Okay let's laugh about Land Rover repairs

"R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet" (r-saldana)
11/25/2014 at 12:28 • Filed to: None

Well, it has finally come time to renew tags, and my wonderful new home (Nashville area) requires state inspection. I have never had to worry about inspection before, and just rovered on when my good buddy CEL shows up.

So these are the codes that Jazzie (my 2003 DII) is throwing; I was actually shocked that there weren't more:

P1590 = Wheel speed sensor/ABS sensor [Only one code thrown, so no multiple sensors needed]

P0134 = Heated Oxygen Sensor Bank 1 [Again, only bank 1 means only one sensor]

P0102 = Mass Air Flow meter/sensor [pretty common for many makes and models of modern cars]

These sensors going out all stem from one major problem that I solved earlier this year: ACE = Active Cornering Enhancement

Basically it is a hydraulic pump that puts my fluid into a damper shock that is attached to either axle and applies more stiffness in high speed corners. Like a rudimentary version of the Audi stuff that stiffens the outside shocks when in a corner.

Well, this pump is infamous for failures. Almost as infamous as the immense amount of ass-pain required to remove it. The pump sits on the top of the belt, far right at you look into the engine bay. It share a reservoir with the power steering fluid. It then has two rigid steel hydraulic lines tot he front damper that applies pressure to the front axle, and 4 lines that run to the rear secondary pump which has its own lines that go on to the rear damper attached to the rear axle.

This was a 20 odd hour removal back in August or September. I must preface this by saying I am not a small guy, meaning I have very broad shoulders and muscular depth between chest and back. It is difficult for me to work on a car that only sits on jack stand because I really need to have it up on a lift. Much skin and blood was shed removing this faulty primary pump, secondary pump, and all the lines. But it was done, and while inside and under the car I could see the ridiculous amount of hydraulic fluid it had been leaking all over my engine bay for the last 7 years of my ownership.

A few months after I bought the truck I was returning from visiting a girlfriend in Greensboro, NC. At this time I was stationed in Camp Lejeune. I was cruising along, hadn't a single problem with the car for the ownership so far, and the belt snapped off the engine while driving at around 65ish mph on a freeway. Pants shitting moment!! At this time I was even more naive and impressionable than I am now and my indy mechanic in Wilmington advised me to replace the ACE pump (which had locked and thrown the belt), ABS hoses (which got cut by the belt remnants flying around inside the engine bay), ACE hydraulic lines, and belt. This cost me much more than I can remember without opening my logbook and repair bills.

Well, I had it replaced and it seemed to be fine, just needed a quart of fluid probably every quarter. No big deal. Until.....I go on deployments back to back for the next 4 years (tail end of 08-2012). During which time, I left my beloved Land Rover in the care of my father, who bless his heart has far too much on his plate and I wished I had put the rig into military storage but alas I did not have time to get it set up before I deployed.

So, poor Jazzie sat undriven but would get started weekly in front of my dad and his wife's house (le street view still has her in the driveway :-P) for those years. And at some point got hit. When I returned home she had a curled up lip on her bumper and a crack in the crappy plastic OEM spec bumper. After I put tires on her and a new battery she was running pretty okay. However she has had a lot of NVH, ended up having to put on a new Tom Woods driveshaft when the second OEM one locked up. (Did one when I bought her back in 2008 with 42k miles just to safeguard her future)

All the current issues including the NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) are due to the ACE hydraulic fluid leaking all over my sensors, getting sucked up into the intake, rotting away my tie rods.

So, as many of you Oppos know, these three things are pretty much the easiest thing int he world to fix. Literally a simple plug and play, cycle engine without battery on, and then reconnect and start up as normal. All which could be done for no more than $150 of brand new warrantied parts. Sadly, though I don't get to do these repairs because the queen of my world, who daily drives Jazzie chose to take her to a local indy Euro mechanic.

At first I was fuming about this, because it is going to end up costing me much more money, which although I have a great job now, I do not yet have a lot of savings left after my 2 month unemployment stint. But I decided it was not something worth fighting with her over, and in the grand scheme of things not that big a deal. When I got home she explained the shop to me, and I was pleasantly surprised. Their title sounds a lot like the big brand, do not appreciate the customer kind of retail stores we all willingly throw our money at everyday. However, they are a local Nashville business, that got started in the most simple and honest way I have ever heard.

This revelation pointed me back to a conversation I was having with some people, about how as a society we currently don;t want to interact with other people ever, especially not in the transference of goods or services. We are all out here in life so worried that we are going to get screwed over (which we may, but it's nothing worth losing sleep over, truthfully) that we disregard people who are also out there in the world trying to make a living.

This guy might even be holding a Land Rover head...

I wrote all this to say, I am sad I don't get to fix these easy repairs myself, but at the same time I am happy to be a customer of a locally and American owned business. And I think my New Years' resolution is to make an effort everyday to not be prejudiced into believing the whole world is trying to screw me over constantly. And that next year some actual upgrades will be in the cards for Jazzie. Maybe something like this? JK but that would be ridiculous, troll the coal rolling bro-trucks with a LR?

But more likely, almost exactly like this but without the way too big tires. This is actually the same color as mine.

DISCUSSION (22)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 12:46

It's better that you found these guys now, with a more minor repair, than you having a repair out of your league down the road and not knowing that these guys exist.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
11/25/2014 at 12:47

Yeah, I guess. But I am sure you understand being disheartened, especially with the ease of the repair.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 13:19

I had the opportunity to pick up a daily low mileage, very nice 2004 Disco. Literally the only reason I didn't was because repair and reliability scared the bejeezus out of me.

You know a car is unreliable when the early-2000's Audi guy is scared of it.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/25/2014 at 13:25

I have an opportunity to buy another one from my hometown, and I might just do it. They are incredible vehicles, and the only real problems I have had are the sensors and excessive computer stuff. Once you remove all of that stuff (ACE, air ride suspensions, etc) it's basically a truck with a great driving position and wonderful cabin to sit in. I have loved these since I was like 10 years old, the only things I love more are 928 Porsches, and e39 M5's.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 13:26

Unfortunately, I haven't the knowhow or the desire to fiddle too much with the mechanical stuff on my cars.

505Turbeaux > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 15:42

polish-mexican

the plot thickens

Also goddamned right on the oil.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > 505Turbeaux
11/25/2014 at 15:43

Bish, please deez mufuckers done lost they damn minds.

505Turbeaux > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 15:44

between myself, ramblinrover and TFritch you probably have everything you need to know about Landys. Goddamn Ramblinrover is rain man level of good

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 15:47

Kinja'd!!!

We have Chappelle's Show gif attacks every now and then. Always worth it.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > 505Turbeaux
11/25/2014 at 15:47

Exactly, I should see if I can get him to come to Nashville in the spring, house him and his wife have some meals and good stuff and do some heavy work on Jazzie.

Trevor Slattery, ACTOR > 505Turbeaux
11/25/2014 at 15:48

British cars mark their territory man.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > 505Turbeaux
11/25/2014 at 15:48

No, I'm just ordinary Rainman minus the good. You also left out TheBloody, freakin' South African type that he is.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 15:50

No wife as yet, the Rainmanishness might have something to do with that. That, and the lack of trying.

505Turbeaux > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 15:57

lol what about me fool? I can do your head gaskets on a disco in like 8 hours flat :)

Destructive Tester > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/25/2014 at 15:57

"You know a car is unreliable when the early-2000's Audi guy is scared of it."

I love this comment.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > 505Turbeaux
11/25/2014 at 15:59

Damn i didnt know bro. The true question is can you teach some one how to do them ?

Sounds like an oppo meetup to restore a Disco is in the cards.

505Turbeaux > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 16:04

oh sure if I have enough beer to be patient

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > 505Turbeaux
11/25/2014 at 16:07

I'm a quick learner. I don't drink so you get to double up on a case.

and 100 more > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 16:07

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

This is such an inspirational quote. I'm seeing mugs, mousepads, posters, t-shirts... If we can get just one guy to get it as a tattoo, we'll be golden!

505Turbeaux > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 16:08

deal. Too bad I was just in nashville within the past 2 months too

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > and 100 more
11/25/2014 at 16:20

#LandRoverLife

and 100 more > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
11/25/2014 at 16:25

Dammit, my reply attached to the wrong post...