Best advice is find a mechanic trained to work on Land Rovers.

My 02 Disco was seeping oil from the the valve cover gaskets on both sides. The drivers side was dripping right onto the O2 sensor and generating oil vapor. Oil seep was serious enough to leave oil stains in the driveway. By visual inspection I could see oil dripping from the valve covers (two elongated covers on the left and right top side of the engine) onto the exhaust header pipe and O2 sensor. The oil leak could also have been from the valley gasket but it was dry.

In addition to the oil stains I had coolant puddles. That was a sure sign of another problem (either ruptured hose or failed head or front cover gasket). Pressure test by mechanic confirmed head gasket failure and he promptly referred me to a shop specializing in British auto repair.

Preliminary estimate for my head gasket replacement was $1,500. That was the base price which included head gaskets, valley gasket, valley gasket and throttle body gasket. I opted for more work based on mileage to include front cover gasket (it was leaking coolant), oil pan, water pump thermostadt, hoses, ignition wires, spark plugs, clean/inspect heads valves, valve guides, and pistons cylinder sleaves and block. Total cost $3,200. My wife was not pleased spending the money but I am very pleased with the work. When I confirmed head gasket I wanted to make sure I repaired or replaced other gaskets and parts to prevent future problems and labor costs.

Regards

Charlie
Bel Air, MD

 

@uflash you know, i tried but i guess i didn't have much luck. there was some guy on here who said he knew someone but then he never called back.

there's also some dude in west LA that re-did my O2 sensors but then again, but then about 8 months later i needed toget an O2 sensor fixed again. also, he was super negligent about providing me with a receipt for his services.

also took it celebrity auto in silverlake - by far the worst. he had my truck for about 2 weeks, he dinked around with it, and then after 2 weeks he said he couldn't fix it. of which, i had it towed to hornburg in hollywood. he's a real dick, removed inside panels, didn't put them back. all around douchebag.

anyways, took it to hornburg. they did the diagnostic, quoted me a price and fixed it in 2 days (part delay). it's a dealer, so of course prices are higher, but what a difference! i paid exactly what their quote was. their diagnostic was on-spot, and it's legitimately fixed. the only thing that sucks about them is it being Mon-Fri and they close at 6pm. Otherwise, it's no stress. More money, but at least you know it's really getting fixed.

to be honest, a lot of places won't even work on a LR. they don't have the proper computers, even if they say they do they probably don't, which makes them more apt to poke around, make things worse and misdiagnose for a bigger job (which as we all know doesn't really fix the problem). i would only take my disco to these places now if it needs new tires or an oil change. otherwise, forget it.

living in west hollywood i see Discos all the time and i wonder where they're all going? i guess until i find a cheaper guy who actually knows his stuff, i'm stuck paying the higher prices at hornburg but i have a feeling it will cost less in the long run.

anyways, that's my two cents. hope it helps. and if you do find a guy - i'd love to hear about him.

 

btw, i did some research when i had problems that were similar. they always want to tell you that you need a head job. i had like 4 guys tell me this.

you know what it wast? i needed a new engine ECU. lol.

if anything, i suggest getting a diagnostic and quote from hornburg because at least you'll know for sure what is wrong with the car. and then you can try to do it elsewhere for cheaper knowing that that's the problem.

just a thought.

 

Hi,

Thanks for the info. I agree with you in everything, the idiots that worked on my Disco just took my money. Today I decided to ask the first person I see with a Rover and sure enought I did not see a single one!

But surely enought it was a day of hell...lost my iphone4 at mountain high and coming down the hill my dashboard light up light christmas tree LOL! ABS! TC! truck downhill symbol+! I'm so upset about my phone that just wanted to push the truck down the mountain side...

Like I didnt have enough with just loosing my phone!

I will do your suggestion about at least get a diagnostic from the dealer and maybe I get lucky and find a Disco mechanic. I dont mind getting dirty but without proper tools and never dealing with cars its a bit difficult.

Thank you all, will try creating a new thred asking for a mechanic.

 

Dear gipson

The oil leak could be from the valve cover gaskets but could also be from the valley gasket. Oil from these gaskets can drip on either of the front O2 sensors.

Parts prices are from Atlantic British.

O2 sensor - Front pair $69.95ea.

If you are up on the maintenance schedule you can determine when the spark plugs should be replaced.

Bosh double platinum spark plugs $9.95ea.

Proposed head gasket work at $650 is low to me. You might seek a second opinion on the head gasket failure. Scope of work on the head gasket should include replacement of the following: both head gaskets, exhaust manifold gaskets, valley gasket, and valve cover gaskets. Also the head bolts cannot be reused. Price for head bolt set is $79.95. General pricing (parts and labor) is between $1,100 and $2000. The head gasket job is fairly labor intensive. The work should include inspection and cleaning of the heads, valves, cleaning of rocker arms, valve springs, and valve guide replacement as necessary. If you have to replace the head gaskets you might consider replacing the front cover gasket and water pump depending on mileage and condition.

If you have not replaced the spark plugs and ignition wires at the recommended time doing that work together with head gasket job makes sense and avoids additional labor costs later. That’s what I did with mine.

An ignition Magnecor performance 7mm wire set runs $139.95.

Charles
Bel Air, MD