Hello all,

Posting for a friend who has a poorly 2011 LR Disco 4 3.0sdv6 168k

On the way back from Liverpool last Sunday driving along the M6 at 65mph my mate heard something that sounded like a belt snapping, one second later battery light on and the car went dead. He managed to coast through the M6 / M5 interchange and go into the hard shoulder. AA attended and thought it could be alternator. Recovered back to home, I’ve placed my Autel machine on it and there are loads of faults, communications lost is the main on from all modules. Tested battery with a multimeter and it’s showing 11.04v and when you try to start all you hear is a click from the starter motor. So I tried to jumpstart his disco using my RRS 3.0tdv6, left it connected and running for 10mins before trying to start. Again just a click. My mate has removed all the under trays to get to the alternator and the belt is in place but worringly when using a pretty big bar he cannot turn the engine over. Anyone got any ideas, encountered those before? Or checks to carry out before crying? It’s been fully serviced and he’s carried out a full service in May too.

Any help or advice would be most welcome.

If it won't turn over with a bar on it .. my guess would be the crank having become two smaller cranks  2014 BMW 530d Touring, 2006 BMW 650i, 2018 Mini Cooper S

Hey Aaronjb,

Thanks for the reply. Out of curiosity if the starter is seized would that prevent the engine from turning over? Or is that clutching at straws?

The starter should disengage from the flexplate.. but a friend did have a chunk of starter snout break off and jam the flexplate in his Audi so it is possible!

With a block that won't turn you are pretty much down to physically separating components to figure it out, though, unfortunately.. starter out, see if anything moves, if not then it could also be the gearbox so you'd have to split that off as well.

I guess I'd pull the starter if it's easy, and then the sump.. 2014 BMW 530d Touring, 2006 BMW 650i, 2018 Mini Cooper S

I know the signs don't look good, but I can't understand why the battery is soo low, as at 11V it's really . Even if the worst has happened how is the battery like it is. You say it went dead,,,, is that like no dash lights at all 2010 RRS, TDV8
bali Blue / colour coded
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heated everything, TV,fridge ...... now with gold calipers and mud flaps !( black mud flaps that is) !!
Many years ago,,,,, 1955 series 1 landie , sometimes wish I had kept it

Hi gogsy1956,

So battery wise when the recovery firm dropped the car off I placed my multimeter over the poles and it read 11.04, the Autel computer I used when I checked the PCM said system voltage was 11.48 (I think).

The car, he was driving around 65mph heard what he thought could be a belt letting go then the engine cut out and as he looked down the battery light was on.

No bangs, clatters no oil in coolant oil level reading is 75%. He’s going to remove the oil filter later today to see if there’s any debris, the battery was checked and is only 30% healthy.

Could the alternator have failed and seized? A failed alternator would obviously result in a battery becoming depleted. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

But he would have had the alternator warning light glowing prior to the engine stopping…it’s a diesel so would normally run on anyway. The low voltage subsequently is likely to be him trying to start a seized engine…

Good point. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Hi everyone,

Thank you all for the comments. Once my mate has took off the starter and dropped the sump I will update more. Plus I will ensure to close off the tread with the root cause too.

We all have our fingers crossed for you! Hope it works out…

Hello everyone.

So a short and painful update on this topic. After trying to charge the battery and get the engine to turn over without success, we decided to drain the oil and look for particulates. The previous owner had fitted a magnetic sump plug and when this was removed a very large amount my metallic debris was observed.

The car has now been SORN and the search for a engine rebuilder has begun. At the moment the rough cost quoted is £4000+vat ( it sure if I’m allowed to say the company name in the forum) but that would give a 12pm that warranty.

Thank you all for your thoughts and inputs. A sad day but I’m sure my mates Disco 4 will be on the road again soon.

We have a 2013 Kahn RRS with a replaced 3.0 SDV6 in it at the shop. The goons who replaced it didn’t tighten the crank shaft pulley. Looks like the guy needs another engine. Ouch. 2011 RRS HSE Luxury 3.0 TDV6 Fuji White on Ebony/Ivory
Born and raised in So Cal. Moved to the UK in 2018 for a few years. Now in Poland and looking at moving back to the UK.

Scotty1980 wrote:

The car has now been SORN and the search for a engine rebuilder has begun. At the moment the rough cost quoted is £4000+vat ( it sure if I’m allowed to say the company name in the forum) but that would give a 12pm that warranty.