Hi folks- was just on here a couple weeks ago getting advice on swapping out my wiper arms (btw- thanks...night & day difference!). Wish i was posting again for something so easy...

My story: I have a '00 Disco II, approx 140k mi. Last year we had the dreaded overheat/coolant leaking into oil situation & were very much on the fence as to whether to repair or sell as-is after being told it was (likely) bad head gasket & possible new engine needed. Just out of school w/ tons of student loans, spending big $ to repair and/or throwing good money after bad was/is not an option for me- but love this car, have had it for 9 years & wanted to salvage it if it feasible...

At the urging of a neighbor who owns a tow shop & claims to have the best mechanic he's ever known (not LR specific-mechanic, something i am very uncomfortable with) we gambled and let him repair- replacing head gasket, some brake work, etc- for $3500. Ordinarily I would have taken this risk only w an indy LR shop or LR mechanic I've used & trust but the car overheated 1500 miles from home at my folks' place w/ no known LR mechanic nearby. Long story short, 1200 miles later & back home in the mountains in CO the car overheated yesterday w/o warning after 5 mins of driving. I immed. pull over, coolant appears empty (after adding/checking just 5 days ago- i've been pretty vigilant about monitoring the fluids since repair), oil high. Add coolant & creep 1/2 mi home fine. This morning- check oil. Stick comes back slightly high (just over full)- higher on other side of stick (don't know why?). Does not appear milky the way it orig. had after overheat last year (not sure how much coolant absorption makes it milky? a lot? a little?)

The car has been running fine for 1200 miles. No dramatic fluid drops/changes, no riding rough. Haven't noticed major fluid leaks on driveway. So, here I am 1200 miles away from the guy who I've already invested $3500 with to repair & unsure if this is the SAME problem as last time, something new/different & also no where near (w/in 100 miles) a known indy LR shop or dealer. Is this possibly the SAME head gasket? Is this a sign of a bad repair job or something else? Am I crazy to think a repair job that doesn't last 3 months is unacceptable or or these head gaskets that unpredictable? Is my engine actually bad after all?

I know these are not things that can be determined w/ any certainty via a forum post, but is there anything I, despite not being very mechanically inclined, could possibly do to troubleshoot so that I know where to even go from here? I am afraid to even turn the car on at this point. I'm beyond frustrated & can't bear to continue hemorrhaging money.

Many, many thanks in advance,

Emily

 

It's amazing how many "mechanics" think that an engine is an engine and that if you've done one head gasket, you've done them all. A few questions for your mechanic: Did he use new head bolts? Replace the thermostat? Replace the water pump? Flow test the radiator? Check the heads for warping and cracks? Know the proper torque procedure? Pressure test the block to make sure it didn't drop a liner? If not then, yes, it's possible the head gaskets have failed or there's a bigger problem. (cracked block, head, etc) Especially if you're loosing coolant and the oil level is going up. I wouldn't drive it. You will only do further damage.

Eric

 

Thanks, Eric. I'll leave it in the garage & will try to track down the details of what the mechanic did/did not do. Any suggestions for diagnostics tests or things I should check for while it's just sitting in the meantime? I'm SO not wanting this to end badly.... ugh.

 

If you want someone to walk you thru this, send me your number, I'll be glad to call you.
$3500 repair, this guy saw you coming. I hope you paid by credit card.

 

Not really a whole lot you could do. For what he charged, you should go after him and have him fix it or get you another engine. If you were checking your fluids during the trip and weren't having any problems, then I would say he didn't do something right. FWIW, the previous owner of my D2 paid a "mechanic" $1300 to do a head gasket and the guy never did get it running. Said he needed a new engine. I bought it and fixed it myself with the help of this forum and the Rave manual and I'm driving it with no problems. Don't give up. If you tell us where you're located, maybe someone on this forum knows of an indy shop that can look at it. Or search http://www.landrovermechanics.com/ for a shop.

Eric

 

Eric & Mike- thanks so much for your feedback & advice- it's frustrating to feel helpless, but good to hear there may still be hope that things can be salvaged! I have a call in/am waiting to hear back from the mechanic with a full list of what was- and wasn't done. Mike- thanks so much for your generous offer to help navigate the issue. I will PM you my # when I get back to the house tonight.

FYI, I'm in NW Colorado, near Steamboat Springs.

Emily

 

Just as a quick follow up:

My mechanic's receipt mentions: replace thermostat, new water pump, machined heads & replaced one, used new bolts. No specific info re: torque or pressure test or flow test. Breaking down costs, it looks like $500 was parts, $1k was labor on the heads- the remainder of the $1500 went to brake work, new battery, etc.

Not sure if this is of any help or not.

 

Hi guys, visiting your thread because I am researching the process of head gasket replacement and will be doing the work. Once I've gained enough information and confidence I'll give Disco Mike a call for his words of wisdom and blessing before the surgery begins. If I was on the Mercedes forum I'd be afraid to asked this question for fear of being laughed off the forum but since we are all friends here; what does the term "indy shop" refer to? I am drawing a blank, is this because I am fairly green to the LR world? Thanks.

 

2001se7, "Indy shop" is short for an independent land rover shop that specializes in land rovers, most owners love them, drive them, and know all the little quirks that only a land rover lover could know. No such thing as a stupid question, that's how we all learn. We all have been there. Jeff.

 

$3,500 for a headgasket and brakes? Does the stealership even charge that much? sounds like he charged too much in my opinion.