Ok, I had it up for sale but I couldn't bring myself to let it go. Excuse the long description but I'll be as detailed as possible. Here's the sequence of events...

When I bought it:
Occasionally it would crank but not start. To this day I'm not sure if it was cutting gas or spark. After disconnecting then reconnecting the neg terminal, it would fire right up.

About a week later:
I stopped at a car wash after work. I did NOT wash the motor down. When I tried to leave, it just cranked. And cranked. I tried the battery trick, but no dice. Towed it home later that night. Started researching the spider, etc. put a new batt in the key fob, hit disarm, and it fired right up.

A few weeks later:
My wife took it to do some grocery shopping, and when she went to leave, she had no crank. Nothing. I tried everything I know and can't get it to do ANYTHING. The red light in the dash is on but the alarm is not going off.

Now I just want to be able to drive my rover again. Most research I've done on 'no start' leads to the spider, but in what seems to be the definitive spider thread, it states that if the immobilizer is indeed active (which I assume is the case based on the light in the dash?), then the problem is somewhere other than the spider. I've also heard conflicting info on whether or not the '96 even HAS a spider.

Please help?!?

I need to get this thing running again ASAP

 

Another interesting piece of information: my key fob no longer does anything.

 

Engine immobilised: If the engine is immobilised and the ignition is on, the LED is illuminated continuously - from the RAVE, so one problem is truck believes you are trying to steal it. Won't be any spark until that is resolved.

By no crank with SWMBO you mean turned over but no start? Most likely Crank Shaft Sensor, about $70, here' a page or two on it. The spacers and all little parts must go back on in same order. If it is not working, there will be no spark. Pages are for a D2, very similar to D1, main thing is the mounting exactly as from factory. On a D1 the reluctor disk inside has tabs (teeth), on a D2 it is a drilled plate. The CKP sensor is just a coil of wire around a rod, when teeth or disk notches fly by it makes a pulse, this controls the ECU for spark and other things.

 

By no crank I mean NOTHING. Motor doesn't turn over at all. Starter doesn't spin.

 

Bad ignition switch?

 

Would a bad ignition switch cause the red light to come on?

 

Let me share my experiences with a similar situation. My 97 left me stranded a few times with the NOTHING phenomena. I would go somewhere with no problems, get back in, turn the key and silence.

It turned out to be a very simple problem. The ground terminal where the starter connects to the frame member was severely corroded. So badly that unbolting it was not even an option. Quick fix was to cut the existing cable right at the terminal lug. The wire was even corroded somewhat under the insulation. Cut it back a couple of inches, good copper. Crimped on a new copper lug I had in my old electrician's tool box (yes, I also used to be an electrician long ago, that is why it is an Old Electrician tool box ) . I took a dremel beburring bit in my power drill and abraded the frame to bare metal in a convienet spot and attached the new lug to the bare frame with a self-drilling body bolt.

Problem fixed, I had even bought a used starter because others kept telling me the starter had a dead spot and to just beat on it.

Also found battery ground to frame in similar condition. My advice to you is to contact our friend AntiChrist 888 (Tom) and tell him to make up a new set of power and ground cables for your Discovery. He makes the best damn cables I have ever seen come from a home garage. I know others have bought them from him as well. They are not cheap, but they are very high quality and worth it.

New high quality ground cables and power cables will make your Discovery start and run much more consistently. I have not been stranded with mine since replacing the ground cables.

My quick fix will get you going, new cables from Tom will keep you going.

Have Fun.

 

Perhaps the battery has also been an issue, if battery was disconnected the fob needs to resync

from RAVE:

 

I quit using my fob years ago. If I need to lock it I use the key.

 

Interesting. I know my main ground is in decent shape, but I can't say I've ever taken a look at the starter cable. But again, would this cause the red light to come on? I work in a metal fab shop, and the rover is there, so making sure I have good connections shouldn't be a problem.

As far as the key fob, I don't use it to lock or arm, only to disarm. I guess I forgot to mention that when it was running, it would automatically arm itself every time it was shut off, and unlocking with the key doesn't disarm it. I've tried to resync the key fob with no luck. Is there an alarm control unit or something? And if there is, does it sound like it could be the problem. I'd love to just bypass the alarm/immobilizer COMPLETELY to make sure this is never a problem again, if I can.