I live way out in the hills of Costa Rica and have a 95 Disco 3.9 gas with a standard transmission. A really good deal came up on a 94 Disco 3.9 automatic (136,000 mi). Twin Discos, yes wow!! (lol). New plugs, wires, gas filter, air filter, dash lights etc. Been driving it for a month and it’s been like heaven, since I don’t have to push in a clutch. (Back surgery ). She left me stranded the other day. Problem started one morning when she started up fine ran ½ mile then a little miss, 20 seconds later she coughs and sputters a little more. Another 15 seconds she sputters to a stall. Engine cranked, she tries to start, evens runs a few seconds then dies. Crank, crank crank , check fuel pump connection and obvious stuff, then I paid more than $100 to have her towed home. Now, I have done everything I can think of. Read hundreds of posts, gone through the RAVE manual, voltage checks at the coil, traced oxg. sensor wiring, swapped out fuel pumps, swapped coils, checked and cleaned grounds and connections. I have spark at the plugs, no fuel pressure gauge but she squirts fuel same as other Disco at the rail. I hear the fuel pump running and the relay clicking. Tried the alarm key turn thing several times. Put in dry plugs, crank it some more and she doesn’t even try to fire now. Seems I am going backwards! There is a very expensive LR dealer about 60 Miles away. And I do not wish to have her towed there if at all possible. A few days Prior, I was trying to fix the horn, cant get the stuck steering wheel off, but I do not see how that is related. I’ve read posts about ECU corrosion, but I can not find enough detail on this. Which one, where, and which connector to check. What else, what am I missing. My back really hurts now!!! Thanks for taking the time whoever you are!!

 

you need to know what you fuel pressure is at the rail.
Spark air and gas is what it takes your writing this so I assume you have air, so your problem is either spark or fuel related.
finding 35-40psi at the fuel rail would rule the that out.

 

Thanks drowssap!! OK I am going to try and find a fuel pressure gauge and check it out. But, air is something I have not considered. Is there a way to check combustion air?

 

Does it seem to die when you come to a stop? Or not accelerating? I had a problem with my stepper motor, or called Idle Air Control Valve and it would stall my engine if I came to a stop and would keep me from starting unless I kept on the gas.

 

just a last check again for spark and now there is none!!weird, its gone! Could it be that thing called the distributor amplifier? I think they call it ignition amplifier too.

No, redrover, it didnt seem to die at a stop when it was running. Thing is, it flat will not start. I noticed, I do get a heavy gas smell when turning the motor over trying to start it.

 

Nope, not the ignition amp. changed it out. Distributor maybe???
Man, I am tired!

 

New amp or used ? down here we fit a bosch amplifier as they provide a much stronger spark and more reliable than the lucas part.

 

Finally found a mechanic who helped a lot! Turned out to be a bad distributor! not the base plate and pick up, but somehow the whole thing now it runs like a champ and the 95 needs a new distributor. Which one for 95 Disco 3.9 Efi?????

 

Rover parts catalog seems to show distributor part# ERR5209. My dist. shows 5209 .... seems like the ERR part is torn off. Found one of these also on e bay but it has the ign. amp attached to the distributor. My 95 Disco has the ign. amp mounted by the radiator. I do not imagine that there is any problem but want to ask here before I spend more $$$$ Just another question, could there be any real important difference in distributors between years 94 and 95 both 3.9 Efi?
Anyway, thank you all!! Im old but still learning!

 

my 95 has the amplifier mounted to the dist.......there is a kit available to mount the amp away from the dist to keep it cooler as there have been excess heat issues with it mounted to the dist.