QuestionI just purchased a '96 dico w/ 176k. Drove it 700 miles the same day. It rides great. The owner did not inform me until I was down there (Florida) that... 1)head lights only worked on high beams. He said the low beam bulbs were burnt out and cheap to replace 2) It needed a valli gasket which is under the manifold? Never heard of a valli gasket. 3) The abs & check engine lights are on (saw your post on this solution) 4)The back windows do not come down at all. I have read the other window problems w/ LR's on the site it's a problem I can live with 5) Lastly, the head liner is coming down any suggestions on an adhesive to put it back. The LR drives great and I still think I got a deal, I refuse to take it to the dealership.
Thanks, Tim
AnswerHi Tim,
too bad you found out about these problems after driving 700 miles.
1. Both headlights are out? Replace bulbs BUT why are they burnt out? Check fuses, wires, bulbholder on this one for corrosion.
2. The 'valli' gasket under the manifold, you mean VALLEY gaskets.
Here's some useful help:
You will need the following gaskets:
1 Composite valley gasket.
2 Early type valley end seals.
2 Late type Rocker cover gaskets.
Disconnect the battery and disconnect the top and bottom hose at the radiator.
Remove the air hose between the throttle body and airflow meter.
Disconnect the air hoses to the plenum and cruise control system, the wires to the throttle potentiometer and the throttle cable.
Remove the six allen bolts in the top of the plenum and lift it away.
Undo the single bolt on the front and rear valley gasket clamp and remove the clamps.
Undo the 12 bolts and seperate the manifold from from the block and heads. You may need to use a paint scraper or knife to seperate the gasket from all the surfaces before sliding it out from one side. Remove any adhering gasket from all the sealing faces, making sure none drops in the ports or valley.
Fit the new valley end seals, making sure the small triangular "nips" locate correctly into the gap between the head and block on each side.
Apply Vaseline or LM grease to the new valley gasket on all the gasket areas which will be compressed and slide it back in from the side.
Refit the clamps, making sure the gasket is located correctly on all the ports.
Tighten the clamp bolts correctly.
Refit the manifold and torque the bolts correctly.
Remove the rocker covers and replace the gaskets, refit using the correct torque on the bolts.
Refit the plenum top, ensuring the faces are clean and coated lightly with silicone sealant.
Refit all the wires, hoses etc and refill the cooling system with 25% Antfreeze/75% water.
Start the engine and check for leaks.
3. ABS light is a nagging reminder of LR design.
4. The window problem could be addressed by having an auto-electrician rewire them to work independent from the window ecu unit. Sort of like wiring a new pair of foglights.
5. You could either replace the headliner from a salvage yard search OR you could try purchasing a can of aerosol glue and carefully spraying and pressing in the roof cloth. I had this happen after I bought a used Buickand I had to steam clean the roof to get rid of the smoker's smell. The steam cleaning caused the adhesive to fail and the cloth separated from the padding. Another possible solution would be to carefully apply upholstery plugs into the roof. Gives it a rugged look if they are black.
I understand your reluctance to see a dealer but its important to find one that you can trust. They do exist and eventually you'll need they're expertise, especially on a '96 Disco with 176000 miles. Besides, you can register yourself as the new owner with LandRover. This will make sure that any factory recalls are sent to you...like the recall on the gas tank. Was your's replaced?
Best of luck,
JohnMc
