I think dude is OK for doing a rant. I'm new to the Disco world, but I was pretty certain of what I was getting into. It's a 4th car, so I doubt I'll get too bent out of shape when things go sideways- although I gotta sympathize with the rant as dumb design is dumb design. I figure the biggest frustration will be when it's down I won't get to drive it.

I was telling my wife the other day I need to figure out a good British name to use when I want to whine about the Disco. In my E30 days, there were many times I used to cuss Jurgen for seemingly nitwit afterthoughts of design.

So after Fast951 cools off and remembers it's not so bad, he'll be fine. If he's truly at the end of his rope, I suspect he will regret it and come back. I did the same thing in the E30 world... 4 times. The last one I sold was because I'd finally grown out of them and my needs were changing with a family. I still look longingly at them, but realize I had my time and it was good. Some tears, some blood, a lot of frustration, but all in all a very good time.

Keep your head up.

 

Think of it as a HD Land Rover Snuggie lol

I actually carry two small backpacking sleeping bags in the back of my Kalahari just in case for some reason I get stuck on the side of the road, or for whatever. Got em on clearance at Wal-Mart for 12.00 each. Weigh maybe 2-3LB and are good to 30F. They both fit nicely into the side storage bin.

Land Rover's to me are a true passion. If I could I'd open my own D1/D2 shop where I'd do repairs, and upgrades. I've never honestly had a single hate relationship with one. My mom got a fantastic 89 RRC back when I was around 14-16 and it made our 90 4x4 Chevy Suburban feel cheap in every single way from the ride, to the looks, and certainly in the comfort department. Then I was extremely lucky to come across my best friends still to this day that are both Master Land Rover Techs with 20-25 years of experience. I started with a 97 D1 that sadly I only owned 6 months before it was totaled in a horrific accident. Which I walked away from without a single scratch or bruise. I then grabbed an extremely rare 97 Range Rover Vitesse 4.6L HSE in AA Yellow. I then owned 2 03 D2's back to back SE & SE7, and then I got my hands on a mint condition 94 RRC SWB. Then I wanted a D90 so so bad, but I couldn't afford one, and they were super hard to find. I settled for an 05 Jeep Rubicon and I eventually sold all my LR's and went full on Jeep. I soon discovered that not only were Jeep's no where near as reliable as everyone acted like, but the Dealerships could care less and I was never treated good with any of my warranty work. Land Rover Dealerships go all out to provide loaners, or at worse a rental, and I remember back in the day all the free service campaigns (both my D2's have plenty of the green/silver campaign stickers under the hood). Jeep couldn't even offer me a shuttle bus to my house as I was 2 miles out of their shuttle range and I had to call a taxi several times just to get home.

After many many many break downs, cheaply made parts, and countless $$$$ spent on turning a Jeep into something reliable and possibly as good off road as a stock LR. I sold em and went the H3 route with an amazing H3 Alpha with a 5.3L V8. Though not as roomy as a LR it was truly bulletproof and reliable. I even got my wife an Adventure model with a rear locker and a cool red/black cloth interior (still rarely see one to this day). People bash H3's all day long, but I had two and they were flawless and very comfortable, reliable, and fun vehicles to own. The 3.7L I5 puts out more HP than a RRC/D1/D2 V8.

Then sadly my dad passed away and my brother and I had a hard time dealing with that. My mom wanted my brother and I to tinker with something so we were each given some $$$$ to get a LR of our choice. My brother found a unique 92 RRC and I found a lovely 98 D1 50th Anniversary Edition LSE. Once back into the LR world I was so happy! Simple to work on, unique, and still comfortable to this days current SUV's. Also vs when I owned them (new or like 2 years old) part prices lowered, aftermarket parts were available, and much more knowledge of their quirks was well known.

Eventually my LR fleet has grown from one to 4 (5th is a parts truck). With me selling both my H3's building a great carport/shop/garage, buying my wife an 06 LR3 HSE (once I found out we were expecting our second little one). I guess me being around them basically from 15 years old until now has something to do with it and I might actually bleed green now lol.

Sorry for the long story, but I guess what I'm saying is hang in there, and hopefully it'll get better before it gets worse.

 

Man that sucks. I think we've all been in your shoes to some degree or another but like others have said, these sorts of frustrations are not limited to the Land Rover world.

One of the things I've learnt (the hard way) wrenching on vehicles is to take your time when it comes to removing old and potentially seized bolts. Plenty of heat, and plenty of penetrating oil.

I've had two major cases I can think of where I was in a time crunch and didn't heed my own advice. 1) On my Series 2A Land Rover I used a breaker bar on one of the bulkhead to frame mounting bolts and sheared it off right flush to the outrigger. Had to cut off the outrigger and weld on a new one; and 2) obviously not learning from 1, I took a break bar to one of the rear upper shock bolts on the D2 and sheared off the bolt in the shock eye. Had to cut the shock, weld on a nut and carefully this time back it off.

I really should just chuck out my breaker bar!

Nice new engine by the way!

 

I find those come in handy for when the missus says "You spend so much time on that damn Land Rover, why don't you go sleep in it?!"

 

Yeah I could see that! Lucky for me my wife completely understands my addiction to wrenching on vehicles and the $$$$$ we save by me doing it so vs taking em to Dealerships all the time so she leaves me alone. When we met I was deep into the Jeep scene and she saw how much I had to do to keep them going down the road.

The only real time I've spent out in the garage working on a LR is after I just bought one. Gotta do the usual inspection, fluid change, and replace anything that needs attention. After that I'm inside cuddling up next to my wife lol.

 

When you carefully consider it every vehicle is built to a price especially these days. With EGR's, DPF's, CAT's, electronics etc, etc there is plenty to go wrong and it does, take Toyota's for instance, a pal stated he had his Toyota for 2 years and it spent at least 1 year in their, the main agents, garage for a series of recalls and repairs. He took legal action and received all of his money back.

With LR's, of which I have owned many over the past 50 years, they are a labour of love and enthusiasm, many owners buy them after 5 to 10 previous owners have abused them and expect them to last forever, well I can assure them, they don't unless you put in the time and effort to maintain them meticulously. Being they have almost double the drive train of many vehicles the maintenance is never ending but they are only good for a daily driver for the first 3 years from new then become a liability both in financial and time consuming terms unless you get a tame garage to do the maintenance and even then they can still go wrong as in any other vehicles.

Unless you own a newish LR they will go wrong and are not a reliable everyday form of transport unless you need a 4x4 it's best to buy a regular VW or similar as they are more economical and reliable but also all so boring rather than fun to drive and maintain. Me, I love LR's, even the hated diesels, they have loads of character and fulfil my requirements more than adequately. In truth my D2 has had very little go wrong with it in 13+ years and apart from routine oils and tires maintenance I doubt if I have spent more than £2000 on it so divided by 13 that's £153.00 per year, to me that's excellent value.

 

Personally, I'd cut an access panel (10"X10")...not just drill a hole. You are going to need ample space to make sure you are dead-center on the broken bolt. Once done, just make a large cover and pop-rivet it in place (after adding sealant).

Gonna stop beating the dead horse...but after being a mechanic for thirty nine years and working on everything under the sun...some of the engineering on these LR's leaves me shaking my head. I mean really...would it be to much to ask...for a drain valve on the rad...or is dumping two gallons on anti-freeze on the floor a better option?

Now, with that being said...I still enjoy my 01 Discovery (it's been pretty faithful so far). And have even enjoyed working on my wife's 03...which sits in the garage with the top end off. But, it will run again. And yes, as Best4X4 mentions...there are a lot of other contenders...for worse engineered vehicle on the planet. However, there's only one vehicle I will never...ever...own again.

Brian.

 

Well that's Land Rover ownership........just never forget the number>>>>

 

On the SAI radiators I use the temp sensor as a drain, it's better than nothing, but it's not located properly to be a true drain plug.

More and more vehicles are coming without dipsticks, or drains these days basically forcing you to take it to the Dealership.

 

Very true, since 2000 very few vehicles are designed for 'amateur enthusiast' repairs and more parts are modular 'throw aways', vis LR wheel bearing kits.

Most modern vehicles are virtually/totally amateur unfriendly due to electronic gizmos and modular construction. However, when most people buy them they have no automotive experience or interest and just submit/acquiesce quietly to the main dealership like 'woolly sheep' to the slaughterhouse.

I believe it is the intention of governments and vehicle manufacturers to ensure that DIY people don't 'tamper' with vehicles and are 'forced' to take them to authorised garages or dealerships.

They will claim that the modern vehicle "is too sophisticated for the average person to repair" hence the emissions claptrap fiasco internationally.

Interestingly I was reading a scientific article and statistics of modern petrol engines vs diesel engines, there was virtually no difference in the emissions. The greatest danger is NOx but the DPF's do NOT capture the ultra fine soot particle emissions generated by modern common rail injectors, so in truth the whole BS of governments about road transport is a money spinning farce and often based on interested parties 'opinion' and not now based upon real world scientific facts.