Electrical gremlins - CD player and power steering

Hi All -

Finally, having wanted a Range since I was a school boy, at the ripe old age of 31 I have managed to save up and buy myself an 2004, L322 3.0 TD6 Vogue . She's high mileage, but I intend to look after her until the grave.

I'm new to the forum, so please forgive me for having not yet learnt the etiquette. I intend to do my best to help out where I can, but as I'm still very much in the learning phase I would be very grateful for any advice on some electrical gremlins I'm experiencing.

Firstly, when I turn the ignition to the penultimate (i.e. pre-ignition) position, the CD player works fine. However, as soon as I turn the ignition the CD player stops working; it doesn't seem to recognise that there are any CDs in the changer. I'd be really grateful for any suggestions.

Secondly, sometimes after I start the engine, the power steering is very heavy. However, as soon as I turn the engine off and on again it works fine, every time.

I had a similar issue with the central locking to begin with, but that seems to have sorted itself out.

All very odd - I assume (perhaps naively) the two might be linked.

Any help very gratefully received.

Cheers

:welcome2:

Grand job on choosing a Range Rover - you won't be disappointed, or bored, they'll kjeep you on your toes!!

Mine does the same with the CD changer, after the first half dozen times, and not finding a true fix, I gave up with it and now use an iPod with a FM transmitter tuned to the radio.

What I found with mine is the CD tray eject mechanisum was getting stuck, and no matter what I did, it would work for a day or two then feck up again, now it just point blank refuses to do anything!!

As for the steering, the system uses a Servotronic valve to adjust power assistance pressure depending on vehicle speed. Mine on occasion is quite heavy at first, but after a turn to lock then to lock it frees up, have to do this once every 10-14 days - I may check the condition of the PAS Fluid and see if this tells me anything i.e. if it is dark and burnt smelling, it could be a restriction in the system warmng the fluid up to much etc etc....still need to research that one myself.

Welcome to Range Rover ownership, it is these little niggles that keeps a guy interested!!....they will test your paitience and your wallet at times, but when they work they're brilliant!!

Thanks for the warm welcome Saint.V8 - that's very helpful. I think for now I'll do the same as you and buy a transmitter rather than get too excited - a CD player certainly wasn't the reason I bought the truck!

Thanks also on the power steering. I'll do a lock-to-lock and check the fluid in the morning and go from there. It works fine, but perhaps only when it wants to - it probably just wants to let me know who's boss!

if your going to be using your iphone / ipod your better off getting a proper ipod integration kit that replaces your cd changer and connects into the same plug. then gives you crystal clear music, track names on your stereo screen and remote steering control of your ipod / iphone.

FM transmitters are poo !

2.0_hippo said:

if your going to be using your iphone / ipod your better off getting a proper ipod integration kit that replaces your cd changer and connects into the same plug. then gives you crystal clear music, track names on your stereo screen and remote steering control of your ipod / iphone.

FM transmitters are poo !

Click to expand...

Very True Hippo, but I went for the cheaper route, as I had just forked out for the car, a couple of repairs, a trip to West Yorks and if I went to the girlfriend to say I wanted to listen to something other than the radio my guess would be that the sofa would be my new friend...!!

I am no muso, so a slightly reduced quality (that I can't notice anyway) is fine for me at the moment!

Hippo, do you have any idea where to purchase said iPod kit

Saint.V8 said:

Very True Hippo, but I went for the cheaper route, as I had just forked out for the car, a couple of repairs, a trip to West Yorks and if I went to the girlfriend to say I wanted to listen to something other than the radio my guess would be that the sofa would be my new friend...!!

I am no muso, so a slightly reduced quality (that I can't notice anyway) is fine for me at the moment!

Click to expand...

Tight Git

2.0_hippo said:

Tight Git

Click to expand...

It's like you know me...

Ppsvogue said:

Hippo, do you have any idea where to purchase said iPod kit

Click to expand...

of course -

something like this - Dension Gateway 100 iPod/iPhone Kit for Range Rover Vogue [GW16BM4/EXT2IP9X2/CDR2BM4/IPO5DC] - £169.00


or if your not bothered about ipod remote control i found a way to splice a 3.5mm headphone jack into the CD changer cables which now acts as an Aux In port. cost = £0

How do you get the CD Changer out - only way I can see is to take the top dash off!!

Any clues?

Saint.V8 said:

How do you get the CD Changer out - only way I can see is to take the top dash off!!

Any clues?

Click to expand...

very drawn out process from what iv heard.

top of dash off, glove box and front of dash off. then finally get to the CD changer !

2.0_hippo said:

very drawn out process from what iv heard.

top of dash off, glove box and front of dash off. then finally get to the CD changer !

Click to expand...

Hmmmm thought so...I'll stick with me FM transmitter for now then!

dont be a baby ! lol

iv had my dash apart so many times now - i can get my dash off in 5 mins now
hah

2.0_hippo said:

of course -

something like this - Dension Gateway 100 iPod/iPhone Kit for Range Rover Vogue [GW16BM4/EXT2IP9X2/CDR2BM4/IPO5DC] - £169.00


or if your not bothered about ipod remote control i found a way to splice a 3.5mm headphone jack into the CD changer cables which now acts as an Aux In port. cost = £0

Click to expand...

You can not mean the autochanger as it is fibre optic. A repair to the autochanger would be less than 169!
,

Davie B said:

You can not mean the autochanger as it is fibre optic. A repair to the autochanger would be less than 169!
,

Click to expand...

Nope my auto changer on mine has a standard stereo 2 channel cable to the main stereo and then back to the amp.

Are the HK systems fibre straight from the changer ?
I thought they where copper from the cd changer to the sat nav unit then fibre from there to the amp ?

Sorry I thought all were the clarion fibre optic, so I guess you have to have the cd spinning to hear the iPod?

Davie B said:

Sorry I thought all were the clarion fibre optic, so I guess you have to have the cd spinning to hear the iPod?

Click to expand...

Yep
Just put in any old cd and it allows the iPod to play. Doesn't even stop when the cd changes tracks

Thanks again for the advice.

I ended up digging out my old ipod classic and bought an "Airplay" transmitter on Ebay for less than a fiver and then bought one of those magnet things so I can stick the ipod to my dash when its in use. It's amazingly good quality - have paid 10x that before and they've been awful. Presumably the Range has a higher quality radio reception quality than my previous cars.

Jackpot.

PS - apologies, didn't mean to call the Range a "car".

Sadly now the power steering has given up the ghost completely. As per my original post, it used to work when I turned the ignition off and on again, but now its doesn't correct itself and stays off. I've checked the PAS fluid and its still at a good level and clean, so sadly sounds as though this year I'll be going on holiday to the garage.