Had my 2005 LR3 V8 w/ 139k into the dealer this week and they found a few issues. I'm trying to decide which to address urgently and which to

- have the dealership perform
- take to an independent shop
- try to do myself

I have not found any independent shops in my area (Philadelphia) that are what you'd call a "rover shop", so anything that would be good to save for an independent shop should require no specialization in rovers. As far as me doing it, it has to require only basic tools and nothing more than being a relatively capable, handy individual.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Here's what they are noting needs attention:

1) left front hub bearing has play and needs to be replaced - $650

Dealer discovered this after I noted that I've been hearing a rattling sound from the left front when going over bumps. It is a mild rattling and symptoms have been limited to that. Dealer has described this as urgent as it "could go at any time" and would take lots of other parts with it if it does.

2) Coolant leaking in two places. Replacement of faulty parts. - $575

Coolant was low, but not low enough to trip lights. Dealer noted two places, one of which being the thermostat housing assembly (though I could have sworn he called it the manifold housing) and what he described as a "T-valve" elsewhere. Also described as urgent.

3) Belt tensioner faulty. Replace. - $365

I've been chasing electrical gremlins in my LR3 for years. Replaced both the alternator and battery (in an attempt to solve). Problems continue. Radio cuts, dash lights flash, parking brake and occasionally other sensors flash, etc (all at same time). Lasts less than a second. Imagine you had to plug your LR3 in and you jiggled the plug at the wall socket. That's the best description I can provide. Typically this occurs at the moment the gas pedal is depressed to accelerate. Can also happen when hitting big bumps (though it is unclear if the bump causes a tap on the gas pedal thus causing the glitch).

Anyway, after failing to find the cause on 5 other occasions, the tech @ dealer has suggested that the belt tensioner being shot could be causing the belt to slip and a loss in amperage. Sounds reasonable to me.


...

So, apologies for the long winded message. My initial thoughts are only the hub bearing should be done by dealer. Prices seem, as expected, outrageous. The coolant fixes and belt tensioner replacement seem like something that could be done by any reputable shop.

Again, thanks in advance for any thoughts/advice.

 

I've also been doing a bit of reading about the LR3 brake light switch (which I can't believe I never stumbled on before given how long I've been chasing electrical gremlins) and am wondering if I should replace that before replacing the belt tensioner.

 

Well....since no one is answering you I'll throw in some food for thought.

First I just want to disclose I have almost zero experience working on a LR3. Just wanna say that up front. So you can take my opinion/advice as you will. I have however been a mechanic for about 16 years. I've worked on lots of different vehicles boats motorcycles ..etc etc.

First is hub bearing. Usually they hum when bad. Particularly in turns or highway speeds (were they spin faster). Usually a low pitched increasingly louder noise. Until they eventually fail. I'm not saying they couldn't rattle but I doubt it. Especially if you only hear the noise over a bump. If bad they would make noise all the time since the bearing is in use when the car is moving. Hub bearings are very over diagnosed. Also they are usually pretty easy and big money for a shop. An easy way to check them is w the wheel off the ground do a shake with your hands at 12 and 6 o'clock. Try and move the wheel. You should have zero play. I'd honestly start looking at things like sway bar bushings/links, brake parts , ball joints tie rods ect. These are usually a little harder to spot. Sometimes you can get under a car and bang some sturdy parts w a rubber mallet to try and get what ever it is to rattle.

365 bucks to do a belt tensioner is ...ummm....expensive. But this is a Land Rover. I have no clue if it's buried behind something or not. Most are very easy. An easy way to spot a bad one is either they make noise or they bounce/rattle when the engine is running. Let it run and watch it. But as a rule these in my experience were always recommended because part was cheap labor was easy and it was easy to make a buck suggesting it.

Electrical gremlins usually come from bad grounds. Either loose dirty or half torn apart or something. I'd start by checking and cleaning every single one. No matter how small. Also be sure your battery terminals are tight and clean. Battery cables free of corrosion. After you've got the basics covered then you can begin to diagnose bad parts. Electrical gremlins are annoying and expensive to find. Go to an Indy shop. The "stealership" will rape you for hours of diag time. Usually good to let the mechanics know you have a budget in mind. Tell them to stop once they reach a certain amount. You don't want a bill with 8 hrs of diagnosis time. You can save yourself a little by going thru the basic dummy work and ruling out a simple explanation.


Get another shop to do a coolant pressure test. Go from there. Not sure how something is "urgent" and you haven't even noticed a change in the level.