Thread: First Troubles with Ex-Army Land Rover

Good Morning all; my name is Toby and I've recently acquired an Army Disposal Land Rover Perentie 110 4x4 from Australian Frontline Machinery. It's a 1991 model with the 4L Isuzu engine. I bought it in September of last year, and after driving it home from Sydney without issue, I've had no troubles with it since until now (bar having to change the tyres to tubeless to stop them from constantly going down.)

The issue I have relates to starting the Landy. Without anything in the way of warning, I walked out one day to start her up, and when I turned on the ignition switch, I got the usual "whir" sound and all the gauges and dash lights powered up, but upon turning over the ignition, all I get is a click and no starting.

I'm not particularly mechanical or electronically skilled, but I've done a few little things to try to assess what could be wrong. Having the headlights on with the ignition turned on doesn't immediately drain the battery, and using a pair of diodes to short out the two connections between the starter motor solenoid and the starter motor itself with the ignition switch turned off results in the starter motor still turning over, so it doesn't seem to be the starter motor. Having push started it a few times, the battery charges while driving, so the alternator doesn't seem to be having trouble.

I checked the fuses to see if i'd blown one, and oddly, taking them out and putting them back in sometimes results in the engine starting quite easily. If I leave it alone for a little while though, the same problem comes back. As I said, I'm not very mechanical, so I don't really know what I'm doing or where to go from here bar the local mechanic or an auto electrician, but I thought I'd consult the collective wisdom of this forum first before I start lashing out cash.

I'll be very grateful for your help.

The symptoms sound to me, if I read you correctly, that everything sounds normal except the starter is not turning, although the starter solenoid is clicking.

This suggests two possibilities. The first is a bad earth connection, probably engine to chassis, but could be battery to chassis. Could be a faulty battery connection or a faulty battery - if this is the case, try the starter with headlights on, and in this case the lights will become very dim or go out when you operate the starter.

The second possibility is a starter fault, almost certainly the solenoid contacts. Any competent auto electrician could diagnose this and repair it.

John