Newcomer already needing help

Hi all.
New to the forum and New to landrover or any 4x4 intact.
Just bought my first Landy today with intentions of offloading anD pay and play days. It's a 200tdi defender 90 it has lift kit and insas so Will I need? Secondly after a bumpy 30 mile drive home and going down some local woods with friends I stalled it and now it won't start with key. It will bump can anybody shed any light on my situaction. It did start once with key after this but now totally dead. Much appreciated.

you need to go to the introduce yourself section first, then come back.

sounds like the ignition wire has dropped off the starter to me.

Starter solenoid?

Red white wire off the starter.

However I would be interested in what woods you have been playing in?? Sounds fun

Ok starter wire will be checked. Will try that this morning. Haynes manual will be bought today as my mechanics skills are nearly non existant. I was first getting one click and alldash lights then bumped with no problems I thought it could have been the starter sticking so turned off. Tried to start again same problem. Drove for five miles turned off and back on started with key. Drove 5 miles more turned off turned on no dash lights or nothing. I Will try jumpers and volt meter also today then can go to local pay and play.

Check your battery connections as well if the lights are sometimes on and off.

The most common fault is a lack of good, solid earthing.

Check that you have a good link between the battery and the chassis and the chassis to the engine block.

Next, make sure that you have an earth between the starter solenoid and the engine block.

Then check that you have a 12V feed from your starter switch to the starter solenoid.

Then come back with some test results

Thanks will test when I am dressed. Checked connection to battery last night and there solid. Also is the starter motor counter under the exhaust manifold/downppie. If so I can only see one wire running to it which is bolted to the back of it. Do I have to remove starter to see other wires. Thanks

Ok so went to use jumpers moved the battery and CD player started working. Turned ignition got the clicking sound again. Followed neutral wire and is earthed to chassie. Going to checkppositive wires next

A quick test of good earth is if you fit a jump lead from the negative terminal of the battery and the other end directly onto the engine i usualy use the thermostate housing or somewhere out of the way of any moving parts then try and restart.

If it starts easily then you need to make a good earth connection. Retry with the earth cable onto a clean chassis part to find out which earth batt to chassis or chassis to engine lead or both you need to change or clean up./

if it makes no difference then you need to look into the red white wire starter solonoid (Starter relay IF you have one) or the main battery cable from the starter to the battery positive.

Is the battery secure? it it able to short against the seat base?? make sure terminals are insulated and battery secured down

Thanks again. The battery isn't secure and can move about so will sort that I will try the earth trick who's has been mentioned just had to nip out if this doesn't work I'll clean connection to solenoid and hopefully will work will get back to you later thanks again

Battery connections loose? 12v feed off the starter or the starter itself are all problems Ive had while offroading.


Some may disapprove but if you look down at the starter motor you can test the starter by using a screw driver to bridge between the positive wire on the starter to the small spade connector, you should hear the starter plunge out and start spinning i think,

I went out in my 90 the other week, only nipped to a mates drove there, had an hour came home parked up, in the morning we went to go off roading and nothing. ended up it was the starter itself

Clean all your earth and starter motor wires,clean battery terminals and make sure it's a good battery.

Ok so had the battery tested on 3 testers all 100% I can only see the earth running to the gearbox. Still no ignition lights but if I tap the starter I get ignition light and can hear th starter clicking. Does anybody have a phone number to pm me. Thanks

Could be starter solinoid,clean the wires up.

Finally got it running!!! Loose wires on back of starter motor. I'm also tipping this wire runs to the ignition and this is why I wasn't getting any power. Anyway looks like a tight spot to get to and exhaust needs to come off. Will do this tomorrow clean the connections up and hopefully problem solved. Thanks for everybody's answers and knowing me will be back with other questions soon. Cheers

Yes, I had something similar a while ago and I spent ages wondering whether it was a faulty immobiliser. It turned out to be one of the spade connectors on the end of the starter motor. Cleaned them up and squeezed the outer part of the connector together with pliers so it gripped the inner bit more firmly and it has been fine since.

i squeezed my 12v feed really tight then pushed it on, hasn't budged since!