the issue is and what you did, step by step before going further each time.

At a minimum, try to describe in detail when it was running/driving, what happened, what you did, what happened after what you did, and so on. For example, you say you bumped a knob, can you take a photo of the knob to help us understand.

Finally, to be a complete Debbie Downer, if this is what you rely on for transportation you may be well served to do what you can to come up with a plan B. This is no knock on your mechanical skills, I would say most of us here do not count on our LRs as primary transportation. I would start looking around for a lower cost Toyota or similar, even an older American car. They will be simpler and less costly to repair as well as more reliable. Fuel economy in these LRs are not great either.

I am really sorry to see you in such a bind and hope you can work this out. If you decide to sell it there are a couple reputable LR specialists that would give you a fair deal.

 

[terryjm1]

Ok, I went back and read your reply to lunchbox. You said the problems started with drivers door lock failing. That all by itself can cause alarm issues. There is a contact switch attached to the inside portion of the lock assembly that commonly wears out. You can disconnect this to prevent future recurrences but you will have to get the alarm reset first and you need to use that switch to reset it. You could also buy a key FOB on eBay and get it coded to the alarm ECU but you will probably have to send both to someone that does this work. There are at least a couple people on this forum that do this. I had mine done by Logan Gibson and last I checked he had FOBS available. That door switch and a working fob coded to the alarm ECU are the only ways I know to reset the alarm.

Second, you discussed the person that was trying to help and broke the lock cylinder / ignition switch. That also could be contributing to the problems. The electrical portion that starts the car and does other important things is on the back side of the lock cylinder. It is held on with two very small screws. If you can separate it from the lock cylinder you can operate it independently from the lock cylinder. The broken lock cylinder could be limiting the switch from moving to the run position. Additionally, you really should replace the lock cylinder if you get it running again as the lock cylinder could move on its own and cause the steering wheel to lock while driving. The lock cylinder is held on with special bolts that the heads break off to prevent theft. You can with a sharp pointed punch or chisel and hammer back those bolts out to remove the lock cylinder You can also use a very small file (or similar tool) and cut straight grooves in the bolts allowing you to use a straight blade screwdriver to remove them.

So, I would put back everything you have modified and start with the door switch and ignition switch.

 

[terryjm1]

@terryjm1 I think I may have messed it up a lot more worse than what it was because it could have been something simple but I didn't know what I was doing and I basically tore the damn thing apart so I will honestly say that I messed up I don't know what I'm doing and I can honestly say that too but I am disabled and I am trying to work on a vehicle but tend to three kids and do what I can for them as well as for myself and make sure that they have a dependable way to their appointments and that I can pick them up from school and stuff but unfortunately I believe you are right and I don't have the money to spend to have someone come out here and drag it back to their shop just to fix it and know that I can't pay to get it out because everybody knows that Land Rover parts and everything else cost a lot of money and that's something I don't have right now . Sadly it's something I don't want to do but like I said if you or someone else may know how much a fair price would be to sell it for please let me know because I don't want somebody to screw me over and I'm without again you know..

If you are ready to sell it, post it in the for sale section. I really do think moving on from it is likely your best choice at this point. There are a least a couple LR specialists that are well known on this forum that probably would buy it and give you fair value.

 

[terryjm1]

@terryjm1 could you please give me your honest opinion on this .. do you think that it's loss cause and to go ahead and sell it?

I have been torturing myself with these LRs and old Triumphs for almost 40 years. What you have going on with yours would give me great pause. In your shoes, I would move on from it and go to plan B.

 

[jastutte]

@theresamae87, I'm afraid terryjm1 is right. Unfortunately, it's probably best to sell the Discovery and look for an inexpensive Toyota or Honda or Hyundai.
It sounds like you are having a pretty rough go of it right now and keeping the Discovery around probably won't help.

 

[terryjm1]

@terryjm1 thank you for talking with me about it I don't know what the fair price to sell it for but I guess., I need to try and find out what's the most I can possibly get for it

Values on these in such condition are hard to pinpoint. I saw one posted on Facebook a few days ago with a bad engine for $1500 OBO but it was in otherwise generally good condition. A couple years ago I purchased a rust free one that needed an almost complete interior and had a lot of neglected maintenance and repairs as well as an overheating problem. I paid $1500 for it. My primary reason to purchase it was its rust free condition.

Post it in the for sale section and ask for offers. You could list a price OBO and see what happens. One of the reputable people that buys them for parts may give you the best price or maybe there is an enthusiast somewhat local to you that either wants a project or parts vehicle. A local general salvage yard will probably offer you the least but knowing what they would offer would be good to know as you consider other offers.

It did run and drive recently which should help improve offers with anyone but the local salvage yard. There are some folks that would buy it just to get the axles to put in Land Rover Defender.

If it’s not rusty that will help as well. In SC, rust usually isn’t a problem.

 

[terryjm1]

@terryjm1 I've never sold a vehicle before so do you happen to have any pointers on what all to say and if I need to take pics bc people around here likes to low ball everyone and not care about the person who's going through hell to get back on their feet ya know

For selling it here, take a whole lot of photos of all parts of it, including the undercarriage. Point out it was running and driving. Did it use oil? Did it ever overheat during your ownership? Explain as much as you know about it. pictures really do offer a thousand or more words. Do you have an open, unsigned, and undated title? Create the post and we can offer advice on tweaking it as well. Be sure to point out the last date it was running and driving, A couple months of inactivity is not an issue.

You could also post it on Craigslist and or Facebook. In my experience those are not the best as they both come with downsides, particularly the low ball folks. Facebook is the worst as people make unfair and rude comments for everyone to see. It would be my last resort.

As for listing it here just go to the For Sale section and do as you have done with this post. Also, look at other ones posted for sale in the past. It will give you examples to follow.

 

[terryjm1]

I wish you the best of luck. When you get it posted and we can see what you have, it will be easier to estimate a value. I don’t know if $1500 is right but in my opinion it is a least a starting point.

 

[terryjm1]

One more thought, a 97 model, if original, may have pretty valuable catalytic converters. Take pictures of those. People that know will know by seeing them and the engine compartment photos. Don’t post your address though as you may unwittingly invite catalytic converter theives. The $1500 one I saw on Facebook didn’t have catalytic converters as they were stolen before he listed it for sale.

 

[kris812]

Well this escalated quickly.. Again, if you watch the video (and that's its current condition) at 3:30 in the video on the last crank its starts and runs at 1k and dies. AGAIN my money is on a broken tube on the fuel pump, and its unable to maintain fuel pressure.

However I'm fairly certain at this point you would need help changing the pump out. And by 'rear door', I meant open the "back door" and look under the carpet for an inspection panel.

 

[kris812]

Need a picture of what you are referencing on the wire broken, but that's a good start as to what could be wrong. The 2 BIG "wires" are your FUEL lines BTW, then a plug with 4 wires (2 fuel sender, 2 for fuel pump power)


What I was suggesting was to remove the fuel pump assy from the tank from that inspection panel but it's not as simple as changing a bulb or fuse, so get some help maybe find a youtube video showing how it's done first if you try to tackle that. Inside that pump assy there is a tube that goes from the bottom to the top, its probably broken or leaking badly (replace the whole Assy with one off Ebay for ~60$).

OR it's that wire you are talking about that broken, IDK from a keyboard away; but that is a bad sign..


If you are still on the edge of selling it, it is worth a little bit more running as people can test the AC and transmission out before they buy it. But less if you end up breaking more stuff or end up making more of a mess of things trying to mess with the fuel tank. Or the dangers of dealing with fuel and open tanks and blowing yourself up or burning alive (no offense given).

So that is up to you to judge, anyone mechanically inclined looking to buy it would probably pour some fuel/carb cleaner spray into the intake and hear it run for a few seconds and say 'I'll take it' as they know/think its fuel pump related. Possibly blind to the Land Rover electronics like an idiot, but knew quite a bit about electronics. I myself was one of those idiots!


Now, do I recommend you as a single mother use a Disco1 as a daily; hell no, not unless you are stupid rich and/or enjoy wrenching on the weekend with another Honda minivan in the driveway.

IF IF IF its grandads old Rover PLEASE try to find someone in the family that might want it and sell it to them for 1000-1500 (fair price)
IF you get it running, AC and trans works, it's Rust free and interior is in great shape; you Might get 4-10k out of it depending on everything else going on with it.

 

[terryjm1]

@terryjm1 I took a lot of pictures of the vehicle and tried to take pictures underneath the vehicle but I don't know where the catalytic converters are on it and I have a clear title to it I just need guidance on how to sell it, what to say , where to post it at on here etc if you don't mind can you please give me advice on all this because i do want to sell it because I can't fix it nor do i have any money to put into it anymore

You show the catalytic converters in the photo you posted. They appear original and if someone buys it for parts that will help the value. However, if it isn’t rusty (take the additional photos I suggested) I do think it has a great chance attract a buyer that will get it back on the road.