Hello all,
Just bought a 97 Discovery awhile back - my first Land Rover.
The body is in decent shape, and the engine looks like a lot of things had been replaced on it, plugs/wires/alternator and such. There are some issues with it still, and some general questions I have about it. Engine has 160,000 miles on it and it and the transmission seems real strong

1. Overheating
Not so much so now that it's approaching fall, but during the summer and especially with the AC running it starts to overheat after about 30 minutes. The temp gauge will start to spike and the oil light will flicker, forcing me to turn the heater on high to keep the temperatures down. I'll be getting the thermostat replaced, but if there anything else that could be causing it to overheat?
Even when it's not technically overheating, the fan seems to run an awful lot, 5-10 minutes after it's been shut down.

2. Brakes
The Anti Lock light is on. The brakes themselves feel mushy, and there's an odd behavior I've never experienced before with them. If I'm stopped, such as at a light, the brakes will hold fine. After a little bit, the car will start to creep and the pedal drops several inches. A little bit after that it does it again, until I've got the pedal to the floor. The brake fluid looks full, and there doesn't appear to be a leak in the master cylinder unless it's behind the firewall - it feels almost like a vacuum leak.

3. Electrical
Whoever owned this before hacked out the factory radio and did a terrible install of a POS CD player. We're talking house speakr wires coming out of it leading back to some bookshelf speakers in the back seat. I'm scared to pull out the stereo and look whats there, where can I find wiring diagrams?
Additonally, the cruise control doesn't work, as well as a few other buttons. I'm not sure if they are connected to the hack stereo job or not, but I'm looking for pointers.

4. Replacement parts.
Someone removed the ignition switch from the column, and to start it I literally have to use a 'lawnmower type' key switch they installed in the dash. On ebay, I can find ignition switches for $110 - is that a decent price? Should I even attempt to fix this? It drives me nuts, I'm a guy that likes to have everything working and looking good.
The seats are also in bad shape, a lot of rips. Should I try to source new seats, or just covers for them?

And just general Qs - is it even worth it to fix up this 97? Like I said, it seems to run real strong and quiet, transmission seems solid as well. It has 160,000 miles on it - how many miles could I expect if I lovingly maintained it?

 

First of all, welcome to the board. Your best to put posts like this in the appropriate forum. Yours would go into the 'Discovery I' forum. Perhaps a moderator will move it for you.


Many threads on overheating can be found. If it happens only when the A/C is on then the first place is to check your electric A/C fans behind the grill. If they are not functioning properly (not working, wired backwards, etc) this could be the first place to solve the problem. Thermostat is also another 'must do' in your case. They are cheap and easy to replace. After that you have thinks like the viscous fan clutch and a radiator that may need some work...but those come later. The oil light is another issue to be dealt with once the overheat situation is stable.

Another common problem is that the ABS goes nuts. Pull the fuse for the ABS pump to see if this changes the brakes. Obviously you won't have ABS while the fuse is pulled.

Download the 'RAVE' manuals (do a search or hit the sticky thread on the top of the DI section). You'll find the workshop manual, and the electrical troubleshooting manual with all the circuit schematics.

Ignition switch is just another typical problem. Several members like Will Tillery and Paul Grant tear down these machines and provide quality used parts. A search will get you their numbers/emails.

The seats are best covered unless you happen upon good replacements from a junkyard.

160k is getting up there for a vehicle which may not have been maintained to the highest standards. The good news is most of your problems are typical and not terribly expensive. Do the 'high mileage checklist' and read through this thread....
https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...section-32402/

Jump on over the the DI section and you'll find some really great advice on how to get the most out of your truck without spending a fortune. You'll need to be willing/able to turn a wrench now and then however.

Finally, put the model/year of your truck in your 'signature' so we all know what your are talking about when you post.