Hey everyone. New to this forum and I'm hoping to find answers to my many, many, many problems with my vehicle. Let me start by saying that when my father passed away about a year ago, my mother thought that I should have his Range Rover. I knew the trucks could be problematic, but it was my dads truck and I did want to try and hang on to it for clearly sentimental reasons. It is a 2001 Range Rover HSE and it's loaded..I guess they all are. It has only 78,000 kilometers on it..which I consider really low. This truck retailed for just over 100K up here in Toronto Canada. It's sitting at the dealership it was bought from, with yet again another expensive to fix issue. At this point I'm trying to decide if I should sink any more money in, or just bail out now. The dealer offered my a shocking 4-5K and only on a trade in. They don't want to buy it straight up. I have spent 5K in the last 9 months to fix one problem after another and now the wheels have fallen off..so to speak. As we speak, here is a list of what is still wrong with it:
1. Air suspension failed for the 3rd time in a year..first a sensor, next the compressor and NOW, some faulty module that is telling the computer that the ride hight is correct..when is it down on the stops.
2. Cruise control stopped functioning.
3. Windshield wipers work, but stop in the up position.
4. GPS works..when it feels like it..otherwise a white screen.
5. Audio system works, but the rear subwoofer stopped working and I think the rear door speakers lost the amplifier.
6. Error indicates air bag restraint system not functioning.
7. Icon on climate control shows that silly book, which when I looked it up, means there's a problem with the air conditioner. I just spent 1K fixing the damn thing this summer.
8. Climate control has stopped regulating the flow of air. I have to turn the fan up manually.
9. Driving it to the dealership, I discovered (for the 1st time) a big fat water puddle on the drivers side floor (?????)
10. I have to keep adding coolant to the overflow jug, but I don't see a leak anywhere. I suspect it mat be leaking into the passenger compartment, because I can smell coolant once in a while..but no white smoke out the tailpipe.
11. Never figured out how to get the little wipers to work on the lights.
12. Oh, almost forgot, when you press the electric windshield defroster, only the drivers side seems to melt the ice or fog away.
There you have it! A supposed luxury vehicle that is probably the worst engineered and built car in the world. Can't the English do anything right? I'll bet a Soviet era Skoda or Lada is a better built car. I guess I'll find the appropriate place on this forum and post this again there.

 

first off if you want to keep this truck stop going to the dealer. in fact if you ever own any car don't go to the dealer unless its under warranty. its a ripoff.

secondly if you want help you need to post this in the range rover section so people will see it and give you some feedback.

 

1. Do a coil conversion : http://www.roverparts.com/Parts/9520LB.cfm
2. Could be a vacuum leak?
3-8. ??? Good luck
9. Clogged A/C drains?
10 . Get that coolant leak checked out, fast, or you'll be even more upset when you overheat and blow your engine.
11. If it is similar to the headlight washers on the Discos, they can't just be turned on, they come on once every other time you clean the windshield, but I'm just a lowly DII owner so don't take my word on it
12. Could be the elements in the windshield are fried, especially if it's an older or even the original windshield.

Sounds to me like you've got some (a lot of) electrical gremlins. Get the fault codes read and start from there, looking at all of the problems at once will be too overwhelming. Like hilltoppersx said, stay away from the dealer, they will suck you dry.

You might be best suited to take the $5K on the trade in and pick up a new LR4/Discovery 4, whatever they are called up there.

Good luck!

 

Like they have said above stop taking it to the dealer. We will be able to help you fix these issues with a little time and some work.

The book symbol probably is referring to the blend motors, there is a fix out there for them and is not all that bad. The auto may also be the blower motors going. Fixing the EAS is not all that bad as far as cost as long as it does not go into the dealer to fix it.

The coolant is possibly coming from the valley pan gasket and evaporating so that is why you do not see a drip or the leak, while you are at it just do the head gaskets as well.

Most of the other electrical stuff is probably just tracking it all down. The motors on the headlight wipers could just be that they are disconnected. Mine started making a noise and so I disconnected them, I will fix it some day.

The vehicle is actually designed very well, they just have issues of they have been neglected even the littlest bit. If you are not handy doing stuff your self them maybe get what you can out of it. Most of us deal with the issues and just work on them because we love the Rover, if you can get to that point then you will love it as well and learn to deal with the nuances.

 

Go buy a Lexus . They may be built well, but they have no personality to them and when they do break, God help you. I dare you to go buy a soviet vehicle LOL!!! You have no idea.... Mechanically rovers hold up better than most cars actually. Its all the stupid crap that breaks, like what you are describing. You need to find a local shop that specializes in these cars. They will give you a fair price and in some cases might know a little more about the vehicle than the dealership.

 

Agree with the others comments.

If you are unwilling or unable to do any work yourself on this car, you may as well get rid of it or be prepared to have your wallet lightened regularly. Every issue you mentioned has been covered here or elsewhere. The harsh reality is that either you decide to tackle some of the problems yourself and farm out only what you cannot do, or you may as well get rid of it. Yes the resale is terrible, mostly because people don't want to work on them. That's a boon for us that do.

If you decide to work on it, first and foremost:

Google Greenoval RAVE and download the workshop cd - tells you how to troubleshoot and fix just about everything.

You likely have an o-ring issue in the heater core and that's your interior coolant leak. Fix: http://www.rangerovers.net/repairdet...ateroring.html

Cruise is likely a vac line as mentioned although could be wiring or ECU. RAVE has troubleshooting steps, not hard to do.

The headlight wipers work on the 3rd or 4th windscreen fluid application IIRC.

I'm having the same issue with the heated windshield, there are connectors to check. PM me if you decide to check it and I'll let you know what I find out.

If you need used parts, go here: http://www.socalusedroverparts.com/default.asp

If you decide to keep EAS, look at getting one of these to help diagnose: http://www.rswsolutions.com/

Also, you can get everything you need for EAS and tons of advice and help from "Shupack": http://www.rover-renovations.com/

He also has coil kits, as does Atlantic British and others.

Suggest you digest everything on this website: http://www.rangerovers.net/newrremedies.htm

All it takes is one journey through some seriously bad weather, or an offroad excursion and you'll realize just how seriously good the engineering of this vehicle actually is....yes little things will annoy you but if you get it set straight and keep up the maintenance you'll have a vehicle that can and will take you anywhere.

 

Where are you located and how much do you want for it? I'll take that terribly engineered and built vehicles off your hands.

 

Chris, I love the pic of your Vitesse. One of the best looking Range Rovers ever made..that color, that P38 body. Nice.

To the OP, I cannot echo everything said enough. This is a "DIY type or Indy mechanic vehicle" not a "take it to the dealer" vehicle.

 

I do not agree. Find a good mechanic that is trustworthy and fair. Never take it to the stealership. I dont have the first clue on how to do many repairs but have always owned Rovers or other British cars. They are some of the best designed trucks out their if you take care of them! If something expensive breaks I buy the parts myself and take it to my shop. Network with mechanics and they will treat you well!!!

 

# 3 issue Book Icon, most of the time is a combo issue, replace cabin filters (usually so clogged and air cant pass through them) and replace blown relay. As far as the wipers go I have the same issue I believe its the brake on the motor not stopping at the correct position. It's annoying but they still work.