By discoguy on Thursday, April 12, 2001 - 01:26 pm: Edit

Just bought my Disco and it says I should check my brake fluid, oil, and other stuff under the hood every 250-500 miles. Anybody really do this? This seems quite onerous.
Do you guys do it yourselves or have the guys at Pep Boys or something do it, least not the LR dealers at $92.00/hr Labor charge. Save that for the 3k mi check up no?

By nadim on Thursday, April 12, 2001 - 02:27 pm: Edit

discoguy...

all i can tell you is this:
"looking under your disco's hood should come as male insinct as looking under a freshman's skirt!"...
at $92/hr. i would invest in all the books necessary to make you a competent disco mechanic, because if your disco fails you in the middle of no where...well, then add a zero to the right...

By mikey on Thursday, April 12, 2001 - 03:18 pm: Edit

Always!!! when ever your done off-roading, towing something, or doing something that you normally wouldn't do!!!

Mikey

P.S. and when you get gas. It take 2 seconds to check all your fluids!!!

By Bill Gill (Bluegill) on Thursday, April 12, 2001 - 03:31 pm: Edit

I look under my hood at least once a week. You never know what you'll find...cracking belt...new leak...dirt...I just found my big mini mag that I lost last week stashed in the space behind the firewall under the windshield wipers...thought I heard something banging around on the trails last weekend....oh, and I pay myself $92 every time I pop the latch.

By Dave Thomas on Thursday, April 12, 2001 - 03:38 pm: Edit

Take your Rover to Pep Boys for anything and you will be sorry. My cat can wrench better than those guys.

By Norm Orschnorschki (Norm) on Sunday, April 15, 2001 - 05:58 am: Edit

With a Rover, if you don't check under the hood at least at every fill up, you're taking a risk.

These little 241 ci V8s are pulling 4500+ lbs. all the time in full-time 4wd, consequently they are working hard and using oil, especially in hot weather with dual AC. If you run out of oil (or even low) you will burn up the motor and need a major rebuild or replacement.

More importantly, if you run out of coolant or bust a hose and overheat the motor, it is fried and will have to be replaced. The aluminum blocks and heads, while a great weight saving, are the Achilles heel of Rover engines since they are so vulnerable to overheating, causing cracks, warpage, slipping piston sleeves, etc. which are not repairable.

Also, make sure you use the right grade of gas (premium, 90+ octane). Using low octane gas can cause pre-detonation damage and overheating.

---Norm

By hadaz on Sunday, April 15, 2001 - 08:25 pm: Edit

Everytime I see a new leak

By TMS on Tuesday, April 17, 2001 - 08:23 am: Edit

I agree with frequent checks under the hood and familiarizing yourself with the locations of the various dipsticks and reservoirs. I would also recommend finding a shop that you feel comfortable with to (less frequently) check under the hood. That person may see something that you didn't or will field questions about particulars. I treat a customers questions as an oppurtunity to teach about some of the complexities in modern automobiles, and it seems to have devloped a higher level of trust and communication between us!