2014 Range Rover Sport - multiple error messages

[DanX5]

About a week ago, I had a plethora of error messages come up on dash:

Gear box fault
EBD fault
HDC System not available system fault
Emergency Brake Assist not available
ABS fault
Stability Control not available
IES System not available
Park Brake fault

Plus the driver side headlight has been intermittent, sometimes flickers like a strobe, sometimes works fine, sometimes only on sidelight. Other issues are drivers side heated seat no longer works, plus the TFT dash display gets bright then fades and gets bright again. Car goes into a ‘limp’ mode where it won’t change up a gear but once turned off and on again the car is fine again.

I put it on an overnight CTEK battery charger as I suspected low voltage but it messages reoccurred.

Booked it into the local LR Indy specialist, and today they confirmed it read 48 faults and cleared them, took for a test drive and tried it on and off throughout the day (and confirmed heated seat was both elements needing replacement and a worn out wire).

All was reset but within 5 miles of my drive home every message started flashing up again.

Any ideas?

[Hashtaggggg]

You need a new battery

[A.J.M]

You need a new battery and maybe a new alternator

[DanX5]

Thanks for the replies, do you think new battery even though I left my existing one on a battery charger and whilst fully charged the same messages appeared? I will fit a new battery at the weekend anyway and see if that works.

[R8Steve]

DanX5 said:

Thanks for the replies, do you think new battery even though I left my existing one on a battery charger and whilst fully charged the same messages appeared? I will fit a new battery at the weekend anyway and see if that works.

Yes, it's probably not holding/taking a charge.

[Steviesam]

I had a million errors on mine, thurned out it was a wheel speed sensor. Once that couldnt report speed all the other ecus flipped out.

[DanX5]

An update on this one:

New battery fitted last Saturday which seemed to stop the multiple error messages popping up (although in process of this managed to lock my keys in the car with engine running, no spare keys!! Recovery guy used inflatable pouches in top of drivers door frame to allow him to insert a rod to open the window).

However, even with new battery, the drivers light was still flickering / strobing and the TFT screen was dimming / brightening randomly. Booked back in the garage this week.

Explanation by garage was that it turned out to be an earthing issue on rear arch to aluminium body where the earthing strap had completely corroded, causing electrical issues throughout car.

Cost to fix the issue:

Initial diagnostics, reset and test drive 109
New battery 182
Further investigation and replace earthing strap 152
Total 443

Fingers crossed its now solved the issue!

[snake_oil]

Sounds like a lot of faults for a 2014 car! Heated seat elements requiring replacement?!

[DanX5]

Not tried the heated seats since the latest repair, will do so and report back

[DanX5]

Heated seats work fine......glad now that I didn’t agree to the garages recommendation to strip down the seats and replace both elements, quote was approx 400+vat!!

[roadsmash]

I wince when people buy Range Rovers and don’t get a warranty. Do you have one? If not, might be worth it.

[Superleg48]

Aren’t all Range Rovers perhaps the least reliable cars on the road? When I say all, I mean every variant ever produced. Or am I being unfair? Never owned one, but everyone I know that has, seems to have enjoyed multiple issues almost constantly.

[DanX5]

roadsmash said:

I wince when people buy Range Rovers and don’t get a warranty. Do you have one? If not, might be worth it.

No, it was purchased just within manufacturers warranty with balance of 5 yr service pack, so after 2.5yrs ownership I’ve not done too bad, this is my first real ‘repair’ bill other than wear & tear items (brakes and tyres) and MOT costs.

It’s no different to any other expensive car I’ve owned that has fallen out of warranty; BMW X5 with failed air suspension, Mercedes AMG with failed power seats and some diagnostic issues, etc.

My other car is a (just) out of warranty Maserati, so if I’ve got my fingers crossed its on that one! To be fair that has been spot on so far too (also 2014 plate). The cost saving of buying a 2 to 3 yr old car compared to buying new is on balance worth it to enable me to own 2 nice cars for less than the original price of one........

[roadsmash]

I meant an extended warranty. Not manufacturer.

[dulcinea]

My 64 plate RRS is showing a suspension fault. It went to the dealer last week and a valve was replaced but the fault still comes up and yesterday the car rose up to its highest setting and stuck there - it came down after starting up 4 hours later. I was in the process of negotiating a new one anyway and expressed my concern to the salesman yesterday at 10am. Was promised a call back from the service manager that morning and almost 24 hours later my phone remains silent. Not feeling the love for the brand today but having looked at the competition they all feel a bit plain after a RRS.

[SGirl]

roadsmash said:

I wince when people buy Range Rovers and don’t get a warranty. Do you have one? If not, might be worth it.

I wince when people buy RRs and do buy a warranty. I paid £3000 for mine, supposedly covering nearly everything. Nothing major has gone wrong on the car, luckily, but a few little bits have - it's 10 years old, after all. And my warranty company has paid out the princely sum of - £179. I wouldn't buy another warranty. Or if I did, it would be for big-ticket items only and just cover the first few months of ownership if possible.

Superleg48 said:

Aren’t all Range Rovers perhaps the least reliable cars on the road? When I say all, I mean every variant ever produced. Or am I being unfair? Never owned one, but everyone I know that has, seems to have enjoyed multiple issues almost constantly.

You're being unfair. I've had two L322s now - a 4.2l supercharged and a 5.0l supercharged. Neither has broken down any more often than other cars of the same age. Little stuff goes wrong occasionally - parking sensors, tailgate straps, ball joints, the strap that holds the petrol cap on. I usually just note stuff down in a little notebook and get it fixed when it goes in for a service. I snapped a tailgate strap a couple of weeks ago, that was the first the garage had seen of me for nearly 12 months when I took it in with a perished hose. I booked a service at the same time and they asked what extra bits needed fixing this time. This was a couple of weeks ago now, and I still haven't found anything else that needs doing. I might have to make something up at this rate.

In short: I don't think I'd chance buying a newer one (if I could afford one, that is!), but if you get a slightly older one that's sorted then there's no reason to believe it'll be any less reliable than a Eurobox as long as you look after it and make sure it's serviced on time.

To put it another way, despite my initial misgivings about RR ownership due to what people say about RR reliability, I've been pleasantly surprised. My two have never left me stranded at the roadside. I'd have a newer one next time as well, if they hadn't messed with the styling, stretched it and reduced the boot space.

[roadsmash]

Good for you.

Although £3k for a warranty is outrageous.

[SGirl]

roadsmash said:

Good for you.

Although £3k for a warranty is outrageous.

I agree. It was supposed to cover nearly everything. And it does. But they wriggle out on technicalities every single time.

[Charlie Croker mk2]

Dan X , do you know where this earthing point in the wheel arch is ?

[DanX5]

No sorry, although if I get 5 mins at the weekend I will take a look as they (unhelpfully) left some trim panels unattached (behind the clip in panels on drivers side of boot) which I have got to put back in place with plastic screw fixings so if this earthing point is visible I will take a pic and post up.