Longest without engine light
 

Last time I got a CEL was months ago when I drove through a river and killed an O2 sensor. Other than that, I never see lights come on .

I think the record on one of my discos without an engine light is 1 hour

Didn't drive it over the weekend...so, that would be 48 hours...does that count...lol.

Granted, all of my CEL has been consealed from human eyesight. Shame on me, but l'm just a LR "poser" anyway.

​​​​​​​ Brian.

I have OCD when it comes to my truck. If I get a fault, I clear it or fix it ASAP.
This comes for my military aircraft maintenance background... "fix it right the first time so it'll keep flying."

Never I pull out a code reader get the code and fix it,but other than the amigos mine have all been intake systems related, bad hoses, damaged or worn out hose clamps, broken air box.

As per Juke179r - if the light comes on it gets diagnosed and fixed, before it gets worse

I bought my 01 in 2011 and I've never had any light ever come on. Even the 3 amigo's I've never had.

Boy^^^^if that isn't a jinx, l don't know what is...lol...you may want to hang on to your hat there Big Jim...might be trouble brewing now.

But, all joking aside...since l've deleted the SAI on both rovers here...the light was a constant battle that l didn't want to deal with (hence the cover up). I just check my codes about once a month or whenever one of the rovers are running poorly (which, knock on wood).

l've got to get after the no ABS/TC on my 01, but after turning wrenches all day...it is not even a blip on my radar.

Brian.

I've never seen one yet in 15 years only initially prior to starting for a few seconds warning lights check. I suppose TDI's have less problems.

I owned one, a D2 4.0 HSE in 2000-2003, but I got bored towing a fuel tanker around everywhere ;)

My biggest gripe was the ACE keep 'acting up' so I had ACE deleted on my new 2003 but retained the SLS, oh, and the awful mpg's from the V8 engine.

X1 ................... it's all about meticulous regular maintenance :)

To me, the sign of a good/great vehicle is when you can take it past it's maintenance schedules, abuse it, treat it like dirt and it still preforms. Even though l'm a mechanic, I press my vehicles to there fullest extent. I'm hard on them, period. It's just like the tool discussions you folks are having here about Harbor Frieght tools. Yes, they sell some tools that are "okay" for home use. But, in my world...a tool has to exceed all expectations of what it was intended to do. Example, when l can use a 3/8's socket on a 1/2 airgun (rated 600 footpounds of torque), with a reducer, maybe even applying heat, maybe even beating it onto the rusty nut with a dead blow hammer, all while using shop air of 220 lbs. and it doesn't fail...that 3/8's socket has out performed it's requirements.

My current Silverado 4X4 only gets the hood opened twice a year, upon service, every 15000 miles. At 167K, it's check engine light has never, ever came on (beside initial check).

Our Chrysler T&C had 299760 miles, when l "drove" it to the junkyard (and believe it or not..it drove and rode beautifully), and the check engine light only came on once during its lifetime. And that was after having the waterpump replaced (had back issues at the time and couldn't do it myself), and it was on, because the mechanic had leaned on the EGR hose and cracked it. Changed the oil once a year on this car and l average about 30 a year, hood opened only then. So, that just goes to show you how hard l was on it...but it performed.

Last Silverado 4X4, 279K...when l traded it in. Drove and ran like a top, check engine light had probably came on only twice in its lifetime (code P0420 - cat related), near the end, about once a year. Cleared it and it was good for another year.

Our GMC Jimmy 4X4 had 325K, when l sold it (because it still drove and ran great). Never once did l see a check engine light for an issue...never...ever.

I'm not going to go through every vehicle l've ever owned, since the list is long (although, there is a list in the off-topic section, about previous vehicles). But, for the most part...l don't see a lot of check engine lights on quality made vehicles...well...until the rovers came along...lol. Yes, l could probably keep that from happening...but...l do not expect these types of repairs to be necessary, especially, at these mileage levels or considering the amount of times I open the hoods on these things. If l don't open the hood before, during and after ever lengthy trip l take...l'm sure they would fail. And, thanks to the rovers...l've gone from changing oil from about once or twice on a vehicle a year...to ever 3 or 4 thousand now...which is about a month and a half of driving for me.

Truth be told...out of the short list of vehicles mentioned above...l do not ever remember any of them running poorly. Turn the key and drive...and that's the way a vehicle should perform in my book. But, everyone's book of expectations is different...l guess?

Just my two cents...which is based on...forty some years of working on vehicles (for a living) and seeing the good, the bad and the ugly of a lot of brands.

Brian.

Oh, I've had ONE along the way that treated me extremely poorly...it was that Jeep thing faze I was going through....boy, let me tell you...that was short lived. However, even though it only lasted a couple years...it was like an eternity.

Funny story...

Few years ago, after finally selling my Jeep, I was at an outdoor show running a booth for RGS. Guys over at the Ducks Unlimited booth were raffling off a Jeep and it was customary for all of us guys to walk around and buy raffle tickets from one another. Anyhow, a couple DU guys came by and bought some of our raffle tickets...so they asked me if I'd buy some of theirs. "Sure, no problem...but if I win...I'm loading that thing full of C4 and urea and blowing it off the face of the earth." The one guy says..."Can I watch...I owned a Jeep once, too." So, this past Jeep owner sensation is well versed...lol.

Brian.

Pretty much has been my experience, the only check engine lights I have had on anything I have owned been emissions related, my old R50 Pathfinder was the charcoal canister ( after 18 years it just gave up) and as a secondary impact resulted in a clogged purge valve . Other than 3 amigos caused by lost caliper bolts, and 5 CEL's as result of intake hoses leaking from tears, bad clamps, and poorly connected vacuum hoses. All literally 5 minute fixes - previous owner was not great at this stuff.

But I drive typically older used vehicles to bounce around the bush in so I expect the odd issue until I get everything sorted to my satisfaction. The Disco is pretty much sorted now and I expect few issues other than the odd age related wear and tear ones, it took 5000 km for the preceding to show up.

As to your comment about opening the hood, every time I head out into the bush and every morning and evening while I am out, I pop the hood and check. Oil, coolant, belt, rad hoses and now battery terminals and intake hoses - then a quick check underneath, after the caliper bolt issue a little more detailed than I used to :). But it is an old habit from my days in the reserve military, where we did the same thing. I don't expect to find a problem, but old habits die hard.

Oh, believe me...l truly commend each and everyone of you that work diligently to keep their Discovery in tip-top shape. Hope my post didn't sound diminishing in that respect.

This post just got me thinking about past and present vehicles...and a comparison was drawn.

Brian.

Nope not at all, I seriously considered a used Xterra, but literally of 10 I found 8 were 2 wheel drive and the other 2 garbage.

As an ex 72 triumph motorcycle owner I had a pretty good idea what I was getting into going British :)

I still get looks of either cool! you own a Land Rover or far more commonly you bought a Land Rover with a tone of disbelief or that and look similar to the quizzical look a dog gives you when they think you are nuts.

Me I am happy it is the easiest vehicle to work on I have owned in along time, fun to drive and the local Land Rover group about as welcoming a bunch of people you would want to meet.

Your "old habits die hard" comment fits me...but to the opposite extent.

l've always been terrible to my vehicles. Back in 82 l bought a new Toyota 4X4, changed the oil religiously during warrenty (which was 12K back then)...but, after that was over, the "Brian way" went into affect. Next oil change took place 40K later, then 30K. So, this vehicle was like a test module of sorts...lol.

Well, with a three day weekend on the horizon...me and a buddy loaded up our dirt bikes, riding gear, camping gear, cooler filled with cold ones and pointed her north. Made one last stop before mashing the long pedal for the next four hours, for gas at my ex-father in law's gas station. He's working that night and asks where we're heading, tell him we're heading north, while filling the tank. Hop in and say goodbye, but just as we are about to move...l think..."you know what, better check the oil...it's been a while" (probably a year or so). So, the oil gets checked and l immediately head into the station...my FIL says, "need some oil" (since he is watching out the window)...and l say..."yeah, give me four quarts." He's like???..."how many quarts does that thing hold?" I'm like..."5". He shakes his head, and yes...l know what he's thinking...lol. Dumped the four quarts in and off we went. A couple months later, it was packed with suitcases and it's nose was pointed towards Bar Harbor, Maine.

That Toyota should have gone back to the factory, so the R&D department could disassemble it...because it had 130K when l sold it to the other kid at work...and he drove another 20K, until he rolled it one winter day.

So, as you can see...this checking the oil regularly...is a hard habit for me to adapt too...lol.

Brian.

I've been catching up from the previous owners' sins with the maintenance on mine. I saw in an earlier post of someone drawing parallel experience with a '72 Triumph. I too went in with the experience with a '67 Matchless. Back to the topic... I bought this back in May, no trouble codes. After replacing a water pump and feed hose, belt, A/C recharge, drag link and track bar, the SES light came on last night. I'm now waiting for my scan tool to arrive.

I love this thing. I bought it as a trail rig, but find myself using it as a grocery-getter just as much.

Hi Brian, I've got the perfect easy fix for a Jeep, it's a 14lb hammer, works perfectly for all ailments. ;)