Oil Leaks in a 2001 Disco II
 

Hi Folks,

I'm a brand new member to this forum, so pardon me if I'm asking a question that already been discussed before.

I've recentley purchased a 2001 Discovery II in May with approx 75000Km. Within the first month I needed to have the head gasket and cross seals replaced, as I had a oil leak. Thankfully they were still under factory waranty. I now have approx 90000km and again have some more oil leaking. This time I'm told it's from the intake gasket and oil pan gasket.

Is this common for that year? Has anyone heard of or had a similar experience. Is there anything else I might want to expect in the future for this particular model.

I'm loving the vehicle, and find it very safe to travel in with my family (one of the reasons why we bought it) I'm just a little nervous that I've either picked up a lemon, or I'm into years of ongoing repairs.

I'd appreciate any feedback anyone could give.

Thanks in advance,

Derek

RE: Oil Leaks in a 2001 Disco II
 

Derek,

Oil leaks are very common on your vehicle. Don't worry about them too much. In the UK they are considered normal. Oil usually doesn't leak from the intake gasket. The cross seals continually leak, poor design. Ah...

Bait

RE: Oil Leaks in a 2001 Disco II
 

All Land Rovers leak oil, the trick is knowing which leaks are serious and which you can ignore until you need to do other work in the same area.

On going repairs, well any vehicle requires those, the Disco has no more need for these compared to any other 4x4 vehicle generally, though 4x4's tend to have more need than an ordinary two wheel drive car.

The best thing is to learn as much about the vehicle you can yourself, (this is not so you have to do the work yourself, but at least you can stop anyone from making you do work that is not required) if I come across an online workshop mannual I will post a link here.

RE: Oil Leaks in a 2001 Disco II
 

Thanks for the quick response guys!

Great info! Somebody else told me the intake gasket shouldn't be leaking oil either. They said if anything, it should be leaking coolant. And I know that it's not leaking any coolant.

Should I be concerned with the oil pan gasket at this point. I've been quoted about $300 to have it replaced (labour included)?

Derek

RE: Oil Leaks in a 2001 Disco II
 

if you mean the bottom sump, er, why are they charging so much, you could maybe do it yourself in about 30 minutes... if you remember to drain the engine oil first.. :) otherwise it would take longer to clean yourself up just after you drop it..

If you do mean the bottom sump, these tend to leak after a while, it is worth doing a proper job, and when you change the gasket you give it all a good clean out of any grunge etc...

RE: Oil Leaks in a 2001 Disco II
 

2001 Disco I has the Thor BMW cast AL oil pan/sump. It is A little tricky to change out. The gasket is pricey. Intake gaskets will leak coolant not oil. Chances are the cross seals are leaking again. Again, bad design. If your talking about drips, don't even worry. If it is A puddle then you need to get it fixed. Don't bother with the sump gasket. Unless you have to have A leak free engine. If that is the case, sell it :)

Bait

What are the "cross seals"? Where are they located?