I have a 98 Disco with 95000 miles. There is a problem with the brakes. Now I have a good deal of automotive repair experience, but I have a strange set of symptoms that I can't seem to nail to a problem. Here are the facts;

1. When I start the LR after sitting overnight, I press the brakes - fine I have brakes,
no slow pedal drop, like a bad master cylinder, no pump up needed, like air in the system.

I engage the transmission and back up. I press the brake and suddenly - I have no brakes,
pedal bottoms out, I get a grinding sound like if the caliper was hanging by a thread and "chunking!" into place when you went between forward and backward - but the calipers are tightly bolted, and then I pump it furiously, what sounds like a booster pump - buzzes, The pedal "bucks" a bit and I get brakes back and the "chunking" behavior stops.

I drive around say 10 - 20 miles, I press the brake, suddenly I have no brakes again, but one or two furious pumps and I get the booster pump sound and the brakes return. but only at low speeds (city driving) I never have problems on highway.

Did I mention the "antilock" light comes and goes with no pattern I can detect.
Since the warning lights on the Disco seem to have no attachment to any physical phenomenon other than a faulty electrical design, this is hardly worth mentioning.

Any theories out there?

Satchelo

 

You really need to find a mechanic with a scanner capable of accessing the brake faults.

 

It looks like an ABS fault. My father's jeep does it sometimes. Try removing the ABS fuse and see what happens. Check the brake fluid level just to be sure you have no leak.

 

Open your hood and on the passenger fender is a fuse box, open the box, remove the ABS fuse, close hood, problem solved.
This is a VERY common problem with DI's and it is very dangerous, you will crash.
Remove the under hood fuse for the ABS and you will not have ABS but you will beable to stop.
If you want you can have the system scanned by the dealer, they are the only ones who can read Rover ABS codes, you will need a new ABS modulator, $1500 just for the part if I remember correctly.
The dealer wont sell you a used one.
The dealer wont pull your fuse.
The dealer is going to want to fix it.
So the question to you is this, how badly do you want ABS?
I pulled my fuse almost 2 years ago.

 

I pulled my ABS fuse about 7 months ago and that stupid light still hasn't burned out. Why can't everything on the truck be made as well as that stupid bulb?

 

Thanks guys,

I pulled the ABS fuse out this morning and the brakes are acting like brakes again.
That was the easiest fix since I stuck the black tape over the "check engine" light
in my '75 VW beetle! It was literally a life saver.

I couldn't give a hoot about the ABS - less in fact - How in the world do you pull a moonshiner's turn if you have ABS??

I normally would drive it to the grave sans ABS, however I got duped into $1200 extended warranty when I bought the rig. My revenge is going to be this brake problem. My closest dealer is in Marin CA, probably the most expensive shop in the western hemisphere. It will be a $4000 repair easy. They can fix the "mystery rear windows" while they are at it. (you know - the ones that work 1 day and not the next) - and yes, I know it is the solder joints on the ecu box under the dash, but let them crawl under the dash. ha ha ha


Satchelo

 

my anti lock light has been on forever. bought it from a weirdo who knew nothing bout rovers..... turns out one of the connectors wasn't fully pushed together... go figure! Ive dealt with older disco's enough to realize ABS is a curse just pull the fuse or disconnect the connection should be behind air filter box.. idk less you really like ABS ... really expensive fix less you have some small gremlin, i'd check all yer conections, clean them well and make sure all the grounds are good... sounds like electrical rather then mechanical