GaryB

Thanks to all those that responded. I left a mesaage on Terry's mobile but he never returned the call. I eventually found a replacement engine being sold by HiRange in Burton, Staffs. They collected my car from Bracknell today and will put the 39k engine in tomorrow. I am collecting the car on Saturday. A decent price to boot. They seem to have a decent reputation and I will put a post on this list, either way. All the best Gary

Apologies, should have read it through first - The car is a TD4 Freelander, not a TD5.

Hi all. This is mainly for UK members 3 days ago my wife's 2005 Td4 5 door automatic Sport went bang. Looks very much like I'll need a new engine, turbo, possibly an Intercooler and maybe even a new CAT. It wasn't a very loud bang, just clouds of smoke, then a drum solo followowed by stopping pretty quickly. I've checked the part X price as a running, decent condition 72 mile car and it is worth around 7.5-8 thousand pounds with £9000 + on forecourts. I wondered if there is anyone on this list that can recommend a garage near Bracknell / Berkshire that I could speak to that could fit a replacement, maybe used engine for less than the silly price I am being quoted. I accept that there is a lot of work to be done and the 5k bill from the garage where the car was recovered probably reflects the time it will take but maybe I can get it fixed cheaper or, a LR specialist can take it off my hands and fix it themselves as a project. The garage are just a general garage so don't have access to resources that a LR specialist might. If anyone knows someone out there that I can speak to, please pass on my mobile - 07970 022306 BTW. The disco just keeps on going - thank god. All the best Gary

Thanks for the response guys, much appreciated. I guess I'll have to pick up a decent pair of axle stands as I have everything else. Gary

This may seem a bit daft a question but here goes. I've mentioned in a previous thread about my suspension and fancy having a go at swapping over the dampers. They're not overly expensive but what is going to cost is the mechanic time so... Is this the sort of job that can be done on the driveway? What's the minimum equipment needed to do it safely? I am trying to establish if the kit I need to do the job will cost me more than paying the mechanic to do something that I really could do myself. From learning to drive many moons ago, I always used to service and handle minor repairs myself but the advent of electronics and CPU's has flummoxed me but I still don't see why I can't still handle the pure mechanical stuff. 25 years of company cars has left me a bit rusty so I'd rather ask a forum like this before diving in myself, it costs nothing and I've founf that in general. people do like to hel each other, despite what the tabloids would have us believe. Anyway, all advice greatly appreciated. Gary

Plenty of tires in 18 inch rims so Oldhand's comments misleading, maybe not as many as 16 inch's but they are for sale. The problem you will face is what will fit under the arches. The wife has a FL1 Sport and I fancy 255/60/18 Grabbers but fear as the sport is lower than standard, they'll snag everywhere. Anyone fitted any wider/bigger/chunkier tires to a FL 1 sport? Gary

Thanks for the replies. I'm still a newbie so don't yet get notified when any responses come in. The car was due a service in 1000 miles so I ended up getting it recovered to the mechanics. Turns out that the oil ingress had actually gotten into the cpu. The mechanics are an independant outfit so not particularly specialised in land Rovers ( I know a mistake but the guy I trusted and who has looked after my Disco for 7 years buggered off to italy so I took the opportunity to try someone local ). He has friends at a local LR dealer and was given the advice that the whole engine loom should be replaced at a cost of almost £300 plus VAT and labour. Ouch. As the car was with the mechanics, I suggested that they replace the EFI loom with the new one that I had bought, disconnect the plug to the main loom as well as the CPU and flush the loom out with a solvent. They did this for a day, flushing it every hour or so until there was no oil coming out of the loom. They still had an error so took the CPU cover off and the inside was covered in oil along the red socket entry. They cleaned it all up and voila, no errors apart from the 2 for the air conditioning which was strange as I have what seems to be the only XS disco without air con. They cleared this and did a full service, replacing all fluids, even where unneccesary and I collected her today. She purrs and pulls cleanly once again from 1000 revs. Again, thanks for the responses and to this forum as without, I wouldn't have been able to convince the mechanic to do other than what the LR mechanics had advised them. Saved me a fortune. The mechanic also asked me why I wanted to replace the shocks as in his opinion, unless I was intending to go offroad regularly, there was absolutely nothing wrong with my car and was one of the best rides he had had in a Disco. That saved me many hundered of pounds. Good guys. Thanks again Gary

That Shogun did indeed have balloon tyres on 15 inch rims which probably accounted for the ride over bumps but my Disco would kick it's arse as soon as any corners were thrown into the mix. I've just had it serviced here in Bracknell and will hopefully have new shocks and front springs fitted next week in half term when I can nick the wife's car. I'd have a go myself but I live on a slope, have no axle stands so probably best to let the guys with the equipment do the job. As my original post said, I'm after a reasonable road setup so what shocks are the best value and by that I mean, will last, are good quality and offer a decent ride. I'm not interested in the finest man can make, just a reasonable set for the old girlfor road use. As before, all advice greatly received. Gary

Thanks guys for the reply. Didn't respond sooner as system wasn't set up to advise me of any responses. Now is That Shogun would lean so far over on corners I could graze my elbow but the suspension was super plush. My Disco has the 18 inchers with 255/55 tyres whereas the Shogun had something like truck tires on it, 235/85 or suchlike. Anyway, I plan to keep the old girl and will probably get a mechanic to swap over dampers and get new springs for the front. I'll ask for a price to swap out bushings as the steering is more vague than I ever remember it but pumping up the tyres made a huge difference. It wasn't as if I drove around like a lunatic all the time, just using the Shogun as a point of comparison as the only other LR I've driven are the wife's Freelander or the mechanics Rangerover which was a 1996 plate if I remember. I've posted another request for help/advice as she's now a non runner after replacing the EFI loom ( oil in wire ). A separate post will come up after the moderator has had a look. Bloody thing but I've owned it for 8 years and nothing else out there floats by boat. Gary Birdsey

I hope somebody can help. I have been folling the posts and fixes on this site for a while - I have a Disco TD5 - 1999 with 142k on the clock. She has been remarkeably reliable and always pulls well. Pretty lively really but totally standard. I recently lost power in the lower range and she became sluggish but still pulled OK after 2200 revs when the turbo kicks in. Decided it was the usual oil in loom so bought the bits and yesterday pulled the lid off and replaced the loom, cleaned up the connection and flushed the ECU connector with Electrical cleaner as they were covered. Allowed it all to dry off and put everything back. nothing, turns over but doesn't fire. Recharged the battery and also decided to replace the original FI loom, bolted everything up and again, no start. I'm a bit of a newbie but am willing to have a go where the tools I have will allow but this foxes me. Have checked the EFI fuse in engine bay - all looks fine. It turns over but refuses to fire. Is there some kind of security sequence that has to be applied when re-connecting a battery that I am missing. Is it my imobiliser not allowing fuel to get to the engine? I am forced to go to work on the bike tomorrow so before I hand it over to a properly qualified mechanic, I wouldn't mind some advice. I have seen quite a lot of sledging in various forums so if someone wants to take the tiddle, bring it on as long as I can get some helpful advice, I'll put up with anything. I am no mechanic but have always liked to fiddle so that at least I am able to check the basics should I have a breakdown on the road. The properly technical stuff I leave to those better equipped and trained to handle but I can't believe that I have managed to get a simple loom replacement wrong. Any pointers, please? Gary Birdsey - Bracknell.

Hi all. First post and am hoping for some help. I have a 199 Disco 2 TD5 with 142000 miles on the clock. Have had it since 34000 miles and to be honest, has been remarkably reliable and rides pretty well as long as I don't stress it too much. In a previous life, I had a Shogun for a few years and as a treat to my kids, I would drive down a local road, taking a series of speed bumps at 70 mph and the Shogun, sort of, floated over them. I know this was politically incorrect and driving like a hooligan but it was a laugh and the car seemed to be able to handle it. I would never even consider doing this in the Disco and this is where help is needed. These same speed bumps, taken at anything over 20mph in the Disco feels like the suspension is about to break through the bodywork. The bloody thing bangs and crashes and has forced me to be good but I fear that with the mileage I have, the suspension may well be shagged anyway so what I need to know is what to replace and with what. I only use the Disco on the road with occasional gravel roads so do not need anything either flash or hardcore, just a decent road setup. If I put the car into the local dealer with this question, they will surely find a way of relieving me of thousands of pounds, possibly unwarranted. How long should the front shocks last? Both rear airbags were replaced at around 100,000 miles as I found myself hanging to the left whenever I left for work!! Steering has become somewhat vague over the years so will the front end bushes need replacing. Apparently I am pretty gentle with the old girl as am still on the original clutch and only replaced the original brake discs at 120000 miles. All,advice greatly appreciated. Gary Bracknell, Berkshire, England