I've got a 95 LWB that has had an intermittent stalling issue for a couple of years.

There is little rhyme or reason to the stalls. It stalled last week when cold (after being driven less than a minute). It stalled once at 65 mph after being driven for over an hour. It has stalled in the winter and in the summer. The curse and the blessing is that it usually just needs to be left for a few minutes and it's good to go again. This is good for getting home, but make diagnostics tricky.

There is often a smell, but it's hard to place - like ionized air (if that makes sense).

Jeff and Co over at JC's Rover in Denver have been through it several times and not found the source of the issue. We've focused on spark, as that's where the clues were leading, and the engine seemed to be flooded rather than fuel deprived, though at this stage I'm open to fresh ideas.

Between JC's and myself we have already:
replaced the plugs, cap, wires, coil, ignition module and swapped out the ECM for a known good one - stalling persisted. Last week I cleaned the MAF and the beastie stalled two days later.

I'm running out of ideas! Any suggestions would be appreciated.

edit: possibly unrelated clues... the ABS and TC lights have been on forever. No code is showing up on the display under the passenger seat. I know that the rear muffler needs replacing as it has rot. The vehicle does have a K&N which I know has been rumored to causing issues with the MAF, but as I said, I cleaned the MAF and the vehicle stalled right away. This is also Colorado - things like oil dry out fast.

 

Might want to peruse through this site. It has several possible solutions: Range Rover Remedies

 

Thanks Scott. As the stalling happens when both hot and cold, moving and stopped, none of those remedies really apply. Though the reference to wiring in the fender being damaged and is definitely one that I will investigate.

 

One of our forum members had a fuse with a hair line crack in it that was easily missed at first glance. The fuse was for the fuel pump and would cause the engine to stall out in random circumstances and be fine after a few minutes. Since yours appears to be getting fuel, you might try looking at the different fuses that could cause the engine to cut out. I honestly doubt fuses are the cause, but it never hurts to look into it.

A friend of mine's RR would stall out in a similar fashion to yours. It turned out to be the ignition switch which some how fried part of the EFI computer. The mechanic who fixed the rover is one I do not have a whole lot of respect for, so it could have just been the EFI computer the whole time and he made the part up about the ignition switch.

BTW, cleaning the MAF does not mean its now working properly. So I wouldn't rule that out as a possibility just yet.

 

Pretty much everything you described suggests the probability of a wiring harness issue or even a plug. When the "known good one" ECM was installed do you know if a complete continuity check was performed between the ECM plug (all 40 pins) and the corresponding connectors and sensors? Sorry for a silly question but do you know how to do that with a multimeter? It will be time consuming and expensive to have someone else do it... Also do you personally have a copy of the electrical schematics for your MY?

IF the end components have all been checked and or replaced with good components (confirmed with testing) then somewhere in the middle you probably have a frayed, cut, broken or otherwise damaged wire OR bad connection at a plug. Were it a bad ground issue the symptoms would most likely be less intermittent... but that is a possibility too.

 

Soctt and Cosmic,

Many thanks for your ideas. I'll start going through fuses and wiring.

To my knowledge a continuity check was not performed.

The old man is a retired electrical enginerr so happily I was taught eaerly how to use a multi-meter

I have a shop manual so I'll have a look in there to see if there's a procedure that they recommend to ensure nothing gets missed.

Again, thanks very much.

 

haven't had a chance to run to many tests. I'm going to get to it this weekend.

Cosmic, do you have a recommendation on how to perform those continuity tests?

 

is your ignition module still on the side of the distributor?

 

No, up front (behind the coil). I replaced it about six months ago. It was an after market part as the OEM part was absurdly expensive (something like $600) which for such a simple electrical component is just taking the ****. I got mine for $50 off fleabay. The truck seemed to run ok for a few months than one day just died. I had held on to the old module and swapped them out without effect. Towed the vehicle home, muttered some dark threats and wen to bed. Woke up the next morning secure in the knowledge that at least the problem had finally showing consistantly so at least some diagnostics would be possible. Then the truck started right up. Back the square one.

So if there are any clues in that tale of woe I'm all ears.

 

Well, after having heard the part about the after market distributor, I would consider it to be a culprit to. Range Rovers do not usually like after market components, especially electrical ones. SOME after market components like water pumps and injectors have actually proven to be better than OEM parts. Other ones such as MAFs spark plug wires will either work for a little while, or not work at all. The distributor you have could in fact be fine, but I would not eliminate it as a possibility until you test it.