Okay, we can eliminate some issues and look at others. I put in a new ground cable and attached it to the bolts on the inner fender. No change whatsoever. I was not getting a good ground on the fender. (That fender had been replaced at 15k miles due to an incident with a snow bank. The truck has been fine for the last 30k miles) I then connected a longer ground cable from the negative battery terminal directly to the engine block. With that setup, I was getting high 14 volts at the battery. I plugged in my Gap Tool. It showed around 13.8 to 14, same on the dash.

I took it for a road test, side streets for around 3 miles and freeway for 14 miles at 75 to 80 mph, all was good, voltage from 13.4 to 13.9/? No transmission hiccups and the cooler box stayed on.

When I got off the freeway and started the three mile drive home, the voltage started to drop. It dropped down as low as 12.4 but was mainly in the 12.6 to 12.8 range, the cooler box also shut down, it shuts off if the voltage drops below 12.8 to 12.9. I got home and let it idle, after a minute or two, the voltage showing on the dash was 13.1 plus. (cooler box light came on again) I checked the battery, 14.95 volts. All connections were tight. Could it be a ground fault of some sort with the engine bay fuse box, I did have a bad connection with the alternator fuse. I had to bypass that fuse with a stand alone fuse.

(One positive is that I had been experiencing a fuel pump like problem. The truck would crank and crank before it would start. With the ground cable bolted to the engine block, the truck seems to crank faster and stronger and is starting up as it should. I will see if that holds true when I start it in the morning)

Open to suggestions. Thanks, Phil

ps, my battery is an interstate service free, no vent. Voltage seems the same when I check it at the battery terminals or when I check it at the positive cable tail at the fuse box that runs from the positive battery terminal and negative battery terminal.

 

Well the other shoe has dropped. The truck cranked strong, but it would not fire up. Is it the fuel pump? Has it finally bit the dust. Now to decide whether to go oem, (costs more than the truck is worth) or some ebay option. Suggestions are appreciated. Meanwhile, had to drive another vehicle to the office today. The LR3 and the Range Rover Sport are both broken down in the driveway.........

Phil

2005 LR3 HSE HD
2006 Range Rover Sport HSE
2010 Range Rover Sport HSE

 

You have a Schroeder valve where you can check whether fuel is being pumped up okay. You may have a clogged or partially clogged pump filter but either way to access it is a tank drop job. Are you making a collection of non running LR vehicles. Whats up with the RRS?

 

It never ends. 2005 LR3 needs water pump, and I get a transfer case fault, now I have a burned out air compressor pump, new one ordered and is being shipped. 2006 Range Rover Sport, I have some type of odd ground fault or open circuit that is causing all sorts of problems. I did smell gas this afternoon when I tried to start it up, It may be flooded....Voltage is messed up once it gets past the battery. I have tapped my limited electrical skills. Now it won't start. I will have it towed to the shop if I can't get it sorted by Friday. 2010 Range Rover Sport, still looking great, Nav Screen and assorted radio, cell, surround cameras, navigation have shut down. I found a shop in Van Nuys in the LA area that works on the radios. I am going to order a fiber optic bypass cord and see if I can isolate the offending component. I think that I will drive up there and let them figure out the issue.

My wife is not too happy with me at the moment.

What would I do with all of my spare time.......Phil

 

Were these all faults prior to the voltage drop problem?

 

About a year ago I started noticing issues with the transmission, a bit of a hiccups at freeway speeds, usually after the truck had warmed up. It seemed to come on after I had driven to work, about 20 minutes, and then started it and drove it again later in the day. I also noticed that the cooler box would go on and off. (I thought it as a bad wire or switch) About a month later I was having some electrical issues, odd warnings on the dash and an alternator warning. I was getting low voltage readings on the dash with the Gap Tool and at the battery. I thought that it was a bad alternator. I had mine rebuilt two or three times, same issues every time that I reinstalled it. I finally put in a different alternator, same issues......I then started having some really odd warnings. I changed the battery ground cable, no difference. I had it towed to The British Garage here in San Diego. They found that the engine bay fuse box has some loose connections. The F20 fuse tabs were bad. I was told that it was a common issue. They gave me an option of installing a new wiring harness and fuse box for around $3,000 to $4,000. They suggested that I install a remote fuse from behind the F20 tabs. They could not do it due to insurance issues. I installed the remote fuse and holder myself and it cleared up the multitude of lights on the dash. I still had the low voltage reading, the cooler box intermittent on/off and the transmission hiccup.

The transmission issue continued to be a problem. I also had a slow start, strong starter, it just took a while for the truck to fire up, I thought that it was a fuel pump issue.

Still getting low readings at the battery. Ground post on the inner right fender and the fender overall is a bad ground. If I use the block for a ground, I see a reading of 14.75 to 15. If I use the inner fender or inner fender post, I get a reading of 13 at the most and it drops from there.

This week I disconnected the factory ground from the inner fender post. I ran a separate cable to the engine block. I got a much more vibrant starter response, still slower starting (fuel pump or some other issue, I am thinking that it is something other than the fuel pump), but starter was spinning strong. I took it for the test drive as noted above. It ran great for most of the test, about 20 miles. The last few miles, the voltage dropped. It is still showing strong voltage when grounded to the engine block. Same 13 volts or lower when ground to the inner fender post. When grounded to the engine block, I am still showing 13.4 or lower on the dash.

After the test drive, the truck started up as usual, maybe even a little quicker.

I went out the next morning to drive it to work. Starter is cranking but it won't fire over. I have tried it several times since, yesterday at noon, last night and again this morning. Same every time, starter is cranking but engine won't fire. I did smell fuel yesterday when I continued to try to start it several times over a five minute period.

I have got to believe that I have some sort of random ground or open circuit somewhere in this truck. Probably simple, it is just beyond my skill level.

Phil

2005 LR3 HSE HD Tonga Green with Tan interior, 146,000 miles (burned suspension air compressor, a transfer case voltage code and a slightly leaking water pump) Looks amazing (except for cracked dash), runs well, sitting on bump stops awaiting new air compressor

2006 Range Rover Sport HSE Giverney Green with Cream interior, 46,000 miles (voltage issues and now non-start issues, slightly leaking water pump gasket) Looks amazing (except for cracked dash), sitting in driveway..........won't start

2010 Range Rover Sport HSE Santorini Black with Tan interior, 71,000 miles (nav screen, radio, cd, cell, surround cameras, clock and all functions controlled by touch screen are out or are stuck at default, Celsius Temp.......) Looks amazing and runs great!

1998 Chevy K1500 156,000 miles, runs great, but showing the miles
1996 Porsche 993 Cab, 113,000 looks and runs like new
2011 BMW 328i 97,000 miles, runs and looks like new
2015 BMW 328i 108,000, runs great, needs a little rear quarter bodywork (bought it that way) waiting on the shop to complete

 

Is that a yes or a no

 

not sure, I assume that the transmission hiccups are voltage related. Cooler box is voltage related. Fuel issue, I don't know. The non-start issue is new as of this week. Phil

 

With the air compressor, make sure you check the fuse (60/70 amp) alongside relay. With not starting, do you have fuel at the Schroeder valve?

 

Yes fuel at the rail. Turns over strong but will not fire up. Phil