wanaron

HI, welcome to the forum. got a 97 v8I disco on gas. have owned since November. came at the right price. did in the first couple of weeks think ide made a big mistake. when ready to be regassed used to backfire and scare the dogs two streets away. was getting grief off her indoors, even refusing to drive it till i got it sorted. its been said that the igmition timing n leads are of paramount importance, i wholeheartedly agree with this. had a gas service and dizzy set up, leads and cap. now roars like a lion, returns better mpg, no backfiring, and the missus absolutely loves it. result! ps went for a basic 1 ( no leaking sunroof) Cheers Wayne

v8 disco, go anywhere, anytime. in comfort. beats all comers all day evryday. nuff said

not sure what to do now, not had any starting problems since that couple of really cold days. i believe as i have said that its starts on petrol, then when you rev her it changes to gas. my missus who uses the v8 to get to the horses has got into the habit of letting the motor idle 4 a while before pulling away. if you dont let it idle( n warm a little) it has a tendency to cut out when not got very far at all. however if do the little warm up it runs great. interesting that you mention antifreeze being weak.As ive said not got a lot of experience with LPg, so are u saying that the antifreeze passes thru the vaporiser then? The advice on the leads cap n rotor seems to be shared by all v8 owners and is duly heeded. i think the solenoid click i was hearing, is as you say the gas cutting off because of the froze up vap. good these v8s thou aint they.

i got same vehicle on gas. so you getting 6.5mpg on gas and petrol? how have you arrived at this figure? what tests have you done? its a low return to the gallon it has to be said. what concerning the most from what you have said is you appear to be lookin for an electrical problem causing this? yet you say it appears to be running on not all cyliders. have you considered that engine is way past its best days.

Thanks Paul and Trevor, any help is appreciated. havent had any more problems starting her since the weather warmed up. But very interesting that you both say need to get some warmth into her before switching to gas. Im beginning to think that my Disco may be set a bit rich gas wise from what you are saying. Its a fact that it doesnt return as well mpg wise compared to a friends which is the same (v8i auto on singlepoint lpg.) prob get the new year celebrations behind me, then take a closer look as u say back off the flow. have heard that it is imperative to have good plugs and leads with the v8, in fact was one of the first things i did when getting her. using NGK plugs which seem to perform well. Have a good new year ( to all) and will keep posting as to developments. thanks Wayne

Well thats exactly what ive gone for, Lpg. looks ok rustwise and drives beautifully. look forward to sharing banter and experiences of owning a v8 on here. im a realist so bound to be good times as well as not so. Cheers Wayne

So here is the million dollar question, as th title says are they any good? now i know im gonna get the answer depends on way its been treated etc etc. im talking a basically half decent looking motor with a long mot, and drives and does what it should. what im really asking( probably opening a can of worms)is how do they compare to jap 4x4s, and long term what to look out for in reliability issues. not long moved back to Landy after jap diesel, and invite owners gripes and accolades respectively. incidentally i tow 17ft caravan, and horse trailer regularly. thanks Wayne

Thanks Paul, helps to know there is someone out there with the same system. as i have said i am a novice when it comed to Lpg, have heard of this starting on petrol before, my limited understanding is that it starts on petrol (briefly)and when you rev it a bit it changes over to gas. so what you are saying is warm the engine on petrol? always? this morning th vaporiser was slightly iced up, gotta hairdyer on it and it started, revved it and it run sweet after that. interesting that you mention turning up or down the gas flow on the Romano system, which knob or screw actually does that? very early in the new year gonna be looking at getting the lpg system serviced. im told once a year is needed. whats your thoughts and experiences of this mate. cheers n hope you avin good Xmas Wayne

Hi was wondering if anyone might be able to throw some light as to why my 97 v8 Disco 1, with Romano single point lpg system is being a pig to start? has been sweet as a nut until last couple of days( typical,it being Xmas)Whirrs over, plenty of battery power and is firing, even starts briefly. then you hear a definite click and cuts straight out? Could the cold be freezing the system in some way? Had to change over to petrol yesterday morning, still took ages to start, but eventually did. Run it then without any trouble, changed to gas, again run ok. switched her off and parked up for night, but same again this morning? Not got a lot of experience with Lpg, but with the click im getting and cutting out, could it be a solenoid maybe sticking/ freezing? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated to get round this. Thank you Wayne

Been a while, since ive posted on here. Been away working at a couple of big horse events. Towed my caravan with my 1.8 Petrol. Got me there and back without any problems. Just a little lighter in the wallet department due to the fuel needed. Alas have decided the time has come to change the vehicle while its all in one piece. + the thought of the massive hike in tax that is coming into force next year is another contributory factor in my decision.Wont slag the Freelander( enough folk on here do that anyway). but reluctantly she has to go. Dare i say it will be looking probably towards Jap 4X4S. But then again may get a Disco. thanks Wayne

No problem Phil, happy Freelandering! Let me know how you get on with the roof rails as to where you get them from, and the cost. As i aint got any either on mine. Wayne

Hi Phil, have to be honest dont know the answer to two of your questions, but can tell you the mpg you are likely to get is around 28mpg around town, and up to late 30s on a run. dependant on how heavy footed you are. You are probably aware by the wording of your post that the petrol model takes a lot of criticism. I To run a 1.8 petrol on a W plate, and similarly to yourself had the HG done and belt. and have covered 16000 miles without a problem since then, and as ive said in previous posts they aint been easy miles, as i Tow a horse box regularly. Hope this helps Wayne

Hi - most HG failures occur after the 50000 mile mark, but with evrrything there are exceptions. The multilayer gasket kit is readily available from most high street motor factors, but be sure to ask for it specifically- they still stock the old gaskets as well. My gasket was replaced at 84000 miles, and changed th dowels that came as part of the kit as well. As ive said in my previous post forewarned is forearmed, therefore if you know a failure is imminent, then change the gasket now whilst the cost will be considerably less than if you "cook" the engine. Wayne

Hi welcome to Freelander ownership. True you cannot escape the fact that any 1.8 petrol engine is susceptible to the dreaded head gasket failure, it ispart and parcel of owning one. Wish i could say that it wont happen to you, but hate to tell you that it probably will if you keep it that is. You are doing the right thing by keeping one eye on the temperature guage. Not pleasant reading so far i admit, but its not all doom and gloom. I run a 1.8 petrol and have had the hg replaced some 15000 miles ago. Dont know if you are aware but there is a new head gasket(multilayer) which i had fitted along with new belt and tensioner(made sense while it was apart). Since having this done have enjoyed 15000 miles of trouble free motoring. And not easy miles i add, because i tow a fully laden horse trailer regularly ferrying my daughter to shows. My advice to you is to keep enjoying your Freelander as i do, keep an eye on the temp guage and regularly check the oil for signs of water in it, and the expansion tank for a mayonaise type substance.If you get either of these- dont let the engine overheat or more damage will take place and possibly warp the head. Iwas i regard myself one of the lucky ones, forewarned is forearmed. On a final note am loving the Freelander, despite what others think and say. Hope this helps Wayne

Hi;- workin left to right, first button unused, second-heated rear screen,third hazard warning lights, 4th recirculated air supply(prevents traffic fumes entering car),5th air con. The rear fog light switch is to the left of the steering wheel, at the 9 o clock position. Key fob, right button press once to unlock drivers door, press twice to open all doors. Left button press once to lock all doors, press twice to deadlock. Hope this helps Wayne

Hi Andy, i am also a new member to the forum. so welcome to us both. Am suprised that you havent been inundated with oodles of advice about your intended purchase, but you aint been registerd very long so theres time yet. I run a freelander 2000 w 1.8 petrol. I to was drawn to the free by its styling and good looks, its ruggedness and practicality. I Picked up mine for the right money in Sept 07. On the whole Iam pleased with the vehicle, however ther are a number of issues with the petrol model that forum members will no doubt soon be screaming at you. As i said i paid the right money for mine, so wasnt to unduly concerned when after 3 months of owning I had to replace the headgasket. This I have since found out is due ta design fault with the 1.8 petrol and is a very common thing to happen. Having said that a new multi layer gasket (which i fitted) is said to cure the problem, and so far so good. There are other issues with the vehicle, and fuel economy is not one of the 1.8 strong points(around 27 mpg). I havent really owned mine long enough to endorse or put down th 1.8, but the general consensus of opinion is not to buy a petrol model. What i will say is that i tow a horse trailer and mine deals with the wet and all the horse muck thrown at it so far. I suppose its a question of available funds. But YOU WILL be advised to buy a diesel model by forum members. One more thing- the wife loves the Freelander. Hope this helps Wayne