Hello,

i need some help and advice please.
Today i got into my 2008 rr sport TDV8, turned the key and it made a light screech and would not start.
After a few take out the key and put it back and start again, it turned over and ran.
I got a message saying Parking brake fault, electronic release not functional.

after i got home 15 mile journey, i restarted and all messages cleared.
So i left it a couple of hours and got back in, turned the key and it struggled to start, rather like a flat battery, then when it did start i got that message again.

It seems a lot like I have a low battery and my trip computer is resetting itself.

So could this be a power problem or the electronic handbrake?

Car has covered 150k miles and runs well, fresh service MOT, all good brakes etc.

It does sound like battery which you can get tested at Halfords to be sure. They can behave a bit odd when the battery is on its way out, throwing up all manner of electrical gremlins.

I wouldn’t look at any of the other issues until you have eliminated the battery (it may fix everything) Range Rover Sport HSE DYnamic SDV6 Velocity blue 2020 MY
Range Rover sport HSE Dynamic P400e Silver
Range Rover Sport 3.0 SDV6 HSE Dynamic 2016 MY
Range Rover sport 3.6tdv8HSE 2007 Gone
Range Rover sport 2.7tdv6SE 2005 Gone
Range Rover sport 2.7tdv6SE 2007 honey
Range rover Vogue 2005 4.4 - GONE and missed
BMW 535d M sport 2006 - GONE not as missed
BMW X5 4.4 2004 sport - GONE

It happened again, I managed to get the car into my local independant dealership (200 mts from my house) and they said it seems like the starter motor.
they are changing this and tell me its a 2 hour job plus the new starter motor, which I agreed to a non land rover one to save costs.

The thing that I just do not get is why the random error codes, when it clearly cannot be anything related to a parking brake and why is the car resetting the trip computer for no apparent reason.

These cars have a brain of their own but its not a very clever one.

The current draw from the starter is massive and could draw power from any module trying to power up and do a PBIT, if it can’t complete the BIT it will throw a code. Do you have the drive away handbrake enabled? 2019 5.0 SC SVA (Current)
2012 5.0 SC AB. Sadly written off by a campervan
23 plate Focus ST (Current)
1942 VEP Ford GPW Jeep (Willys) (Current)
1943 Whites M16 Halftrack (Current)
16 plate Eurofighter Typhoon, 2 x Eurojet engines with 20,000lbs thrust each. 1380mph

FWIW, I recently replaced my battery as on cold mornings I would always get a Hill Descent Control error when starting (and sometimes a 'special programmes off' error as well). The car always turned over fine though. The new battery resolved these errors for me.

Do you still get the same errors when restarting the car after a drive? (when you would expect the battery to still hold a decent charge).

Good luck on the 2 hour on a TDV8 if it is the starter you also want the mod breather kit 2008 G4 RRSport TDV8 current
2009 TDCi 90 current
2018 Discovery 5 HSE lux current
1994 Dakar current

Hmmm...now im getting furthered confused.
The garage called me said they had replaced the starter motor and now its turning over better but not firing.
They said they will put another battery on to see if this solves the issue, in which case we will then know it was a faulty starter which has drained down and damaged the old battery.

They did charge up my original battery before but it didnt start propperly so it could have been that but they advised on changing the starter motor because it ws clicking.

This sounds like one of those chicken and egg situations but I am no expert here.

What is a mod breather kit?

It a pipe and y piece that you connect to the starter and put up the side of the bell housing gen L/R part . Water gets into the starter that don’t have them fitted that’s what the starter for some reason it’s only needed on the sports not the FFRR withe the same engine 2008 G4 RRSport TDV8 current
2009 TDCi 90 current
2018 Discovery 5 HSE lux current
1994 Dakar current