Hello!
So my partner has a horse, which needs to be boxed to a show or two now and then. So in our wisdom we decided to buy an old (06 Plate) Land Rover Discovery 3. The bodywork is nothing but stunning. Not a mark or scratch on it. 140,000m. Gorgeous!
Before I launch with the list of problems I have discovered, I need to be clear we are both regular people, who don't have thousands to spend and so would ask anyone who is kind enough to respond to bear keeping costs managed in mind. Much as I would love to drop it at the local LR dealer I am terrified of what this will do to us. Apologies for the length of the post, I am trying to be as detailed as possible.
1) The suspension: The caution light illuminates in amber, then soon after goes red, along with a warning to not exceed 30mph. It doesn't go into 'limp' mode at any point. The odd thing here is the suspension 'works' just fine, it raises and lowers and selects each setting without complaint. It's only when you set off that the fault originates, and the suspension feels like it is losing air. I have not driven it many times, maybe 4 over a distance of 10 miles total and the fault has appeared 3 out of 4. Once it sounded with the red light, then went away about 45 seconds later. Suspension felt fine. The next time is sounded and there was a noticeable 'wash' then twitch on the roll, again I didn't try anything funny it just clearly felt odd. The third time it started fine, then did the red ping which didn't go away and when slowing down the suspension had 'bottomed' to where it was causing an alarming 'hop' at very low speeds in first. Pulled over, turned it off. Waited. Turned it on, raised and lowered the system and drove home without fault or error!? So it's definitely going wrong somewhere but it's 'working' but not 'working'. The dropping right to the bottom and hopping was very alarming.
Something to note, the front tyres have plenty tread on the outside edge, but on the inside they are worn almost to the canvas, so the alignment is horrible. There is a pronounced 'wa-waa-waa' from the tyres as soon as you get up to speed, almost like its a bearing but I can't 'feel' it on the steering. So alignment is badly off. I have ordered two new tyres which will be here on Tuesday for fitting.
I took it in to a friend who runs a small garage, though he does not have the diagnostics tool for the LR and could only read engine and something else, which gave no faults. He was unable to get any diagnostics on the suspension. He did say there is a little play in the steering and has ordered the part to fix this (inexpensive) and will fit it when he fits the tyres.
2) Brakes. The brakes are sharp and responsive. Unless you're on a downslope and brake slowly/gradually. Then they eventually 'run out' of power. Like you know when you try to brake a car with the engine off, it brakes but boy you gotta press. Like that. And its at the top of the brake travel and its 'solid' like you get if you pump the brakes. Though no pumping is done. The brakes still work, but you will be right in saying there's NO WAY I am letting my girlfriend tow a horse box like this. No chance. So for some reason the brakes work if you brake as normal, but if its a prolonged and slow pressure it stops braking under power eventually.
I don't really want to drive it again and again to try to replicate the problem, for obvious reasons, it's manageable and under control but I don't think we should be messing with the brakes while the suspension is throwing faults. Call me cautious.
3) Fuel. As you do when you get a 'new' car, I took it straight to the garage and filled it with diesel. Only to have a really big puddle at my feet when I got back after paying.
The fuel has slowly stopped to an occasional drip, maybe once every 15 seconds and it comes back again to a drip every 3-4 seconds immediately after I drive it. This is not an expert opinion but I think it's leak in either the filler pipe, or an actual hole at the top of the tank as it has virtually disappeared having now driven about 10 miles in total. But, it does drip again after driving, but nothing like when it was first filled. I actually really don't like fuel spilling, its unsafe and very environmentally damaging, and this really troubles me, even if its a drop or two.
So yes! Its a baptism of fire! I am actually excited and willing to put in the work to get it fixed, but I have no access to the diagnostics nor any idea of how to access them without going to a manufacturer garage, but I have mentioned my fear of a bill that renders the whole exercise void.
Thank you for reading, any advice or first steps or even who I can talk to to learn more? A quick google says the suspension thing is really quite common and the good news seems to be no shortage of parts and solutions from pumps to sensors to bladders in abundance. So here's hoping...
So my partner has a horse, which needs to be boxed to a show or two now and then. So in our wisdom we decided to buy an old (06 Plate) Land Rover Discovery 3. The bodywork is nothing but stunning. Not a mark or scratch on it. 140,000m. Gorgeous!
Before I launch with the list of problems I have discovered, I need to be clear we are both regular people, who don't have thousands to spend and so would ask anyone who is kind enough to respond to bear keeping costs managed in mind. Much as I would love to drop it at the local LR dealer I am terrified of what this will do to us. Apologies for the length of the post, I am trying to be as detailed as possible.
1) The suspension: The caution light illuminates in amber, then soon after goes red, along with a warning to not exceed 30mph. It doesn't go into 'limp' mode at any point. The odd thing here is the suspension 'works' just fine, it raises and lowers and selects each setting without complaint. It's only when you set off that the fault originates, and the suspension feels like it is losing air. I have not driven it many times, maybe 4 over a distance of 10 miles total and the fault has appeared 3 out of 4. Once it sounded with the red light, then went away about 45 seconds later. Suspension felt fine. The next time is sounded and there was a noticeable 'wash' then twitch on the roll, again I didn't try anything funny it just clearly felt odd. The third time it started fine, then did the red ping which didn't go away and when slowing down the suspension had 'bottomed' to where it was causing an alarming 'hop' at very low speeds in first. Pulled over, turned it off. Waited. Turned it on, raised and lowered the system and drove home without fault or error!? So it's definitely going wrong somewhere but it's 'working' but not 'working'. The dropping right to the bottom and hopping was very alarming.
Something to note, the front tyres have plenty tread on the outside edge, but on the inside they are worn almost to the canvas, so the alignment is horrible. There is a pronounced 'wa-waa-waa' from the tyres as soon as you get up to speed, almost like its a bearing but I can't 'feel' it on the steering. So alignment is badly off. I have ordered two new tyres which will be here on Tuesday for fitting.
I took it in to a friend who runs a small garage, though he does not have the diagnostics tool for the LR and could only read engine and something else, which gave no faults. He was unable to get any diagnostics on the suspension. He did say there is a little play in the steering and has ordered the part to fix this (inexpensive) and will fit it when he fits the tyres.
2) Brakes. The brakes are sharp and responsive. Unless you're on a downslope and brake slowly/gradually. Then they eventually 'run out' of power. Like you know when you try to brake a car with the engine off, it brakes but boy you gotta press. Like that. And its at the top of the brake travel and its 'solid' like you get if you pump the brakes. Though no pumping is done. The brakes still work, but you will be right in saying there's NO WAY I am letting my girlfriend tow a horse box like this. No chance. So for some reason the brakes work if you brake as normal, but if its a prolonged and slow pressure it stops braking under power eventually.
I don't really want to drive it again and again to try to replicate the problem, for obvious reasons, it's manageable and under control but I don't think we should be messing with the brakes while the suspension is throwing faults. Call me cautious.
3) Fuel. As you do when you get a 'new' car, I took it straight to the garage and filled it with diesel. Only to have a really big puddle at my feet when I got back after paying.
The fuel has slowly stopped to an occasional drip, maybe once every 15 seconds and it comes back again to a drip every 3-4 seconds immediately after I drive it. This is not an expert opinion but I think it's leak in either the filler pipe, or an actual hole at the top of the tank as it has virtually disappeared having now driven about 10 miles in total. But, it does drip again after driving, but nothing like when it was first filled. I actually really don't like fuel spilling, its unsafe and very environmentally damaging, and this really troubles me, even if its a drop or two.
So yes! Its a baptism of fire! I am actually excited and willing to put in the work to get it fixed, but I have no access to the diagnostics nor any idea of how to access them without going to a manufacturer garage, but I have mentioned my fear of a bill that renders the whole exercise void.
Thank you for reading, any advice or first steps or even who I can talk to to learn more? A quick google says the suspension thing is really quite common and the good news seems to be no shortage of parts and solutions from pumps to sensors to bladders in abundance. So here's hoping...
