In my search for a 4x4 for a toy/secondary vehicle I came across a 97 Discovery. Having a decent knowledge of automobiles/mechanics I hadn't been researching cars individually, just checking them out with that lost talent of common sense haha. 138,000 miles no metal in oil (at least not detectable on dipstick) transmission fluid what you would expect, no knocks rattles or suspension woes. Brakes checked out shifts right into gear (auto) diff lock shifter and t-case A-ok. Small oil leak looks to be rear main seal, small tcase leak.

Now for the problems, no dash lights, tag lights, or passenger tail lights. Both windows on passenger side weren't working and the front moonroof off track/not working (stuck closed, yay) 1800 you say? SOLD!!!! couldn't find a 4x4 less then 3000 that wasn't junk around here! I believe its the SE7, leather seats 7 blah blah.

So I drove it for around 150 miles with no issues (fixed the dash, tag, and tail-lights) first time I took it off road it overheated. I found it needs a fan clutch (you shouldn't be able to stop that with your hand right? lol) waiting on some money to order that.

Sorry for the long post... Now here is my real question I checked out the windows in my boredom, the switches at the console are functioning (sending ground) I checked at the front passenger kick panel and have 10 volts for the up and down respectively. pulled the door panel and 2 wires going into motor one gets voltage for up one gets voltage for down (reversing polarity I assumed) so i called it a window motor (it makes no sound and or effort when switch is pushed) and put everything back together, could it be the ECU?

 

1. See tech section of the D1 forum for a write up on a $50 Chevy cross over fan clutch. I will also point out that if funds are tight, the salvage yard is full of Chevys and GMCs, the same 6 inch reverse direction clutch screws right on to our water pumps. You'll have to enlarge the mount holes in the fan slightly, always mark fan front / engine, so it goes back correctly - cupped side of blades toward block. Pix of junkyard Chevy clutch (1998 - 2003 usually) and Disco blade, and a bigger Blazer blade I found, clutch and blade like $19.

Pix of fan clutch - a'int saying a new clutch a'int nicer, but sometimes a new one is too far away by holiday shipping or money is tight, etc. A good clutch, when warmed up, should not freewheel, only turn 1 revolution when spun by hand and released.

2. The window motors have their own ECU behind the glove box, there are write ups on that - circuit board cacks, pull it out and reflow solder across the cracks. Worked great on mine. The RAVE electical manual is your friend.

 

Thanks for the tip on the fan clutch, makes it a this week fix and not a 2 weeks from now thing. I planned on having a look at the ECU just for fun I just couldn't see what else it would do if the motor was getting current when the switch is pressed. Then again there is always something I don't know.

 

swapped out my fan clutch with the chevy one, took about 15 min total, with a cost of $50 very nice. Hopefully this cures overheating issue (it was bad either way) not going to spend 600 on a radiator.

 

If you have a D1, the radiator is a copper and brass affair. It can usually take acid boil out and flush by an indy rad shop, plus they can un-solder the side tank and rod out the calcium deposits. Radiator will be much better, more noticed in summer. If your temp gauge was above 9:00 at 40 mph plus, radiator could also be part of the puzzle. Indy shop near me charge $70, it can go to about $100. If radiator is in pretty good mechanical shape. Try to find an indy shop that is small and does big equipment and tractor radiators. Those are his boat payments, the baby Rover radiator is just a blip. Radiator has oil cooler on passenger side and tranny cooler on driver's side. Easy to remove.

 

Keep in mind the engine is all aluminum, overheat it to much and it will literally be a boat anchor because it will drop a cylinder liner.

 

I'm in Florida, it's always summer! Yes I was told radiator was going to probably be an issue, I'll call around I only know of 2 small radiator places locally. I'm just kind of hoping since the fan clutch was bad, and turning the heat on was enough to get the gauge back to the middle in 80 degree weather, that replacing the clutch will at least hold me until real summer gets here. Thanks for your advice, you saved me $50 today. All that's left on my list is fix cruise control, and the windows, I feel like I got pretty lucky with my Discovery!

 

If the old fan was locked up all the time then a new working fan clutch will not solve your overheating issue.
On the DI Land Rover said to change the coolant every 30,000 miles or 36 months, whichever was sooner, if you did not do that then the radiator would scale up, become blocked and the truck would overheat.
SOOOO...start with a off the shelf radiator flush of your choice, that will cost you about $15 plus 3 gal of new 50/50 all aluminum safe coolant.
If that does not work then you will need to look into having it rodded out.

 

When I say overheating, I mean approaching the top of the range of the gauge. I've never let it get hotter then just below the H on the temp gauge (as in when it starts getting in that area, turn heat on coast @ 50-60mph and or shut it down) as for the coolant being changed it doesn't look to be original coolant but it's pretty nasty. Honestly I was just happy it wasn't straight water. I've never really heard of any success with off the shelf flushes, I'm willing to try it but if it's only a maybe that will help kind of thing I would rather just pull it have it cleaned/rodded and be done with it. It may be worth mentioning I get shop rates on local parts and have free access to lifts and almost any tool you could think to need (brother has been a mechanic at the same shop for 17 years).

 

IMHO you are in danger of killing the engine. The gauge is built to show 9:00 for a wide range. Mine does not go above 9 until above 235, and that's too hot to begin with. The gauge is not linear, and not like Detroit ones. Above 9:00 is cooking. And fan clutch won't help this at above 40 mph. Fix this first.

Might throw in a bottle of "water wetter", it will reduce heat a few degrees.

You can borrow a scanner that reads data and plug into the OBDII port under the dash, and see real temp you are getting. That way you know if a fix has worked, before cooking again.

Also you might like an Ultra Gauge, it can display digital temp and have a programmed alarm point and double as code reader/scanner. About $70.