Ever bought something then regretted it?

Not until I picked up a 1995-M Disco 300TDi!! Checked it out and all seemed
well, FSH bit of rust but very minor, drove OK seemed a bargain at £2900.

Then........

Seized Diff Lock selector
Knackered rear door latch
Heater only blowing cold-lukewarm

= Service & Cambelt & 2 Tyres + MOT + temp sender = £605

Then.....

Breaks down on the A64, water pump spewing water and coolant = RAC recovery

Now in at land Rover dealer to try and sort the overheating
engine/underheating cabin, difflock and rear door latch as other non LR
garage hadn't a clue)


I am starting to think the unthinkable and swap it for a Jap of some sort
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:-(

On or around Mon, 28 Nov 2005 12:38:48 +0000 (UTC), "Andrew Cooke"
<[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>Not until I picked up a 1995-M Disco 300TDi!! Checked it out and all seemed
>well, FSH bit of rust but very minor, drove OK seemed a bargain at £2900.
>
>Then........

[snip]

bummer, but then again, a 10-year-old jap 4x4 could have simialr problems
and cost you a mint in parts to put right...

chap I know bought a 93 toyota surf thing, Just spent big moolah on getting
the head gasket and head sorted...


LR dealers are expensive. Hunt a decent independent who knows LRs, there
are quite a few about.

What area are you in?

> LR dealers are expensive. Hunt a decent independent who knows LRs, there
> are quite a few about.
>
> What area are you in?

Bradford, West Yorkshire.

there is a garage in Rawdon, not a million miles away from Bradford called P&P Motors. He is an ex-landy mechanic.

Hi Andrew,

look upon it this way (as I am going through similar!)

1) once you find a nice cheap independent service place, you wont let
them go
2) yeah, ok, a few niggles, but once they're sorted, they will niggle
no more for some time if they've been done properly
3) I bought what on the outside looked like a tidy swb shogun for my
mother in law. It came with an MOT that had a long time to run. When
I popped it into my local (Douglas Motors in Wolston nr Coventry)
garage, they put a prohibition notice on it because the chassis was
made of papier mache!

So the jap stuff is just as prone to problems.

My v8 Disco is currently at the hospital in swanley. Just after i'd
bought it, i thought "xfer box sounds a bit loud, wonder if there is
any oil in it?" I managed to get a litre in (and the book says it
holds 1.7!) then I checked the diffs, despite taking 4 hours to undo
the drain plugs and fill plugs, i then found used engine oil (yes
honestly!!). Again I sorted.

Then I got the bits to do the camshaft (thanks Richard at Beamends)
well, it took me a week to do what should take about an hour - the oil
drain plug took 5 hours to get off, the viscous fan took about 7.

Well, I gave up, and booked it in to see uncle Barry.

Well, the day before it was due to go in, SWMBO went to move it on the
drive and it wouldn't go. AA said overfuelling, prolly airflow meter.
So had to get it relayed in.

That was last wednesday, and with a bit of luck, tomorrow I get it
back, with a stout dose of open wallet surgery - but do I care? no -
why not - because I just love the sound of the v8 and the disco is a
fine example of the beasty.

So dont regret it, just look upon it as preventative maintenance, oh
and find a good indy garage asafp.

Si

Just spoke to dealer, diff lock mechanism is seized up and might need
replacing and door latch is shot, £150, can live with that.

Coolant leak is a water pump gasket at £15 + £200 labour, ouch! Worse still,
they reckon something nasty is causing it, e.g. head gasket, if this is the
case they reckon £800-900 at which point I will be looking for a discreet
arsonist! or more likely a decent lawyer to sue the trader that sold me it
last Monday!

A.

"Andrew Cooke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Just spoke to dealer, diff lock mechanism is seized up and might need
> replacing and door latch is shot, £150, can live with that.
>
> Coolant leak is a water pump gasket at £15 + £200 labour, ouch! Worse
> still, they reckon something nasty is causing it, e.g. head gasket, if
> this is the case they reckon £800-900 at which point I will be looking for
> a discreet arsonist! or more likely a decent lawyer to sue the trader that
> sold me it last Monday!
>
> A.

Drive/ have it relay'd to me in Morayshire, North Scotland, I'll do the head
gasket for a fraction of that!! (Last one I did cost the bloke £150, with a
new set of bolts as well.) Oh, and the water pump gasket I'll replace at the
same time for another tenner!!!
Let's face it, what they're ripping you off in labour would more than cover
your fuel and accommodation......

Badger.

When you bought it, did they put that lovely phrase "sold as seen" on
the bill?

what condition was it sold as?

To of only had it a week and to have these sorts of issues - get the
landrover dealer to do a report, and then have a chat with trading
standards - they can be a very effective tool if used properly.

Si

The wording in the ad reads

" It is mechanically excellent and drives just as it should. Underneath is
very solid with no signs of the usual 'rot' and is also free from oil and
coolant leaks. The only faults on the vehicle are purely cosmetic"


"GrnOval" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> When you bought it, did they put that lovely phrase "sold as seen" on
> the bill?
>
> what condition was it sold as?
>
> To of only had it a week and to have these sorts of issues - get the
> landrover dealer to do a report, and then have a chat with trading
> standards - they can be a very effective tool if used properly.
>
> Si
>

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 14:56:00 +0000 (UTC), "Andrew Cooke"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Just spoke to dealer, diff lock mechanism is seized up and might need
>replacing and door latch is shot, £150, can live with that.
>
>Coolant leak is a water pump gasket at £15 + £200 labour, ouch! Worse still,
>they reckon something nasty is causing it, e.g. head gasket, if this is the
>case they reckon £800-900 at which point I will be looking for a discreet
>arsonist! or more likely a decent lawyer to sue the trader that sold me it
>last Monday!

stay

away

from

main

dealers



Find, as others have said, a local, competent independent Land Rover
specialist. Like: http://www.wgbautos.co.uk




--
"We have gone from a world of concentrated knowledge and wisdom to one
of distributed ignorance. And we know and understand less while being
increasingly capable." Prof. Peter Cochrane, formerly of BT Labs
In memory of Brian {Hamilton Kelly} who logged off 15th September 2005

Mother wrote:

> On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 14:56:00 +0000 (UTC), "Andrew Cooke"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Just spoke to dealer, diff lock mechanism is seized up and might need
>>replacing and door latch is shot, £150, can live with that.
>>
>>Coolant leak is a water pump gasket at £15 + £200 labour, ouch! Worse
>>still, they reckon something nasty is causing it, e.g. head gasket, if
>>this is the case they reckon £800-900 at which point I will be looking
>>for a discreet arsonist! or more likely a decent lawyer to sue the
>>trader that sold me it last Monday!
>
> stay
>
> away
>
> from
>
> main
>
> dealers
>
>
>
> Find, as others have said, a local, competent independent Land Rover
> specialist. Like: http://www.wgbautos.co.uk
>
>
>
>


I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth my while caving in and simply
following the lead of so many round here and trying to get my motor
serviced by The Warren - it's 50 miles each way, but for the level of
recommendation he comes with it's probably worth it.

Question is, does he actually have any available time with all the
101ers in Yorkshire monopolising him?

P.

Anyone used Stables 4x4 Centre on Harrogate Road, Pool-In-Wharfedale?

They claim to be an independent LR specialist with Discoveries being their
forte.

Andy


>>
>>
>>
>> Find, as others have said, a local, competent independent Land Rover
>> specialist. Like: http://www.wgbautos.co.uk
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>

Defo get the LR dealer to do a report then, and whilst waiting, have a
chat with trading standards.

They cannot hide behind phrases like "sold as seen" on the receipt
either - that only covers for things like windscreen wipers that you
**CAN** see.

Si

Austin Shackles wrote:
> On or around Mon, 28 Nov 2005 12:38:48 +0000 (UTC), "Andrew Cooke"
> <[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:
>
>> Not until I picked up a 1995-M Disco 300TDi!! Checked it out and
>> all seemed well, FSH bit of rust but very minor, drove OK seemed a
>> bargain at £2900.
>>
>> Then........
>
> [snip]
>
> bummer, but then again, a 10-year-old jap 4x4 could have simialr
> problems and cost you a mint in parts to put right...
>
> chap I know bought a 93 toyota surf thing, Just spent big moolah on
> getting the head gasket and head sorted...
>

I have a workmate who bought an '89 shogun some five years ago for 5k.
Everyone told him it was a dud but he would not listen and would not return
it. When the MOT ran out it was obviously going to fail due to chassis rust.
There was so much welding and mechanical work needed and he had also been
well and trully stiched up on the finance, that he could not afford to get
it fixed at the time. Of course it only got worse and it is still lying
there waiting to be fixed, which it never will. It is 5k's worth of Japanese
scrap which he had only six months of use out of. Counting the finance cost,
I believe he has paid nearly 9k to watch it rot away.

Huw

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 15:30:33 +0000, "Paul S. Brown"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Question is, does he actually have any available time with all the
>101ers in Yorkshire monopolising him?

You'll have a bit of a wait for anything unusual - and need to book at
least 4 weeks in advance for general stuff. Can't even get my own in
by jumping the queue :-(

Do give me a shout if you're thinking of visiting The Warren. I'm
only 50 yards away and always have good coffee brewing


--
"We have gone from a world of concentrated knowledge and wisdom to one
of distributed ignorance. And we know and understand less while being
increasingly capable." Prof. Peter Cochrane, formerly of BT Labs
In memory of Brian {Hamilton Kelly} who logged off 15th September 2005

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 15:39:17 +0000 (UTC), "Andrew Cooke"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Anyone used Stables 4x4 Centre on Harrogate Road, Pool-In-Wharfedale?
>
>They claim to be an independent LR specialist with Discoveries being their
>forte.

Tell them what the main dealer has said. Ask them what they think.

Ask them to give you an idea of cost. After a little basic psychology
you should be able to sus out whether they see you as a potential
valued customer who will keep coming back - or - a quick twit-hit.


--
"We have gone from a world of concentrated knowledge and wisdom to one
of distributed ignorance. And we know and understand less while being
increasingly capable." Prof. Peter Cochrane, formerly of BT Labs
In memory of Brian {Hamilton Kelly} who logged off 15th September 2005

Mother wrote:
> I'm only 50 yards away and always have good coffee brewing

Aye, Eventually. The first time I came by, you were a hell of a lot
further away.....
;-)
Steve

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 12:38:48 +0000 (UTC), Andrew Cooke wrote:

> Not until I picked up a 1995-M Disco 300TDi!!

Or my 2001-Y Disco II TD5 ES 7 seat. 29,000 miles previous use was a
"chelsea tractor" in Newcastle. FSH from the dealer it was bought
from, nothing major and reports of reliable and good runner from
previous owner, who had traded it in, so had no reason to say anything
but the truth.

New wipers and the odd bulb. 1st recovery back to dealer as all it
would do was bong 6 times and flash the odometer. I'd motored the
drivers seat back and snagged a wire, which blew the power fuse to the
body control unit. 1st service under my ownership, £1200... Re-gas the
aircon, new rear hub (leaking), new rear brake pads (contaminated,
both sides required of course), new gearbox seal, 36,000 mile service
and MOT. 2nd recovery (2 stage, one to home, then to dealer) after the
gearbox goes bang on the M6 with both kids on board, in the peeing
rain more or less on the summit of Shap, stuck in 5th. New gearbox,
report that clutch is on it's way out, Eh, they'd only just had the
gearbox out to do the seal nothing mentioned then, so new clutch as
well. 4th recovery due to leaking water in fuel sensor switch, weeing
out with the engine running, a drip every 2s without. Lastly just put
4 new tyres on.

Fortunately all of that apart from the wipers, bulbs, 1st service and
tyres has all be paid for by the Land Rover Approved scheme. B-)
It's been a few weeks since it was on the back of a recovery truck, so
I'm wondering what will be next, probably Thursday this week as I've
just picked up a 4 day commercials shoot starting Friday and it has a
habit of breaking just when I *really* need it to work. Mind I have
paid for another 3 yrs mechanical breakdown cover, on the basis that
if it needs it just once in the next three years I'll get me monies
worth and with its current track record...

But even after that long tale of woe I wouldn't really want to get rid
of it, it's nice to drive and comfortable, carries big loads with
ease, goes anywhere and doesn't bat an eyelid at 12" of snow. It did
get close when the gearbox went mind!

I wonder if the shock of actually having to work for its diesel has
been too much for it. Long motorway hauls, up and down hills, short
local runs, compared to gentle city motoring...

--
Cheers [email protected]
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

Andrew Cooke wrote:
> Anyone used Stables 4x4 Centre on Harrogate Road, Pool-In-Wharfedale?
>
> They claim to be an independent LR specialist with Discoveries being
> their forte.
>
> Andy
>
>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Find, as others have said, a local, competent independent Land Rover
>>> specialist. Like: http://www.wgbautos.co.uk

i'M TAKING MY lANDIE IN THIS WEEK FOR THE REAR CROSSMEMBER REPLACING, THEY DO SEEM TO KNOW LANDIES. i
PRESUME YOU MEAN 'tHE dICOVERY CENTRE'
--
Subaru WRX
Range Rover LSE (Bob)

'"gimme the f*ckin' money"

Nige wrote:
> Andrew Cooke wrote:
>> Anyone used Stables 4x4 Centre on Harrogate Road, Pool-In-Wharfedale?
>>
>> They claim to be an independent LR specialist with Discoveries being
>> their forte.
>>
>> Andy
>>
>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Find, as others have said, a local, competent independent Land
>>>> Rover specialist. Like: http://www.wgbautos.co.uk
>
> i'M TAKING MY lANDIE IN THIS WEEK FOR THE REAR CROSSMEMBER REPLACING,
> THEY DO SEEM TO KNOW LANDIES. i PRESUME YOU MEAN 'tHE dICOVERY CENTRE'

WTF!