Questioni purchased a beautiful land rover , been to the shop, i was told
that the truck was mechanically great, the reason i went was
because i failed inspection on five codes. the truck was "fixed"
ignition wire, coil, changed spark plug wires, a new o2 sensor
and a heat ?sensor? on the o2- Drove it for 3 days, came back to
the shop and they said, you are all set for a sticker, i went to get
the sticker, i failed! i then brought it back, i have not had a
check engine light come on- in fact i was told by the dealer i
bought it from that it most likely was burned out, two codes
were stored- excessive emissions and a random misfire- they
pulled fuel injector after fuel inject until they had it running on
only 3- it ran perfectly, no skips and obviously no light AND no
codes! SO, they said they had no idea, now i had to go to a deal,
saying maybe the computer, maybe the fuel injectors, the next
day its driving like crap, its slightly thumping, and i blew some
fuses..... so i called the shop, they said add dry gas, i did
nothing. i was concerned about it since i bought it because of
the way it starts, some times it fires right up, sometimes- most
times it takes 4-8- but more recently 10 seconds to fire up, no
one can tell me why, the guy i bought it from told me that the
two codes that were stored in it was because it didn't have a
good bulb for the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT?????? Please help, should
i get rid of this car, should i get it fixed, how do i get it fixed,
what is wrong with it and most importantly is the guy i bought it
from full of it? Thank you for your time.
AnswerHi Cassie,
have you at any time taken this Disco to a certified Land Rover dealership for service? Most general mechanics can do minor adjustments and repairs (if given the right instructions).
As for used car dealerships and their 'service' specialists, they are as good as the sales people they hire.
In your case, you may have an out. Most states and provinces have laws protecting consumers from such problems. If you bought the Disco and then failed in your state's emission inspection, I would take it back to the dealer you bought it from and have them deal with it. You did not buy it 'as is', did you?
If you are not satisfied with the answer you get, seek help from you state attorney's office or the state/province consumer protection agency.
The Disco may have some serious emissions or engine management system problems. Hard to tell from where I am sitting. If you know the codes, send them to me and I'll try to translate them into something more understandable.
It may also be as simple as a good tuneup. IF you do go to a LR dealership, ask specifically for a full diagnostic test. Don't mention the failed inspections test...at least not yet. Let the LR dealership find the faults first, if any.
Is the Disco worth it? Depends on the year, model, mileage and condition when you purchased it.
IF you do go to a LR dealership AND you plan to keep the Disco, make sure you register the Disco in your name. This will ensure that you are notified of any factory recalls. Also ask if the dealership can update the maintenance service booklet and determine that all recalls have been performed.
Take courage. Ask the dealership that you bought the Disco to take responsibility for its inspection certification. If they won't do this, tell them you'll be notifying the authorities.
Best of luck,
JohnMc
