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Intermittent loss of Sports Mode and Command Shift from auto
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MGCarr
 


Member Since: 15 Jul 2014
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 703

United Kingdom 2007 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto Buckingham BlueDiscovery 3
Intermittent loss of Sports Mode and Command Shift from auto

Some time ago I observed that at certain times I could not get the car to select sports mode nor change gears manually, this was along with a number of other more urgent electrical problems. Having now resolved these problems, with significant help from Robbie, on here, I am left with this one niggling problem. I have titled the thread 'intermittent loss' as this is how it originally appeared and may be how others with the same problem would search, however having now got rid of my other electrical gremlins it is now apparent that it actually only occurs under very specific circumstances. If I start the car normally with the lights off I get no faults reported on the message centre, this continues as I engage reverse and then neutral but as soon as I engage drive I get 'transmission fault' appearing in the message centre and sport mode is not available, i.e. I can move the lever to the left but D remains showing on the dashboard display and moving the lever forwards or backwards does not force a change. If I switch the side lights on at any point before I engage drive then the car behaves perfectly normally and there is no 'transmission fault' message, sport and command work fine and sport is displayed on the dashboard or the gear number if I use command shift. There is a third scenario which is if I switch the lights on after selecting drive then go into sports mode the D symbol on the dashboard remains but if I then move the lever forward or backward the D goes out and using the live gearbox values read on my IID I can see that it is manually changing gears but it does not show the gear selected on the dashboard.

So far I have checked and replaced the pivot on the gear cable, following the guide on here by Disco_Mikey Bow down, it was not in bad condition but replacing it seemed inexpensive preventative maintenance, adjusted the gear linkage, checked and cleaned the multi-plugs at the gearbox end and checked and cleaned the multi-plugs under the centre console. Non of these have had any effect.

I have the following fault code present if I engage D without previously switching at least the side lights on,

Transmission
•P081C-00 (2F) Unknown

the IID tool lists it as unknown but some trawling of t'internet found a ZF document that says that this fault code occurs if the gearbox is reporting it is in one drive mode and the selector is reporting a different one. If I clear the code and drive the car with the lights on before engaging drive the code does not reappear until I engage drive with the lights off or switch the lights off with the car already in drive or sports mode.

So I apologise for the long winded introduction but I wanted to give as full an explanation of the symptoms as possible, I am assuming that the fault is electrical, possibly a bad earth somewhere but past experience with this car suggests that it will be a control unit failure. The only places that I can think of where the side light electrical supply and the gearbox electrics come together is in the dashboard and in the unit surrounding the gear lever that indicates the gear selected.

Help, has anybody got any suggestions where to look next or has experienced the same fault and found a solution?
 
1997 Defender 90 for the kids and I to have a go at some competitive off road RTV and Tyro trials, daughter picked up her first trophy over the August Bank Holiday.
Previous Land Rover history
1996 P38 4.6 V8 Autobiography
1996 Discovery TDi 300
1972 Range Rover 3.5 V8
LWB Hard Top Series 3
LWB Truck Cab Series 2A
Not been without a Land Rover for over 40 years - I must need therapy! 
 
Post #147576319th May 2015 12:47 am
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Robbie
 


Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932

United Kingdom 2013 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Baltic BlueDiscovery 4

Graph and log commanded vs actual gear against speed and RPM. Do this for all conditions you mention above and repeat the exercise in 'D' mode too.

I'll check if there are any common splices or junctions. In the interim do a visual condition check of the capacitor block near the gear linkage.

Thumbs Up
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Post #147578219th May 2015 6:44 am
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Dai-Disco3
 


Member Since: 30 Nov 2014
Location: Southend on Sea
Posts: 180

United Kingdom 2009 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Auto Stornoway GreyDiscovery 3

This may seem completely daft but have you checked/tried changing the side light bulbs. I upgraded mine to LED bulbs but missed that the upgrade bulbs were not Canbus compatable. The replacement bulbs took the sports mode out of the gearbox, swapping them back, cured. Correct canbus LEDs meant all was well. Seems from your comments it is side light related, so worth checking the bulbs, earths for the bulbs.
May be red herring but perhaps worth a check.
  
Post #147578619th May 2015 6:53 am
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F355GTS
 


Member Since: 10 Nov 2008
Location: North Hampshire
Posts: 849

United Kingdom 2010 Discovery 4 3.0 TDV6 HSE Auto Buckingham BlueDiscovery 4

I was going to say worth trying new rear light bulbs Thumbs Up
 Mark  
Post #147578919th May 2015 6:56 am
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Robbie
 


Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
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United Kingdom 2013 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Baltic BlueDiscovery 4

Dai-Disco3 wrote:
This may seem completely daft but have you checked/tried changing the side light bulbs. I upgraded mine to LED bulbs but missed that the upgrade bulbs were not Canbus compatable. The replacement bulbs took the sports mode out of the gearbox, swapping them back, cured. Correct canbus LEDs meant all was well. Seems from your comments it is side light related, so worth checking the bulbs, earths for the bulbs.
May be red herring but perhaps worth a check.


Yep, LEDs can cause havoc and I have posted my concerns with them elsewhere. Should you have them fitted they would be a good starting point.

Thumbs Up
 Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948

Battery & Quiescent Current Drain Testing

Diagnostics for:
Defender, FL2, D3, D4, Evoque, RRS & FFRR
A not-for-profit enterprise


 
 
Post #147579419th May 2015 7:00 am
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MGCarr
 


Member Since: 15 Jul 2014
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 703

United Kingdom 2007 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto Buckingham BlueDiscovery 3

Thanks for all the suggestions, I have had a few minutes to follow up on some of them and report back, I have changed my led side lights back to filament bulbs, no effect. While I had the lights out I found a couple of earthing points behind the o/s/f light that looked less than perfect so I have given them a good clean, no effect.

I am off to take the kids to Tae Kwon Do now, hopefully I will get time to log some journeys when I return and post them on here. Thumbs Up
 
1997 Defender 90 for the kids and I to have a go at some competitive off road RTV and Tyro trials, daughter picked up her first trophy over the August Bank Holiday.
Previous Land Rover history
1996 P38 4.6 V8 Autobiography
1996 Discovery TDi 300
1972 Range Rover 3.5 V8
LWB Hard Top Series 3
LWB Truck Cab Series 2A
Not been without a Land Rover for over 40 years - I must need therapy! 
 
Post #147601619th May 2015 5:35 pm
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MGCarr
 


Member Since: 15 Jul 2014
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 703

United Kingdom 2007 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto Buckingham BlueDiscovery 3

I have done a visual check of the gearbox capacitor and it looks OK to me, see picture below



I am now trying to work out how to post the graphs of the logs created on the IID tool which I now have on my PC as PDF files, is there a way to get them on here or is it easier to photograph the ipad screen and load them as images?
 
1997 Defender 90 for the kids and I to have a go at some competitive off road RTV and Tyro trials, daughter picked up her first trophy over the August Bank Holiday.
Previous Land Rover history
1996 P38 4.6 V8 Autobiography
1996 Discovery TDi 300
1972 Range Rover 3.5 V8
LWB Hard Top Series 3
LWB Truck Cab Series 2A
Not been without a Land Rover for over 40 years - I must need therapy! 
 
Post #147622419th May 2015 11:34 pm
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MGCarr
 


Member Since: 15 Jul 2014
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 703

United Kingdom 2007 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto Buckingham BlueDiscovery 3

Driving with the lights off during which I moved the gear lever into the 'sport' position and attempted to make manual gear changes several times

Click image to enlarge


Driving with the lights switched on before engaging drive and making manual gear changes from about 28 to 85 seconds.

Click image to enlarge


Switching the lights on after about 10 seconds of recording then using manual gear changes from about 35 seconds to 87 seconds.

Click image to enlarge
 
1997 Defender 90 for the kids and I to have a go at some competitive off road RTV and Tyro trials, daughter picked up her first trophy over the August Bank Holiday.
Previous Land Rover history
1996 P38 4.6 V8 Autobiography
1996 Discovery TDi 300
1972 Range Rover 3.5 V8
LWB Hard Top Series 3
LWB Truck Cab Series 2A
Not been without a Land Rover for over 40 years - I must need therapy! 
 
Post #147622620th May 2015 12:29 am
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bellautos
 


Member Since: 02 Feb 2006
Location: NorthYorkshire
Posts: 2532

United Kingdom 2010 Discovery 4 3.0 TDV6 SE Auto Santorini BlackDiscovery 4

Not sure if it will help you but the fault code is P081C Park input circuit.

You can check P fault codes in the search box on my web site should you have any missing or unknowns http://bellautoservices.co.uk/

Regards Pete
  
Post #147989028th May 2015 8:16 am
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MGCarr
 


Member Since: 15 Jul 2014
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 703

United Kingdom 2007 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto Buckingham BlueDiscovery 3

Thanks Pete

That might tie in with another problem that I occasionally experience which is that the car will not always release the ignition key if I have switched the ignition on and then off without engaging a gear. Cycling it through the gears and back into park then releases it.

Regards

John
 
1997 Defender 90 for the kids and I to have a go at some competitive off road RTV and Tyro trials, daughter picked up her first trophy over the August Bank Holiday.
Previous Land Rover history
1996 P38 4.6 V8 Autobiography
1996 Discovery TDi 300
1972 Range Rover 3.5 V8
LWB Hard Top Series 3
LWB Truck Cab Series 2A
Not been without a Land Rover for over 40 years - I must need therapy! 
 
Post #148058330th May 2015 2:03 am
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Disco_Mikey
 


Member Since: 29 May 2007
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Posts: 20713

Scotland 2005 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Auto Cairns BlueDiscovery 3

Splice joint in the NS footwell, Purple/Yellow wire IIRC

Seen this fault a few times now Thumbs Up

I expect the red gear position LEDs don't illuminate until the sidelights have been switched on?
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Post #148059230th May 2015 6:15 am
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MGCarr
 


Member Since: 15 Jul 2014
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 703

United Kingdom 2007 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto Buckingham BlueDiscovery 3

Thanks Mikey

You are right the LEDs for the gear positions are only illuminated when the sidelights are on, as this is my first Discovery 3, I assumed this was normal. Do you know roughly where in the footwell the splice is? Is it behind the plastic trim or under the carpet?

Regards

John
 
1997 Defender 90 for the kids and I to have a go at some competitive off road RTV and Tyro trials, daughter picked up her first trophy over the August Bank Holiday.
Previous Land Rover history
1996 P38 4.6 V8 Autobiography
1996 Discovery TDi 300
1972 Range Rover 3.5 V8
LWB Hard Top Series 3
LWB Truck Cab Series 2A
Not been without a Land Rover for over 40 years - I must need therapy! 
 
Post #148069230th May 2015 10:36 am
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Robbie
 


Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932

United Kingdom 2013 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Baltic BlueDiscovery 4

I thought it was green and purple, but my memory is rubbish!
 Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948

Battery & Quiescent Current Drain Testing

Diagnostics for:
Defender, FL2, D3, D4, Evoque, RRS & FFRR
A not-for-profit enterprise


 
 
Post #148070230th May 2015 10:54 am
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Disco_Mikey
 


Member Since: 29 May 2007
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Posts: 20713

Scotland 2005 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Auto Cairns BlueDiscovery 3

It could be Green/Purple, it's been a while since I have seen this fault again, but Purple/Yellow was the first colour that sprang to mind
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TDV8 Retrofit Build Thread 
 
Post #148073530th May 2015 11:53 am
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Lost for Words
 


Member Since: 03 Sep 2013
Location: Warminster, Wiltshire
Posts: 6703

United Kingdom 2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Auto Zambezi SilverDiscovery 3

Found a post of yours where you say Purple/Blue, Mikey: http://www.disco3.co.uk/forum/post1047558.html#1047558 Thumbs Up
 Current: Discovery 3 06MY (55 reg) HSE Auto Zambezi Silver Zambezi Silver Allisport Fast Road Intercooler, V8 Brakes, Silicone IC Hoses, EGRs Blanked, Remapped, De-Cat pipe, FBHIC
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Post #148073930th May 2015 11:58 am
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