QuestionJohn:
Thanks for taking the time to address LR issues. I've had my 2000 Disc II for 6 years and put 172k miles on it - total miles are 232K. I've had to replace the head gaskets and a drive shaft, but the most aggravating problems are the window leaks. I had the front w/s replaced about a year ago and it leaks all around the driver front and side. I've had my local shop (not a LR dealer here, not one for 300 miles) look at it twice, but they can't seem to fix it. In addition the back window seals leak. On top of that the A/C leaks condensation into the floor unless the line is blown out every month or so. Are there permanent fixes for these leak problems? My local guys also don't have the computer system necessary to turn off the sensor lights on the dash, are those only available with a dealer - closest one is in Dallas.
About six months ago, I began having problems with the headlights simply going off when on low beam. This usually occurs a few minutes after the car is started and usually stops after about 20 minutes of driving, my repair guy said the switch connections sometimes get loose or sticky. Since the car wash folks broke my steering wheel radio controls and the cruise control has been working only intermittently, I'm thinking of replacing the whole steering wheel - is that feasible.
My LR is sturdy and a joy to drive (even with these problems) and I've decided to drive her for another year. I'd really like to address these nagging issues and keep her in top shape.
Best regards and thanks again!
AnswerThe window seals and rear door seals do leak, but in my experience the issues are often body seams. If you leak problems seem unfixable that may be the reason. You may be chasing the wrong thing. On the rear doors the leaks are often caused by poor door fit, especially at high mileage. You can slit the door seals and insert thin foam rods to "beef them up" I have done that with some success when door seals don't do the job but again I'd stress that you should take the headliner down and check the joints up there for splits as they are more common that you would think.
On the lights . . . I'd give 9 to 1 odds the contacts are melting in the headlamp turn signal combination switch. Just change the switch - changing the whole column for that would be nutty and a huge waste of work. Don't remove the steering wheel unless you have access to a T4 or Autologic to reset the SRS codes that will appear and disable the airbags.
Did you know that Land Rover has a website where you can access all the dealer service information for your car on a daily subscription basis? It is www.landrovertechinfo.com In the USA it costs less than $20 for a day's access which is a real bargain considering you can view every single piece of service info for your vehicle direct from the source.
Best of luck to you with this project - it's not too hard and you can deal with the issues you describe with ordinary hand tools.
Check my car blog at http://robisonservice.blogspot.com
