QuestionHi John,
I am writing to you since you mention having gone through water leaks on your own LR.
I have had major repairs to repair my LR Disco I 1995 (3.9l) and had all the rear windows completely resealed. (Note that these windows are not sealed from the manufacturer -- these trucks are meant for the Sahara Desert, not Quebec winters.) I had observed water leaks from somewhere in the rear of the vehicule coming out from oth rear speakers. Even after all these repairs, the last rain brought bak the same water leakage to come out from the same speakers!
So I then thought the roof racks' ends(no rooftop windows on my LR) cause be the cause. Eventually, my mechanics found that even the front windshield glass is not properly sealed and all of its framing is rusted.
I don't know if you experienced anything similar?
I want to keep being optimistic about this truck I bought 6 weeks ago from Longueil Chysler-Jeep (a Jeep dealer on the South Shore of Montreal) -- they even provided me with an "85-point inspection" that stated the car was in very good condition.
Since I bought it, I put no less than $10,000CDN worth of urgent repairs! I keep thinking that it will come to an end and I will at some point have an rebuilt Land Rover for not too expensive (paid 7K$). Almost all high pressure hoses and the steering box were leaking oil and have been replaced, as for all sparking and ignition systems. My mechanics teared out from the engine more than 4 cups of old cheap engine oil deposition! The car I bought stated 148,000km which would have been both realistic and announce a truck in "medium-to-good" condition (the previous owner even had an invoice from Decarie Motors dated June 2003 stating 140,600km to make the mileage more credible). All was crap, this car had never been maintained at all and certainly could not go through whatever make's dealer inspection -- probably has over 250,000km. Happily, it's a Land Rover, and if you can afford the parts and get an experienced mechanics as the one I got (for 48$ an hour) it seems like you can always rebuild these cars from scratch...
I have now reached the point of no return, I guess, and must have everything fixed, otherwise I could simply loose over $10,000 trying to resell it in despair...
Finally, I just found a gas leakage from all of the injectors seals.... Another 1k$ of maintenance that should have been signaled by the seller!
Sincerely, what do you think I should do?
1) Keep repairing the truck in hope of a future Nirvana?
2) Sell it fast and cheap to get another one that has a maintenance book and all historic papers from the original owner?
3) Option 1 + sue the seller for misrepresentation or any other valuable article? (There was a one-month warranty -- expired while being repaired! -- covering only major failures like engine caking together, etc.)
Oh, I also got the famous ABS light on in the control panel (went on and off a few times, now stays permanently on...
And, by the way, rust can indeed get into the body of a LR as proved on my rear-door (lightly rusted only so far).
Thanks in advance for your advice,
Sincerely,
Stéphane
PS: I must admit that I love this damn truck, it is not a wreck and it drives very smoothly on the road, tie rods and all direction parts are in good shape and provide an enjoyable ride. Exhaust and all 4 breaks have been replaced by the previous owner for $5,500. So all in all, I may have got exhausted only by the number of little this and huge thats...
AnswerSalut Stéphane!
Your 10,000$ in repairs should have covered all the major problems associated with the earlier Disco I's. Having a mechanic that charges only 48$ is quite good. Decarie usually charges 85$/hour (or is it 89$/hr?).
The rear design of the '95 Disco has water ingress from around the roof trim and down into the rear door seals. Its terrible thing to happen. The work you did around your rear windows was probably done because the seals were old and starting to crack and split. I have the same problem on my '95 Disco, especially around the rear door.
I recently did some cleaning around the rear door and have seen some corrosion starting. You'll have to attack the corrosion quickly and remove as much as you can. Make sure to seal the area afterwards. Waxoyl is good. Spot paint is ok too. I removed the bumper step gaurds and was shocked at the rust I found. I've cleaned it all out, repaired the rusting bumper, sprayed in rust inhibitor and paint.
Reasons for water ingress...
The roof is steel and it meets with the aluminum body along the roof trim. If roof trims are loose or cracking, water can ingress. Meanwhile, water is carried back to the rear where it trickles down into the door framing. Underneath the car, road water is sprayed up and into the rear bumper area. The design of the Disco has the air curling in behind the vehicle and forcing air, dust and water into every possible seam. Rear door is extremely heavy, even without the spare tire, it starts to sag over the years. Hinges eventually weakend and need periodic adjustments. I'd even be surprised if your rear door handle and keyhole are working 100%.
Bottom line: design flaw has motion of vehicle forcing water ingress. Check your rear door seals to make sure that they are meeting the frame of the vehicle. Spray a hose against rear door with someone inside to see where the problem areas might be. Water pressure should be similiar to road/highway spray conditions.
Regarding the purchase you made. You'll have to contact your Government consumer protection agency to see if you have a case against the dealership. Making major repairs so soon after the purchase could be in your favour, but I suspect it may be too late. Car dealerships are very crafty and know the laws very well. You should be making written complaints to the dealership right away, if you want any help with the bills. Telephone calls are good BUT written complaints are best.
A ten year old Disco that has had no major work done on it --- well, its a ticking time bomb! You bought the Disco and then BOOM: 10K$ went out the door. This is expected for older Disco's. Believe me, I know! I too have had major work done and I have bills that total close to 14,000$. This is normal for the lifespan of a 1995 LandRover Discovery. I recently spent over 5000$ on CV and manual clutch repairs.
Now that the Disco is repaired to your liking ... you do have an advantage. You know its condition and what parts have been replaced. If you had purchased a 17K$ Disco (1999?) you would pay the same amount but not know its repair needs.
As for keeping the Disco, that' a decision you'll have to make. The 4x4 is 10 years old. You could try to sell it yourself but you might recover your original purchase price. Newer Disco's are more expensive and have different problems than the Disco series I models (95 - 97).
I have over 270,000kms on my '95. SO, if the km's are true on your Disco, you may get that much more from your purchase. I don't think Decarie would misrepresent (lie) about the kms on the vehicle. Their reputation is at stake and the risks are too high for 'used car lot' antics. If they serviced your Disco, they're good enough to tell you all service work, warranty maintenace and kms.
I wish you well in your decision with this Disco. I too am faced with the possiblity of trading in my '95 for a newer model. LR Dealer certified used models are the better purchases. If you buy from used car lots, I would advise you take the LR to dealer and have them inspect the vehicle - Decarie charges about 100$ for this. Much better than those 85 pt superficial inspections. Most general mechanics in North America would not know where to look for problem areas on LandRovers. Leave this to the experts.
Best of luck,
JohnMc
