Member Since: 12 Feb 2021
Location: Mold
Posts: 204
My D3 journey begins
This might be a long post (sorry!)
I acquired my D3 at the start of February. I broke all the rules, I bought it blind from a dodgey car dealer on ebay. Truly the bloke is as dodgey as they come, he buys cars at auction then just moves them on. Don't ever do what I did.
Anyway.... It was dirty inside and out, the engine light was on - but then went off then came back... you probably know the story. It turned over slowly and was a bit smokey on start up but once running ran like a top. Everything as far as I can tell works! It is a 2007 2.7TDV6 XS, cloth seats. It had just shy of 123k on it and I have done about 800 miles in it so far.
Got it on the 4 post lift, was dreading what I might find but I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't see much rust at all and believe me after an RRC I know about rust and where to look! Its had a new rear caliper, rear brake pipes have been changed for copper, both upper front arms look relatively fresh, its had recent tyres, no evidence of leaks underneath. So having owned a Range Rover Classic for the last 15 or 16 years I have a certain expectation of what Land Rover ownership is like. I also know how much fun they can be, I don't know about the D3 yet but a Range Rover Classic up to its axles in mud or up to the bonnet in water is just sooooooo much fun, alas, I don't think I will be able to do that anymore but that's another story.
Where to start, what to check/fix/improve first??? Well first up had to be get a scan tool. Gap IID was my choice, had a bit of fun waiting for it to pass through customs but fantastic bit of tech, have used it many times already. This is surely the single most important piece of advice for any Land Rover owner - buy a decent scan tool.
Next, I did some poking about with the DVM, battery was a bit weak - new battery fitted, it starts much better, who'd have thought eh and a couple of recurring faults have since disappeared. I knew modern cars are twitchy with batteries and Range Rovers are well known for it but seemingly the D3 is just as fussy. That's the price of modern electronic management systems I guess.
The service history was shall I say "a bit sketchy" and the MOT history might scare some off but I decided to dive in. After searching this and other forums for wisdom, I decided the best thing to do was beat a path to Advanced factors and get some service bits. The brake fluid was black and clearly had not been changed in a long long time. Please check your brake fluid!! It is supposed to be replaced every 3 years or so and is very often overlooked. It is not difficult to change. If you want difficult try doing brake fluid on an RRC or P38 with ABS - bleeding that system can be a mission, I once used 27 litres of DOT4 to bleed the Rangie, if air gets in the valve block, pump and accumulator you'll be there for ages. However, the D3 on the other hand is much more civilised and much less of a faff.
The air filter was clearly not recent, the cabin pollen filter had a date stamp from 2011 but interestingly, the engine oil wasn't too bad. So I did air filter, cabin filter, oil and oil filter. I have also replaced the brake fluid. I found the rear propshaft centre bearing was toast so replaced the rear prop and today I have done a partial gearbox flush. Looks like I might need to think about the mechatronic plug/seal thing as there was some light misting in this area; that might also be reason enough to drop the original looking plastic sump and replace with a metal one and separate filter. I'll run with it for now and look again in a few months when I look to flush with the remaining 5l of transmission oil.
I replaced the auxiliary belt and tensioner and I have added a T-Max split charge system and an auxiliary battery.
I cleaned the seats with proper shampoo and wet vac, what a difference! The carpets were actually really good and didn't really need doing but I might do them if we have a summer. Clearly the genuine rubber over mats have done a great job and considering the D3 is 14 years old it is mostly in pretty good shape. There is damage to every door card, looks like the doors have been slammed shut when the seat belt buckle has still been in the way and the plastic door pockets are all scratched to b*****y! I'll give the magic eraser and MPC approach a try.
The exterior is OK....ish. The paint has not seen any tlc in many moons, in the right light it looks like it was washed with a brillo pad - the swirls, scratches, hologramming is truly bad BUT... I got the DA and rotary polishers out and had a play on the rear quarter panels and tailgate. OMG!! the colour is amazing, once polished the metallic flakes really pop and the absence of marring and scratches etc shows some care and a bit of time will bring the paintwork up and transform the whole look of the car.
What next? Well I suppose I will have to bite the bullet and take the timing cover off and check out the cam belt and the oil pump. BTW what's all the fuss about removing the fan? It is easy - get a plumbers adjustable spanner (goes to a little past 50mm and has narrow jaws), attach to fan and then give it a sharp strike with a hammer (remember it is left hand thread of course!).
As for some other thoughts well, I have had a little play with the terrain response and HDC. Truly impressive. I was sceptical about the electronic aids bearing in mind I've heavily green laned the Range Rover Classic over the years but have to say stick some good AT's or MT's on the D3 and I would be confident it should go almost anywhere. It drives nicely enough but I suspect the geometry is out, it tracks straight enough but feels twitchy with lift off oversteer in some corners (normally left handers); throttle response is leisurely, the steering is way too light but it is actually deceptively quick for what it is and it is also quiet and sssmmooooooooooth.
Oooohhh, nearly forgot I also decided it would be a good idea to pop the throttle body off (while the gearbox was cooling down ready for filling) and see how much soot and oil there was in there. OMG! How can an engine run looking like that. The accumulated crust of soot and oil in there was properly millimetres thick. I used 2 full cans of carb cleaner to scrape it all off. The inlet manifolds look pretty grim too. Not sure how easy it would be to pop them off and give them a good clean but definitely worth thinking about. On the plus side, removing the throttle body is so quick and easy, what a breeze. There is no excuse not to periodically inspect and clean your throttle body (if you have egr's). I absolutely see why EGR blanking is so popular, why would you want that amount of nastiness going in to your engine I mean FFS I know we want to reduce emissions but dumping exhaust in to the inlet, really? Is that the best/only way to do it? Hey ho and all that.
The FBH appears to work but needs a new exhaust pipe and air filter inlet thing. The headlamp washers don't work - I investigated this and found the pump is seized. I also found under the arch liner a pair of wires that have been cut - no idea what they did or where they are supposed to go, they are red iirc. If anyone has any ideas I'd be interested to hear opinions.
Overall I like it very much. Hopefully it won't be as big a money pit as some can be. Luckily I am able to do my own spannering and armed with a GAP IID tool this is a perfectly DIYable car to own.
Last edited by classic kev on 9th May 2021 12:32 pm. Edited 1 time in total
2nd Apr 2021 3:12 pm
kajtzu
Member Since: 10 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6744
Welcome and sounds like you’re well underway on your adventure already
2nd Apr 2021 3:31 pm
ianm27
Member Since: 02 Jun 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 2154
Welcome Kev
Interesting write up and will be keeping an eye out for more of your spannering adventures Uncle Ray's spare wheel protector
Limo Tint
Blackvue front & rear dashcam
Cruise control switch pack
Bodsy's remote for FBH
3rd Apr 2021 12:31 pm
classic kev
Member Since: 12 Feb 2021
Location: Mold
Posts: 204
Thanks for the welcome.
Ianm I see you're in Herts, know bits of it quite well, went to school and college in St.Albans, did a lot of green lanes across Herts, Beds, Bucks and in to Essex but that was a long time ago. Happy days for sure.
Anyway, back on topic have had a go at the paint on the D3. I am one of those people who enjoys a properly clean car. If you don't believe in cleaning and polishing your car you probably think I have wasted 2 and a bit days but for those who appreciate what it takes to make the paint pop here's what I did.
There's a lot of metal to cover but interestingly the plastic sill covers and wheel arches prevent a lot of damage to the lower paintwork. I was expecting heaps of tar but it is all stuck to the plastic.
I started with a wash and decontamination. So pressure wash first, blast off as much loose dirt as possible then apply snow foam - I used Autofinesse Avalanche. Let the snowfoam dwell and do its thing then pressure wash to rinse. Next up, fallout remover applied to the wheels and lower bodywork. For this I used Dodo Juice Ferrous Dueller, the colour change was strong on the wheels but surprisingly little on the lower body panels. After agitating with a brush pressure wash off to leave very clean wheels.
Now I'm ready for a contact wash, two bucket method using a Swiss Vax wash cloth working from the top down. A D3 roof is enormous and hard to reach! I used a small step ladder, roof probably hasn't been touched in a while; I also discovered after giving it a good pressure rinse the sun roof drain is probably blocked looking at the wet A pillar trim so that's another thing to go on the "to do" list.
With the body washed but still wet it was out with the the clay and some clay lube to give the paint some decontamination. It was pretty bad but the clay pulled off all sorts of contaminants, interestingly the roof was the worst. I didn't do anything special with the glass (yet), that will be a separate piece of work. So, the paint is now clean and with the bright sun on it the condition was not good. I decided to go for a 3 stage polish and then wax. First I masked off the plastics - wheel arches, sills and door strips. The bumpers didn't need protection. I pulled out my DA polisher and the rotary too. I had some Menzerna, started with heavy cut 400 compound and followed with 2500 medium cut polish and then 3800 finish.
The DA was great for the large areas - bonnet, doors, front wings and rear quarters. The rotary using 25mm and 50mm pads and a short extension was used for the tighter areas - lower doors below the door strips, tops of the doors (the little flat area on the top) and for getting in tight where the DA couldn't go. I didn't do the roof yet, it will require some work and in places it looks like the lacquer is damaged and the I suspect the roof may have been re-lacquered as I saw some evidence of lacquer over-spray.
Two days of polishing and I have to say the result is fantastic. Considering what I had when I started it looks amazing. naturally there are still some small scratches and stone chips but all the haze is gone, with a head torch as a light source, the reflection is clear and strong with no marring. It was a huge amount of work and it is surprising how heavy a DA polisher feels at the end of a long day of polishing. After polishing I wiped down all the panels with 20% IPA/water to remove polishing residues.
To protect the paint and lock in the shine I used Dodo Juice Supernatural Hybrid applied with a Dodo Juice Supernatural finger mitt. This wax is great, it is quite a firm wax but improves as it warms and goes a long way. It doesn't take long to flash and haze even in the cool temperatures of this weekend and after buffing with an ultra soft microfibre the result was stunning. When it warms up out there I'll post a couple of pics.
I went out this morning to contemplate doing the roof and decided I should try and pull a couple of dents and a crease in the front of the roof. I thought I'd have a go at PDR using the glue pull method, it started well, the dents and crease are visibly reduced but then the biting wind and snow just made it too cold for it to be fun so I stopped! I had hoped to do the glass today as well but it is just way too cold. I'm sure things will warm up soon so I can finish the transformation.
I maybe overcautious but I would change both the oil pump and the cam belt & tensioners unless there is evidence that it has been done.
NJSSAm I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark
2011 Mercedes Benz SL350 (R230)
1973 MG B GT V8 - 3.9L John Eales engine, 5 speed R380 gearbox, since 1975.
1959 MGA roadster - 1.9L Peter Burgess Engine - 5 speed gearbox
Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
There are 10 types of people in this world: Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
5th Apr 2021 5:57 pm
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23819
^ Wise words. 2006 D3 HSE (Original & still the best)-GONE
2010 D4 HSE (A bit bling)-GONE
2014 D4 HSE (Almost too bling)-GONE
2015 D4 HSE (A heated what?)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Written Off)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Surely the last!) PD1881 rims-GONE
2017 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography (now semi-retired)
5th Apr 2021 5:59 pm
classic kev
Member Since: 12 Feb 2021
Location: Mold
Posts: 204
Thanks for the caution on the oil pump and cam belt, these and the hpfp belt are on the list; There's no indications of any oil leaks but that's not a guarantee. No idea if or when pump, belts and tensioner(s) changed so once the weather warms up I'll be looking in to it. The car had some basic history and at some time it looks like it was quite well looked after but it is impossible to guess if the big ticket items were done. The state of the brake fluid might say not but the engine appears to have been serviced so if I'm lucky...
I don't know about you but when its too cold to feel your fingers I try to avoid working on engines unless it is an emergency. There are not many things more irritating than the stinging, tingling feeling you get washing cold hands in warm soapy water at which point you realise you've acquired a variety of minor lacerations and grazes you didn't know were there. Don't forget to say ouch!
Cheers.
5th Apr 2021 7:19 pm
Wireless Will
Member Since: 12 Mar 2017
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 42
Welcome Kev!
Love your enthusiasm, you've fired me up to give my car a super polish. I might have to quiz you on the details of what you used - are you in the bodyshop / finishing trade?
Did you buy it from that outfit in Reading who I see regularly selling D3's?
Good luck with the rest of the project!
WillD3 SE Buckingham Blue 2005 - rehomed
D2 GS TD5 Java Black 2002 - retired
D1 S 200 Tdi Coniston Green 1992 - retired
Defender 90 Turbo D 1989 - ?
Series 3 Truckcab SWB Diesel 1978 - ?
Series 3 LWB Petrol 1973 - ?
8th Apr 2021 3:04 pm
classic kev
Member Since: 12 Feb 2021
Location: Mold
Posts: 204
Hello Will, glad my rambling has given you some inspiration.
As it happens I'm not in the trade at all. I bought the car from a very iffy e-bay dealer, I was just lucky the D3 isn't a complete basket case.
As for car care, I've just picked things up over the years and I reached a point where I wanted to try machine polishing. For years I used Swiss Vax products - these are really very very good but also very expensive and without a DA or rotary polisher take a long time to apply and get a properly good finish. That said, Swiss Vax was what I choose at that time. Then I started to research other quality products and started reading up on detailing and learned so much from a variety of places, there is some really fantastic stuff on Youtube; check out the likes of white details, car cleaning guru, autoshine cars and the forensic detailing channel. If you like to see how to get shine these are the sites to see.
So, a couple of years ago when I bought my "other" car, I needed to think about wax and related products. There is a huge choice some you might know and many you won't. I decided to go to Dodo Juice, great products and brilliant customer care. It really is a case of researching the market and deciding how much you want to spend and what you are looking to achieve.
Feel free to ask me anything and if I can help I will. I am a great believer in forums, if we can't help or support each other then what is the point?
9th Apr 2021 8:32 am
Wireless Will
Member Since: 12 Mar 2017
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 42
Totally agree I'll go do some research...Thanks for the info.D3 SE Buckingham Blue 2005 - rehomed
D2 GS TD5 Java Black 2002 - retired
D1 S 200 Tdi Coniston Green 1992 - retired
Defender 90 Turbo D 1989 - ?
Series 3 Truckcab SWB Diesel 1978 - ?
Series 3 LWB Petrol 1973 - ?
9th Apr 2021 5:25 pm
classic kev
Member Since: 12 Feb 2021
Location: Mold
Posts: 204
Had a look at the sun roof drains yesterday. Front left was good, front right not good, choked solid in fact so after a bit of faffing around I worked out what was what gave it a blast with compressed air and poured some water down it and after a few attempts all is draining freely. So that's another win!
The small dents and the bigger crease on the front of the roof still need more work. I did some more glue pulling and slowly it is getting better. I'll have another go today and see how I get on but I think stress may be locked in and pulling won't be enough but if I'm lucky, patience and perseverance will get it to an acceptable place.
10th Apr 2021 8:38 am
Moo D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 14377
Nice write ups. Seems you know what you're doing.
I've never been one to wash cars other than the occasional car wash special. However, my Spider's roof was looking green so decided to deal with it and wash the car. I found it quite therapeutic, such that i'm going to have a go at detailing it properly because it looks so good when clean.New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!)
Sold Volvo XC90 R-Design (known as Basil)
Sold - D4 HSE (Known as Gerty)
No longer the Old Buses original owner
231,000 miles and counting
05 S manual owned from March 2005
D4 Face lifted
Still original injectors and turbo
V8 Front brakes
BAS Remap, Allisport Intercooler and deCat
EGRs blanked
T-Max split charge
Hanibal Expeedition rack
Prospeed ladder
Duratrac tyres
IID BT
BAS FBH control
10th Apr 2021 9:02 am
Green Land Rover
Member Since: 21 Oct 2017
Location: Stourbridge
Posts: 412
Welcome to the group and thanks for your recommendations on cleaning products
I've just bought some Ferrous Dueller on your recommendation (and also it's a reference from one of my favourite films! )
Good luck on your D3 adventure. Looking forward to seeing your posts here.
Cheers,
JasonDiscovery 4 HSE - Aintree Green
Freelander 2 TD4 SE Automatic - Tonga Green
Defender XS - Tonga Green - Gone Now
Freelander 1 Td4 ES Manual - Epsom Green - Gone Now
Freelander 1 Td4 Kalahari SE - Epsom Green - Gone Now
Freelander 1 XEi - Epsom Green - Gone Now
Member Since: 12 Feb 2021
Location: Mold
Posts: 204
Thanks guys but be warned making cars shiney is addictive! Here are a couple of pics of mine from this morning. Look at the depth of reflection in the paint, it was a long way short of this sort of clarity before I had a go at it. Also, the pictures of the front of the roof show what remains of the large crease and a couple of dents. Not perfect but good enough for now. I'll probably have a another go at glue pulling another time. I'm sure the pro PDR technicians would laugh but I'm happy with my amateurs results.
10th Apr 2021 3:17 pm
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
I think you are worrying to much over that dent/crease.
I wash my car maybe 3/4 times a year, sick of the dirt in the air down here making washing it kind of pointless.
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