landrover freelander electrical problems

daffas6688

My car giving me grief, have 1998 2.0l Freelander and it plays up when starting from cold. The dash lights sometimes don't come on at all or then do but engine won't turn but i get clicking noise. sometimes it actually starts but either all the dash lights come on whilst I am driving and the engine lurches like it is stalling. The worst time is when the car completely died as i was pulling out into traffic and even my lights went off and it was very hard to brake. I nearly rolled into someone. I am a bit scared to drive it now. Any ideas?

anewman

It could be as simple as the battery or earth connections. Start by checking the terminals on the battery are clean and attached tightly though. If you have to remove them remove the negative one first, and put the negative one back on last (remembering that you may need a code for the radio on disconnecting the battery). Check also that the other end of the negative (earth) cable is clamped securely to where it goes, this will either be to the bodywork or the engine block. There should also be a separate wire between the bodywork and the engine block called an earthing strap, check that this is also secure at both ends.

harveybobbles

Not turning and clicking noise will be duff battery/poor voltage.

anewman

harveybobbles wrote: »

Not turning and clicking noise will be duff battery/poor voltage.

That it works sometimes seems to suggest an intermittent fault though.

daffas6688

anewman wrote: »

It could be as simple as the battery or earth connections. Start by checking the terminals on the battery are clean and attached tightly though. If you have to remove them remove the negative one first, and put the negative one back on last (remembering that you may need a code for the radio on disconnecting the battery). Check also that the other end of the negative (earth) cable is clamped securely to where it goes, this will either be to the bodywork or the engine block. There should also be a separate wire between the bodywork and the engine block called an earthing strap, check that this is also secure at both ends.

Had somebody check my terminals they seemed ok and when I have no lights on dash the windows radio and other stuff work. battery relatively new as well. when I do get the engine turn over it turns over really well