This car’s been finicky before in the cold - bought a new Interstate battery last year but never anything as bad as what the California rains of late brought now - lots of water into the interior…still pretty and mostly dry carpet now - (should I let insurance maybe total her pros / cons)

Hello forum - I have two 4.4L SE LR3s. My mechanically solid vehicle has 199,000 miles and the paint defective hood and roof. However, this one at 101,000 miles, is prettier with no exterior defects and perfect - after all the California rain has developed strange electrical issues: flashing lights, fan on and off, doors locking and unlocking - like others have described this same phenomenon - acting like it’s possessed (when the key is out and the car is off -). This happens after jumping the dead battery. Oh and the car won’t lock unless you time it right or push the lock button on the dash and close the right hand passenger door while there’s enough battery juice etc -

QUESTION to the forum is:

Should I make an insurance claim and CONS (or Pros) of them Totaling it. In other words - there is that fear of them totaling it for mentioning the water damage etc. I wanted to sell it because I’d put money into it - new EAS, transmission flush, new coolant reservoir, new brass bleeder, was going to jazz it up more but NOw with the water electrical thing …. (No, I don’t have two rovers because they’re economical - that’s not the issue. The issue is, having a project where I went two steps forward, only to maybe go 100 steps back. Y’know what I mean, hopefully)

I haven’t brought it to my indie shop to check the details of the electrical but it’s already become an expensive project for me, a female, not able to do her own work for various reasons - the obvious being no space, no tools, not enough skill - but the question I put to the Land Rover forum is, have I gone back too many steps and is it worth it or should I call insurance?

So ~ any input dear Land Rover forum?

 

Are you crazy?!?!?!

Just get the water ingress issues sorted out (not hard) and get a new battery.

 

Ok - now that u say that. What am I thinking? She’s amazing, which is why I have two?

im just not used to having the water issue yet (now I am) - which is why I wanted to ask the forum.

sounds like not so much of a big deal? Anyone with the possessed on/off lights, fan, locks possessed issue and what did you do?

battery’s still under warranty - will Costco replace it? (Only a year old - and will it get fried again from electrical shorts?) Well, I guess I would have to sort the area / source of the short before ruining another good battery?

Thanks for your input -

 

Check where the battery ground cable connects to the body. Common spot for corrosion causing electrical gremlins from a bad ground.

Since there was ingress, you can check the back of the fuse block for water corrosion. Water ingress from the cowl hits it and corrosion there could cause gremlins too

 

I really appreciate that you chimed in. Thank you.

 

I don't have an LR3 currently but went through this 15 years ago with my 2005 aquarium.

Isn't the obvious place to check on an Lr3 for water problems 1) in the splices under the plastic door sills -- On both sides front / rear door areas? And then 2) as poster above said, fuse box. ?