Wouldn't you know...I show up to a mechanic to get my state inspection. Turn off the truck, then figure I'd be nice and not subject them to talk radio and switch it back to position 2 to shut off the radio and back to off quickly. The guy asks me to move it to another spot, so I head out to the truck and get in and turn the key.

Nothing. No lights, no cranking, no display on the dashboard nav screen, no clock on the radio screen, no dinging.

I try again and again. About the third try, the PARK light on the dash starts to flash red and I get some life (the display in the instrument cluster gets a black line of pixels through it like it's trying to do something). My battery voltage monitor just sort of flickers and never really shows a coherent number while either in position 2 or trying to crank it.

Finally, I open the driver's door and the Nav screen comes on and things seem to come back to life. I try to start it an it starts right up. No warning lights on the dash, but it starts listing through faults: Engine Control Fault, Park Brake Fault, Transmission Control Fault.

Stumped, I tell the mechanic what happened and he gets his generic code reader. P0513 about the wrong immobilizer and I didn't catch the second one but something about lost communication with something.

Shut it down and restart it and no more faults on the dash. No warning lights or anything. Normal as could be, except my trip odometer is reset.

We checked the battery connections and they seemed fine. He said it would probably be OK for inspection since there were no lights on, but low and behold it failed because the O2 sensor was not ready. Must have hard reset the whole system.

Battery voltage seems fine...13.7-14V while running, 12.7-8 when off. The battery seems relatively new (not OEM, Interstate).

Was this just a random computer freak out triggered by me quickly cycling the ignition? It seems akin to a hard reset, but the codes seem to point more to a key or immobilizer issue (which I guess could also get triggered if they had no power).

 

I know this is an old thread, but this exact thing has just happened to my Mk4 disco after the battery died as I’ve not used it for a while.. any pointers would be a great help..

 

Bad earth would be my guess.

 

it’s intermittent though, an earth is either good or bad..

 

Not in a Landrover, things move thru vibration etc.

 

I have had this before. Different fault lights at different times. Sometimes it starts, sometimes it don't. I attribute it to a bad startup sequence. As the car comes to life as the engine turns over, sometimes a module or two don't respond correctly. As you did. Shut it off, wait a few seconds and try again. Make sure to hold the key in the start position. (it will stop when it wants).

It is bothersome, but I chalk it up to just another feature of the Land Rover owner experience.

Jeff

 

I have never heard this before. In fact I've heard the opposite.

 

Hm! I turn key to position two, wait for checks to take place, then turn to start and all is good.

 

...my "turn to start" is like a flick of the wrist. I do NOT hold the key in that position. It's an electronic ignition. I don't think holding it in Start does anything.