QuestionHi John,
I'll try to be more specific, but it's hard to describe. It's like the feeling when there are strong winds and it's more of a strain to keep the car driving straight, but only at higher speeds. There seems to be more shaking than usual that I can feel in the steering wheel and seat. There is no loss in power and fuel consupmtion is fine, actually better than normal. It responds quickly when stepping on the gas, although when I step off the gas there seems to be some lag time. There is no fuel smell and no engine backfires. I can't check on the error code because it's at the dealer currently.
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Followup To
Question -
My 99 Disco II has 65k miles. The check engine light has been coming on for a few days at a time and it's riding a little wobbly. Because of this, the dealer replaced the air flow filter about a month ago. Now the light is coming on again (usually when I accelerate past 60 mph) and yesterday it was flashing; then steadied. I called the dealer and he repeated that it was the air flow meter, but I was thinking it could be the fuel injector or spark plugs. What are your thoughts?
On a separate note, my cd magazine will not release from the player. I can see that one cd is stuck in the out position, but I have not been able to force it back into place. Do you have any suggestions before the dealer charges me hundreds to fix it? Thanks!
Answer -
Hello Ellen,
Can you describe "...a little wobbly" for me? Do you see a loss in power? How is the fuel consumption? Do you have any engine backfires? When you step on the gas quickly, does your Disco respond rapidly or slowly? Do you smell fuel? Give me some more details on the performance of your Disco. It could be injector related but I can't tell from your description. Is there an error code on your OBDII under the seat?
As for your CD changer, you can disconnect the unit yourself and either try to repair it yourself or take it to a radio and CD repair shop. It does not have to be a LandRover dealer. This same CD is found in other Euro cards (VW I've been told) and maybe BMW. Most car audio shops have repair guys. The trick is to remove the unit, open it up and remove the mag. I've been told that there are known problems with wheels that feed the CD player. Have the shop perform a thorough cleaning (isp.alcohol)
Let me know.
JohnMc
AnswerHi Ellen,
This does not sound like a MAF (Mass Air Flow) filter or sensor problem. That feeling you describe is steering and suspension related. If you are having vibration AND steering problems, it could be the steering damper. If it is a constant battle to keep the car straight, you could have balljoint and trackrod problems. The steering can be adjusted and an alignment is needed.
I had suspension work done on my Disco and it was about $700 or so. Balljoints and trackrod were replaced along with an alignment. I hope this is all that is wrong. The steering pump rarely breaks down, so I hope this is ok for you.
Having the check engine light while driving usually indicates engine related problems. I do remember having a sever vibration when my steering damper finally failed. The Disco was difficult to control and THEN the check engine light came on. Perhaps the engine sensors reacted badly to the vibrations.
Your Disco has low mileage for a '99 which leads me to conclude your problems should not be too serious. Steering and suspension problems should be serviced quickly and by LandRover. Few 3rd party mechanics are familiar with LR and can get into trouble if they are unsure what to do.
You could have LR give you an estimate of repair and if the cost is too high, you could look for a european auto mechanic. I've had some work done at my local VW dealer. The LR dealer is 1.5 hours drive from our home - so the local village VW dealer took it in. They did the work but it took longer because they were unfamiliar with LR.
I would also suggest that if work has to be performed by LR, have them divide the work into two or more phases. Explain that you want only the more serious work performed first. You can return later to have the remaining work performed.
My dealer understands this and has done this for me on several occasions. I have a '95 Disco, so 10 years has me seeing lots of LR service bills. The past two months, I have had LR service the vehicle : first was CV joint ($2500) then the manual transmission clutch ($2700). $5000 in one month hurt. The dealer was willing to break the work up into two work orders.
I wish you luck on this.
JohnMC
