Thread: It's not the spider.....

Last Friday I got a call from SWMBO ... car won't start
a few questions and gruff answers led me to believe the car wouldn't start because of the immobiliser, so I suggested locking up the car as usual and entering it again .......... it started

It's a 6/96 D1 auto V8 with the factory alarm and two button remote. When trying to start it, everything seemed normal dash lights, fan etc. except the starter motor wouldn't turn over and a red LED in the bottom centre of the dash was lit, as was a car symbol with a key at the top right of the dash. Central locking used to work but hasn't for years, key fobs don't do anything but are still with the keys..........

Short time later another call "don't tell me to lock it and get in again" ... done that five times.... loaded my tools and drove to the location.
I locked the car (manually) and then unlocked it with the key and it started as normal. Drove it home and after parking it was immobilised again.

Research suggested "the Spider" and after dismantling the dash I've discovered none is fitted with the LR bypass loom nicely in it's place. Troubleshooting and swapping of components showed the central locking to be ok and the master actuator being ok with a lack of power (+12v supplied by alarm ecu - according to RAVE) stopping it from working.

I started thinking a flat fob battery could be the culprit and the steering column coil couldn't excite a response from the fob to allow starting. Not as simple a changing the battery since syncro with the alarm would be lost and require the computer to be plugged in.

During the week, whilst reassembling door and dash I tried starting again and suddenly it worked. Quickly took the car to a local LR specialist who for $55 would plug in his computer and check faults, reprogram etc. The computer spoke to the alarm which couldn't see the fobs (brand new batteries in both) - verdict was alarm ECU stuffed "would I like them to disable it ???" "Umm Yep" was my respose and after some mucking about the computer said the alarm was already disabled ????

Drove it home and it sits immobilised in my driveway waiting for the right stars and moods to align and enable further progress.

So now what ???

New alarm ECU - just to get going again
Alarm specialist to disable, bypass and fit aftermarket - referrals please.
(needs to know and love the LR factory alarm system)

Any other suggestions please

Stevo

Thanx again for your help Chris,
I managed to source the same PNo unit and it still didn't work with anything.

PROBLEM SOLVED
The factory alarm has been disabled, bypassed and removed.
Mongoose alarm fitted in it's place.
Good result and done by professional alarm guy who has done much work for AMV and Ritters and himself a Rangie enthusiast rebuilder.

Pretty Happy