Very weird Electrical problem, you won't believe this one !

[petergalileo]

Go to start the car, symptomatic of flat battery, stupidly replaced battery.  Held the ignition in the start position while wiggling the auto gear selector (thought it might be that), noticed smoke  comming out from beside the hand brake, quickly removed electric window switches to have a look and saw smoke comming out from the handbrake cable !

Released handbrake and the starter works fine.  If I pull up the handbrake same thing happens ??

I now need a new handbrake cable as it must have a rubber liner and isn't smooth in operation anymore, but what the heck is going on ??

Any advice would be appreciated, this one has baffled me to the extent where I am thinking of hiring a priest just in case the thing is possessed !

Its an N registered 300TDi Discovery ES and has the later 300TDi engine with EDC.  No other faults on it.

Thanks in advance (I hope !)

[muddyjames]

I have read about this before and I think the answer was that it was earthing up the hand brake cable.

[thermidorthelobster]

Bad earth. Starter is earthing through the handbrake cable. Do a search and you'll find more about it, it came up a few weeks ago.

When you release the handbrake it's probably earthing through something else.

[extreme90]

poor battery/engine earthing so its using anything it can to earth itself out, dont keep it like that as itll be using all the little black wires  
dan

[winchman]

Seen it several times on several different vehicles.
If it wont go Run a Jump lead in place of the vehicle earth, just to check.

[petergalileo]

So possibly the engine eath strap needs some attention then.  Will have a look tomorrow, thanks guys.

[Range Rover Blues]

My V8 has 3 earth sttraps, on at the alternator, one direct to the starter and one at the front for good measure.