Diagnose This

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Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Bruce on Sunday, April 01, 2001 - 04:53 am: Edit

Went wading little too fast, water over the hood, made it through, yeah! 100 yards down path, engine died. Trying to restart, these are the symptoms:
A) relays under glovebox are clattering
B) starter will not turn over immediately, takes 10 seconds to engage, then it turns over.
Finally started after 30 minutes.
On the way home, stopped at store, turned-off engine, same thing again.
A)same
B)same
C)will not start this time...
We checked fuses, sprayed silicone, etc...
She is mad at me and just will not fire-up.

Any ideas?

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Ron on Monday, April 02, 2001 - 04:32 am: Edit

Is this pre 1996 or 96 on?

Ron

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Bruce on Monday, April 02, 2001 - 02:17 pm: Edit

It's a 97 4.0. What I think was the cuase was water flooding the cowling, dripping on the relays that reside behind the glovebox.
I have found a new weak-link for my Disco, it's called "diving". Anyway Ron, I have to obtain the electrical shop-manual so I know what cuases what to fail. What a frustrating feeling to not understand the logical implications of all of these relays. I may need to also take a closer look at the cowling and find-out why she leaked. I am sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I was looking at fish through my windsheild for a breif moment.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Jon on Tuesday, April 03, 2001 - 04:26 am: Edit

I have a '95 Disco that seems to be experiencing a similar problem with the starter. After wading some time ago (nothing deeper than about 2 ft), the starter has never worked right. It always starts, but sometimes it takes a long time before it engages. Why would getting it wet cause it to never want to start correctly again? I could rebuild this starter, but I'd like to know what causes the "short" so maybe I can keep it from happening again, since I do go wading from time to time. If anybody finds out the cause, please let me know!

Thanks,
Jon

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By wisker on Wednesday, April 04, 2001 - 03:19 am: Edit

Start with the basics. Are you getting spark? I'm assuming you've checked all of the connections. Cap and rotor? Ye Ole WD40 trick? Just suggestions.

wisker

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Tom Proctor on Wednesday, April 04, 2001 - 04:24 am: Edit

Bruce,

I've seen a few moderate water crossings that *stopped* '97 Disco's almost selectively. Symptoms were exact to what you describe. Conversely, I've also wheeled with 97's without any water related problems.

A few years back, when I had my 96 in for warranty work, the dealer installed a "water ingress kit" that they said was developed for certain model years to prevent *splashing* water from reaching the engine bay electronics. They never said which model year, but installed the kit free of charge on any Disco that came in without it. The Kit basically consisted of weather stripping and rubber seals that were placed all along the cowl area you mention, and well as a few strips near the ECU/fuse box on the passenger side of the engine compartment.

I think you may have hit the nail on the head WRT the cowl collecting water. You'll just have to figure out if the water was affecting something in the engine bay, or the relays you mention.

Tom P.
96 Disco

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By SG on Wednesday, April 04, 2001 - 08:43 am: Edit

Make sure you check the connections going to the 'brain' in the engine bay...the black box near the window washer reservoir. I've found that the connections themselves are *very* sensitive to water. Spray 'em with WD-40 and either clean the contacts with a pencil eraser or make/break the connection several times to scrape off any accumulated gunge.

Trivia time: What does the 'WD' in WD-40 stand for? (Answer to follow)

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Bill Gill (Bluegill) on Wednesday, April 04, 2001 - 08:54 am: Edit

water displacement (40th formula was the one that worked)

from my vast reservoir of useless knowledge...

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Joshua Bova (Jbova) on Wednesday, April 04, 2001 - 08:56 am: Edit

Water Displacing

-josh

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Joshua Bova (Jbova) on Wednesday, April 04, 2001 - 08:57 am: Edit

Crap. In the time it took me to look it up, you posted the answer

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Bill Gill (Bluegill) on Wednesday, April 04, 2001 - 09:07 am: Edit

Ha! I didn't have to look it up! What do I win?

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By lance on Thursday, April 05, 2001 - 04:36 am: Edit

hey if you get a "tick tick tick" noise when your trying to start it than it is probably your starter solenoid that is shorting out,or gone bad? that would even explain why it will start after sitting the coil in side cools and contracts completing a circuit allowing the car to start. it would have come apart inside because your car was hot when it entered the water and it rapidly cool the metal causing the coils small gage wire to break??? easy fix. let me know if I was right. good luck

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Bruce on Thursday, April 05, 2001 - 07:41 am: Edit

It was not the starter solenoid, but the relays that are part of the GEMS behind the glovebox. Tom Proctor's idea about a water ingress kit had me on the phone with Reeves in Tampa. After mucho discussion, this kit would not have saved my relays. Regardless, one great nugget came from the discussion with the tech, USE DI-ELECTRIC grease ON ALL of your connections. The clear-type is better, will typically last 2-years and you can't use too much of it. Take some time and methdoically go through all of your connections and grease away... Oh and BTW, they also said "you should not go so deep", LOL!

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Mike on Thursday, April 05, 2001 - 01:47 pm: Edit

Bruce:

When you get ready to do this, please invite me over for a look-see. I'd love to watch.

Thanks,
Mike
98 White Discovery

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Bruce on Friday, April 06, 2001 - 05:59 pm: Edit

Mike,
Seems like every spare moment I get, I am replacing parts or doing service stuff. Just got through with Tranny filter, oil filter, new serp-belt and new magnecors/plugs. Next is greasing connections, fuel filter and replacing brake pads. If it's a planned event, I will give you a call.
BTW, do you have the brake-tool for compressing the pistons or can you buy this at any store?

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Bill B on Saturday, April 07, 2001 - 12:33 pm: Edit

Speaking of using di-electric grease (great idea under the hood BTW) - also do the two fuel pump connections as these are frequently under water if you off-road and the LR connections are notoriously bad. Do the one in the drivers side rear wheelwell and also pull the fuel pump access plate in the cargo area and do that connection also. Later model D1's have an even worse connector arrangement that literally invites water and mud to sit in the connection even after you have gotten out of the water.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Mike on Saturday, April 07, 2001 - 05:29 pm: Edit

Bruce:

No, I don't have the compression tool. I have been sort of keeping my eye open for one, but as of yet, I haven't run across it. Ricardo used a piece of wood to push the pistons back in.

Thanks,
Mike


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