QuestionDear John, I had my brother in law (who sold me the Disco) email you about the check engine light that was coming on all the time. You gave us a couple of things to check. Before we could do them I have noticed one thing. The darn thing resets itself if the weather gets above 40 degrees. Then will come back on if it gets below 40 and usually ( nine out of ten times) the first time that I hit thirty miles per hour that day. Example from this week. Light was on but it was in the mid forties so the light went off before I could use the obd scanner on it. was off for about half a day and then the temp dropped overnight. First thing this morning as I got it up to 30 mph on it came.
secondly myt hood is unlatching as I drive down the highway, very disconcerting at 80 mph. Is there an adjustment to the latch to make or do I have to replace the darn thing. 97 disco with almopst 80000 miles on it. Thanks, Tim
AnswerHi Tim,
sorry to read that you are having trouble with your Disco. Most electronics can react to +40C outdoor temps, depending on where they are located. In the engine compartment, the temperatures are far greater than the outdoor temps. The component most likely to react would be the thermostat. There are various sensors within the engine that are temperature sensitive and a LR mechanic could help trap this using his diagnostic logbook.
Strange that you mention the OBDII reader does not read the last code that was triggered. I always thought that the codes had to be reset by disconnecting the negative cable on the battery. Do you have a battery problem? Sometimes a plate can fail and give a terrible time to your alternator and various other components. I suggest you visit your local auto parts shop ( I like Advance auto in the US) and see if they'll do a test on your battery.
A word of warning, most LR alternators fail due to poor battery conditions. The alt is about $700US at the dealer, so a $100+ battery is well worth the investment. Interstate is the battery I have in my Disco.
As for the latch, you should check the bolts to make sure they are tight - this include both the latch and latch holder. I think it would be easier to adjust the latch holder but I've never done this. Also, it could be the cable release that is causing this problem. You can try lubricating it with WD-40 (spray silicone) several times while pulling on the hood release. This will ensure that the lubricant travels into the cable.
I recently replaced the cable on my '95 Disco. Corrosion had worked its way into the cable and it was becoming unreliable.
Best of luck,
JohnMc
