Chick in bad need of advice. 97 Disco I 4.0SE

[Bought my first Disco!!]

I bought my first Disco I 4.0 SE a little less than a year ago. It's a 97 with 96K miles on it. I think it is overdue for a tune up and just yesterday the engine started a very suttle skip in the idle. With that being said I am planning on having a local shop perform the work however, I am not sure what needs to be done in a 90k mile service. Knowing this could someone possibly provide a basic 1-10 list of things to expect?? I would greatly appreciate you advice. This will keep me from getting burned or ripped off.

I assume plug, wires, distributor cap, and maybe flushing all the fluids should be a good start but what else may possibly be worn out by now and in need of replacement?[image][/image]

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!!

Raine

[OkieRover]

Do you have any service records for your Rover?
It might need a few more things that regular amd routine service take care of.
Check your manual for the service items. Get as many of them done as you can to get back to normal operating.

[VArova87]

brake check. heavy vehicle = more $$ on pads.

[LANDY96]

Where are you located. I would find an independant LR tech near you. Have them check the whole truck out! There are SO MANY things that need to be looked at, and possible serviced. Most of them are really small, but could add up quickly if not addressed. Go to this website, find your location, and call a few near you. Talk to them about what you have, and go from there. But you can never go wrong with what you said, and also change your fuel filter! Run a can of injector cleaner through as well, and take it on a long drive! Best of luck!

http://www.bushducks.com/search/search.asp

[pavel]

I disagree with LANDY96!!! If you go to any shop, honest or not, and ask them to check everything out, they will give you an estimate (I bet) of $1000+ because there are endless repairs that can be performed on any 10 year old LR (almost any non-Japanese vehicle?)

No. Go to a reputable Independent shop and specifically get an estimate for your engine problem - once that is truly fixed, do some maintenance.

Your 10 points are; you will eventually need:
1 fluids change oil in engine, T-case, transmission, 2 diffs, brake fluid (expensive, up to $250-300 if you get everything changed)
2 Coolant change($70) do this every year if possible
3 new plugs & wires (your Disco has no distributor)
4 filters: engine oil, fuel
5 check brake pads - the pads last only about 20K miles at the front - don't let them "machine" the discs(AKA rotors) even if they are a bit scored
6 the dealer may have some computer download changes for your ECU, phone and ask what the changes are before allowing the dealer to touch your Landy
7 pull up the back edge of the carpetting that faces the back door and check for water leaks (there is an aluminum strip that is held by Philips screws). Also check if there is leakage around the windshield by pulling up a part of the front carpetting.
8 expect your 4 Oxygen sensors (2 on each side of the exhaust system) to be worn out if they were not replaced by the previous owner. This can be very expensive but the new sensors can be got at a very good price over the Net. These are easy to replace yourself if you are handy.
9 Check battery terminals and get a free battery/charging system check at a Parts place (NAPA/Pep Boys?) or good shop. If the door locks are sluggish when you lock/alarm the vehicle, this is a possible indication that you are running at about 10-11 volts instead of 12-14 volts. Do not replace the door locks or anything else electrical until you have a fresh healthy battery and your alternator is known to work.
10 This one is from my wife who drives our 96 Disco, Don't swallow what the service guys say at the dealership or independent shop. Go away, read over their estimate, do your homework - post on this Forum and use your common sense. I remember once, being told, "I won't let you drive this car away in this condition" by a service guy as he tried to use FEAR to get our business...he was lying about the terrible state of our brakes and we did the work (new pads) ourselves 6 months later. In other words, do not spend a penny until you KNOW the problem to be fixed. On work orders, put a $ limit (that is about half what you are willing to spend) on any work before it begins - be really tough with the service guys.

Just remember this is not an "appliance" vehicle, you have to take care of it regularly. Expect to spend some money....but only when you really must.

Raine: If you are not handy yourself, it might be cheaper to marry a good LR mechanic (sorry, I just saw "Borat", so I'm into a non-politically correct, but thruthful, phase)

Cheers!

[kellijo]

Originally Posted by pavel

Raine: If you are not handy yourself, it might be cheaper to marry a good LR mechanic (sorry, I just saw "Borat", so I'm into a non-politically correct, but thruthful, phase)

Wow...now why is it that no one has ever given ME that type of advice? haha!

Good luck Raine! Welcome to LRO....sounds like you are on the right track to getting things checked out. I'm sure you LOVE your disco!

Cheers!

KelliJo....98 D1

[Disco Mike]

Raine,
Do you have a friend who is mechanical, if you do, we could walk you thru what needs to be done, you would possibly save around $700 in labor on a worst case tune up.
Mike

[LANDY96]

Originally Posted by pavel

I disagree with LANDY96!!! If you go to any shop, honest or not, and ask them to check everything out, they will give you an estimate (I bet) of $1000+ because there are endless repairs that can be performed on any 10 year old LR (almost any non-Japanese vehicle?)

I don't care if you disagree with me. But it is better to know what you have to face. It DOESN"T mean she has to fix it ALL at the same time. But I do agree, with you.....she needs to marry a LR TECH!!!!

[pavel]

Good point LANDY96 (you shouldn't care)...

I just know from my own experience: there you are facing an expensive quote for a lot of work; the service guy, who is very skilled at getting you to agree, is pointing out what ABSOLUTELY has to be done right now....it is very human and easy 'to cave' resulting in a whopper bill.

Then there is the so-called 'preventive maintenance' trap..this idea started out as a reasonably limited and prudent policy decades ago but has been 'massaged' into outrageous excesses in the replacement of anything/everything imaginable.

[LANDY96]

Dude, I hope we don't scare her!! I helped a friend buy a DII, I told her, are you sure you want a LR! Not to sound like I have an ego, but if it hadn't have been for me takn' care of things, it would be on the side of the road by now! She is a close friend, and I don't mind doing the things that she can't/doesn't know how, to do. I have had it for 2 weeks now, I have done MANY "honey-do's" on it. Here is the list of things I have done...
-leaking oil pressure sensor, installed new one
-fixed the horn buttons from popping out
-fixed the cruise control
-turned off the "trio-lights"
-changed all the radiator hoses(they looked like a sausage ready to burst )
-cleaned the K/N air filter, completely clogged(no lie could hold water)
-replaced front/rear diff oil, (was milky)
-unplugged the A/C drip lines( water all inside the floor pans!)
-fixed broken rear wiper
-re-sealed fuel pump(ass clowns didn't put the seal in right, had gas pouring out the tank when you fill it up)
-fixed the rattling speakers in the back(what a PITA to hear)
-finaly change oil, switching her to synthetic(so when she forgets to change the oil, its ok for a longer time)!
Now for the kicker.......She needs a valve job, as there is a "sticky" valve.......DAMMIT!!!! She is getting her hands dirty on this one!!!!
-----It's still a nice rover now, don't get me wrong! -------------

[pavel]

LANDY96: if Raine won't propose, I will! You are obviously a very good "catch"!

[Bought my first Disco!!]

You guys are awesome and I really didn’t expect so much advice. I do know a great local mechanic who I trust. He is very knowledgeable and knows more about engines than anyone I have every met. With your advice, his experience, and all this info we should be able to cover all my needs!!! You GUYS are the best.

I will come back to you when I have the diagnostic test completed. The mechanic has a site called redstarperformance.com if you want to check him out. He is good friend and I know he will not stick me with a bill I can't understand.

I wish I could repay everyone on here for your advice...

Take Care and I will talk to you soon,

[wicked]

Originally Posted by Bought my first Disco!!

I bought my first Disco I 4.0 SE a little less than a year ago. It's a 97 with 96K miles on it. I think it is overdue for a tune up and just yesterday the engine started a very suttle skip in the idle. With that being said I am planning on having a local shop perform the work however, I am not sure what needs to be done in a 90k mile service. Knowing this could someone possibly provide a basic 1-10 list of things to expect?? I would greatly appreciate you advice. This will keep me from getting burned or ripped off.

I assume plug, wires, distributor cap, and maybe flushing all the fluids should be a good start but what else may possibly be worn out by now and in need of replacement?[image][/image]

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!!

Raine

First off, your 97 does not have a distributor cap.

I lived over off Ponce De Leon for a while. I had to have some head work done on one of my trucks and I did not have the time or space to mess with it. I can't remember the name of the shop, but if you head south on Ponce, go past the Decatur Farmers Market, make a left just past the Marta station. There was a little shop on the corner who works on forgin auto's. Pretty nice guy. He was a little slow, but did a good job. Price was good, too. Wish I could remember the name.

But really, any redneck could do what you need. Whether you think you need it or not, go ahead and replace the plug wires, plugs, fuel filter, and get an oil change. You may even run some BG44K through the engine. Everything you need can be had here www.discountbritishparts.com

Lots of "Rover Heads" in your area. I'm sure someone could lend you a hand if you need it.

[OkieRover]

Originally Posted by Bought my first Disco!!

I wish I could repay everyone on here for your advice...

Just stick around and enjoy the fellowship that will be payment enough.

[LANDY96]

Originally Posted by Bought my first Disco!!

You guys are awesome and I really didn’t expect so much advice. I do know a great local mechanic who I trust. He is very knowledgeable and knows more about engines than anyone I have every met. With your advice, his experience, and all this info we should be able to cover all my needs!!! You GUYS are the best.

I will come back to you when I have the diagnostic test completed. The mechanic has a site called redstarperformance.com if you want to check him out. He is good friend and I know he will not stick me with a bill I can't understand.

I wish I could repay everyone on here for your advice...

Take Care and I will talk to you soon,

This is a great place to learn about your rover!! Don't be a stranger!! There are great people on this board!!