Danny thanks for the tips.....You sound about as OCD as me ....I do not feel good about the auto parts stores either but have gone ahead and gotten plugs and wires from autolite ......should I just take them back?? Wires=$ 37 plugs $2 ea....really wanted to order and still going to just wanted to have something in there there was clean....... Also I im thinking you know he was never getting gas to the rail after that one start so these nasty spark plugs probably came from when the vehicle was running.....not from trying to start over and over.....does this make sense? no gas no spark no carbon...


I have been thinking about the cats alot......Have no clue how long or much the last owner tried to start it at one time or over time....while trying to get started.....he has been chasing the fuel issue around when I think he lost spark after the start-up following the fuel filter replacement and jump off from another car.....and he did not try to start with cap off too much maybe once or twice ....as it had no effect ....THAT he could see while working alone......he never realized the pressure was up when cap off........am I wrong to in thinking that this fact may have saved the cats?
It seems with no gas or spark....just normal temp air is moving through exhaust.....will the unburnt vapors hurt the cat?

 

I have tried to start maybe........15 times total never more than 2-3 seconds

going to take lots o pics today .....camera sd card FOUND !!!

 

When I lived in the Space Coast area (Brevard County), I once bought an original 1973 Mustang that a NASA tech had owned since it was brand new. My neighbor worked with the guy, he bought it from him, then came into a big inhertitance and bought two brand new cars so he sold me the stang really cheap. It had a huge binder that had everything that the car had ever had done to it. Right down to adjusting the carb 1/2 turn cw and so forth. Every oil change, every part receipt. It was the best running car I ever owned. The last year of the full size Mustangs with a 302 in it. Had it been a fastback, I never would have sold it. I paid $700 for it, drove it a few years and sold it for $3500 when we moved from Florida to PA. I also had a Datsun 280ZX 2+2 at the same time. I would drive the Mustang one day and the Z the next most of the time.

Over the years I got away from doing my most of my own work on cars, especially since all the new ones are so computer oriented. Since I bought the Discovery I am really enjoying working on it myself.

Good Luck

 

Had A bit of good luck to day I think.............yesterday with gas cap closed three clicks - a vacuum was produced in the tank....and there was no fuel pressure at the rail when the pump was priming - rover only got pressure to rail with cap very loose or off...that pressure went away as soon as pump stops...

I poured seafoam in small amounts into the gas fill tube -repeatedly - was thinking the fill breather may be clogged enough .....also used deoxit gold on just about every electrical connection that was in sight........

NOW HAVE PRESSURE AT RAIL when cap closed....SWwwweeetT- Still goes away as soon as pump stops, I can hear the regulator switch sometimes it sounds funny... pulled vac line to regulator and plugged it still lost pressure

ran pump several times by turning to 2 while testing this was true - not trying to start at all - tried to start once - still losing pressure

opened gas cap and could smell gas come out for the first time and the pressure was much less.....just a small puff - outward SWwwweeetT

pulled the plugs to check if they were wet - not wet - smell gassy but not wet - all 8 of them were dry -mentioned before how black/sooty they are ...I figured if injector was leaking out sooty stufF would hold the gas longer than a clean plug -so used old plugs for this - my conclusion injectors not leaking out the pressure.

Next hooked up two new plug wires to each coil and used two new plugs to test each coil for spark - checking both cylinders at the same time no spark on any of them -

Found this - about a 2001 disco....
https://landroverforums.com/forum/ar...p/t-16812.html if you want to read the thread

or a summary

above .....in reference to
"One more thing, when I'm cranking it and it fails to start the Service Engine Light does go out" -

ME TOOO Spike!!!! Didnt think top look at it after fail to start...... always turned key to off and back on out of habit -it goes off while starting and stays off till key turned off and on

This confirms what I was thinking and whats is said in the RAVE and makes sense ........why pour gas into a cylinder that is not going to fire seems logical that this sensor would shut off both....systems

Ordering the crankshaft sensor sounds like the next step .....Any thoughts

Also ordered new plug wires, and plugs ....decided I wasnt down with the poopy autolites.....good for a test though never put them in just tested for spark with the two....and have a spare fuel multifunction relay on the way -

On further notes .....my grounds : Bat ground Great, Starter ground great....seems that my shroud is my ground so that was interesting...

Ok thats it!! Thanks Everybody!!!

 

Sounds like you are making progress.
My check engine light stays on for as long as I leave the key on but I do not crank...start...turn over...the engine.

I have no idea about the ECU reset.
It should be plug-n-play and then it adapts to the condition of the engine as you drive.
No spark means bad crank sensor.
No working injectors means bad cam sensor.
Both of those are assuming that the ECU is good.

 

Love the chidding
ok so light doesnt mean much then proly..... this will be the second time the crankshaft sensor is replaced as the previous owner says he did so....I do not know where it came from though and also wonder if he used the correct spacer? ordered camshaft sensor also.......after re -reading everything .........just want to make sure both are shiny new

Are there other signs Of ECM/ECU being bad ......? Things to look for ....obvious signs or otherwise that would indicate the problem is the ECM
OR known causes for its failure? Obviously I talk alot sometimes and so I talked with and asked the previous owner alot of questions and also I might not know that something was important....so just let me know if there is a way to tell or anything else that would accompany this ...Thanks

 

Sounds like you are proceeding better than most of the new owners of old Discoveries that come onboard with a slew of questions also.

Didn't you say the recall for the fuel tank has NOT yet been done? What are you waiting for? Seriously, you should schedule that ASAP.

As far as my penchant for having documentation available, all through the 1970's thru the late 1990's I worked in the defense industry on various missile production programs. My primary jobs were that of a Manufacturing Processes and Methods Engineer followed by several years as a Reliability Specialist before becoming a Quality Auditor and freelance Consultant. I spent 30 years working with detailed documentation both in it's creation and use as a Quality Record upon completion of the assembly tasks. It's a nasty affliction of mine.

Good Luck and Congratulations, you're doing better than any other new owner I know of

 

I do not know of any signs of the ECU being bad other than poor/rough running.
I do not know of any way to test the ECU, not to say it cant be done though.

 

I believe "proly" is sposda be spelled with two L's.

 

Thanks for your fast response. Keep your privacy and drop me a msg at wildrider666@hotmail.com and I will send you better contact info.
Thanks for you help.
Jeff