steve c

ok, done some investigations, lights do dim when i turn the key, i have put a jump lead between bat neg and casing of starter motor- no difference still scratching my head, solenoid and starter motor are new, could it be the computer ??? any more ideas please steve

Hi andy, you mean to attach earth directly from battery negative to the starter motor?? where exactly do i attach it to?? the thick wire attached by a bolt or the thin wire with the connector?? Do i leave everything attached as normal whilst doing this? the fact that i can hear the starter motor reay clicking inside the cab and a clunky type of noise coming from the starter motor (solenoid) suggests to me that electrically it seems ok, im thinking perhaps its the ecu/ecs computer thingy, have noticed a bit of oil in the red plug under the seat, could that be it? thanks for your help

I think so, the solenoid is attached to the starter motor with a little removable cover no? pretty sure its a complete kit!!

Thanks for the reply, there are two noises, one coming from the left hand relay(yellow), and i can feel it doins something when i turn the key, a second and louder noise appears to come fro the starter motor (i guess the solenoid) it is a brand new part! the od one i took out this morning was making the same noise!! any ideas

my defender td5 110has had starting probs recently, taking up to 10 or 15 key turns to start! she finally stopped starting altogether! i bought new starter motor, fitted it and still have same problem!!! it makes a click then nothing. have cleaned all contacts, still nothing, is it the dreaded ecs causing weird electrical probs? what can i do???? please help

Brilliant, just bought it 76E, bit pricey but need vehicle straight away and cant wait for postage from uk. Just to check I understand (I'm getting there!) its the oil leaking into the harness and making its way to the ECM, which gives a bad/faulty signal which affects the performance? so its just electrical/electronic nonsense rather than actual mechanical problem? Why o why do Landys have to have all this electronic rubbish going on, it doesnt seem to be user friendly and takes away the hands on aspect of having a Landrover, better stop before I start ranting!

So just to get this right, its only the harness inside the engine rocker that needs replacing? The plug / wires etc that join the ecm just need cleaning? I just phoned my local landrover centre in France, they wanted 200E for parts and labour!!!! Someone said it was 40squid for parts which is about right, then 20mins work, they said it was 2 hours work!

will it get worse if I keep driving it for a few days till I recieve the parts, probably a silly question I know?Dont want it to cost £600!

You were right guys! pulled out ECM side plug (red one) lots of oil inside!! So that means that I need to replace the injector wiring harness? Is it just that or will there likely be other things wrong as a result? I'm not going to bother taking off rocker cover now if I have alreadt found the problem, cos I need Landy for work until I can get the parts sent out (Im in France) I cant make things worse by driving it for a few more days can i? Do you think the injectors will be ok, is it a common problem? Thanks a million to everyone who has helped me get to the bottom of this problem, these forums are invaluable Happy driving (and tinkering) Steve

Nice one for the replies chaps i double checked fuel filter, no leaks, old seals removd, no probs there the fuel pump is and has been very noisy for some time, havent noticed any recent change but it makes enough noise for people to always ask me what that strange noise is! hmmmm the fuel filter came from paddocks and is a Britpart I will check out the injector harness today, does the rocker cover seal need replacing once I have taken it off? How do I check maf sensor with a multi-meter? Big thanks for your time Steve

Do you think I should do this before going to Landrover for the diagnostic? Where exactly is the injector harness? are we talking about an electrical part? (sorry to be stupid) like an electrical harness. If this is the case it has nothing to do with the recent service I carried out. I have also noticed (i think) overheating, does this fit in with your theory Thanks for the help

nice idea tried it though but alas, no joy. thanks anyway for the suggestion

I'm running out of fingers and toes to count the problems I have had with my TD5 Defender. Last week I changed the fuel filter (have rechecked seals etc) and air filter- admittedly I did forget to plug back the electrical sensor on the air intake for 3 days. Since then,(coincidence or not) I have experienced loss of power (the landy not me). When I start her up, I can hear a difference in tick-over noise, when driving the gear stick vibrates more, I have even had to put her in low ratio when going up some steep little hills, loss of power more noticeable in higher gears. Has anybody got any ideas? I have checked oil levels, filter seals etc, Im scratching my head and dont really want to pay landrover to plug her in and charge me a fortune. I read in my workshop manual that if the sensor fails, such conditions could be seen, is this possible. Any advice, suggestions appreciated

Wow, thanks for that great info. Because I have not had the pump out yet, I dont know what state it is inside, the first seal on the cover side is perished, but I cant imagine how that would cause the water to come out though the pee hole. The squealing noise doesnt suggest its in good nick. If I bought a new pump, would it include the cover and seals etc? Thanks again

Thanks guys, I suspected as much, its fairly straightforward replacing the pump, the only bit Ive had out so far is the cover at the back with the rubber hose attached, is there anything I need to know, or not do? Thanks again

I have been reading similar threads on water pump problems. Is there any advice out there, I am living 1100 metres altitude and am scared of freezing my landy, water leakingout and cannot keep pouring in buckets of anti freeze, need to go to Landrover tomorrow if cant get advise, dont want to get stung for megabucks if I can solve it myself. Sorry to be stupid but I'm assuming its the water pump, (td5) There is a removable cover with 5 bolts, to which a flexible water pipe is attached, inside the cover is a metal fanned spinny thing (technical description) with a rubber seal in between cover. Vehicle makes an intermittent whirling / squealing noise and water gushes out down engine block, appears to come from little round hole on 'the pump', very difficult to see exactly where it comes from. Is pump knackered?Does seal need replacing? Can anyone help me please Edit/Delete Message

Maybe I just bought a bad un but I have had constant problems with my Td5 Defender. Latest one is a bad water leak, alomg with a loud whirling noise from (I think) the water pump. Leak and nopise just got really bad, I took off a cover that had a hose attached to get a better look. There was a seal inside that seemed to had perished slightly. I instant gasketed it (is that the right thing to do?) leak and noise still bad. Does anyone know what this noise is, or whether the seal will be the problem? Does it need a proper seal? any advice, suggestions appreciated Steve

Does anyone have any experience of leaking power steering box on TD5? Is it the same box as most other Defenders, has been getting worse, the other day when parking- a puddle appeared underneath! Is there a seal that I can replace? or is it another expensive trip to Landrover? Any advice appreciated Steve

I have similar problem with my td5 power stering box, there is a regular drip coming out now, is it worth trying to fix it or should i just bite the bullet and replace box?