Well I did find a cheaper method to get the Discovery to the dealer, found a rental place that will rent me a car trailer for $65, pays to shop around. Tow bill would have been $300

 

I've never seen one used. I looked for a few months before buying mine.

 

Man, I think taking it to the dealer is a big big mistake.

Paul Grant sells ECU's/AS10 pairs from his breakers for $100 flat, shipped. You can use any year GEMS unit, doesn't matter about the AEL at all as I'm living proof with an AEL unit with a non-AEL fuel system. No CEL for the tank purge routine at startup.

Have you tried locking/unlocking the drivers door three times? Probably not, nobody's thought to mention it. It's probably too late now anyways.

 

Well i tried locking and unlocking the door three times as well, no luck. I havent taken it to the dealer yet. Another option is to sell it as is and let someone else take this project on. Someone with a little more mechancial expertise.

 

Don't take it to the dealer, you will come away with a very disappointing experience. They quoted you a price on a Body Control Unit, if that isn't a clear indication as to their cluelessness I don't know what could convince you. The prices they quoted are for a 96 P38 Range Rover by the way, not a Discovery.

This takes zero mechanical ability other than removing a couple of connectors and a couple of 8mm bolts/nuts. If you can hook up a trailer then you surely can replace the two units. It's really that glaringly simple. paulgrant@mac.com - Get on it.

 

Well I could handle changing a few bolts, $100 for a used ECM sounds good. I dont understand what a GEMS unit, AEL and CEL stand for. If i replaced these units on my vehicle would it run even though its immobilized?

 

Generic Engine Management Systems = ECU,, AEL is a advanced emissions leak detection system, and Check Engine Light (also known as MIL - malfunction indictor light).

 

I swapped ECU and IACV in my 97 without swapping the alarm module. $30 boneyard special.

The starter defeat is easy, the alarm module supplies the ground for the starter realy downstream from the ignition stuff. The problem is what goes on from pin 15 of alarm module to pin 26 of ECU. gprtech was examing that, don't know if results were arrived at yet. I don't know if the signal from one module to another is a simple voltage change, or a series of coded pulses, or a psuedo-random code based on serial number of the module. Th D2 is the latter, and when you swap modules you have to get them re-synced.

I suspect if you byapss the starter relay that the ECU would still withhold engine running commands if the ECU has not gotten the all clear from the alarm module.

 

Thanks for the clarification on terms, I dont want to give up on this vehicle because i do like it. I will consider my options some more

 

This sort of thing scares me a bit. Since there's no spider in the '98 Disco, is there a way to disable the immobilizer before it decides to make life difficult?