Questionhey john-
yes, another tres amigos question...
so, i just bought a 2002 land rover discovery II, turbo diesel. i had it for only
a day or so and got the three amigos.
i live in costa rica, on the northwest coast, and getting to the dealer is a very
expensive inconvenience. thus, i figured i'd try out the local mechanico. i
wasn't familiar at this time with my new friends, by the way. anyhow, the
fourth amigo, my mechanic, said i needed all new brakes and a new master
cylinder (he has no computer tools). i only had the rotors resurfaced- not
new ones, but anyway i'm in $775 for what was done and of course i still have
the three amigos with me. reading up on all of this, i now understand i need
to get to the dealer for service.
to make a short question longer:
i did read that there's a chance that this could be caused by a shuttle valve.
i'm trying to figure out, just to make me feel a little better, if the shuttle valve
might be a part of the overall master cylinder assembly. meaning- did i just
spend about $500 on a part that i didn't need to replace?
FYI: the car seemed to run fine when i brought it in but the fourth amigo
told me that there were no brakes, that the fluid had no pressure thus it was
a master cylinder issue.
GRACIAS.
p.s. i bought the car for $25K (cars are more expensive here) from a friend
that has since left the country. so, returning it isn't really an option. plus, i'm
too lazy to deal with complaining to him about it anyway- it's my problem
now.
AnswerHola Darren,
even with the 3 amigos, you still have a mighty fine 4x4. The '02 diesel is a favourite of mine.
Strange you did not notice the brake problem when you purchased it. But then again, the 'bling-bling' of a Land Rover can fool the best of us. When I purchased my Disco, I too did not notice any problems on the test drive. After the purchase, and on the way home, a motorist on the highway waved at me and then pointed to the rear of the Disco. I pulled over and found that four (4) lug nuts were finger loose! The wheel must have be wobbling like crazy!!
Am I correct to understand that you had a new master C, rotors turned and new pads for only $775? That's a good price. Master C alone can be $500+. Atlantic British (a LR parts supplier) has it at $400. Make note of the web address: http://www.roverparts.com
How good are you with tools? Do you think you can do the work yourself? You'd save big bucks if you do. Send me an email and I'll give you some other tips and advice on DIY repairs. jmcinnis64@hotmail.com
A shuttle valve kit is availble from Atlantic British for about $60 and is part of the ABS system. Some have opted to replace this themselves. Other owners have had them replaced by the dealer or independent mechanics and have reported that the problem comes back after only a few months. Usually, the final fix was to replace the ABS modulator ($1600).
In response, some owners have found salvaged modulators for a fraction of the price of new. Other owners have given up on ABS, TC, HDC and have accepted the 3 amigos as just nuisances - ignoring or removing the light.
Make note of this website: www.car-part.com for salvaged parts all over N.America.
So, yes its possible that the shuttle valve is the cause but it can also be the SLABS ecu, the modulator itself, the wheel sensors ... very difficult to narrow down.
Dealers frequently swap parts in a 'hit or miss' approach to solving this problem. All with no apologies and, of course, they do this at OUR EXPENSE!!! Is this done on purpose?
Best of luck,
JohnMc
jmcinnis64@hotmail.com
