Stuck at Ningaloo (WA outback) URGENT ADVICE NEEDED

Hi all. First, a huge thank you for all the posts and calls to my brother while I was marooned at Ningaloo. :BigThumb:
I've only just got access to the internet so have not been able to respond sooner.
I only had intermittent communication with my brother who relayed the advice from AULRO members and my mechanic.
When it was clear I could not get her going, my Landy was towed from the beachside area, where I had munted it, to Ningaloo Station but as a cyclone was approaching and it would have been destroyed there, I had it taken to Exmouth. The local businesspeople were very, very helpful.
The local auto electrician had heaps of diagnostic gear but, even with the advice of my mechanic in Perth, he could not unlock my system. So Landy will be put on a truck back to Perth, once the cyclone passes and the roads re-open, to be hooked up to my Land Rover mechanic's equipment.
I'm really confused about the cause. I'm going to digest all the suggestions again but tried most of them, to no avail. I even ripped out my after-market immobiliser, in case this had anything to do with the problem. (Interestingly, I was told in Exmouth they fail regularly and that many serious outback 4WDers have theirs disconnected for this reason.)
My ECU was a chipped exchange unit I bought recently (and it worked brillliantly - much more power and torque, faster cruising and the same fuel consumption as before) so I got hold of my old unchipped ECU when in Exmouth and plugged it in. My mechanic said that the car would burst into life as I have not messed up my old ECU, just the new one. But it, too, did not work.
Now that I have access to a computer I'll read the posts referred to by Xtreme above in detail, then I'll take both ECUs into my mechanic to be plugged into his diagnostics.
Again thanks for all the advice and suggestions. I'll post the outcome when it's known.
Needless to say, I've learned a big lesson from this experience!
But, as Goingbush said, there's much worse places to be stuck than the beach at Ningaloo Station. It was my first trip there and it really is paradise. Just wish there hadn't been a cyclone on the way!!
I'll do the trip again later this year - anyone want to come along in case I need a tow?! :p

My Landy is back on the road again after a visit to my mechanic in Perth. Seems I did stuff things up by connecting my new Nanocom and putting in the wrong country code which upset the ECU's settings and told the immobilsier in computer speak that the car was being stolen.
The reason it would not work when I plugged in my other ECU was that the factory (not after market) immobilser is separate from the ECU, bolted behind the dash. Once the immobilser turned everything off it had to be bypassed before my ECU would work again.
Then the correct settings had to be re-inputed into the ECU just as Xtreme said (thanks again Roger).
I have read up on a number of forums and in the UK there are businesses advertising that they will switch off your factory immobiliser for a fee so you don't get caught in the middle of nowhere.
Two mechanics have told me they both have their factory immobilisers switched off so that nothing can go wrong out in the bush. Mine is now just a harmless flashing light. Might not be as effective preventing theft but at least it can't turn my car off permanently now.
As for my Nanocom, I wonder if I'm cut out for this sort of technology? I'm hopeless with computers and don't even own an android or i phone. I might be wise to cut my losses and sell the Nanocom and buy another toy for my Landy that I undertand a bit better. Something I can fix with a spanner and a big hammer! :p
Thanks all.

Cheers for the update. Good to know that little gem about the immobiliser being able to be 'switched' off. Might look into it.

Can you switch off the immobiliser with a Nanocom?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dan

My Landy is back on the road again after a visit to my mechanic in Perth. Seems I did stuff things up by connecting my new Nanocom and putting in the wrong country code which upset the ECU's settings and told the immobilsier in computer speak that the car was being stolen.
The reason it would not work when I plugged in my other ECU was that the factory (not after market) immobilser is separate from the ECU, bolted behind the dash. Once the immobilser turned everything off it had to be bypassed before my ECU would work again.
Then the correct settings had to be re-inputed into the ECU just as Xtreme said (thanks again Roger).
I have read up on a number of forums and in the UK there are businesses advertising that they will switch off your factory immobiliser for a fee so you don't get caught in the middle of nowhere.
Two mechanics have told me they both have their factory immobilisers switched off so that nothing can go wrong out in the bush. Mine is now just a harmless flashing light. Might not be as effective preventing theft but at least it can't turn my car off permanently now.
As for my Nanocom, I wonder if I'm cut out for this sort of technology? I'm hopeless with computers and don't even own an android or i phone. I might be wise to cut my losses and sell the Nanocom and buy another toy for my Landy that I undertand a bit better. Something I can fix with a spanner and a big hammer! :p
Thanks all.

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so you'll be after a series then.

Not sure if the immobiliser can be switched off with a Nanocom, spudboy. My mechanic used his own diagnostics to do this for me. I'm way too nervous about going near my Landy with the Nanocom now to try anything like this! There are guys on the forum who know their stuff with diagnostics and might be able to provide an answer.
I said something that could be fixed with a big hammer, Blknight - not a mallet!!;)
Seriously, wish I could blame this on my Landy, but I'm the goose for using a sophisticated piece of equipment in the middle of nowhere and without learning about it properly beforehand. The car was innocent of any wrong doing.
In fact, it had just been chipped and tidied up with new shocks, prop shaft UJs and a few other goodies and it absolutely purred - and at much more "sensible" highway speeds than before - fully loaded with four people, my dog, roof top tent, fridge and supplies.
Hard to argue that the Series Landies are more fool proof, though. Guess it's why they are the car of choice for so many overlander hire companies in Africa. No fancy electronics, able to drink cr#p diesel and easy to fix.
But my Storm-powered Defender has done 275,000km so far including some real tough terrain and the only breakdown was my doing. Love my Landy:p

Dan
Best bet is PM member BBS Guy direct,he is the manufacturer/seller.VERY HELPFULL chap.
GOODLUCK
Andrew

I've got a really unhelpful response 300tdi lol
Hope you get it sorted and it's not too costly for ya bud. Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using Telepathy

Thanks guys. My Landy's up and running perfectly again.
Lardy, once connected to the right diagnostic gear it did not take long to disconnect the factory immobilser and re-set the ECU so the cost wasn't too much thankfully.
LandyAndy, thanks for the tip but I just don't have enough confidence in computer gear to attempt this sort of task, even with good advice to lean on.
In fact, I reckon getting the Nanocom was a mistake for me as I'm not IT-minded. Have decided to play it safe and sell the Nanocom so I can't stuff things up again in the middle of the outback. It's in the market place now.
I'll "reinvest" the proceeds into other goodies for the beast.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dan

Thanks guys. My Landy's up and running perfectly again.
Lardy, once connected to the right diagnostic gear it did not take long to disconnect the factory immobilser and re-set the ECU so the cost wasn't too much thankfully.
LandyAndy, thanks for the tip but I just don't have enough confidence in computer gear to attempt this sort of task, even with good advice to lean on.
In fact, I reckon getting the Nanocom was a mistake for me as I'm not IT-minded. Have decided to play it safe and sell the Nanocom so I can't stuff things up again in the middle of the outback. It's in the market place now.
I'll "reinvest" the proceeds into other goodies for the beast.

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if you don't have a MadMan or similar engine monitoring system, its worth keeping the nanocom as a multi-instrument/gauges unit alone. GRIN -then when you know it all, you can start on diagnostics