Meet "Oreo" - 1996 Land Rover Discovery Project

[patdohere]

Entry 1 - "Hello Oreo"

Just joined the Land Rover family a few months back with the purchase of a 1996 Land Rover Discovery. Picked up from SF drove to San Diego. Need advice on where to get started. Since an ounce of prevention saves a pound of pain. Some preliminary issues from the drive down.

• The car has a 2" lift from Britpart, looks like this model
• AC shuts off at max cold, max (4) fan setting. However stable at max cold, 3 fan setting. (Solved, learned the blower fan overheats)
• Coolent temps from OBD II report 232 F in 90 F weather no AC, 230-240 at highway speeds 65-75 in 45 degree weather.
• Fog lights do not turn on. Fog light toggle switch in dash cluster does not illuminate. (Solved, fog light bulbs were broken, and button switch needed new instrument panel bulbs. Modded with 12v LED lights)
• Remote locking does not work. Rear driver side door does not lock (Solved, driver side door actuator replaced due to failure)
• Rear window switches do not work. Rear sunroof switches do not work (Solved, switch linkage was broken replaced with junkyard find)
• Rear window washer does not work. Button does not toggle (Solved, button was faulty)
• Rear window heater does not work. Button does not toggle or illuminate (Solved, button was faulty)
• Cruise control does not work, button toggles but does not illuminate
• Rear door lock was stuck (Solved, had to tear apart the tumbler and clean.)

Happy to join the LR family!


Full Gallery

Entry 2 - "Lights and Sound"

Spend the week removing the aftermarket radio from the previous owner. Found out the factory harnesses were cut in a lot of places. I didn't want to ruin the factory harness in case I wanted to restore the D1 back to stock one day. So spend a lot of time restoring some of the connectors. Cut some from a junkyard D1 to splice and connect. Installed new Sony radio and bypassed factory amplifier with adapter connectors. Also wired the dash volume, next, and source buttons up to the radio.

Parts List
- Solder Seal Wires used to join spliced harness to new connectors
- Junk yard connectors for factory radio and amplifier
- Factory Harness Adapter
- Dodge Amplifier Bypass Harness, found its the same connector so I get cables and a harness to bypass the factory radio.
- POSI Connectors
- PAC Steering Wheel Control Adapter

Tools List
- Wire cutters
- Wire strippers
- Micro torch to activate heat shrink and solder seal wires

 

[Toran]

That Oreo is one handsome little devil!
And a big W E L C O M E to the forum

 

[patdohere]

That Oreo is one handsome little devil!
And a big W E L C O M E to the forum

Thanks Toran!

Just toke it on a trip to Zion Utah. But coolant temps are what I want to deal with next since I was getting 230-240 at highway speeds in 45-65 F. Only time temps were good were in Bryce at highway speeds coolant was 195 F with ambient at 10 F. Any tips on where to get started?

 

[Toran]

Which Sony head unit is that your rocking?


As for the engine temps, that is a bit on the high side.

I had high temps issues a few years ago and it came down to being due to a small crack in the cooling reservoir.

Starting with a radiator flush would be in place, When refilling make sure to get the passenger side as high as possible to prevent air in the system.

Make sure your coolant reservoir cap has a good seal.

180 degree thermostat. Make its one with the little air bubble popper.

Many of us have a UltraGauge OBD2 scanner to monitor the vitals like the engine temp, load, 02 action etc. Worth every penny!

Make sure all the hoses are good.

Viscous clutch should make a roaring sound when you first take off.

A bottle of Royal Purple Ice or WaterWetter to help keep things cool.

There is an AC fan mod that allows you to switch on the front fans to assist in cooling without actually turning the AC on, I did this and it helps. I think the one thing we all do on these trucks is keep a steady eye on the temp gauge, I know I do!

 

[Toran]

Also make sure there is no caked on mud on the outside of the radiator. The same goes for making sire there is no collection of leaves that can be blocking air flow to the radiator. Your temps are on the high side for outdoor temps of 45 to 65 F.

Did you tow anything?

 

[michaels]

Those temps aren’t just on the high side. They’re awful. You need to figure out what’s wrong before driving it again. That motor should be under 210 at highway. Maybe the same or a bit more at idle... in the summer.

nice looking truck. You’re going to enjoy it!

 

[patdohere]

Those temps aren’t just on the high side. They’re awful. You need to figure out what’s wrong before driving it again. That motor should be under 210 at highway. Maybe the same or a bit more at idle... in the summer.

nice looking truck. You’re going to enjoy it!

Yeah I figured. Fortunately made it back without issues trying to keep the temps below 225 F. Do you have anywhere I can start? Searching the forums stat a few options from cheapest to most expensive.

1. Flush radiator Fluid
2. Replace Hoses and Thermostat
3. Replace Pump
4. Replace Clutch Fan
5. Replace Radiator

As for fluid what are good options for a complete flush?

 

[Toran]

When I did a flush I removed the thermostat, took the garden hose to the inside of the radiator, and the inside of the thermostat housing. After that I refilled with distilled water and drove it till it got up to temp. Drained it again, up it all back to together and went with the right mix of green fluid and distilled water, with half a bottle of Royal Purple Ice or WaterWetter.

My temps right now are in the range of 187 - 193 F. City and Highway driving.

 

[patdohere]

Also make sure there is no caked on mud on the outside of the radiator. The same goes for making sire there is no collection of leaves that can be blocking air flow to the radiator. Your temps are on the high side for outdoor temps of 45 to 65 F.

Did you tow anything?

No towing but was under full load with roof top tent and 3 people in the car with fridge and camping gear. Probably 700 lbs of gear on the car.

 

[Toran]

That looks like a fun time!
700lbs isn't that much weight for these trucks, though every pound adds up.
Your temps should be lower.

First thing I would do is change coolant fluids if you haven't done so already and make sure your system is properly bleed. Repeat the bleeding process again.

 

[Icannap1]

From the engine picture it looks like the fan belt is improperly routed and allowing the water pump to possibly slip as it is not getting full tension at high RPM's.

 

[Toran]

From the engine picture it looks like the fan belt is improperly routed and allowing the water pump to possibly slip as it is not getting full tension at high RPM's.

Good call Icannap1!
Eagle eyes on board!
Reset your belts and go from there.

 

[Icannap1]

 

[Toran]

 

[Swedjen2]

Thanks Toran!

Just toke it on a trip to Zion Utah. But coolant temps are what I want to deal with next since I was getting 230-240 at highway speeds in 45-65 F. Only time temps were good were in Bryce at highway speeds coolant was 195 F with ambient at 10 F. Any tips on where to get started?

You're lucky you didn't lose the engine at those temps. I would expect a D1, when on the highway, to run between 193-204 depending on ambient temp and grade your climbing. Maybe in the low teens in the middle of summer and you're climbing Tajon Pass in stop and go trafic. Get the radiator rodded out if at all possible, or a new one.
Flush the coolant system like you've never flushed before.
Is your water pump leaking or loose or can you feel any roughness when rotating or making any noise?
Damn lucky you made it to Zion and back.
Don't be surprised if something pops up as a result of running that long at those temps.

Change your oil immediatley - it's cooked. Many here use Rotella T-4 15-40, though there seems to be some controversy about it's zinc level, so there may be better options nowadays. Use the OEM filters. Don't Delay! Do it Today! Even at 10:30 at night.

 

[patdohere]

Thanks guys I was so worried driving back I was going to blow or damage the engine. So I’m guessing I’m lucky for now.

Anyways I’ll look at changing the oil I’m using Valvoline VR1 15-W40 and the serpentine belt is on incorrectly. Does that mean it’s spinning the fan backwards?

 

[patdohere]

You're lucky you didn't lose the engine at those temps. I would expect a D1, when on the highway, to run between 193-204 depending on ambient temp and grade your climbing. Maybe in the low teens in the middle of summer and you're climbing Tajon Pass in stop and go trafic. Get the radiator rodded out if at all possible, or a new one.
Flush the coolant system like you've never flushed before.
Is your water pump leaking or loose or can you feel any roughness when rotating or making any noise?
Damn lucky you made it to Zion and back.
Don't be surprised if something pops up as a result of running that long at those temps.

Change your oil immediatley - it's cooked. Many here use Rotella T-4 15-40, though there seems to be some controversy about it's zinc level, so there may be better options nowadays. Use the OEM filters. Don't Delay! Do it Today! Even at 10:30 at night.

I don’t feel any roughness when turning the water pump just a little resistance.
Also what things should I watch out for “pop-up”

also does that mean this engine is a lost cause? How can I check?

 

[BDM]

I don’t feel any roughness when turning the water pump just a little resistance.
Also what things should I watch out for “pop-up”

also does that mean this engine is a lost cause? How can I check?

First check for the smell of coolant. Crawl under the disco and look for any signs of coolant leaks from the heads. If it's not throwing a check engine light than you're probably safe. I would follow the previous advise the guys gave above and do a full overhaul on the entire cooling system from fan clutch to radiator. At this point, if those parts haven't failed, they should be replaced.

 

[Blueboy]

A new radiator is not that much more $$ than farting around with the existing one that has lasted how many years. Give Will T a shout. Great source for Rover parts btw. Go with new fan clutch as mentioned plus hoses. Clearly make sure belt is on correctly.
Rotella is your oil - for sure use LR filter.

 

[WaltNYC]

I would want to know what temps you are seeing with the belt routed correctly. Any 'new to you' vehicle should be flushed fully.

You may have dodged a bullet.

Rotella oil
Wix 1515 filter
green coolant
new fan clutch
radiator service/replace
new t-stat
new fuel filter
ngk BPR6ES plugs
8mm wires
air filter