QuestionQUESTION: Kia ora (good health to you) John, I have a quetion out of curiosity more than anything else, of the v8 engines, 3.9, 4.0 and 4.6 is any one of those engines better or more reliable than the other?
Thanks for your opnion John, Kia ora anoo (good health to you again).
ANSWER: Hi Pono - Tēnā koe!
Interesting question on LR engines.
The 3.9 was a real workhorse of an engine. Did not have the problems that the replacement engine encountered. The 4.0 engine had problems with headgaskets, dropped liners, then there was the trouble with add-ons like sensor failures, electrical glitches, etc. I think the 4.6 also had it headgasket woes but I heard less from 4.6 owners than I did from 4.0. If I were to rank them by reliability, I'd go 4.6, 3.9 then 4.0.
Check the following link out for a good historical perspective on LR engines: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_Rover_Discovery
Regards and kia ora anoo.
JohnMc
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QUESTION: Teenaa koe John and thanks for your answer. Re: The 3.9 was a real workhorse of an engine. Did not have the problems that the replacement engine encountered. I am guessing that the replacement engine you refer to is the 4.0 or was there another one? Oh and what a surpise to see your use of (teenaa koe) you are obviously a very culture aware and enriched person and I appreciate your time and effort in your landrover answers and also the time you took to learn teenaa koe(hello). Kia ora anoo John naaku noa Pono (-:
ANSWER: Hi Pono - Tēnā koe!
Yes, the 4.0 replaced the 3.9. Some LR mechanics have told me that the 3.9 was a better engine but the newer engines moved to an engine management system that improved fuel economy and was a requirement within the N.American car industry (On board diagnositcs, OBDII)
You are most kind. My late wife* loved languages and she encouraged me to see the beauty in other cultures as well. We once met someone from New Zealand and my wife was fascinated with the culture, history and language.
Hei konā mai,
JohnMc
*My wife also loved LR's and it was her dream to own one. Sadly, she passed away a few months ago.
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QUESTION: Kia ora John thanks for the info, and so sorry to hear about your wife. I have a 96 (manufactured) but called a 97va landrover here which also has the 3.9 and I have a love hate realationship with it and I have been threating to get rid of it for the last three years..lol..my wife says she wishes I would hurry up but the funny thing is she takes it out every chance she gets and leaves me her hyundai. I followed the link you gave me to the site about landrovers but it goes as far as 95 then goes staright to the 4.0?? hei konei raa, Pono.
AnswerKia ora Pono,
Thank you for your sympathy and kindness.
Your experience with LR's at home is similar to what I shared with my wife. We too had a love-hate relationship with our Disco. Loved the ride, the security, the looks but hated the down time, repair and fuel bills. My wife agreed that the Disco was quite a burden but the ride was (and still is) unbeatable.
After the 95-96 year, the engine changed to the 4.0 and left behind the distributor system of old. LR moved eventually into the 4.0 GEMS system from 96 to 98 and then the Series II vehicles went into production, GEMS and Bosch with Thor engine.
Here's another great site for specs on your Disco: http://www.roverparts.com/How_to_Identify_Rover.cfm
Also check out www.discoweb.org - excellent resource.
"VA" must derive from the serial number of that production year - and perhaps some tweaking that LR did for your Disco in your market.
Best of luck with your Disco,
JohnMc
NB: Listen to your wife - she knows best. :)
