New problem with my 97 Disco

[apbtpetey]

Okay it seems like when ever I go through the car wash or when it rains I form a mis-type problem. I never had this problem until just this past week.

When ever it gets wet out the dam thing acts up and loses major power until I guess whats ever wet dries out, then everything is great. I know I have an exhaust leak on the driverside exhaust manifold (not sure if its cracked or just a gasket, or just a tightening needed). I am planing on looking at things tomorrow.

I am looking in the area of replacing plug wires, tightening the bolts for the manifold as the first two steps. Then maybe replacing the manifold gaskets/looking for a crack, but then not sure where to go from there.

When it does this I lose major power, if I hit the gas the thing doesnt want to get up and go, just boggs down like I threw out an anchor to stop the thing

[John C]

Hey John,

I can't take my 96 thru the car wash anymore, it has a leak on the PS from the windshield and wets the ECU and a few other parts. Check under you front passenger carpet and see if it's wet.

Good luck.

[apbtpetey]

Originally Posted by John C

Hey John,

I can't take my 96 thru the car wash anymore, it has a leak on the PS from the windshield and wets the ECU and a few other parts. Check under you front passenger carpet and see if it's wet.

Good luck.

I'll take a look there. I am doing the wires tonight and then unning thru a car wash right after so I'll check that.


Oh WTF is with autozone?? I go therel for the wires and they say that I dont have a 4.0 that I have a 3.9. After going back and forth the dumbass says lets go out and double check, so we do and after he sees its a 4.0 he has the balls to say that somebody must had changed out the engine. I said you know what I dont think I'll be coming back here for my parts anymore, he said I have no clue about cars and that anyplace else will only have the 2.9 listed.

Funny thing 2 doors down is an Advance auto store and not only did they agree with the fact that its the 4.0, but hey they had the wires in stock.

[Disco Mike]

John,
Can you be more specific as to exactily how the truck feels when it is loosing power?
Mike

[vwfye]

my truck (97 disco) did this yesterday after traversing major water... i think the spark distribution block got standing water on it and was causing it to have weak spark. feels like it is running on 6 instead of 8 cylinders and idles more roughly. after 20 minutes on the highway, all was back to normal.

[apbtpetey]

Originally Posted by Disco Mike

John,
Can you be more specific as to exactily how the truck feels when it is loosing power?
Mike

It almost feels like it is misfiring (kind of studders) at first and then there is a big power loss when I give it some gas and it just doesnt want to go. Kind of as if you are trying to push a brick wall with the thing.

It does go away, I am asuming once whats ever is wet drys out. Happened this morning after the car wash and started doing it maybe 1 min or 2 after I pulled out of the autowash. Drove 1 mile to work from there like that, then when I went out at lunch with it everything was fine and it ran like it should.

[Disco Mike]

One easy test would be to wet the engine down this evening when it's dark, pop the hood and see what is sparking from being wet. I would look all sround the plug wires. coil and any sensors you can see.
By the way, are you getting a check engine light?
Mike

[apbtpetey]

Originally Posted by Disco Mike

One easy test would be to wet the engine down this evening when it's dark, pop the hood and see what is sparking from being wet. I would look all sround the plug wires. coil and any sensors you can see.
By the way, are you getting a check engine light?
Mike

Nope no light at all, when it happens I have only driven it at max 2 miles before turning it off. Then When I go back out to drive it again it has sat for at least a few hours or so.

I plan on replacing the wires as they are about due anyway. Then I'll run it through the car wash again and go from there with it.

[pavel]

apbtpetey - your experience with a sales guy at autozone reminds me of a similar story in the 70s that my wife had to deal with. If you think males get treated like their stupid at these places, imagine what a woman gets treated like! My little lady went to the dealer to get a piece of vacuum hose for her brake booster (Truimph GT6) and was berated by the parts guys and even the service manager that her car didn't have power brakes. Being a whole lot smarter than the lot of them put together, she kept insisting that it had a booster just to get them to insist she was wrong in return. The manager even told her that as a woman she shouldn't question his experience. After allowing the clowns to really shoot themselves, she got them to open the bonnet revealing the brake booster. The manager tried to suggest that it was a custom fit but quickly gave up and apologized. They then sent us somewhere else because they didn't have the hose in stock.... I just stood there and enjoyed the encounter.

[apbtpetey]

Pavel, those guys suck more and more at autozone these days.

Okay here is where I am at now. I changed the plugs and wires, then washed the Rover. Guess what problem is still there.

It only happens for a very short time then stops after it gets washed. The carpet area is dry, so I can eliminate that issue.

Upon driving I rolled down the window and it sounded like mini back fires happening when this problem occured. I didnt notice this before because the radio was on the other times. The sound is not a loud bang/pop that you hear from a big backfire, but kind of a softer version of it, but defin. an exhaust backfire sound, but very faint. Know I do know I have a crack in the driverside manifold (or was told that when it was up at the dealer a while ago), but could this be causing my problem I have after it rains or when I wash it

[DiscoDane]

Apbtpetey,
Try checking out your distributor cap and the seal on it, Give everything inside your distributer a spray of with water dispersant of some kind grease the seal with a little petroleum jelly and try that also check the cap isnt cracked and that the rubber boot seals on the coil pack are intact and sealing correctly GOOD LUCK !!!!!!

[apbtpetey]

Originally Posted by DiscoDane

Apbtpetey,
Try checking out your distributor cap and the seal on it, Give everything inside your distributer a spray of with water dispersant of some kind grease the seal with a little petroleum jelly and try that also check the cap isnt cracked and that the rubber boot seals on the coil pack are intact and sealing correctly GOOD LUCK !!!!!!

I have the 4.0L which has the distributerless ignition system. The coil pack which is on the top rear of the engine is dry as a bone and not the problem.

[vwfye]

when our 97 did this, it was the coil pack by the fire wall. there was water standing on it, inbetween the different plug wires... once dry, the misfire went away.

[pavel]

vwfye - when your 97 showed these symptoms did it also make the little popping sounds apbtpetey described? Our 96 has never done this (yet) and we live in one of the wettest places on the planet! Must admit, I've never taken the landy through a car wash.

[vwfye]

it made the typical misfire sounds, shuttreed, stuttered and ran like crap. we had the nose of the 97 completely under water for about 10 seconds and the hood blanket got soggy and was laying on the FI plelum and also on the spark pack. i hit the hole too fast and instead of making a wake, made a wave