So today was the world's worst day for my vehicle. I went to a child's birthday party with my wife at a Chuck E. Cheese on a good side of town for a friend of ours. I wasn't inside for more than 15 minutes, then get called out to my vehicle to discover my Discovery had been broken into and robbed of it's JVC aftermarket radio.

My alarm didn't go off, but the LED light was flashing slowly. I turned the key a few times to see if it would go off. It finally did, but when I turned the car on, it started then sounded like someone kept reving the engine. It kept going so, I tried putting it in reverse, it worked and sounded normal for a second. I parked again, only moving half a foot in the reverse process, and tried turning off the car. We smelled something was kind of burning, but couldn't tell what because the water temp was fine and the engine wasn't smoking from the top. We tried turning off the car and it kept going. No key in the ignition and with the attempt to shut it off, it still was running the fan and the main belt as though it were idling. It finally turned off after I turned it on and off (I don't know how many times, but it actually wasn't very many) then silence.

We continued to talk to the officer about the incident, then tried being on our way, but it wouldn't turn on again. I'm trying to figure out WHAT part we smelled burning up, and exactly WHAT (beside my window and maybe a radio) needs to be replaced.

 

The wayward youth who removed your radio most likely damaged other wiring under the dash, you smelled burning electrical insulation and/or modules. Could be inside the dash, could be a short distance away, depending on cable route. Sounds like quite the insurance claim to me. The car was in operational condition, driven to a public place, where it was vandalized, rendering it inoperative. The radio may be the least expensive part of the repair. Electrical burning inside a modern vehicle is nothing to sneeze at, bigger fires start from the upholstery and plastic, and can take out the vehicle is a few minutes. Call your insurance agent, and don't attempt repair until it is settled.

 

Forgot to mention - if you installed a remote booster amp, could also be wiring to that.

 

Unfortunately my insurance won't do much because all we could afford was liability coverage. The only thing we're hoping for is figuring out what got damaged so we can repair it and have a working vehicle again. I love Rex, and I don't want to think this is the reason I'm going to have to save up for yet another new vehicle (went through getting my Mazda last year totaled).

I thought it had to have been something electric, can you think of a specific part that would or could be replaced?

 

I would disconnect the battery, to be safe. I would start at the scene of the crime and work back from there. There are not many modules that can make this sort of thing happen, it is probably gashed or stripped wires. Look carefully with a strong flash light. I would think you'll see discoloration, melting, and cuts in insulation. They may have attacked the ignition key area as well. Until you get it resolved, don't leave battery connected because of fire hazard. Don't park in your garage or next to house. You can use an amp meter when you hook back up battery to look for shorts (high amp drain). You will be needing the RAVE download, electrical troubleshooting guide. The good thing is that you won't need a radiator or head gasket or new engine block or transmission.

It is probably more than one point or device. Take your time. You may also want to remove some fuses so you can isolate things and work on one area at a time.

 

We smelled something was kind of burning, but couldn't tell what because the water temp was fine and the engine wasn't smoking from the top. We tried turning off the car and it kept going. No key in the ignition and with the attempt to shut it off, it still was running the fan and the main belt as though it were idling. It finally turned off after I turned it on and off (I don't know how many times, but it actually wasn't very many) then silence.

YOUR ENTIRE ALARM SYSTEM IS MOST LIKELY DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF WHAT HAPPENED.

LIKE SAVANNAH SAID, start with a total visual inspection...

I hope you have something else to drive while you attempt to undo the mess someone left you.

Did Chuckie's have any security cameras that might help the cops catch who did it?

Take the theif to small claims court if you catch him.

Also look closely at the associated wiring for the aftermarket sound system. A lot of them get installed in some pretty flakely manners that can easily overload an electrical system.

The problems you experienced with it not cutting off for you would be my biggest focus in trying to resolve it, but I would not expect it to be simple to resolve.

If you bought it cheaply, you may be better off scrapping it and getting a fresh one if the damage turns out to be extensive. Just keep that in mind as you evaluate your options.

 

And keep in mind it is just part of the wiring harness and a module or two. The biggest is the ECM under the hood, I paid $40 for one at salvage. Compared to the guys who speared their transfer case this weekend, watched white smoke pour out of their exhaust, or discovered that a Disco radiator can do double duty as a bar-b-que oven - you are coming out easy. And Danny is right, the alarm module would be suspect, as it controls somethings, if it were damaged, no telling how those controls might change. Just like if you stuck a screwdriver in the TV remote, the channel/mute/ beer demand buttons might not work the same.

 

We took it to the shop and they're replacing the starter. They're saying it could be a coincidence that the break in did this to my car but I heard that because they shorted the car, the security ignition kill could have worked the wrong way and burned out my starter. In either case, that's what I'm looking to get fixed (aside from a window).

The downside: they're saying that's the first problem to address. They're not sure what else could be wrong because they can't get the car started, so we're going to drop about $200 on a starter (Rovers North) and some labor to get it in but are afraid of what else could have suffered as well. Any other thoughts?