Thread: Question about TD5 Auto D2a BCU Settings after geabox / tranfser case work

A few months ago, I had the auto gearbox and transfer case taken out of my 2003-2004 TD5 Disco 2a to fix a leaking torque-converter seal, and to have the transfer case overhauled to stop it leaking oil.
As I was only driving around town (and not much, at that) it took quite a while for me to notice that :

1) the gear-selection indicator immediately beneath the odometer reading was not displaying anything,
2) neither "S" nor "M"mode indicator illuminated on pressing the "Mode" button, and
3) the glow-plug indicator no longer lit up whenfirst turning on the ignition

None of these had ever been the case before (in my 6 yearsof owning the vehicle).

However,

1) the red gear-selection indicator lights alongside the T-bar did illuminate correctly,
2) the CDL indicator light illuminated when CDL was selected, and
3) it seemed that pressing the "Mode"button on the centre console when in low range did cause manual gear selection to operate. Couldn't really tell about "S" mode in high range.

Searching Aulro brought up quite a few helpful posts, which mentioned using a Nanocom to check BCU settings.
I did this and, sure enough,in INSTRUMENT PACK,Trans was set to"Manual" and Fuelwas set to "Petrol'. Changing these to "Auto" and "Diesel",respectively, fixed all of the indicator-lamp anomalies. Big relief.

I thought that the BCU settings would have been lost ordefaulted to incorrect ones due to the battery having been disconnected whilethe auto-trans & transfer box work was done.

HOWEVER: when I turned the radio on, it functioned without me having to re-enter the security code.
ALTHOUGH: I did notice that when turned on, it was on a station that I have never used.
I was not asked for the radio security code by the workshop.

It therefore seems that the battery had not been disconnected as part of the work done.

So my question is:

What is the explanation for the BCU settings to change so that, after the auto-trans & transfer-case work

1) the gear-selection indicator immediately beneaththe odometer reading was not displaying anything,
2) neither "S" nor "M" mode indicator illuminated, and
3) the glow-plug indicator no longer lit up when first turning on the ignition.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Originally Posted by AndrewMilne

After reading Sierra's posts a couple of times and thinking about it some more, I remembered that I did use my Nanocom to change the EKA for my TD5 Auto D2a. I did that a month before I had the Auto box and Transfer case taken out, so at first it didn't seem relevant.

On thinking about this some more, it occurred to me that the Transmission and Fuel settings under INSTRUMENT PACK might have been changed unintentionally at that time, and I just didn't notice until afterwards.

It took 2 months after I had the Auto and Transfer box job done before I noticed that the Gear-selection indicator just below the odometer reading was blank. It's not very obvious because it is only the absence of quite a small, single, black (LCD) character.
I had no cause to use Sports Mode (in High range) or Manual Mode (in Low range) during that time, so I didn't realize that those lights were not working.
I only used the car a bit around town in that time.
In our climate, and with no difficulty starting the engine, I didn't look for the Glow-plug light until later, either.

I had no idea that the Nanocom can sometimes change the BCU settings involved of its own accord, but when I searched Aulro on "gear-selection indicator not showing", several old posts that came up said that it happens. Sierrafery confirmed that the Nanocom can sometimes make changes "without request".
And I gave it the chance to do so, before the subsequent work (that I initially thought was implicated) had actually been done!

To complete the last bit of the mystery radio, any workshop worth their salt will set the clock and enter code / retune radio as part of the job when a battery has been disconnected ( and it will have been before starter motor removal )