QuestionI've had my used 04 LR Disc for two months. A few weeks in, water starting pouring in with rain, through the seat belt units near ceiling. Gushing out when heading down hill. After reading various forums, I assumed it was sunroof, drains, or rack. Those all checked out fine. After spending a lot of money to replace door seals and another three days at a body shop I am told there is really nothing that can be done. He could find where the water is coming in but said there was no way to change it.... "design issue". I'm really frustrated as I love the vehicle. How can there be "no fix" for this? He added some silicone around the seal and tightened the doors up but said that wouldn't fix the problem. Help? Thank you.
AnswerHi Catherine,
indeed, water leaks (or what most LR owners would say: water 'ingress') is a common fault and most owners learn to accept this fact. Sad but true.
I was shocked when I first found both of our footwells soaked in water after only owning our Disco for a few short weeks. Several visits to dealer later I still had water ingress but it was redirected around to the transmission area and, over time, almost rotted thru the flooring by the time the warranty expired. The though may have been that the heat from the area would help dry up the water... who knows. I just wish I was told about this problem before I purchased the vehicle.
So how do you 'control' water ingress? My suggestion is to have your sunroof and A/C drainage tubes cleaned twice a year - once in spring and once just before winter. There are also various areas that you can use sealant to help hold back the water. Here is an excellent website that has actual LR technical service bulletins on the subject:
http://homepage.virgin.net/mark.hopkins2/WaterIngress.htm
I agree that this all seems to be the result of just poor design and my guess is that LR has no sense of shame in allowing this problem to migrate from old models to newer ones. Perhaps the ostrich is the true mascot of LR - hide your head and the problem will go away. :(
I hope the above website will help in reducing the water ingress into your Disco. I've followed the steps and it has helped me save my new carpet. I won't mention what happened to the first one. :(
I also suggest you find a reputable independent LR repair shop for the other repairs that you will face. Just in case. You are most fortunate as you live in VT and you have two shops that the best reps in N.America:
Rovers North in Westford, VT
http://www.roversnorth.com
DAP in Springfield, VT
http://www.dap-inc.com
Best of luck,
JohnMc
