So on a trip down to Pompey from the ancestral pile in Warks last Friday evening, I was bimbling along the A34 minding my own business with the cruise on at a steady 70, whereupon I was just about to pass a Sprinter in the NS Lane. Out of bloody nowhere a massive flood was encountered by us both (neither of us saw it - it was dark, hadn't rained for hours and there were no signs warning of it). Frankly the Sprinter driver and I never stood a chance.

The upshot was however, that being slightly in front of the old Fatty, the Sprinter surged through the flood depositing about a million gallons of water all over my windscreen/front end. At the same time, I hit the flood with cruise on, at which point the Fatty started to aquaplane, the wipers were going nuts trying to clear the screen, whilst my rusty sherrifs badge was doing the whole "Thrupenny bit/Half a crown" trick in my shorts, trying to eat it's way through to the seat. I held on for grim death, kept it straight whilst blinded by the deluge and managed not to lose control of various bodily functions or my dignity in front of Her Ladyship. (Stiff upper lip and all that. What?)

Mercifully, we didn't hit anything and after a metaphorical shake of her coat, the Fatty simply carried on as if nothing had happened. We arrived at our destination about an hour and 20 later, parked up and everything seemd fine. The following lunchtime I went back to the Fatty and deposited some stuff in the boot without any apparent issue.

Fast forward to 1800 Sunday evening and the whole car was dead. Fobs wouldn't work, not even a twitch. The battery was as flat as a wombat. So we managed to cajole some staunch chaps into giving her a jump and she started fine. No Christmas tree lights, nothing. We then drove the 3 hours home to Farkhem Hall and again, no issues. (Other than the drivers side side-step having deployed and got stuck out) - I knew I'd turned these orf previously (because they're sh!te) but of course the flat battery had reset everything. So I turned them orf again. And when I tried to lock the car to go to bed, neither of the fobs would work and I couldn 't lock her until I had bggered about and managed to get them working again. Somehow. (don't ask me what I did - I have no clue. I tried everything so it could have been anything). They seem to be fine now. Go figure.

I fully expected to get a phone call early the following morning (by which time I was thrutching my way toward The Smoke on my trusty two-wheeled steed). But it never happened! I didn't get the call!
Fatty started right as ninepence the following morning. But stap me, after Her ladyship having used the thing to go to work that day, the ruddy side step was stuck out again. Fatty has started without issue since the weekend and all has seemed well (apart from the bloody side step being permanently stuck out). It had a new battery in March so I don't suspect that having caused the dead battery and weird behaviours since then.

So I can only deduce that having narrowly missed meeting our maker and cheating death, the floodwater the Sprinter kindly deposited all over my screen had found it's way into the battery box and has soaked the ECU, causing the thing to spaz out and flatten the battery.

I'm planning on pulling the ECU this coming weekend for a check and squirt around with some appropriate water displacement jubbly, (and finally removing those troublesome side steps too - how crap are they?), whilst checking for water ingress, flooding and corrosion. Before I do so however, I'm fishing for some advice on how not to completely bgger up my pride and joy in the process.

Any advice would be most gratefully recieved.

Yours moistly,

Fav. Experience is the one thing you don't get until just after you need it.

*************************************************
2011 L322 Vogue HSE 4.4 TDV8 Galway Green/Sand - Current
2006 L322 Vogue SE 3.6 Java Black/Sand - Current
2009 L322 Vogue 3.6 TDV8 Stornaway Grey/Ivory - current but dead
2018 Discovery 5 - Gone
2017 Discovery 5 - Gone
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark - Gone
1997 P38 Vogue - Gone
1988 LR 110 V8 County - Gone
1981 LR 109 Stage 1 V8 County - Gone

I would start removing fuses before removing ecus looking to isolate the circuit that is drawing power when it shouildn't. ECUs are generally well sealed as are their connectors, with the only one that I know of being the transfer case ecu and its connectors where the ecu only has a cover to stop falling water from getting to the circut board, although I have no experience with the side-steps ecu.

Thanks Graeme.The sidesteps ECU is inside the footwell, so unlikely to have got a dousing.

Giventhatthebattery has not gone flat all week and the Fatty has been used well, I'm not convinced there is a draw.

I'm more concerned about the ECU having had a soaking and moisture having got into the pins or the casing, which given the circs, seems more likely to me.

The side step issue might be a separate issue - they have been playing up for a while which is why I switched them off. Experience is the one thing you don't get until just after you need it.

*************************************************
2011 L322 Vogue HSE 4.4 TDV8 Galway Green/Sand - Current
2006 L322 Vogue SE 3.6 Java Black/Sand - Current
2009 L322 Vogue 3.6 TDV8 Stornaway Grey/Ivory - current but dead
2018 Discovery 5 - Gone
2017 Discovery 5 - Gone
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark - Gone
1997 P38 Vogue - Gone
1988 LR 110 V8 County - Gone
1981 LR 109 Stage 1 V8 County - Gone