oh and you guys asked for the complexity. You installed more advanced radios, and demanded more entertainment and safety. That is why we had to go with more advanced systems.

its all about training, train yourself and you can fix your vehicle. use the internet as your training and fail miserably.


oh and remember something, if your vehicle is worth seventy to 100grand and you go to the cheapest guy or advanced auto zone for your diagnosis, don't go bitching that they didn't fix it right. If you can afford to buy your RR new then you can afford to spend the money on proper diagnosis. Now if you went to the dealer and they screwed up then by all means you deserved to bitch and deserve our sympathy.

 

This forum has been a huge help for my DIY troubleshooting. My approach--and maybe this isn't the norm--is to check this forum and other online resources for "possible" solutions to the current trouble with my Disco. I layer these potential fixes on top of my own diagnosis, which includes reading the RAVE to ensure I have my bases covered. And so far, it has worked 100%.

If I ever do come to a point (highly likely) that the forum and my troubleshooting do not give me at least some confidence that I know what the issue is and that I feel capable of making the repair, then I would default to a professional mechanic.

 

My original alternator lasted over 180,000 miles.
I could not afford a new one ($600) so I bought a rebuilt from AutoZone.
That lasted 12 months.
Lifetime warranty.
Second one lasted 6 months, we were out of town so I had to buy another rebuilt from Advance Auto and return the AutoZone one once back in town.
That one lasted 3 months.
Exchanged again.
Sourced a used OEM one.
3 months later, 1500 miles from home the 4th alternator went south, luckily I had the foresight to bring the used one with me.
Returned the 4th alternator to Advance Auto for a full refund.
That was 2 years ago and the used alternator I had gotten is still going strong.

Yes the alternators are easy to replace, but this is where a new one would have been the better route.
I would have gladly paid the money for the OEM had I know all the hassle and down time the rebuilt's were going to give me.

However now I can change a alternator in about 15min.

 

And now I know I should buy a new one when mine dies.

 

Well, there is another option besides new or pre-owned from the salvage yard. Let a skilled indy shop rebuild your alternator the correct way, and you avoid the cheap China parts the mass rebuilders use. With a warranty in many cases.

 

Most of the DIYers you're griping about arent driving brand new Range Rovers, they are driving beat up Discovery and RRCs that arent worth anything. There are single parts for my Disco that cost more than the entire vehicle is worth, the only way to make one of these worth owning is to do 100% of the repairs yourself. Certainly if you pay 100 grand for a car you have the cash to take it to a "trained professional" every time it coughs. What if you're like the majority of the Rover community and drive something that breaks every three days and has a value of around 3 grand or less. One trip to the dealer for something semi serious would cost you more than just buying another vehicle which is why so many of us are "DIYers". Not trying to argue but I hear a lot of techs on here lately that just like to cry and whine when people dont listen to their advice or go about things as if they have bottomless wallets. Just because they didnt listen to YOU doesnt mean they didnt listen. Being totally **** about everything is great when you're spending someone elses money, most guys on here are on a budget and can turn wrenches which leads to alternative methods to the expensive dealer repair methods. Now when someone asks for advice, ignores the obvious and then comes back the next day wondering why their rigged up repair failed, that's annoying.

 

Thats fine if you have a week for down time, but if you are like most of us you need your truck each and everyday and can only be without it for a few hours, maybe a day.
That was the situation I was in, alt went out half way through our return 3.5 hour drive during a blizzard Christmas weekend.
I had to get it back on the road ASAP for the next Christmas trip the next day, another 2.5 hour one way trip. (1,000 miles in 3 days)

Now to play more devils advocate, well I agree that a local electrical motor rebuilder is going to do a better job than AutoZone's supplier around here they charge about $300 to rebuild a alternator.
AutoZone sells them for under $200 with a lifetime warranty.
So....

 

Double edged sword, we all know the remans and chain store alternators are crap but they are cheap. Sure a factory one is better but you can buy 3 from AutoZone for the price of a genuine alternator. Having them rebuilt is a great option but is generally still more expensive and often takes forever. If you need you truck back on the road quickly and dont have a dealer nearby or $700 to spend you're not left with many options. The cheap ones arent known for lasting very long but then again neither are Land Rovers

 

The nearest LR dealer from my place is over 200 miles..we have a guy in the next town that works on tractors and some cars and trucks, so DIY is the obvious choice for me! LOL! I have considered buying a car trailer so I could take it to the dealer, (who my friend with an LR3 says it is a very good dealership.) But, like it has been pointed out, my 97 SE7 isnt worth that much, and to fix all the little problems would be fairly over my purchase price... suffice it to say, I am learning alot about this interesting car!

 

Great post...

When my wife and I bought our first NEW Disco in '96, we definitely had the dealer (warranty issues) or the LR specialist (for routine maintenance) work on it. We owned that vehicle up to 2004. We never had ANY issues and love driving every where we went. Having the right people to work on LR's are imperative to the longevity.....

We stupidly sold it.....really dumb move.

With this NEW '96, that I got for dirt, I do all the work on it myself. I am not a mechanic by trade, but have a good back ground building and modifying cars I've own. It's good to have uncles (mechanic pros) to teach you a thing or two. Everything on this "truck" is *x bigger than the normal car, so a great deal of patients is required. I do enjoy this forum. There are many forums out there that do not go into detail. I have been in DODO'ville with electrical issue, but folks here push you to do the right thing.

In regards to replacement parts, I have noticed (read) that parts from the local parts store do not work well or last long. This fact also goes for any other make of cars. My commuter, a PT Cruiser, I've had major issues with aftermarket parts. For example, when I replaced the timing belt, I used a Gates water pump (part of the kit). That pump actually caused major issues, which led to the demise of the head gasket. From research, I should have used the OEM Mopar replacement. I did a write up on it for the future DIY'er, so it doesn't happen to them. I spent a good amount of coin, this time around, to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Since LR parts are pricy, I've been using AllMakes brand (and some OEM), which seem to be really good parts (so far). I will buy OEM parts if it is within my budget.