Fuse 49 problems.please help.

Hi all, have done a search but nobody seems to have posted about the following problem.

My 2003 autobiography has developed a couple of strange issues that have come to a head..

Driving along the other week I heard an arcing noise from behind the stereo head unit /satnav / on board computer screen. The day after when returning to the car after shopping the radio didn't come on, no orange light at all.

Fast forward a week, go to start the car and nothing no starter at all.
Jump start car literally touch the leads onto the Range Rover battery and it fires, disconnect leads, turn off engine and it restarts straight away.

Morning after we load the dogs and find the car won't start again key won't even unlock column this time. Jump start as before.
Return from walking the dogs, remove fuse 49 and 08 radio stuff.

Leave car nearly a week and no issues starting. Replace fuse and car won't start within seconds. Remove fuse, jump car and she starts straight away again.

Please help me.......

Checked rear audio bay and notice condensation in bay and on spare wheel, how wet is wet? I hear people saying it's like a swimming pool.

Look forward to reading and thanks for your replies.

Any wet will cause you issues


I'd be checking behind the stereo too if you say you heard arching noises ! Before you have a fire !

Water gets in through the rear off side window and tailgate seal

Judging by the age of your car I'd put my money on a bad tailgate seal
As my 2002 has just needed a new one because it was leaking water into the spare wheel area


Good luck

Had all the dash out this evening, to check the connections behind the radio. Nothing obvious to report.

Which tailgate seal leaks? All I've read about is the rear quarter lights leaking causing a swimming pool around the spare wheel.

The whole rubber seal around the tailgate and upper tailgate

It's a complete seal

If yours is all squashed and deformed it will need changing

Not heard of lights causing water inside the car, inside the lights yes

Sorry hippo, I meant the rear windows. My right hand light has moisture in but that's a different story.