Hi all,

This is my first time posting and I'm admittedly a complete car novice. I drove a 2003 Disco with ~80k miles on it. Recently I was driving home from work when I started to notice a heavy rumble whenever I was idle (at a stop light, stop sign, etc.). I didn't think much of it but just wanted to get home and then get it to the shop on the next Monday. As I continued driving, I noticed that my heat gauge on my dashboard was rising until eventually the light turned red and the check engine light started intermittently flashing/staying lit. As soon as I got home I stopped driving, and waited for a tow today. However, this morning my mechanic (Road Britannia in Atlanta, GA; a couple of guys who used to work for Land Rover and now specialize in Land Rover repairs at a discount to the dealership) let me know that because of the issue I had 3 options: sell my vehicle for scrap, invest in a used engine, or invest in a new engine! He explained that somehow the coolant had gotten into the engine (and he also explained that it was in piston 6 and piston 3 but not in piston 1 which I didn't understand but may be helpful for you all) and that it pretty much had ruined the engine. Does this seem viable? It was running fine until last Friday and even then the car seemed to run normal as long as I wasn't idling. Any help is much appreciated.

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Charlie
2003 Discovery, 80K Miles
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You should never drive it when over heating. You should have stopped before you got home, and waited for a tow.

They aren't saying that the coolant ruined the engine. They are saying that the engine is ruined, and the symptoms are the coolant in the cylinders.

 

So the reason my engine may be ruined is because I ran it hot for too long, and we know it was hot because the coolant was in the pistons (along with said symptoms)? Obviously I made a mistake, but 5 minutes of running the engine hot ruins it completely?

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Charlie
2003 Discovery, 80K Miles
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What the pros are telling you is that you operated the engine with a severe head gasket leak, coolant is inside the engine. The significance of not being piston 1,2, 7, or 8 is that those are most common to be involved with a head gasket leak. Leaks at other pistons may be worse than head gasket, could be a cracked block.

A head gasket job runs about $2000 in the metro Atlanta area at indy shops. DIY the parts are under $300, and there is about $200 of machine shop work if all that is involved is the heads. But you won't know for sure until they are off. Block was also we warped.

Road Britania is a reputable indy shop. But a great many owners have to do head gaskets. Some of those don't work and they have to do the block as well, and it is cheaper to just put in a used engine. May be worth some mechanic's time for them to take a closer look and decide on if head gaskets only are an option.

Unfortunately, the time to stop driving was when you saw temp rising. You also kept going when the engine light was flashing, and the overheated light came on. But you got home safe. Could have made the difference between a repair and a replacement. I don't say this to beat down on you, but to warn others that might read this thread. Stopping on I-285 next to the median wall is not for the faint of heart.

In Atlanta there are a number of sources for used engines. If you go to a big u-pull-the parts juunk yard you may get one for $199, but it will most likely need head gaskets to start with. You can buy a warranty for I think six months at places like Pull-A-PArt.

Had you been having any other issues, check engine light on, loss of coolant, running warmer than normal?

 

Normally, if coolant does spill into the engine, it thins out the oil and lowers it's ability to protect the moving parts. Depending on the size of the internal leak, it can cause damage to the engine, but only when it's being driven. If there is a leak and the car is parked, no damage will occur.

I say that because it seems like the damage came in when you kept driving the car while it was in the process of over heating. These cars have aluminum engine blocks and when the temperature starts to rise above dead center, it's already a good 30 degrees hotter than it should be. If the car was pulled over and allowed to cool down, little to no damage would have happened. Continuing to drive the car as it's overheating and watching the light came on is what did the damage.

There is a possibility that nothing major happened to the engine block, but you could try to have the engine taken apart, have all of the bolts and gaskets. Have all of the springs, valves, lifters, rods, seals, etc. checked and replaced if needed (while looking for the source of the leak).

 

I haven't really had any other issues except for the common issue of a ticking sound at times that I've had for quite some time. I asked the mechanics about the ticking noise and they said it's common and as long as I'm not seeing any other symptoms then it shouldn't be a problem. Other than that there have been no issues within the last 12-24 months. The guys at Road Britannia also said that they could take a part the engine a little bit to make sure that there wasn't some other kind of issue that was more reparable but he said he was very very confident that it would have to be a complete engine replacement (I'm not sure what exactly he saw to make him think it was totally in disrepair, but he mentioned using some camera thru a tube that confirmed that the coolant had gotten into the pistons). My next step was to take it to the dealer to get a second opinion, do you think that's even worth it?

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Charlie
2003 Discovery, 80K Miles
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No need to go to a dealer. The camera tells you there is coolant in the cylinders. Most likely is also in oil (makes it milky). The operation at high heat is the issue. The labor to repair the engine exceeds the cost to pull it, and install a pre-owned one. Yes, they could fix the old one, with enough shop hours. You might decide to take this on yourself, but it is task that takes DIY guys a couple of weekends, maybe more. And purchase of tools, and a place to work.

 

They are most likely correct.. You should assume that if you buy one of these truck's you should revamp engine, head gaskets and complete cooling systems. If you overheat like you did...assume that you need to tear down to the block to rebuild..."If you can"...

Save yourself headache, sleep and nerves. Get a used engine and have them reseal top end, Do head gaskets,replace timing chain, and sprocket in oil pump, replace cooling system..IE all hoses, thermostat, radiator. Then get on with your life. Most of these truck ball up and go down in flames...

 

I would say they they are correct. I have a 2003 4.6 block that the bottem of #6 liner leaked into the oil pan and swamped it.

 

The deal wont tell you anything different.
Why spend the money on a tow and diagnostic fee?