Expert: Carl Brandt - 11/10/2011

Question
QUESTION: hi, this Land Rover Discovery '99 ran fine has some oxygen sensor thing needs brakes, transmission fluid leaks a little if sits long time but runs great. when i turned the key to start it for a few weeks it sounded a little labored to start then a few weeks ago i turned the key it made a rr-r sound to turn over and didnt.  the battery was fully charged, it was in gear,  no other sounds, it just did not start. what's wrong with it?

thank you,

sally

ANSWER: Sally,
First of all, it sounds like the Rover needs to go to a reputable shop and have a complete tune up, along with a new oxygen sensor and brakes.  The transmission fluid should be changed, along with a new transmission filter.  If the fluid is a little low, you might try adding a product called Trans-Medic to the transmission.  It seems to help in some cases.
If the motor is not turning over, and you know that the battery is good, you may have a bad starter.  I would double check the battery, or jump start it just to confirm that the battery is good.

Without actually seeing the Rover in person, it is hard to really diagnose the problems accurately.

Carl


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ah yes first things first.  Thank you and I agree - however, the vehicle wont start and the reason is not clear.  Its been jumped, recharged and it quickly is dead again almost to just try turning it over the battery is relatively new purchased from O'Reilys which is Checkers. There is something causing this and now i'm becoming aware that its been tampered with someway.  What would cause this? I would have agreed the starter but would the starter have caused what i have described over the course of about a month, then just not turn over at all and cause this to happen to the battery power? If this is way too diagnostic for this i understand but I was hoping that someone might know how a vehicle "starts" or doesn't and what could cause that a vehicle would not start? Not in gear, dead battery, ignition? I wondered if you knew.

Answer
Sally,
Actually, this doesn't sound right, but it could still be the battery as it sounds like the new battery has a shorted or dead cell.  I replaced a battery in one of my vehicles with an Optima and within two months, the battery failed.  I replaced it again, and have not had any problems since, and this has been 3 years ago.
Many times, new components can fail or be faulty.
If it starts when you jump it, then the battery is low on power and draining somehow, or bad.  Any reputable shop can do a load test on the battery to see if the starter is pulling more current than normal.  A faulty starter can be intermittent, or have bad brushes or bearings which can cause a larger than normal drain on the battery.  The load test can be done in just a few minutes. This is also a good test for the battery as a good battery's voltage should not go below ten or so volts when starting assuming that the starter is in good condition.  A load test done properly, can test the alternator output also.
If it isn't the battery, or starter, then you may have a slow drain on the battery.  This can be anything from a brake light, dome light, shorted wiring, switch or any other electrical component that is sticking on.  
A reputable shop can do a leakage test on the battery and see if there are any unusual electrical drains.

Rovers do tend to have electrical problems as they age.  

Carl