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Followup To
Question -
Hi John,
I have a 1994 3.9efi Land Rover Discovery which just won't start. It turns over and tries to fire but won't quite catch! It initially started missing and so I took it to a local land rover specialist who changed the distributor module but this didn't help and in fact things gradually got worse until it wouldn't start at all! I changed the plugs, distributor cap, leads rotor arm and coil but still it wouldn't start so I had it towed to my land rover dealer.
Thay said it came up with 15 different fault codes and after 3 weeks they eventually traced it down to a temperature sensor and air flow meter which they changed. They claimed this then cleared all the fault codes.When I collected the car it was very difficult to start and the technician said that it was the fuel pump. I therefore changed the fuel pump it ran that day but was very hesitant on acceleration and now it won't start at all again. Since then I have changed the throttle idle valve but again to no avail. The land rover technician says that the compression is fine and he doesn't think there is an internal problem with the engine. He thinks it could be the fuel pressure regulator or throttle potentiometer?? What do you think??
Many thanks
David
Answer -
Hi David,
I understand your position very well. We must have the same dealership! They fix problems by swapping out everything that MIGHT be the fault rather than searching for the EXACT component that is causing the problems.
In your case, after all that's been done, what' left...fuel pressure regulator, throttle potentiometer, throttle position sensor.
A true mechanic would have analyzed the fuel pressure to determine if it varies, same with the throttle potentiometer. As for the TPS...well ... it was the last component they changed on my Disco and "lo and behold..." it solved the problem. In my case, the previous $5000 was spent for nothing. The $500 that I spent on the new TPS proved that.
I'd go with a throttle problem. Make sure you let the dealership know you are fed up with the poor diagnostics and that you feel they are misleading you. Tell them you are seriously considering to report they 'questionable' service tactics to your consumer protection agency. I hope this helps them realize that its time to actually repair your Disco.
Best of luck,
JohnMc
NB: my wife says I have issues with LR service. After being 'mislead' so many times, I finally learned to do most of the work myself. Something you may want to consider.
Hi John
Many thanks for your advice! I decided to do the work myself and guess what - it was a £15.00 fuel filter which took me 30 minutes to fit!
So much for the £1500.00 LR service charged me!
Thank you once again
David
AnswerHi David,
I am glad you solved this on your own. I have to admit that when I read your followup about the fuel filter, I had to laugh at the whole situation.
I often forget to look at the obvious and move right into the mire of common LR component failures. The list is long and after trudging thru so many component failures I sometimes miss the simple fixes. Perhaps this is the case with the dealer too? We may never know.
I do wish that LR service would be more thorough with their diagnostics BEFORE submitting their estimates. Imagine the number of cardiac cases they'd prevent. I know that everytime I go into the dealership I have one hand on my wallet and the other close to my chest!
Did you solve this by measuring the fuel pressure?
After saving so much money, you deserve a fine dinner on the town!
Do you have a fuel tank recall in your country? My '95 Disco is scheduled to have it replaced in mid-August. Seems the older gas tanks can develop cracks and leaks.
Regards,
JohnMc
