Background info. Brought my 2003 Disco into a local dealership because of smelling inside the cabin a "burning" odor. Engine light never came on and no never visualized any smoke. I was told that my head casket was cracked and leaking oil. $2500.00 dollar's later I was guaranteed this was the problem. I continued to smell the same odor and brought it back in a week. I was told that no leaks were found and it was just some "oil" "residue" from the initial work and it would go away. 4 weeks later no change but now I see white smoke from under the hood and the service engine light is on. Know I being told the following:

Front timing cover and oil pan leaking oil and water pump leaking coolant from weep hole.
Reseal timing cover and replace water pump – 1264.83

Service engine soon light is on – P0455 – replace purge valve – 314.18

T-box is leaking gear oil – reseal t-box – 1528.88 (price includes replacing intermediate shaft if needed)

So the total cost of just smelling something being hot with out any initial engine light coming on, increase in temperature of the vehicle or any warnings I'm looking at $2700.00 + 1264.83 + 314.18 + 1528.88 = $5,807.89

My question is does this seem right? How could the above not be realized when the headcasket was the initial problem? The vehicle brought after it was replaced and none of the above was found. 4 weeks later the problem persisted and now they find the above! Wouldn't have been more cost effective just to get a new or rebuid engine? I am not a mechanic by any means but it just strike me as been very odd with the chain of events.

if you have any suggestions before I drop a wad of cash please point me in the right direction! Thanks!

 

find a independent mechanic and order parts. This forum and my mechanic have been amazing for me

 

Sorry about your luck but you are being raped.
Headgaskets dont leak oil, they leak coolant.
The valve cover gaskets leak oil, and that is a easy DIY fix.
Report these guys to your local Better Buisness Bureau and maybe ever you local newspaper.
Any mechanic can work on your truck.
ALWAYS get a second opinion when ever it comes to major repairs.
If you got the "guarenteed to fix it" in writing then you have a leg to stand on, if not you are SOL.
It is very possible that all of these other things have also gone bad at the same time.
The transfer case seal can wait, and that pricfe is high.
The water pump needs to be repalced if in fact it is leaking, the front engine cover leaking oil...Rovers leak end of story.
The only thing you dont want to be leakng is coolant.

 

sorry to hear about all the problems man, If you have an '03 with the bad oil pump I'm going to feel REALLY bad for you that you put that much money into an engine worth $0.

 

I appreciate the info given & Land Rover Dallas is the only place I know were to go for service. I need to make a decision quickly about the other repairs (head casket already fixed) and do not feel comfortable with Land Rover Dallas. If someone can refer me to another service center or reputable private/independent mechanic in Dallas for a second opinion I would appreciate it greatly.

 

hey im new to land rovers but i think that i read that 03s had a bad batch of motors, something to do with the oil pump, also if you talk to other mechanics refer to the head "casket" as a head gasket and they may not "see you coming" so to speak. arm yourself with power, knowledge is power and there is lots of it in these forums if you look and ask.

 

I like the sound of "head casket" better. It sounds more imposing!

 

I was leaking coolant too, in a 03. Took it to my local Rover dealership, they too told me it was the head gasket, and would be several thousand dollars. Picked at random another local shop, and $128 later, it was fixed. Turns out it was just a hose, that connects to the reservoir, not the head gaskets.

 

www.cartalk.com
Find the "mechanix files" link and enter your zip code and recommended shops wil come up.

 

USMC_Denver, I had the exact same experience. Land Rover San Antonio called told me...while I was having a window regulator replaced under warranty that they discovered a coolant leak and that it was my head gaskets. It was gonna cost over $1000 to fix and could they do it while I was in Mexico. I called my mechanic Brett and he told me NO WAY, I JUST SERVICED YOUR COOLANT SYSTEM. He told me to watch it for a couple of days and check where the juice was coming from.
I declined the service and tool my truck home. As it turned out, Brett had replaced a couple of hoses and so one of the other ones was old and cracked while he had removed them to get to the offending hoses... it had over 60K so it's just plain ol wear and tear.

$128 later I've been leak free for 3 or 4 months. They called me and asked if I wanted service on my truck and told them what had happened. They told me the service head would call me and explain what went wrong....I' m still waiting on the call.

If you're ever in SA, I have a mechanic for you.