99 disco II, problems
 

Ok so I've had this truck about two weeks now and am about ready to sell the thing. Took it through a puddle a few days ago, about 3ft deep (salt water). Truck died as soon as I pulled out of the puddle, started right up but ran rough for the first couple miles. Then yesterday the check engine light came on, gas milage went out the window (about a quarter tank in 20 miles), there is a humming from the lower fire wall area in the engine compartment, in low gears. Sounds like it coming from the trans and changes pitch as the trans shifts. Also smells like rotten eggs ( assuming the cat?) Any ideas?

You killed your oxygen sensors, probably got the salt water into the connectors and now they are all corroded and rotted out.
Have you ran it through a car wash and gotten the undercarriage rinsed with fresh water yet?
They will greatly effect MPG, and to much fuel being dumped into the cats can cause that smell.
Getting the crank sensor wet can cause the engine to stall.
As for the humming sound, does it make it when moving only or while sitting still to?

Please sell your truck. If you plan on driving thru salt water, no vehicle will withstand that for long unless specially prepped and cared for. Please be honest with the potential buyers and tell them you abused the truck.

If you want to reasonably maintain your truck, you can find a lot of information in the shop manuals, called the RAVE, free down load below. First, you'll need to spend some money on something besides Red Bull and buy a decent live data reading code scanner. Then you'll have an idea of what the problem is. If shiny wheels and new tires have exhausted your budget, you can go to most auto parts stores and they can read generic codes for free.

Havent paid attn to if it does it when sitting still. Ill check later on when I leave for work and get back to you. As far as coroding the o2 sensors, do you really think it would have happened this quick? Ive spent alot of time on boats out here on the ocean, and I dont recall anything coroding that quickley, even after being fully submersed. I could see it maby shorting something out. And btw way water was brackish not full salt. Was a tide pool inland of the beach, fresh water mixed with salt.

And Savannah, as far as telling me to sell my truck, and that I abused it? I seriously dont see driving through a puddle as abusing a truck. Expecially one as notiorious for river crossings as a Rover. If you want to buy it then make an offer, otherwise how about keeping those opinions to yourself. Thanks for your time though.

First off, 3 feet of saltwater or brackish water is not a puddle. Secondly a boat is made to withstand saltwater and is made with non corrosive materials like marine grade aluminum, fiberglass, stainless steel, bronze, and special primers, coatings, and sealants. Third Land Rovers are very rugged and capable vehicles but they are not meant to be driven in saltwater. The rivers that you see Land Rovers crossing are almost always freshwater, trust me. If they are saltwater than they are prepped for it and gone thru after (rinsed, cleaned, greased and oiled). I would rinse the bottom of your truck real well to avoid any other problems especially with your brakes.

I spend a great deal of time dealing with rigs set up to launch and recover Zodiacs and other boats both on salt water and brackish ramps, and from the beach. It is amazing what people will do to them. Some of my team drove a van thru a 1 foot puddle of salt water, with similar results, the Ford dealer near the Outer Banks would not even let us bring it in for an estimate because cost of repair would exceed value of vehicle. I had to rent a truck and trailer and have it hauled back to Savannah, where we eventually repaired it.

Those who set out to duplicate what they see in beer commercials or ads for OutBack Steakhouse need to consider the simple laws of physics and chemistry they will be testing.

You can look for any number of problems related to brakes, calipers, propshafts, ABS sensors, XYZ switch pack on side of transmission, etc. You may not be able to wash off all the stuff that got into connectors and now can't drain out. As the salt works its magic, more gremlins will appear.

Yes that little "dip" could have corroded the O2 connectors that quickly, considering it is already 12yrs old the connectors are not as "tight" as when it was new.
There have been pics posted on here of people looking to buy '02 and '03 Disco's that had been ran in salt water and the frames had holes in them big enough to put your first through.

clean all of your conectors w/ electric cleaner, and use dialectric greese on the conectors, then go from there. You prob damaged your o2, three feet of water, well you prob got some water through the air intake, I wouldnt mind betting in a few weeks from now your block may end up cracking as you may of caused vapor lock.I know this as I had a friend with a jeep and did the same thing to his, I told him what may happen and he laughed, well a couple of weeks later he wasnt laughing.Never do water crosings w/out a snorkel and water proofing all of you electronics.I wish you the best.Dont be a dick and sell you truck with out being honest, remember what comes around goes around.

Not to mention that salt water filled 100% inside of frame, then drained out, leaving - salt (instead of mud). Spraying outside or even inside may not get all of it, speeds up rust. Air vent for rear diff is near transfer case, so rear axle and diff oil may well have salt water in it. And the venerable starter, full of copper and phosphor bronze; ready to start turning green at rapid speed. Draw a three foot high line around a truck. What is below it that water can seep into when immersed (not just sprayed)? It may seep in from the top and be trapped, unable to drain out the way it came in.

So in conclusion, driving in any type of salt water is bad, very very bad.
Driving on salt flats is just as bad, there was a guy on CarTalk recently who drove his pick up on the salt flats at Burning Man, his truck started rotting away before his very eyes adn he needed to stop it.
They said forget it, its too late.