Questions and Answers
Land Rover Malfunction?
Q. We bought the vehicle used with 56,000 miles on it in July 2001. We purchased the vehicle with an after market warranty.
1999 Land Rover Discovery II
Bosch 4.0 Liter V-8
Automatic
67,208
Fuel Injection
ABS brakes
P/S
A/C
Cruise ControlOur question is: We took our Discovery into the dealer because the passenger heater core was leaking coolant and I could smell it in the passenger compartment. They replaced two front O2 sensors and the heater core. When they saw the vehicle the "Service Engine Soon" light was on so they checked that also.
They told me that the engine was misfiring and they had to break the engine down all the way to see if it would be covered by the warranty. The warranty would send someone out to see if it was a mechanical problem or carbon build-up. I told the dealer and the warranty company, "How much carbon is carbon build-up?". Neither one of them could tell me. We always run premium fuel.
The dealer told me that once they broke the engine down we were committed to the cost of fixing the engine if the warranty did not cover it. They said that would be $2,300.00 to fix it. I called another local mechanic and they told me that they would "blow" it out before spending $2,300.00 to break the engine down.
The "blowing" out is going to cost $100.00. The local mechanic has the Land Rover diagnostic computer also. What should I do? I have never had to spend $2,000 on a vehicle for anything before. I told the dealer not to break the engine down.
When I drove it home from the dealer on 03-11-2002 after the dealer fixed the heater core and the O2 sensors, the "Service Engine Soon" light flashed twice and stayed on. When my wife drove it to work on 03-12-2002 the light was on. When she started it after work the light was still on (as it has been since shortly after we bought the vehicle).
As she was coming home, the "Service Engine Soon" light started flashing at one point (about halfway through the approx 30 minute commute) for about five or six flashes (this was while on the interstate doing about 60-65 mph). It is not making any noises, losing power, or struggling at all. It has had it's scheduled maintenance performed since we purchased it. At the 60,000 mile maintenance the spark plugs were replaced. We sincerely appreciate any help you may give us.
Sincerely,
RobA. With the use of premium fuel, carbon build up in the cylinders would be a minor problem at the worst. The inside of the cylinders can be seen with the use of a Boroscope. This allows a technician to look inside the cylinders and see if there are any problems in there. There may be carbon buildup in the backs of the intake valves that would require the removal of the intake manifold to inspect and clean. If there is excessive carbon buildup on the valves, they can be cleaned with the use of a walnut shell blaster. A walnut shell blaster is similar to a sand blaster except it uses crushed walnut shells as the blasting medium. The walnut shell will not hurt the engine as sand would and just gets burned out.
If you do 60 to 65, and I suspect the occasional 70 to 75 mph, on the highway for 10 or 15 miles at a time, you are "blowing out" the carbon in the cylinders.
I would want whoever does the work to check the engine over very well. It is a rare and drastic measure to tear down an engine looking for a problem. I would want to be sure they exhausted every diagnostic procedure before they tear an engine down. The OBD II self diagnostics in that vehicle is very smart and the DTC that turned on the light will, just about, pin point the problem.
I would very much like to know what DTC they pulled out of the computer that makes them say the engine has to be torn down.
Additional Information provided courtesy of ALLDATA
