Electrical Blinking/Flickering

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tony_mac

tony_mac

New Member
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4
Location
Clacton
My first post so apologies if it’s not in the correct format or location.
I hope you guys consider the Discovery Sport a real Landy. It’s got the DNA of its big brother and the 2018 Liverpool build is perhaps the last of the greats.
Having said that, recently I’m driving around and when diesel vibration becomes apparent like idling at traffic lights, the whole electrical system starts blinking. And I hear what sounds like relay clicks in the cabin.
I can’t see anything loose but where to start because literately, external lights, cabin LEDs and dial illumination all blink whilst hearing this clicking. The moment I move with the engine not rocking the car, the flickering stops.
Any pointers appreciated.

Happy new year!
 
tony_mac said:
My first post so apologies if it’s not in the correct format or location.
I hope you guys consider the Discovery Sport a real Landy. It’s got the DNA of its big brother and the 2018 Liverpool build is perhaps the last of the greats.
Having said that, recently I’m driving around and when diesel vibration becomes apparent like idling at traffic lights, the whole electrical system starts blinking. And I hear what sounds like relay clicks in the cabin.
I can’t see anything loose but where to start because literately, external lights, cabin LEDs and dial illumination all blink whilst hearing this clicking. The moment I move with the engine not rocking the car, the flickering stops.
Any pointers appreciated.

Happy new year!
Click to expand...
How's your battery?
 
Welcome first:).

If you stop at the "lights" and hear the diesel noise/vibes. Is the idle lower than it should be?
Do those things have a fancy engine mount?

Maybe diagnostics is the way forward, as we all know there can be so many reasons, and even more expensive guesses;).
But it does sound battery needs to be confirmed as good first

J
 
marjon said:
Welcome first:).

If you stop at the "lights" and hear the diesel noise/vibes. Is the idle lower than it should be?
Do those things have a fancy engine mount?

Maybe diagnostics is the way forward, as we all know there can be so many reasons, and even more expensive guesses;).
But it does sound battery needs to be confirmed as good first

J
Click to expand...
+1^^^
AND connections to the battery and earthing points, all of them.
as it doesn't seem to be affecting just part of the car's electrics, but all of it, as near as we can tell, especially things like external lights, I am sure it'll be what we have been saying re batt connections.
If not, there could possibly be a short to earth somewhere that comes and goes in time with the vibrations.
I'd be inclined to put it into neutral every time I come to a stop at lights etc to see if it goes away. But that is just a bandaid solution.
The relays clicking will be power to them going on and off, like they were being switched on and off.
I'd therefore be tempted to see if the wire from the batt to the starter motor(s) hasn't come loose or worn through at a point where it touches metal or inside a P-clip or something. As that could be causing the on-off short to earth, if indeed this is what it turns out to be.
Hope the pointers we are giving you is some use.
 
Thank you all. It was indeed the positive battery connection. Funny thing was the 10m nut was tight but the coupling was higher up on the battery terminal. Seems the nut can only close the coupling a certain amount. So although it seemed tight there was the smallest give.
I loosened the nut pushed the coupling down to the bottom of the battery terminal then tightened it again. Now its mating correctly.
Thanks again all.
 
Hi all,
So my first post here.. and having a "partial" similar situation.
Land Rover Discovery Sport 2016 --> Was driving one night, it was raining, and all of a sudden my lights begin to flicker --> but more like flashes, dashboard goes dark and activates again, radio(basically all the infotainment system) same for all other lights in the car. Pulled the car over, did a quick restart, all good. Drove home, no other issues. Same thing started to happen and more frequently the following days, but at really random moments --> once when I was driving in reverse (was not raining), once on the highway --> this time it also stoped my Cruise Control and so on. And also, I do hear a relay trying to start from the glove box. So after reading here, I opened the bonnet to check the battery connectors. And because my previous car was an older model, when I saw so many cables and a big "iron plate" connected to the - , I said wtf. But I noticed the - has a small loose grip, tried to screw it more tight, but to no avail. Tonight I bought a multimeter, but it's to cold and dark to measure the battery, will do this tomorrow.
So questions, because I also read somewhere there might be a problem with a ground cable that goes under the car and you can access it once you pull out a rear wheel, what should I check : battery voltage ? , try to unscrew the - and screw it back with more "brute force" or just go to an electrician and pay (would really try to explore all DYI fixes before) ?
Thanks,
Alex
 
marjon said:
Most car peeps use the same connection so blame it on the last guy that said "your battery is good"

J
Click to expand...
The connections on my D1s are the trad ones that nearly all my cars have had, except Frog ones which are aslo ca@rp.
But the D2 has a 10mm headed bolt that fastens vertically to tighten the connection, instead of the horizontal ones we all know and love. . Unless you seriously bash the connection right down the post first, with the bolt backed off, the bolt doesn't tighten properly and, of course, turning the bolt with the spanner just makes the connection turn on the post. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: So you end up having to hold the connector with one tool while tightening the bolt. Flicking cr@p design!
 
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