Car not Starting - stranded in France

I have a '96 TDi 300 Auto. Two weeks ago went swimming with keys. As a result car would not start (car immobilised). After almost a week I paid for the car to be moved to a "Ford" garage. They programmed a new zapper. Now engine wont turn over. They have decided it might be the fuel pump. I'm runnung out of time and money. Any suggestions as to what the fault is? Could it be the Spider unit that I read about on this forum?


I've just spoken to the garage. My fault saying it was the fuel pump. They have checked the solenoid (may have taken the plunger out??). They now suspect the Starter motor. They are to remove it and pass to an electrician. It maybe a coincidence but but we had no problems starting the car before my swimming accident!

Unfortunately when we bought the car we given only one key and one zapper. The car is at St Brieuc if that helps.

where are you??

DCooper said:

I have a '96 TDi 300 Auto. Two weeks ago went swimming with keys. As a result car would not start (car immobilised). After almost a week I paid for the car to be moved to a "Ford" garage. They programmed a new zapper. Now engine wont turn over. They have decided it might be the fuel pump. I'm runnung out of time and money. Any suggestions as to what the fault is? Could it be the Spider unit that I read about on this forum?

Click to expand...

What ???

Have you not got a spare key remote somewhere?

How can "engine wont turn over" be a fuel pump?

Did you take the spider swimming too?

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f8/discovery-key-fob-43629.html

Would love to help you mate but your not making a lot of sense

As a general rule it's better to reply to post as appose to editing your original post
Why did you put it in a Ford garage when there is a Land Rover dealer in St-Brieuc?

Sounds like your being taken for a ride The chances of your starter moment going at exactley the same moment you jumped in the drink with your keys in your pocket are slim

Easiest thing in the world to check a starter motor, run a seperate cable from battery+ to + lead on motor making sure that it's earthed O.K and Bingo!

I'm too far away to help directly but am happy to translate for you Give us a bell if need be!

CORRE AUTOMOBILES SB Visualiser la carte30.79 km Adresse 44 Rue du Docteur RahuelinsertComma("44 Rue du Docteur Rahuel"); , SAINT-BRIEUCinsertComma("SAINT-BRIEUC"); , 22003T&#233;l&#233;phone02 96 68 12 30Fax02 96 60 46 73insertText("Email", "");insertText("", "");insertText("Site internet", "");insertText("", "");Services var serArray = new Array(); var serArray = ["false", "true", "", ""]; showServText(serArray); POINT-SERVICE GPS-2.7499&#176;long, 48.5068&#176;lat </B> En savoir plus

An update. The Garage have just told me "Its not the Starter Motor" But they don't know that it is.

The Ford garge is also the LandRover garage. They are now saying they'll get someone to look at it Monday. They have had the car at the garage for over 2 weeks and know at about the problem for longer. I've ordered the LandRover "spider" bypass unit from the UK (it arrived) yesterday and plan to visit the garage today.

There attitude can be summed by the following conversation. "We need car to get to work or I will loose my job"
Reply "Hard luck!"

i take it yu aint got recovery?

try contacting Slob - pm him - he may not be able to help, but I reckon he is the best guy to be able to do anything..

stupid q - but if all this happened after the swimming - it sounds like its an imobilizer problem - no?

DCooper said:

An update. The Garage have just told me "Its not the Starter Motor" But they don't know that it is.

The Ford garge is also the LandRover garage. They are now saying they'll get someone to look at it Monday. They have had the car at the garage for over 2 weeks and know at about the problem for longer. I've ordered the LandRover "spider" bypass unit from the UK (it arrived) yesterday and plan to visit the garage today.

There attitude can be summed by the following conversation. "We need car to get to work or I will loose my job"
Reply "Hard luck!"

Click to expand...

Would you like me to phone the director? Tell him that the whole world is currently experiencing "on direct" how **** his garage is!

Absolutely disgusting atitude, problem is that France is on Holiday at the moment.

I might just phone them any way just for the pleasure of it!

Jason

They are closed at the moment for there 2hr dinner break!

Come on chaps! we must be able to help this poor bloke out stuck in France!

Tel n&#176; of the garage is (00 33) (0)2 96 68 12 30 even if you can't speak French just ring em up anyway!

how is us all callin a frog garridge gonna help him get it fixed - ok it wud **** them orf - but surely betta to try and resolve the probs furst. I reckon if we **** em orf now in a foreign language they wud do even less.

try forceful persuasion fust - eh?

Try this number, +44 1789 450808.

It's Avon Automotive in Warwick, they can send you a repacement remote if you send them the alarm ECU by post. I know it might be a last resort by give them a call. They really helped us out when the wife lost hers to an MG.

Good luck.

Rob

hmm, how did I miss this thread when it came out ?

Dcooper, if the spider bypass doesn't solve your problem better ask for help from the fellow french landmaniacs (land-rover-maniacs) in the Forum Landmania There are lots of nice people over there.

You can read the story of a recent similar case I remember about someone from uk who got help this way:
- LRUK Forum member needs help
- Help Needed in France, URGENT
So, if you still need help, don't hesitate to open a thread there and tell the full story with all details (english is fine, as could see following the 1st link I gave you).
And keep us informed too.
My guess is the people on that garage didn't really wanted to help you or they don't know much about LR, except what's in the books.

Like Jason said, the suspicion on the fuel pump is hilarious. About the same thing for starter motor.
Why didn't they try bypass the spider? It's dead easy to do it but it seems that they don't know how.
On the other hand I sincerely hope they didn't mess up the ECM settings when they programed the new key fob.

So, if your disco isn't back on the road this evening, waste no more time: open a thread on the french forum or anywhere else you can think of. Or we can do it for you, just let us know. I won't have internet access on w/end but Jason is here, speaks french too and he's willing to help, as you can see. I'm sure you can find someone in your area that is able to help. Try and maximize your chances.

The Mad Hat Man said:

how is us all callin a frog garridge gonna help him get it fixed - ok it wud **** them orf - but surely betta to try and resolve the probs furst. I reckon if we **** em orf now in a foreign language they wud do even less.

try forceful persuasion fust - eh?

Click to expand...

And what do you mean by "Forceful persuasion"? A baseball bat!

The guys in the **** and needs help,I have'nt got a problem ****ing any garage off especialy one that after 2+weeks has to take a starter motor to an electrien to see if it's working or not.

I'm sure a smart phone call from sombod pretending to be a journalist interested in a story for a big tabloid about an English family stranded in France after a mid-night dip went wrong .........etc............ would work wonders!

Trust me, ave bin ere for nearly half mi life!

agree entirely - wot I meant was forceful point on the phone - not a baseball bat! wot i meant was - lets try and resolve the problem quickly - not just **** the garage orf so they throw him out on his ear.

cipx - why dont yu alter your CP to show which area you are in - yu could be in Bristol for all we know

Journalisty idea sounds a good one

cipx2 said:

hmm, how did I miss this thread when it came out ?

Dcooper, if the spider bypass doesn't solve your problem better ask for help from the fellow french landmaniacs (land-rover-maniacs) in the Forum Landmania There are lots of nice people over there.

You can read the story of a recent similar case I remember about someone from uk who got help this way:
- LRUK Forum member needs help
- Help Needed in France, URGENT
So, if you still need help, don't hesitate to open a thread there and tell the full story with all details (english is fine, as could see following the 1st link I gave you).
And keep us informed too.
My guess is the people on that garage didn't really wanted to help you or they don't know much about LR, except what's in the books.

Like Jason said, the suspicion on the fuel pump is hilarious. About the same thing for starter motor.
Why didn't they try bypass the spider? It's dead easy to do it but it seems that they don't know how.
On the other hand I sincerely hope they didn't mess up the ECM settings when they programed the new key fob.

So, if your disco isn't back on the road this evening, waste no more time: open a thread on the french forum or anywhere else you can think of. Or we can do it for you, just let us know. I won't have internet access on w/end but Jason is here, speaks french too and he's willing to help, as you can see. I'm sure you can find someone in your area that is able to help. Try and maximize your chances.

Click to expand...

Forum Landmania - &#233;dit&#233; par vBulletin is closed to the end of August you can read it but can't post (moderators on Holiday)

Dcooper if you want help you are going to have to pm me your mobile N&#176; or other contact N&#176; as I'm sure I can help you one way or another, but not if I can't get in touch with you! You should have done it 2 + weeks ago as Land Rover following is very strong in France "Esprit Land" and am sure word of mouth would have already got somebody else localy to sort you out!

Jason

Stop!

A certain Peter Piper from the London Gazette has just phoned up seid Garage concerning the machanical perils of traveling through Europe during the summer months.

It turns out that Mr D.Cooper's Discovery is a left hand drive (22 Britany) French registered vehicle ( same area as garage) which throws a little doubt on the posting title "Car not Starting - stranded in France" or at least shines another light on it!

The poor Garage man subsequently shat himself and told the same chain of events as your self to which I'm not able to comment on but did say that his Land Rover mechanic returns Monday and that they were very busy!I get the impression that after my call you might get better service! but you have told them to stop all work!

As for myself I'm relieved as I had visions of a fellow Land Rover owner been stuck in a rainy tent for the last 3 weeks,living off Red wine & croissants, entertaining 3 howling sprogs,and the wife giving it "Told you not to buy that bloody thing"

Bon Weekend

LATER EDIT: Ok Jason, I stop.
I posted about the same time with Jason so I didnt get to see his post in time. I won't delete anything though, might be of help to others (hope won't be needed)

Oh, right. I didnt see that announcement, my mistake. They're closing the forums too?! Nice... How about the banks? If they're closed, do the guards go on vacation too?

Here are another two:
le forum du club 'Le Temps des Series' :: Index - go to "english speaking thread"
Land Rover FAQ Index - jump right in the Engine (Moteur) section.

The Mad Hat Man said:

cipx - why dont yu alter your CP to show which area you are in - yu could be in Bristol for all we know

Click to expand...

'Cause I don't like altering things, I like them in the original state
Like Richard Hammond says in The greatest car of all times: "It wasn't broke so they (I) never fixed it"
Something wrong 'bout being in Bristol? I wish I was there, currently there are 22 deg C and blue sky. I'm cooking myself at 37 C outside for the moment (well, I'm inside at 24 C to be fair).
Ok, I will do that in a little while.

Thanks to all that replied (particularly Jason2), so far! This story is going to a little yet I fear to say.
Unawares of the replies made to my last post, I have just visited the garage to be immediately asked if I had contacted journalist from London. I must first state here that my French is poor and &#8220;car mechanic French&#8221; even worse. My answer to was first "no" but them thought that perhaps some from this forum may have?

Anyway I was shown to the car. I had made to lead to connect the solenoid directly to the battery (as per various "spider problem" threads had suggested). To my dismay the starter motor was not there and the fuel pipes disconnected along with the air filter hoses and other bits. They informed me that no fuel was getting to the engine!

Another man then appeared, a conversation began, something along the lines that the problem maybe in the immobiliser unit. One of them did not seem to understand that the key/zapper problems could effect to supply of fuel to the engine and not just "unlock the doors".
I showed them the bypass unit (AMR4956), and the location of the spider unit as described in forum article (unfortunately in English). They asked me to leave it with them and that they would look again at the car when they have finished work on another Landrover.

This morning I phoned them again. Yesterday I was promised a phone call to tell me the situation with the car. it never came. All I was told was that it was not the fuel pump - something that they had already told me. I told them to stop, and that I would come in and see them in person - today. Hoping to point out to them again that the immobiliser might well the problem and worth investigation, would then hand over the AMR4956 if it would help.

I am sorry to have misled anyone into thinking that I&#8217;m a stranded holidaymaker. However I&#8217;m certainly stranded. Most people that I have related this story to (including French), are horrified at the garages behaviour and slowness to resolve the problem. If it had not been for your friends helping us out, lifts to the garage/shops etc we would be in a very difficult position

At no time have the garage informed me, that their main mechanic was on holiday. Initially I was told that the car would be ready Tuesday last week. They never phoned to tell not to bother to come in. Come to that they have never phoned me to tell me anything!

I will post more later. Thanks again for the &#8220;phone call&#8221;, because, at least now, I think they are more focused on solving this problem. They have again said that they will phone.

I've spent a fair bit of time over there and very often found that they (thems frogs) tend to adopt a very ignorant and unhelpfull attitude to people who are unable to speak french, and they adopt an allmost insultingly rude attitude to the brits who do at least try to converse with them

perhaps it may help if you found someone on that french forum who was a native (but who also fully understands the issues) and who could talk to the garage on your behalf?

i got stranded on a mountain once over there and had to be taken off by heliwirley thing, during the 3 minutes flight to the base of the mountain i was asked how i intended to pay to 1200FFr cost of the rescue - i was collected from the heli by a french friend who muttered some assorted words to the pilot, shoke their hands and waved them off - zero charge

seanmoore2006 said:

I've spent a fair bit of time over there and very often found that they (thems frogs) tend to adopt a very ignorant and unhelpfull attitude to people who are unable to speak french, and they adopt an allmost insultingly rude attitude to the brits who do at least try to converse with them

perhaps it may help if you found someone on that french forum who was a native (but who also fully understands the issues) and who could talk to the garage on your behalf?

i got stranded on a mountain once over there and had to be taken off by heliwirley thing, during the 3 minutes flight to the base of the mountain i was asked how i intended to pay to 1200FFr cost of the rescue - i was collected from the heli by a french friend who muttered some assorted words to the pilot, shoke their hands and waved them off - zero charge

Click to expand...

Erm! Had 17 years of this malarky, French wife and 3 kids that barely speak English.I am fluent,how do you think we comunicated in the first place? Problem is they think I'm Peter Piper!

Problem here is that customer service just does not exist! Not helped by low wages and a 35hr week (which people have to get 40 into)As a general rule whether it's in a builders merchants,garage or parts place I go out of my way to make a friend, then that person usualy makes more of an effort to help me when I need him cos I've made the effort to be nice to him is whi is not usualy nice to people cos people are not nice to him....errrh know what I mean.Problem being when you dont know anyone, that's when you have to get nasty! to get anything done.

Getting back to the Disco and just guessing cos my immobiliser has'nt bust yet think that it must have shut off power to the starter motor,Diesel shut off solenoid that's why there's no Diesel getting to the injectors and what else it does and the dim ****'s just haven't worked it out yet.All of this has to be down to the new beepy thing that's not programmed to the car.

hang on whos car is it then?

dcooper says "I must first state here that my French is poor and &#8220;car mechanic French&#8221; even worse" hence me suggesting he get a fluent speaker invovled, or better still a friendly frog