Hi All,

My 2007 FreeLander 2 GS TD4 2.2 Diesel has a starting problem.

This suddenly appeared with no warning, everything was working fine. New battery about a year ago.

My wife took the kids to their sports club, parked up as normal.
When she got back in the car, put the key in, heard unusual clicking noises, pressed the button, lights on the dash come on as normal but NO attempt to start the engine.
She says initally the "HDC System Fault" message appeared, but it hasn't since.

Now when you put the fob in, you immediately hear relay "click-click" noises coming from behind the dash and down near the gear stick. About 3 times each place.
Similar when you eject the FOB, about 2 times each.

The local garage have had a look and discovered a "solution".
See the photos, they removed relay R1 from the engine compartent fuse box, placed a piece of red wire. If you turn on the ignition, pop the bonnet, walk around an touch end of the wire to the contact, engine starts. Not very convenient !!

They say the relay is working fine, but it's not receiving the signal to start, hence the piece of wire.

They say I need to go to the main dealer.

Anyone have any DIY solutions to try beforehand?





Before going to garage I already tried disconnecting battery for a while to reset everything, also did solenoid contact repair kit too.

Sounds like a bad ground...

My 2 cents are to carefully check the ground terminal ( the one you put in the battery) and make sure it's correctly fitted.
Then you've to check the 3 connectors under the mats of the passenger side...a bit of contact cleaner should help.

At the end you can fit a extra Ground wire...search the forum For that.

Keep us informed

Oh..remove the solution of tour local garage and restore the original relay

Could you explain more about the connectors under the passenger side mats. I've just pulled the carpet back as far as I could but couldn't see any ground connectors

I think they are plugs passengers feet make them come apart sometimes I've read on here.

on the passenger feet area, there's 3 connectors inside a white box

here the extra ground wire

https://www.freel2.com/forum/topic16694.html

Following on from my previous post http://www.freel2.com/forum/topic27748.html
2007 FreeLander 2 GS TD4 2.2 Diesel has a starting problem.
Regarding no signal being received to the starter motor relay when the ignition button is pressed.

I checked everything I could but no change so I went to the main dealer.

They run their diagnostics today and came back with I need a new ECU unit.
I live in France, the diagnostics today have cost €300, a new ECU is quoted as €1200
Total including fitting €1700 !!! I'm in shock.

I'm sure this is overkill?

He was saying something about it would need coding to the car.

Could a second hand ECU be fitted ?
I guess only by a skilled garage mechanic?

This post has been edited by the site administration team post added to existing thread

A second hand ECU can be fitted, it costs no more that 2-300 euros on eBay, but it needs to be coded to the car.
Easy to install and to code to the car if you have access to dealer or dealer like tools. That can be also found on eBay, with around 50 euros.

But did you check the wires continuity, to be sure that really a new ECU is needed?...

So with a bit of Googling I found there are a few places in the UK that will repair ECU's for a couple of hundred pounds.
Which sounds like a good solution since I assume that would mean no problems with reprogramming it to the vehicle.

I spoke to the main dealer who has my car and asked for the part number to confirm with the repair centre they can do the work.
He refused to give me the part number!!! Said they don't do that.
Best he seemed to suggest is that it's a standard part number.

Question : He (French LR technician) called the part a PCM, is that the same as the ECU ?? Google seems to suggest it is.

Anyone know the part number?

Thanks

In your case, Bosch 0 281 013 202, or Ford 6G91-12A650-AE. Last two letters can vary from one revision to another...

The story continues...

I removed the engine ECU and sent to the repair guys in the UK. They tested it and said it couldn't be repaired and needed to be replaced. Cost me £450 in total for them to get a replacement and code it to my car.

BUT when I fitted it, it made no difference. Same starting problem, but runs fine once you manually make the connection.

So, I've got an issue with the ECU repair guys claiming it was faulty when it wasn't. Havn't managed to speak to them yet.

But mainly I'm still stuck with the same problem (after spending a fair amount of money)

A mechanic friend had a good poke around yesterday, we couldn't find any loose connections. We fitted a piece of wire through to the inside of the car so can start it without opening the bonnet.

The problem is obvious from when the FOB is inserted, there are several unusual relay clicking noises from the box above the passenger footwell fuses and somewhere behind the steering wheel. Same when the ignition button is pressed and again when the FOB is removed.
What is in the box behind the fuses in the passenger footwell ?

Also my friend tried to connect his diagnostic box, but it wouldn't work. As it was trying to connect the System & Engine fault messages kept popping up. First time he'd seen that.

Any ideas? It seems to be something to do with the ignition system checks? ?

Your electronic steering lock is the problem. I have the same intermittent fault in my 2007 3.2 petrol. Same clicking noises when the fob is inserted and removed and no start.

I have today received a new Volvo steering lock (it is a volvo steering column) from a parts shop in the USA for roughly half what I'd pay in Australia. It would appear however that it needs coding from the stealers for it to be activated.

But whether it is the hard ware or a soft ware root cause, it is going to be your steering lock not activating or deactivating that is causing this problem.

Hi Richard,

Thanks for that, it does make sense. I just had a quick check and the steering lock doesn't seem to be working.

I'll do some more investigation

Any update on the resolution - i'm getting exact same scenario.

The red wire in the relay socket ... where does the other end connect to .... solenoid ?????

As Richard said the problem was the steering lock being jammed unlocked.

After all the garage visits and costs, it was fixed when I had to use the snowchains!

The vibration from driving with the chains on freed the steering lock and it's worked fine ever since for over a year now.