2003 td 6 vogue 165,000 miles just passed mot 6 days ago ,emissions all fine

hi all changed 3 injectors to stop erratic idle and idles good again .
Was out working ,travelled 60 miles worked then started travelling back . Pulling up to a roundabout she wouldn't pull away and the steering became heavy coasted, for about 25 meters and stopped . She had cut out . I put her in park tried to restart and the dash lights cut out with no turn over . Long story but eventually rac lifted her back home (6 Hrs) . At home i looked at the battery and the positive was slightly loose and the battery was flat 11.5 volt . Charged the battery up and tried to turn it over ,starter makes a funny noise but no turning over at all and the ignition lights disappear and have to wait for them to come back on . Suspected duff battery, so fitted a known, good charged battery, off my other l 322 . The battery zips the other l 322 over and starts her no problem ,so i know it is good . Exactly the same . Trying to start ,the starter motor makes a funny noise but doesn't engage or try to turn over and when doing it, the dash lights disappear and i have to wait 5 to 6 seconds for the dash lights to come back on . I removed the starter motor and using a large screwdriver/lever i can move the flywheel . Not easily but i wouldn't expect to with a 6 cylinder diesel . With the motor off, on the floor attached by jump leads, the starter motor seems to engage and turn over ok . If i put a lever in the teeth and energize it does a good job of taking metal off the lever .
I'm a bit stuck now, has anyone ever had this happen before ? I'm a bit worried if coasting, i cooked the auto box or the engine so to speak . She's done 165 thousand miles and had a reconditioned box at 110 thousand and a new torque converter and I've changed the filter ,oil every 15,000 miles on the auto box . She keeps at 12 o'clock on the temperature gauge and losses no water and uses no oil .I've had no problem with the box and its been very smooth no snatch etc.,
A bit lost now so any help would be appreciated
Many thanks

Sounds like a voltage issue. Not necessarily the battery, more something has partially shorted out causing a serious drain.

Try disconnecting the alternator. It may be semi-shorted out inside.

Also wondering if you have a seized alternator/water pump/ac compressor etc? Have seen an ax compressor stall an engine when the bearings failed and it wouldn't turn over.

The earth straps front of the engine to chassis are a common failure on all L322s

Try a jump lead from the negative battery post to engine and supply a direct earth. If you can have the starter checked over to rule it out.

Change the earth strap then you have a know good one as they rot where you can not see they are a common fault, located passenger side engine mount area.

on going ,
fitted a starter motor of my other l 322 same result .
fitted a brand new battery same result
fitted an auxiliary earth lead from the battery to the starter motor bolt same result
removed the glow plugs and it will turn over but very very slowly . Almost as if its half turn over speed .
took the air conditioning belt off same result
took the serpentine belt and same result .
Im a bit lost now as to whether it is the engine td6 or if its excessive drag due to the transmission
any one have any ideas please ?
to recap driving up to a roundabout at about 30 miles an hour engine cut out rushed it into neutral and coasted to a halt . No bangs ,no smoke nothing .oil level still at max (never used oil ) transmission was rebuilt 40 k ago and transmission oil changed 11,000 miles ago .
head scratching now
thanks

Check the continuity, battery live to alternator, starter.

Mark Piercy said:

Check the continuity, battery live to alternator, starter.

Click to expand...

The positive wire has been know to corrode away inside the plastic sheath, so use a jump lead to test.

Many thanks to all. Fitted a secondary cable from the starter to the positive and it's the same result. Tried turning the engine over by hand with the glow plugs out and it's as stiff as stiff can be . Usually once you move them they're smooth but this just is tight tight tight. Almost as if it's picking up on the main bearings. Is this common unusual on the td6 ? Somewhere on the net it says the oil pumps go down but this has a regular oil and filter change every 10,000 sometimes earlier. Elsewhere they say the td 6 is an indomitable engine capable of over 250 thousand miles