[Adam in NYC USA]

Hello from Adam , owner of a 1996 D1 with 95k miles. :drive:

Since I purchased my Landi over the summer, I always had a minor annoyance. Every 100 miles, the Check Engine light would turn on. I got my hands on a OBD2 code reader, it gave me a P0130. Thats the o2 sensor on the drivers exhaust manifold. The O2 sensor was nearing its functional lifespan. With the onset of the late North American winter, the period of resetting the ECU are going from one a week to every other day.

I went to my Trusty auto shop. They go great work with my previous auto but I guess it is their first time with a LandRover. Asked for a price for a replacement o2 sensor. Their parts distributor was asking $290 for the o2 sensor and then $27 for the labor. They were cool. They said get the sensor and we will drop it in for you.

Today, I finally got a replacement O2 sensor (A LR replacement from www.northeastbritishparts.com for a great price ($105.00) and got it over to my trusted shop. At least it was trusted when I had a Mitsu Mirage. I ended up with a mechanic whose best description of electrical work is the Butcher Barber from Fleet Street. With a good working lift, I don't see why he had to butcher the sensor cables off the old sensors to remove the oxygen sensors.

He finally replaced the faulty oxygen sensor on the exhaust manifold, took out the downstream sensor for whatever reason is beyond me and put it back and now...........there are no oxygen sensor signal voltages going to the ECU. Put the OBD2 code reader on and read the stats and now the voltages coming out of all four o2 sensors are all 0.00. Now all I have to figure out is whether the butcher destroyed the harness that runs to the ECU (most probably he hit the ground return or dogged the harness to the ECU) or, worst case scenario of all, the ECU took a major hit in the A/D section. I don't look forward to getting a new ECU.

One thing I noticed when I had the Discovery off is that the code reader would continue to get information from the ECU. I didn't know that the ECU was on all the time.

When is this going to be fun?

Meanwhile, the engine is running thick and every 30 miles the MIL light lets me know all is not well.

Sigh.

Now what?

Adam

 

[scoobymick]

I know this is probably a stupid question but I'm gonna ask it anyway!,can you see the connectors for the sensors,are they connected properly,or at all?!

 

[Adam in NYC USA]

No stupid questions just stupid answers....

I know this is probably a stupid question but I'm gonna ask it anyway!,can you see the connectors for the sensors,are they connected properly,or at all?!

HI again. :drive:

No, I reseated the harnesses going into the ECU. No effect to the ECU. The original problem was a old O2 sensor on the drivers exhaust manifold with the other o2 sensors working. Now, all the sensors are reading 0.00 by the ECU via the OBD2 codereader.

By the way, the action of the reseating also had the effect of resetting the ECU, so I now know it is not a software fault.

I am thinking,Either a damaged sensor harness or a damaged ECU. :dunno:

The Trusty auto shop is officially stumped. The "Butcher" states his cousin has a 95 D1 and he has "worked on it" but that is pre-OBD so not the same animal. The shop manager pulled all the stops with his computers and all he noticed was that the sensors are not being fed the proper voltage.

The shop was going to call a indie LR specialist today (Friday Feb 04) and asked me to call them back.

Sigh. :dunno: I have two more trump cards (two independent shops, one in LI and one in Mass) before I deal with my final result, the local LR dealer (Manhattan Ford).

 

[Carlos]

Adam:
A land rover is certainly a Very different vehicle than a Mistu. mirage.If you're doubtful about the knowledge of an independent shop in regards of Land rovers,DO NOT let them touch it.Take it to the dealer, of course you will have to pay more, but will have a warranty, and it will cost you less on the long run than having different independent shops "figuring out" on your truck replacing unnecessary stuff.
Carlos

 

[John C]

We just replaced the sensor on my partner's 98 D1, he had to go thru a few cycles before the new sensor was recognized by the ECU. Took about 10 mins to replace it and 4 or 5 cycles to get it working.

 

[Adam in NYC USA]

Adam:
A land rover is certainly a Very different vehicle than a Mistu. mirage.If you're doubtful about the knowledge of an independent shop in regards of Land rovers,DO NOT let them touch it.

Carlos, this is a trusted shop based by my prior expierence with them with other vehicles.

Your first sentence would make sense if they were working on a system on the D1 that was unique to the vehicle.

The emissions system is not unique. In North America, all cars except a minority of Extreme Low Emissions Vehicles (Honda, Toyota & Ford Hybrid) have to have computerised emissions monitoring and controls. The majority of them use oxygen sensors, ECUs and MassAirFlow sensors.

What is so special with the Discovery in regards to the emissions system. NOTHING. The engine down to the tranny are most the same for all SUV vehicles. Only when you get past the tranny does the design aspects change.

If I were to follow your argument, only LRs can travel on preapproved LR roads and parking spaces, hmm??

Take it to the dealer, of course you will have to pay more, but will have a warranty, and it will cost you less on the long run than having different independent shops "figuring out" on your truck replacing unnecessary stuff.
Carlos

Thank you Carlos but the repair does have a warranty but I would be a lot happier if everything was operating as spec.

If I had known that the 1996 D1 GEMS emission system were to be as fragile as an egg, I would not have taken it to my regular trusted shop.

Carlos, there are a lot of very good indie shops out there that do good work on Landies. The problem is finding them and getting untainted and truthful responses from satisfied customers. Both of the ones I know are more than 30 miles away. I know I have to leave the vehicle for overnight and take a commuter train back to the city. One is in Smithtown NY on Long Island and the other is in Springfield Mass.

Meanwhile, I am waiting on a shipment of a replacement ECU to see if that is the problem.

 

[Adam in NYC USA]

Re: John C

We just replaced the sensor on my partner's 98 D1, he had to go thru a few cycles before the new sensor was recognized by the ECU. Took about 10 mins to replace it and 4 or 5 cycles to get it working.

It's nice, but ALL the O2 sensors are working after the worn O2 sensor was replaced. Originally I had sensor readings before the worn sensor was swapped out.

The amazing thing about the D1 is that it is still drivable. It is in open loop mode and the Engine Light will only turn on when you raise the RPMs past 2500.

It is a testament of the engineers that they engineered that extra code in the ECU in case of sensor failure.

Meanwhile, the D1 is drinking slightly more gas and the accelearation is very strong.

Again, I am waiting for a ECU to swap to see if the original ECU was damaged.

 

[rovermech]

o2 sensors

if the shop has an autologic computer or rovacom try going in and resseting the adaptions. putting one 02 sensor in should not have had this kind of effect on the ecu. AS far as independant garages go there are good ones and bad ones but there are guys like myself who usde to work for dealers and now work for an indie. So you just have to trust whoever you take it to.

 

[Adam in NYC USA]

re: o2 sensors

Unfortunately the trusted shop doesn't. They have Snap-On diagnostic computers good only for the Riceburners and the Motown stuff.

 

[Jay B]

Here's another "stupid" question: If they're not getting power, do you suppose he may have shorted something out and blown a fuse? I'm guessing this has already been checked, but you never know...

 

[Adam in NYC USA]

There is yet another good question.......

Here's another "stupid" question: If they're not getting power, do you suppose he may have shorted something out and blown a fuse? I'm guessing this has already been checked, but you never know...

Something I learned and remembered from my days in electronics class in high school (1975-1979)comes to mind.

The very expensive electronic component, such as the $100.00 pass transistor, always protected the 59 cent fuse, by blowing up, when it should be the other way around.

Sigh.:dunno:

Usually input circuits are protected from harmful voltages, and the ECU is even designed to know when the heater circuits are open or the input sensor lines are shorted.

I think the ECU made a very poor fuse.

Adam

 

[Carlos]

I absolutely agree with you Adam. The thing is getting to know a good "indie" shop. Usually you can track some information about their "experience" with certain makes and models being worked in the shop just by talking about the car to them, then you feed a little more line as a "bait" and then see what their reactions are.

By the way, one of the things that make the LR's unique are the diagnosis tools themselves... like "rovacom" and "testbook", I mean, you don't usually drive a typical car to the dealer to have the "speed-sensitive locks" activated, for example.

Carlos

 

[Adam in NYC USA]

If Land Rover wants to help out its long term owners,

it should open the specifications of these propreitory tools or better yet offer consumer versions of these shop tools. LandRover is one of the few manufacturers of off-road vehicles where the majority of older vehicles are still on the road.

Whatever secrets that are in their older OBD2 has been out in the real world has no revelance in the 21th century. Many indie shops want to be able to fix whatever drives or is dragged into their shop. That is why there are new laws requiring automakers to open up their so-called trade secrets to the service industry.

A quick view on eBay shows many older LandRovers available for resale. If you want prospective future customers for your product line, make the proper tools available for your older automotive products. Once you got their product loyality, the happy consumer will come back to buy a newer model.

What is it with Land Rover with not giving a price break for product loyality anyway?

 

[LRWheelman]

I don't think you will find Ford or GM giving a "price break" for customer loyality either. And for so far as letting unskilled hands service my Rover, I would rather screw it up myself, @ least I will know what I did, so that I may repair it. I don't even let the tire shops remove & replace my wheels when I buy tires. And Rover will get repeat business from those people who buy their vehicles, but some, like myself, prefer the "older" Rovers w/ their crazy oddities & "bullet-proof" dispositions. I could never feature myself buying a Series II Discovery, as I feel Rover changed many things on a vehicle that was, as far as I'm concerned, near perfection to begin with. Get a good, skilled Rover mechanic to fix it, maintain it well, and it should give you many years of good service. Thank You, LRW

 

[Adam in NYC USA]

I don't think you will find Ford or GM giving a "price break" for customer loyality either.

I am guessing that you don't have newspapers in Missouri, although I had done an extended stint in San Antonio, TX. They had plenty of newspapers and cable tv there.

Most if not all automotive manufacturers have "customer loyality" pricebreaks. Jeep, in fact, is the only one I know that does not, but in its place, gives a $500 price break if you are in the military,law enforcement, fire, or EMS. Like that is a big help on a $36,000 Jeep. Lincoln, a luxury division of Ford (the new masters of Land Rover), usually does a model sale every January to move any sitting stock.

And for so far as letting unskilled hands service my Rover, I would rather screw it up myself, @ least I will know what I did, so that I may repair it.

Well, the shop did not have "unskilled" hands, just "inexpierenced" hands. No reasonable dealership would let a rookie serviceperson on a service floor without a week of classroom work. The gentleman I was working with had considerable time in training and familiarity with several different makes and models. Unlike other shops, this one had considerable familiarity with other models foreign and domestic except in LandRover of course. Not that there are not any LandRovers in the borough of Queens.

I am not defending the service shop, however. The problem I am trying to fix is one that is rather exotic and not one prone to occur. Not that it would have helped. Within the time period of five minutes, they had all the recall memos from LandRover on their computer screen.

Then there is the matter of the age of the Land Rover (1996). If something was going to break, now would be a good time before hurricane season comes around. We are overdue in the Northeast.

yada, yada, yada......Get a good, skilled Rover mechanic to fix it, maintain it well, and it should give you many years of good service. Thank You, LRW

In New York, as well as in the great state of Missouri, you will just have to "Show me".
However, is it great to armchair quarterback and have all the answers at your beckon call??

Meanwhile, to all interested readers, the replacement ECU arrived today. Since the weather is very cold today, I will test the replacement tomorrow and report my findings.

 

[Adam in NYC USA]

Update: Received Non functional ECU (Duh!)

Hi again from Adam in NYC.

Dropped in the "replacement" ECU for the 1996 D1. Car won't start. Put the old one back in. Vehicle starts. O2 sensor array still dead.

Oh well.

I am returning the replacement ECU back to the vendor. Now I am getting steamed. As soon as I am done packing it up, I am going to send out for a rebuilt guaranteed ECU and hope for the best.

More details as they arise.

Good luck to those with your minor problems.

 

[Adam in NYC USA]

Manhattan Land Rover to Adam in NYC: Four O2 Sensors for $5000

Hello again from the Big Apple in NYC

I can say with total certainty that there is not a honest Land Rover dealership in New York City. I thought I could get a solution for my non-functional O2 sensors for my 96 D1.

Right.

Dropped off the 1996 D1 at the Manhattan Auto Group-Land Rover dealership on Thursday for the gas tank recall. According to LR, it should have taken about two hours. It took five days. They did not want to call me and got annoyed when I called them. The first day, they were annoyed and stated the gas tank alone took one day. Okay. Called me later and stated that the house of the mechanic had burned down and only he could work on the vehicle. Union rules. Call me on Monday.

Finally on Tuesday, they billed me for a new fuel pump for the new gas tank. $600.00. I asked them for an estimate for what was going on with the oxygen sensors. Sure.

They say that the oxygen sensors are ALL bad despite one was replaced and is shiny new on the exhaust manifold. They say the oxygen sensors were seized and unremovable and I needed new catalyst convertors. Funny, my Midas repair shop had no problem removing them. Hmm.

The estimate:$5000.00 for four o2 sensors and replacement cat(s). Hmmm.

No thanks.

For $600.00 they washed the exterior clean and brushed my alloy rims. Scratched the beluga black paint in three places and put a hole in the rear vinyl on the rear door. Also destroyed the bright alpaca floormat and left a nice oil mark on the leather drivers seat.

Nice.

Somebody know a real Land Rover mechanic or should I go back to driving 50 or 100 miles for the real thing?

Adam in NYC

 

[Adam in NYC USA]

On a good note,

The Land Rover is clean on the outside. :lol:

 

[SCSL]

LR dealership horror stories could fill an entire site. I'm with you. Not sure they are that much different than any other brands dealership shops, though. Let's face it,,, there's significant money in their parts & labor up-charge, not to mention in their oft-questionable diagnosis. Good news is there are plenty of good LR-specific indie shops out there. I'm not sure about NY state but I would think there's one w/in reasonable drive of NYC.

Perhaps NE Roverheads could recommend one in NJ, NY, CT ?

 

[roverX]

Adam,
Are you mechanical at all? You can pick up a Y-pipe with high flow cats and all four sensors for about 1100 bucks total and do the work yourself. Hell man, I'll even guide you over the phone if you call out to California on a weekend! If you pay for the ticket - what? 99 bucks Southwest and buy me some beer, I'll do it for you, just show me around NY for the weekend! :beer: :drink1: :confused