Suspension Fault, HDC unavailable,Transmission fault, brake switch

[Foxsport7]

This vehicle was great for 10 years and now is giving me its first signs of electrical issues that are testing my skills and patience. I have tried a number of usual fixes to no avail. Need guidance on next steps.
Current problems and the suspension issues has gone from intermitent to all the time.
Symptoms

• Roof /Sunroof drain leak putting water onto the driver side floor. Fixed with new tub line and dried floor boards. No more leak, but I cant find any poor connections or shorts via inspection.
• Brake light has been on for months and fault says to check brake pads for wear. Would this trigger Suspension faults? They have 3mm left and I am ordering parts to replace.
• Battery was draining dead if I didn't drive the car for 2 weeks. I have put in 3 batteries this year. So I feel I have had some sort of electrical short or drain. Ruled out battery as it is new.
• Just replaced all brake lights and tail lights to ensure that was not a problem since some were out.
• Brakelight switch - replaced twice and did not fix, so I have ruled out brake light stoplight switch.
• When the car ran fine, it would lower suspension every 48 hours. I sensed I had a leak. When I started truck it would air back up and things were fine. I was not getting any faults at this point.
• The last 2 weeks I get faults. First 10 days were intermittent. It would occur after a long 45 min commute to work. Made me think it was something overheating related. Next day the truck worked fine again. Restarting the car would also clear them and get the suspension back into normal ride height. The last 3 days have become full time faults. The car will not reset and clear and the suspension remains lowered. Narrowed it down to this. The faults and suspension drop occur after I start car and let my foot off the brake peddle. Hold the brake down and suspension airs up fine and compressor turns off when bags are full. I can even drive with foot on brake. Second I let go the faults kick in. I have started car and manually controlled brake light switch with my finger. When I press switch, then the faults all come on.
• Faults are the HDC fault (left and right suspension warning lights), Lowered Suspension, Transmission fault.
• Should be noted that the Transmission Fault (note) has displayed for 7 years. Never seen an issue. I was told this would go away or would disappear after a battery reset. Never saw a transmission problem during this time and this occurred after they replaced bags and compressor at dealer 7 years ago.
• Last week when the intermittent faults were coming up, I got one notification on the dash that said something about suspension lowered until system cooled down. That also tells me something was over heating. Only got that notice once and now what ever it is has completely failed. [Lastly] Check engine light came on with fault codes for EGR Valve. Tried cleaning last night but I think I need to replace and will do so.

So I am wondering what to do next. I have seen posts about testing the TCM and getting Black Box systems from Cyprus to do so. Is there something ABS since the brake light issue is tied to something brake electrical. Could it be the silly brake pad wear sensor? I am not an electrical guy so I will have to learn how to test for drains and ground faults. Something is not right with the battery draining over time. Compressor always shuts off so its not compressor running and draining will ignition is off.
I have all wiring trays open on both sides of the car for pictures and inspection. I could not find any cut wires or grounds not connected properly.

 

[catman]

Have you checked your alternator? These trucks get really wonky with electrical faults/gremlins when the alternators begin to fail, and they do not typically just die, they start "acting up". They usually fail in the 8-12 year range, if yours is original I would definately check it as a potential culprit.

 

[Foxsport7]

I did have the alternator replaced about 2 years ago. I am going to have a friend come over and test the ALT, electrical and battery current. Someone told me to replace the traction control switch in the middle console. I did find corroded wires on the passenger side tray floor. Wondering if this shorted something out.

 

[Foxsport7]

I finally located some corroded wires along passenger floor board. Odd that there is bare wire exposed. Long gap and then the bare wire goes inside a thicker cable that has another coated wire inside. The bare wire looks to have touched water from the flooded floor because it’s is black. The rest of the wire has green corrosion around it as I peel back the black conduit. Will the wires still work?

 

[kameag]

This was the problem with my recent fix (see thread). I finally took it a land rover specialist and they diagnosed the circuit and fixed it in a beer 3 hours. No parts required. It was the brake switch circuit that was shorted in my case.

 

[CarBazaarFL]

Great information - Much Thanks!

 

[bbyer]

Yes, much appreciate the post; the brake switch circuit seems to affect the whole vehicle - guess it messes up the car computer - sends or not sends odd signals to the computer than then the 3 goes crazy.

It seems to all seems to start with water. It is wonder that 3's can keep running in the UK.

 

[BeemerNut]

It seems to all seems to start with water. It is wonder that 3's can keep running in the UK.

What makes you believe that the "3's" are even still running in the always raining UK?

Have you pulled every fuse after the vehicle has been shut down and read each circuit's current drain possibly excluding the engine's computer with the alarm system always pulling a load which is normal?
With everything shut down what's the milliamp drain between a lifted battery cable and the treminal? You'll have to reset the radio code so be warned.
Noting what each circuit draws then comparing what is considered normal in the Factory Service Manual if it has these specs.
As mentioned the alternator with a bad diode will slowly drain the battery but much faster than the normal drain of the alarm system alone. Even a replaced alternator could have a leaking or bad diode, don't leave it out not checking it.
I have to place the LR on charge every two months topping off the battery due to the alarm system alone slowly draining the battery down which is normal even with a known good battery.
Even the older 95 D1 has a couple functions using the brake light switch which has undersized contacts a POS from the start causing other problems beyond just applying power to only three brake lights. Second switched failed, now on the third switch which is now wired to control a relay only no brake light loads. This relay now lights up the two bad driving condition caution lamps hence now having five brake lights vs the normal three. Bad idea to have any driving lights on behind a red lens then the second element increasing that lens brightness vs a red lens with no light on that becomes a bright red brake light being better at catching your attention. Like the third brake light is off and dark then bright catching your attention. No more switch failure problems the past 15 years.
.....~~=o&o>.......

 

[06Rover]

This vehicle was great for 10 years and now is giving me its first signs of electrical issues that are testing my skills and patience. I have tried a number of usual fixes to no avail. Need guidance on next steps.
Current problems and the suspension issues has gone from intermitent to all the time.
Symptoms

• Roof /Sunroof drain leak putting water onto the driver side floor. Fixed with new tub line and dried floor boards. No more leak, but I cant find any poor connections or shorts via inspection.
• Brake light has been on for months and fault says to check brake pads for wear. Would this trigger Suspension faults? They have 3mm left and I am ordering parts to replace.
• Battery was draining dead if I didn't drive the car for 2 weeks. I have put in 3 batteries this year. So I feel I have had some sort of electrical short or drain. Ruled out battery as it is new.
• Just replaced all brake lights and tail lights to ensure that was not a problem since some were out.
• Brakelight switch - replaced twice and did not fix, so I have ruled out brake light stoplight switch.
• When the car ran fine, it would lower suspension every 48 hours. I sensed I had a leak. When I started truck it would air back up and things were fine. I was not getting any faults at this point.
• The last 2 weeks I get faults. First 10 days were intermittent. It would occur after a long 45 min commute to work. Made me think it was something overheating related. Next day the truck worked fine again. Restarting the car would also clear them and get the suspension back into normal ride height. The last 3 days have become full time faults. The car will not reset and clear and the suspension remains lowered. Narrowed it down to this. The faults and suspension drop occur after I start car and let my foot off the brake peddle. Hold the brake down and suspension airs up fine and compressor turns off when bags are full. I can even drive with foot on brake. Second I let go the faults kick in. I have started car and manually controlled brake light switch with my finger. When I press switch, then the faults all come on.
• Faults are the HDC fault (left and right suspension warning lights), Lowered Suspension, Transmission fault.
• Should be noted that the Transmission Fault (note) has displayed for 7 years. Never seen an issue. I was told this would go away or would disappear after a battery reset. Never saw a transmission problem during this time and this occurred after they replaced bags and compressor at dealer 7 years ago.
• Last week when the intermittent faults were coming up, I got one notification on the dash that said something about suspension lowered until system cooled down. That also tells me something was over heating. Only got that notice once and now what ever it is has completely failed. [Lastly] Check engine light came on with fault codes for EGR Valve. Tried cleaning last night but I think I need to replace and will do so.

So I am wondering what to do next. I have seen posts about testing the TCM and getting Black Box systems from Cyprus to do so. Is there something ABS since the brake light issue is tied to something brake electrical. Could it be the silly brake pad wear sensor? I am not an electrical guy so I will have to learn how to test for drains and ground faults. Something is not right with the battery draining over time. Compressor always shuts off so its not compressor running and draining will ignition is off.
I have all wiring trays open on both sides of the car for pictures and inspection. I could not find any cut wires or grounds not connected properly.

For the suspension leak, check the dryer canister for a crack in between the inlet and outlet ports on the lid. Water on the floor boards is the drain tubes coming from the sunroof, one is located begind the electrical box up under the passenger dash side and is a pain to get to, the other is fairly easy on the driver side, the ******* corrode and fall off. Transmission fault is usually water in the center console for riding wires etc.

 

[bbyer]

What makes you believe that the "3's" are even still running in the always raining UK?.....~~=o&o>.......

Well now that you ask the question, about all I can think of is the Disc3 forum is still very much in operation.

Also it seems the Royal Protection Service is still running 3s and 4s - probably have to go to the G Wagon in the future however - yes a good question.