I have a series II disco and have owned a 1987 RR classic in the past so know a little bit but this one has me lost. It was a cheap mechanically sound buy but it does have some issues.

1. Power seats don't work. (passenger seat does go front and back but that's it)
2. Power mirrors don't work.
3. It has been converted to coils but the rear right (pass side) sits high.
4. I do want to go back to air springs. What does it take to do that? The valve block is missing but everything else seems to be there.
5. Heated seats don't work.

Think that's it for now. Anything else I should check etc would be appreciated.

Thanks

Fred

 

1. The switches for the seats are usually the culprit. Sometimes cleaning them out real good does the trick, but sometimes the solution is ordering new ones. Check for loose wiring too.

2. The power mirrors could be a number of things. I would start with the switch first though.

3. One or more of the shocks could be out, causing a side to sag.

4. Sorry, can't help you much here. I am not very experienced with the EAS, mine was neutered when I got it.

5. The heater elements in the seats usually go out after a certain amount of wear. You might find this article useful even though its for P38s. The principal is still the same. Heated Seat Repair Operations

What year and mileage?

 

Fred,

1. if you have never taken apart a RRC seat switch then you must be warned to perform the removal of its internals while enclosed in a large plastic bag. There are MANY small springs and ball bearings in there and once released they have a tendancy to fly across the room in all directions. Read this for reference... Seat Switch Reconditioning

Do you hear the relays clicking when you move the switch around in different positions? When you have a functioning switch the next common culprit is the small 3.5 volt battery soldered onto the PCB within the Seat control module which is located under you drivers seat toward the rear. It is all too common at the age of these rigs now for the battery to have leaked and to corrode the surrounding contacts on the PCB. The battery is easily replaced and the surrounding traces can be repaired most times but it requires a steady and skilled soldering job. I have done this repair with success but it is no fun removing the module and its harness connections when the seat is still mounted. At least you can move the seat back and forth.

2. and 5. Check your fuses. then the continuity of the circuit then supply voltage... THEN the switches. Start easy then remove components.

3. A shock? not likely since shocks don't support the weight of the vehicle when it is sitting still... the springs determine ride height. the po may have installed the springs in the wrong positions. What springs are they and are they still labeled? you can easily see if they are mismatched by comparing model numbers.

4. I recommend against re-installing the most unrelaible feature of the RRC's but to each their own.

SCOTT- Do you own a classic? have you done any repair work on anything other than your P38? I ask because these older rigs are vastly different and require different techniques than you may be used to. Just referencing rangerovers.net articles is not really a good idea unless you have first hand knowledge and actual experience with these particular systems. A car is not a car and it may be most helpful to only answer questions you have experience with. Just a thought.

 

Hi Cosmo,

Thanks for the in depth explanation. I did some testing today and noticed that there was power to the passenger seat and no power to the drivers seat. Turns out the former owner has had this problem before as I found two seat control modules under the driver's seat. The factory install had been disconnected and the second one was plugged in. When I re connected the factory module I noticed that the drivers seat control was now controlling the mirrors. So looks like the module is the culprit. I took apart the second module and looks like the battery had leaked all over.

So I guess the next question is how do I go about replacing the battery? Where can I find one and where would be a good place to find someone who can do the soldering for me since I don't trust myself with an iron.

Does the module also control the heated seats since the lights do not come on on that switch either.

I have also noticed that the cigarette lighters have no power either, the sunroof does not work even though there is power up there and the switch does have continuity.

As far as the springs go it does seem that the vehicle is over an inch higher on the passenger side than the driver's.

The vehicle is a 1993 with 191k on it.

Thanks again for your help.

Fred

 

...because they were designed that way.

Since you have owned a couple rovers I'll assume you posess the workshop manuals and electrical troubleshooting manuals for the vehicles you own? right.... Especially now that you have a classic. The WM from '92 will be the same as your '93 (and the '94 for that matter).

First, lubricate your mind in your favorite way then dive into the schematics for the electrical system. It will help put you into the same state of mind as the designers.

-Heated seats and cigar lighters...There is a 20 amp fuse under the passenger seat which is the power supply to both the lighters and the heated seat circuit. I bet since both features are out then that fuse is your culprit (probably). And no the seat module does not supply the heating elements with power. They are powered by the ignition load relay.

-Snrf - if you have power to the switch and the motor then your fuses are good... may be a bad motor or connection AT the motor. not a bad job to drop the headliner and get access but certainly not a quick nor fun job.

- springs - They could have been installed with two rears on one side instead of both in back. The PO may have just installed them incorrectly if his work on the seat module is anything to go by... Either that or you need to hit the salad bar instead of the buffet.

- mirrors - the fuse for the heated mirrors and the rear screen is also under the pass seat and is also a part of the heated seat circuit. Fuse to the switch to the relay to the load shedding relay the the warning lamp to the ground... that is the circuit.

I need to study the diagram for a little bit (so many circuits are shared and various components dependent on one another). So I'll get back to you with some more specifics.

In the meantime if you don't have the WM for that 93 I suggest you download it and study... Caution.. it is mind-numbing.

- Seat module repair - Saved the best for last... The battery you can get just about anywhere that sells flat cells. I suggest removing it and taking it to a "batteries Plus" or ACE or whereever and matching it up with a new one. OR not... it is for the seat memory function and if you don't care about that then just leave it out. You may have to bridge that connection though...?? Let me check on that and get back to you.

As for the PCB, you can replace the traces with wires from point to point or just ask a local hobby shop if one of them is Solder Surgeon.

I'm exploring some trail systems along the West coast of FLA this weekend so I may not be able to get back to you until my return.....

Later!

 

The seat heater elements also tend to go "Open Circuit" they tend to break. You canattempt to repair them, but the same guy that was selling the DII driveshafts, Tom Woods, has a link in new members and has some heater elements marked way down. You have to pull the leather seat covers off the frame to get to the elements , so rule out Switches and such first.

 

Well Cosmo. I do have the manual and my mind has been sufficiently numbed. Will check the sunroof issue. Is there a way to manually open it to help make sure it is the motor?

I looked under the seat and found two 10 amp fuses both of which looked good. I also found that a module is completely missing. The upper one of the two under the seat.

As far as the springs go I have never dealt with any. How do I swap them around or is it better left to a pro?

Enjoy the weekend.

Fred