Folks, I've got an odd one. Recently purchased a 2008 4.2SC.

On a cold start, the starter motor is continuously engaged AFTER the engine has already turned over and is running. While vehicle is running, the starter continuously makes the grinding sound in Park and Neutral. When I shift into Reverse or Drive, the starter motor finally disengages. Only codes showing up on the scan were for a Fan 2 Circuit (which was fixed, please see below).

This issue does NOT occur when the engine has warmed up. I can turn the vehicle on and off as many times as I want AFTER the vehicle has warmed up and the starter behaves perfectly normally. I have owned all generations of the L322 (fairly trouble free outside of the usual EAS shenanigans), and this is the first time I have experienced something like this.

I checked the starter relay (swapped it) still same thing happens. I pulled the 40A fuse and saw this; looked like some whitening of the black plastic around where the 40A + 50A fuses were located for the Starter Motor and Aux Fan. Funny enough I swapped the 50A fuse with a spare one and the code for Fan 2 Circuit went away, so clearly that fuse was blown, will be replacing the 40A Starter Motor fuse today after I buy a new one. One odd thing to note is that when i was messing about with the relay and the fuse, at one point I had both unplugged and tried to start the range just to see what it would do, it did not turn on, however once I plugged both the relay and the fuse back in, went to start it and BOOM on a cold start it fired up fine without any issues with the starter motor sticking.

ALSO, on a cold start the range fires up instantly when I insert key and only turn over 1 click. After I drive the vehicle a bit and bring the temp needle to the middle, I can restart the range as many times as I want and it works perfectly (no starter issue), however when the vehicle is warm and I choose to restart it, it will fire up on the 2nd click in the ignition (insert key, turn 1 click ACC, turn 2 click motor fires up). Very odd that on a cold start it fires up on the ACC position but not when the vehicle has warmed up.....

Click image to enlarge

Small update, tried a new fuse and the starter motor is behaving the same. Will try next to trace down the wiring harness and seek potential rust or wire breakage. Zambezi Silver Range Rover (2010 Autobiography Facelift)
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Have you measured voltage at the starter solenoid wire after starting while its doing it? Just to rule out a sticky starter? 2017 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography in black
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Hey Stuart, yeah I have to now put it on a lift and that is one of the things I’ll be trying to navigate. Funny enough I chatgpt’d this issue and it’s pointing to a possible ignition switch issue, but I guess one path navigated at a time  Zambezi Silver Range Rover (2010 Autobiography Facelift)
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