Wondering if this is normal or if I have some sort of water leak/electrical issue.

First time, I went out to get something from the LR3 and noticed a repeating clicking noise coming from the driver's seat. Turns out it was something to do with the seat adjustment, clicking on and off. I could not get it to turn off at all, so I had to pull the fuse in the glove box (didn't want it draining the battery or burning out). Did some searching and found that this usually resets the issue. Popped the fuse back in and it has been fine since.

Second time, I started up and couldn't figure out why there was no sound coming out of the radio. No input had sound. Everything else seemed to function, but just dead quiet. Shut it down, restarted and then lost the Nav/touch screen--just went black. Since I was far from home, decided not to test my luck further. Once I got home, I looked up the fuse for the audio head unit and yanked that. Popped it back in and all was back to normal.

Both have happened in the past month. Is this typical behavior or indicative of something else wrong? Not complaining too much since each time has been fixed by just yanking the fuse, but it is a bit annoying and worrying.

FYI I have my windshield cowling sealed up with electrical tape and just tested my sunroof drains and they were working perfectly. Have not noticed any wetness on the carpets.

 

[QUOTE=djkronik57;549695]Second time, I started up and couldn't figure out why there was no sound coming out of the radio. No input had sound. Everything else seemed to function, but just dead quiet. Shut it down, restarted and then lost the Nav/touch screen--just went black. Since I was far from home, decided not to test my luck further. Once I got home, I looked up the fuse for the audio head unit and yanked that. Popped it back in and all was back to normal.

Both have happened in the past month. Is this typical behavior or indicative of something else wrong? Not complaining too much since each time has been fixed by just yanking the fuse, but it is a bit annoying and worrying. /QUOTE]I would not like to say that your experiences are typical, but I think for the most part, they are.

Next time the radio quits, see if the CD player still makes sound out the speakers and or does your Bluetooth still connect and phone talk etc comes out of the speakers.

I ask as lately, the AM and FM would be silent upon startup, but when I pushed the CD button, CD music would play from the speakers as it should and my BlackBerry phone Bluetooth worked as it should.

The usually after about a half hour engine shut down and all doors closed, the next start would have the radio AM and FM functioning as normal.

I have yet to have the seat problem so that is new to me.

I would say you are responding correctly; that is not getting too excited about the problem and just being patient.

On the odd occasion that all of the radio has quit; no CD, not phone etc, just silence, (sometimes after a battery or alternator change), I have had to do a hard reset per the instructions below.

Basically, I think the radio software gets mixed up at times, kind of like when you just pull the power cord on a desktop computer and then it restarts in safe mode. It takes awhile for the computers to untangle themselves.

Also, you may have a weak electrical charging system - not a weak battery per say, but a low state of charge. Yes, the volts and amps are enough to start the engine but not the computers.

The initial solution is just to put your 3 on a trickle charge every night for about a week or so. It takes at least a week for the battery to get back to a good state of charge. One big fast charge does not do the job properly. I use a CTEK US3300 three amp charger.

Hard Reset Instructions

In brief, to start the hard reset process, open the hood but close all doors and let your 3 go to sleep - no radio display etc and no key in the ignition. This will take a couple of minutes and do not open any doors until the reset is completed. (I find that it is often a good idea to have the driver’s door window rolled down and the key in my pocket whenever fooling about the vehicle.)

Also when I play with a car battery, I remove any rings I have from my fingers, also my watch.

Disconnect the ground battery terminal from the main starting battery.
Disconnect the positive battery terminal from the main starting battery.

The reason for this order is if a wrench or loose battery cable ends grounds to the body, no arcing or other bad things happen.

(I assume that you only have one battery in your 3. If not, disconnect the others as well and leave them disconnected until after all is done.)

Connect the negative cable end to the positive cable end. (NOT the battery.) To do this, you will need a short length, (a foot or so), of light gauge, (14 to 18 gauge AWG, insulated stranded copper), wire to span between the battery cable ends as there is not enough slack in the positive and negative battery cables for the ends to touch each other.

Hold all together for about a minute or more, (at least two minutes), as you are discharging memory modules within the engine computer and elsewhere. Then it is suggested you then just let all sit disconnected for say ten minutes, (minimum five minutes), prior to commencing to put the battery cable ends back on the battery posts per the following order.

Reattach positive terminal to the main starting battery positive post.
Reattach negative terminal to the main starting battery negative post.

Start engine and hopefully none or at least fewer warning lights and the radio when turned on plays music rather than being silent.
Reset time on the radio - note that the station presets are still there as not everything is erased. Nothing much else needs resetting either.
You can also now connect up the other batteries if you have a multiple battery setup.

This is a link to a thread in disco3 re the hard reset procedure. http://bit.ly/14WXXR1

DISCO3.CO.UK - View topic - Hard Reset

This is a link to a thread on Disco3Club re the hard reset procedure.
Disco3Club The Discovery 3 and 4 Owners Club ? Login

 

Thanks, next time it does it I'll try the hard reset. The AUX input was not functioning when it happened, but I didn't have any CDs to test the CD player.

I've done some more research and apparently it could be a failing amp or head unit if it continues to happen.

The seat adjustment module just seems to be a random issue.

Just was curious if there was any link between the two electrical gremlins or a better way to handle them.

 

From what I gather, when the system fails, it is probably the amplifier rather than the head.

As such, you might want to keep at least one CD in the head unit and prove out that the CD works so when things quit, you can try the CD and see if sound emits from the speakers.

Apparently there is one solder joint within the amplifier that breaks apart, or separates with temperature change. Some radio shops know where that breakage joint is and can fix it successfully. As such, if you do decide it is the amp, it can be fixed if you can find the right shop.

The good news is that most often it is just software that needs rebooting and a hard reset seems to do that, so sometimes just shutting the 3 down, locking it and waiting a half hour or so. The locking function puts more of the software to sleep and hence facilitates a reboot when the vehicle is again unlocked - sometimes!!

Your 3 is a mobile computer first, and secondly, the world's most versatile 4x4.

 

I experienced the same clicking noise , from under the driver's seat last weekend, going up to Maine's Sunday River Ski Resort.All of the sudden, in Kennebunk rest area, when I re started LR3 , it started clicking.Is sounded exactly like typing on IPHONE with volume up high.It was sort of annoying ,as I had another 100 miles to go in snow storm.My wife googled the problem , as I was driving , and she found out , that it happens often and it is usually related to a seat module.One thing to do is to disconnect the harness from it , under the seat , for the night or pull the fuse , but somehow this one is also connected to a steering wheel and such. As it was late , dark and cold out, I just parked the car by the resort and left it overnight.It also clicked with the engine off, strange...We skied all SUN. and as I wanted to go out for dinner to nearby Bethel, I started LR3 and clicking was GONE.It has not repeated once since.I hear , that when one cannot reset the noise when pulling harness and fuse , the seat control module has to be replaced, but until then ...I take my chances.

 

Fuse 46 (30A) behind the glove box.

 

doesn't hurt to get your battery and alternator tested as well. Either of those will throw electrical gremlins if they're on their way out