So I'm new here and I just bought a 2003 Discovery II with 53K miles on it, and it all seems to be mechanically okay... for now. (its in the BAD Vin# range)

I'm wondering about a few things: 1st I didn't know about the oil pump/engine problems until about 2 days after I bought it, needless to say I was pretty bummed. but my question is: is it possible to to launch a preemptive strike and just replace the oil pump now? I'm not really sure I understand the problem. Is it the oil pump or the engine which has been machined incorrectly?
the car is covered by an extended warranty (not landrover's but an independent warranty company) should I try to replace the pump now? or should I just drive it until all hell breaks loose have the warranty cover the engine replacement that any rover dealership will likely recommend.

any help would be great, I can do the work myself but will it just be a waste of time trying to delay the inevitable?

Thanks,

 

Well your warrenty wont cover this, preemtive or otherwise.
The problem is with the engine block, there are pins on the front cover that alingn it with the block, the oil pump is inside the front cover.
Because the pins and dowels do not line up correctly it puts extra strain on the oil pump thus wearing it out prematurly.
When the oil pump starts to fail the oil light will stay on longer during startup and will licker at a hot idle, like at a stop light.
Those are your warning signs.
You can replace the front cover and oil pump before it fails, but there is no gaurantee that it will fail.
When the oil light starts to flicker at idle you will call the warrenty company, they will tell you to take it to the shop, the shop will say that they need to tear the engine apart BUT the warrenty company wont cover this unless they find a problem.
They wont.
But if you drive it until the engine is destroyed then you are at fault because you could have prevented the engine failer by pulling over and shutting the engine off.
If the do tear the engine apart and find a problem and you do not have reciepts stating that you have been chaning the oil per the warrenty companys recomendations then you wont be covered.
Read the fine print on your warrenty, they will say how often the oil needs to be changed and you MUST follow those recomendations AND have reciepts, if they say change it every 5,000 miles you can change it more often but you MUST still have reciepts with the milage at what the oil was change, the type and weight of the oil.
If you do change it when they say (I am just using 5,000 miles as a referance) you can NOT go over even by one mile as that will give them a out on any repairs.
Extended warrenty companies are in buisness to make money not repair your truck.
They have a team of lawyers to cover their butts, you need to cover yours.

 

Replacing the oil pump now is not really a preemptive strike, if you have a bad engine block it's only delaying the inevitable.

You may not have trouble, so your best bet is to wait it out and see. I know that makes your stomach turn, but it's the most logical course of action.

Also, check with your warranty, but it probably won't cover the entire cost of an engine. Most of the "extended warranty" plans have a clause in them that states a predetermined maximum amount that they will spend (cumulative) as well as a maximum amount per-claim. For instance, your warranty may cover up to $9000 in total claims but not more than $3000 on a single claim. That's pretty normal, but a new engine from the dealer will cost you much more than the truck is worth; you'd be looking at about $10k for the lump under the hood, then about 25 hrs labor (at $100+ per hour) to remove and reinstall.

Drive it, enjoy it, try not to worry about it. If you bought it right, and you're really concerned about it, re-sell it now and buy another one that's either newer or older.

Best of luck!

 

Jake, how long does your warranty last.
Don't do anything unless it fails. Once you get to the point of your warranty failing then you may need to make some decisions.
In the mean time keep really good records of your services so the warranty company can't come back and bite you.

 

thanks, for the heads up. its kind of a rock and a hard place situation, I'm just going to keep it and keep all the service meticulously up to date, (which is a drag, because I'll have to pay someone rather than just do it myself) but what percentage of these bad VIN#'s actually experience cata$trophic problems? is there a chance it'll all turn out okay?

thanks again guys.

 

I'm very close into buying a 03 Disco HSE. What is the bad vin# range? my vin is SALTP16463A782739. thanks

 

oh, and the warranty covers the rig up to 100K miles.

 

Hey Jake,
I also have a 2003 in the dreaded VIN range. I knew it when I bought it thanks to this board, but it was exactly what I wanted, an HSE, cold weather package and all maintenance. Therefore, I went forward and also bought an aftermarket warranty based on advice I found here.

There is a lot of doomsaying here about aftermarket warranties, so I just wanted to share my experience with GM Majorguard. They only require proof of manufacurer reccommended maintenance for YOUR vehicle - no additional oil changes or anything of their own creation.

I phoned and said I would not be having future maintenance done at the dealership, but would go to an independent garage or do it myself and they simply said to save all my receipts, so I'll be saving parts and fluid receipts. There is nothing in the contracts that says otherwise. I have not tested this, but they claimed it was sufficient and if there is an argument it goes to arbitration.

The maximum payout for any one visit is the value of the vehicle. This should cover an engine replacment, for now anyway.

My first trip to the dealer for tapping noise and small oil leak included head gasket, valve gasket, oil pan gasket, new throttle body, all related fluids and hoses totalling $3,200. GM warranty requested service records and my uncovered costs were ultimately $85.

I am grateful that I found this board and purchased a quality warranty. While I don;t wish for it, I am not sweating the oil pump failure, which I really do not believe is inevitable. And I have every intention of my warranty company covering it if it occurs before 100k.

Read the warranty, and if it's a good one, I think you can relax and enjoy your new Disco. Wishing you best of luck with your '03 and happy driving.