Thoughts on picking up an 03 with 50K on the clock. - Land Rover Forums

Snafu / Disco Fries · #1 02-01-2012, 10:17 AM

I found an 03 that looks to be in nice shape with 50K on her. It is in the "death range" for the VIN. Obviously if I go and see it I will be able to look for all the signs you should look for on any Disco, but wanted to get thoughts on the oil pump issue. If the truck is now 9 years old and has covered 50K, what are the chances the engine will detonate still? Is there something in particular I could look for and tell about it?
Additionally, do the head gaskets depend on time or usually just miles? Most I see are done around 100K, and have not seen too many (or any really while searching) under 80K or so that went.
Thanks in advance. The deal is good on it, and while I would like an 04 I'm not looking to spend a fortune, and I don't plan on needing the CDL.

Disco Mike · #2 02-01-2012, 10:33 AM

First, how much are they asking for it? Second, don't be a fool and think you are qualified to do a complete inspection on that or any other Rover. Do the smart thing and pay a good Rover shop to perform a Pre-Purchase inspection before you buy it.

Snafu / Disco Fries · #3 02-01-2012, 10:58 AM

I'm thinking it would run around 8K. SE7 in nice shape. I would likely have a shop check it out, but I'm qualified enough to look for all the big issues that could be lurking. If I look at 3-4 different trucks, I'm not going to drop $200 each to take it to a shop for a complete check. So, being I've had a 4.0 apart and back together a few times, I know the 4.6 is not all that different. I'm just looking for things to look for about the unknown to me, which is the oil pump issue. If I could save time and money by knowing if this is a pass right off the bat, I'd be happy.
I suppose the same question would apply to a shop though. The only thing I don't know is the oil pump issue, so is there something they could do (that I could not) to determine if it is a ticking time bomb?

jeffery212 · #4 02-01-2012, 11:37 AM

FWIW, I bought an '03 that had all factory service completed up to the 67k and head gaskets. among other things, went at about 71k. Of course, your results may vary.

94svt50 · #5 02-01-2012, 11:43 AM

The 03s that where really badly misaligned on their covers blew pumps early on 20-30k miles, mostly less then that. I would do an oil pressure test to make sure the pump is working right and if it is I think you would be as safe to buy it as any other year. Dont forget a shockingly large number of 04s have had cracked pump gears and this condition is no stranger to any year but, an oil pressure test shoud tell you if there is an issue going on.

Snafu / Disco Fries · #6 02-01-2012, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94svt50

The 03s that where really badly misaligned on their covers blew pumps early on 20-30k miles, mostly less then that. I would do an oil pressure test to make sure the pump is working right and if it is I think you would be as safe to buy it as any other year. Dont forget a shockingly large number of 04s have had cracked pump gears and this condition is no stranger to any year but, an oil pressure test shoud tell you if there is an issue going on.

Thanks. That is something I was looking for. I wasn't sure if an oil pressure test would show anything with it or not.

agthird · #7 02-01-2012, 12:53 PM

03 in the death range 100k on the clock, still my DD...

94svt50 · #8 02-01-2012, 06:01 PM

Mine is in the death range as well so, I went on and changed the gears out just for good measure and it gave me a chance to look around and make sure everything looked good for peace of mind sake. With 110k on mine my original gears looked mint. Also, before I purchased mine I called about a dozen different large landrover service dealers across the country and talked to their service manager about their take on the oil pump problem. All of them pretty much said the same thing, that most of the affected pumps blew in a few thousand miles of ownership and most certainly before 30k.
My take on it is you still see oil pumps blowing as late as 80k, but it much more rare and I believe that is not related to an alignment issue do to the fact it happens on all years across the board. Not sure what causes this but peolpe get the cracked gears on all years maybe its a an issue with wear on the main crank bearings allowing enough slop to fatigue the gears and make them crack. Also, many of the misaligned covers did not just cause the gears to crack but, to blow out through the front cover.
Might not hurt to check with dealership record and see if maybe the engine has been replaced if its pump failed during warranty.

94svt50 · #9 02-01-2012, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snafu / Disco Fries

Thanks. That is something I was looking for. I wasn't sure if an oil pressure test would show anything with it or not.

It seems cracked gears show up on start up with slow build up of pressure also, there is no way a cracked gear could pump the required pressure at 2000rpm.

Snafu / Disco Fries · #10 02-01-2012, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94svt50

Might not hurt to check with dealership record and see if maybe the engine has been replaced if its pump failed during warranty.

Luckily I have a lot of dealer connections so at the very least I could run the history!