Land Rover Repair: Discovery TDI 2.5 Electrical problem, discovery tdi, speed drill

Question
Dear John, i own a Discovery TDI 2.5 1997. The problem is that it wont start. When i turn the ignition key. The starter does spin with enough power but it does not start the engine. I had to short with a cable from the positive battery bolt to the solenoid and this way it starts perfectly well but i have to do this all the time and disconect the cable from the bolt in order to stop my disco. I really dont know what is going on. Any help would be great. Thanks a lot!

Answer
Hi John,

so your starter spins but the engine does not turn over. Attach a cable from the + side of battery to the solenoid and your Disco starts.  Seems to me that your solenoid is to blame.  Existing wires from ignition switch to starter are all ok?  Interesting that the drive motor is spinning (does it sound like a high speed drill?) but not cranking the engine.  Perhaps the added volts from the battery are causing the solenoid to engage.

Best of luck with this,

JohnMc

NB:  do you think you have a short somewhere around the starter or the ignition switch?