JPW
Member Since: 19 Mar 2007
Location: Essex
Posts: 217
  
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I currently own a D2 and have wanted a D3 since they came out.
I tried to test drive a 2005 S model this morning at a LR dealer. First it wouldn't start and needed a jump start  (I think it's been sat inside at the dealers for a while with everyone playing with the lights, radio etc.) When it did start the dealer found that it didn't have any fuel.
On the way to the petrol station the (orange) hill descent control warning light came on together with the suspension warning light. The car suspension lowered and messages about the suspension and HDC came up on the dash display.
Once we got to the garage and filled up it seemed okay at first (for the first hundred metres) with the suspension back at normal height but then the HDC and suspension warning lights came back on.
In the end we didn't do a test drive - I said that there wasn't any point if it wasn't working. It's now gone back into the dealers workshop for repair. I've said that I'll test drive it when it's working properly.
I wondered if these problems might be a software glitch due to the flat battery and thefore a fairly simple "repair", but I'm also worried that if I go ahead I might be buying a lemon!
What do you think? If it seems to be working when I get to do a test drive should I still be interested or should I just walk away?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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 19th Mar 2007 11:29 pm |
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Gareth
Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26708
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Could all be battery related, but I would ask to have the vehicle for an extended test, perhaps over a weekend and give it some miles and use. Maybe find out who owned it previous and give them a call?
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| 19th Mar 2007 11:33 pm |
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10forcash
Member Since: 09 Jun 2005
Location: Ubique
Posts: 16534
 
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sales vehicles are very rarely PDI'd before sale - the symptoms you describe could be due to a low battery voltage or due to a poor connection to a wheel speed sensor, DTC's will have been stored in one of the vehicles electronic control units to enable the dealership to locate and cure the cause - and present you with a fully functional vehicle for a extended test drive and / or sale. If you're unsure, ask the dealership to demonstrate that the vehicle is fault-free (by connecting the IDS unit to the vehicle proving there are no error messages) prior to you signing on the dotted line 
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| 19th Mar 2007 11:45 pm |
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Flack
Member Since: 06 Sep 2006
Location: Preston Lancashire
Posts: 6238
 
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JPW wrote:I currently own a D2 and have wanted a D3 since they came out.
I tried to test drive a 2005 S model this morning at a LR dealer.
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If this is 2005 model and has been sat in the show room it will still have very old software in it, what you have talked about here has been covered by software updates, my own D3 had the exact same problem and was fixed with a software update.
flack .
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| 20th Mar 2007 12:02 am |
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DG
Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50949
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I can't imaging that this is a model that has been sat in the showroom and not received the enhancement....it has to be appreciated that D3's can still express pre-enhancement type issues if the battery is low or sensors are faulty as described by TFC 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
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| 20th Mar 2007 12:12 am |
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JMC
Member Since: 25 Feb 2006
Location: Aberdeen-Angus. Where the Bull* comes from!
Posts: 6417
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I would suggest that you buy a D3, but not necessarily from this dealer 
Anyone who offers a customer a test-drive should be a bit better prepared than this one sounds..... 
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| 20th Mar 2007 5:21 am |
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simon
Member Since: 11 Jan 2005
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 18296
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Agree. For sure buy a D3 with confidence but use another dealer if you are unsure as to their technical experience.
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| 20th Mar 2007 11:32 am |
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hmarais
Member Since: 23 Mar 2007
Location: Hartbeespoort, North West Province
Posts: 7
 
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I would not buy that D3, neither one from that model year. The suspension problems are chronic throughout the world, search on the Internet and you will find countless people around the world that are batling with this suspension problems. And the dealers don't know how to fix it - they all try the same fix, replace the hight sensors, replace the air splitter valve in the front fender, replace the compressor, Take my advice - you don't buy a D3 that is out of warranty or close to the end of it - it will cost you thousands while the dealers are trying to figure out what is wrong. You may be lucky and they stumble across the solution (software upgrades, bad or corroded connectors) but you may be unlucky and they never fix the fault. My 2005 SE (with only 28 000 km on the clock) has been in and out of dealers now for the last four months with no solution, as the computer diagnostic system does not pinpoint the exact problem.
If you can get it for very cheap, budget to replace the front air springs with coils, according to LR there is a kit to do it with plugs to trick the computer to accept that the sensors has been amputated. I am going to try a workaround with manual valves on the front air pipes to keep the suspension up after it has give the "suspension fault" message.
The problem is, you should never have gone for the test drive in the first place, once you have driven a D3, nothing else compares, except for the notorious unreliability and inability of LR to fix the problems. If you can afford it, buy new and sell before the end of the 3 year warranty period. The second hand option is going to be much more expensive than you originally budgeted for. Best of luck with your choice! Only 18% of the roads in Southern Africa are tarred, the rest is Land Rover Country. Or GS country.
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| 27th Mar 2007 9:34 am |
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Slimer
Site Moderator
Member Since: 06 Jan 2005
Location: Last Exit to Nowhere
Posts: 16295
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Absolute  ! I have a 05 model, 45000 miles on the clock with no suspension issues at all, I'm sure there are many members on here that will tell you similar
Show us some evidence of these worldwide 'chronic' suspension problems  A few cases amongst thousands of D3's doesn't rate as chronic The End
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| 27th Mar 2007 10:20 am |
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bkehoe
Member Since: 25 Feb 2006
Location: Wexford
Posts: 1481
 
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Same here, no suspensiion issues, 36,000 miles. IE - 05 D3 TDV6 HSE - Zambezi Silver
SA - 07 VW Golf TDI - White - Sold!
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| 27th Mar 2007 10:35 am |
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SPOTTER
Member Since: 06 Dec 2006
Location: Adrift........
Posts: 3095
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05 model, also 36,000 miles, haven't noticed anything wrong with the suspension, all seems to work as intended. They aren't all bad  end of an era ....... maybe a Defender when it appears.......
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| 27th Mar 2007 11:10 am |
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rockpile10
Member Since: 18 Nov 2006
Location: Pennines
Posts: 14
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i've got an 07MY and it had the same suspension faults in the first week (happened 3 times). Took it to the dealer who couldn't find any fault and advised "customer to monitor the situation".
It hasn't happened since but i'll not be driving out of warranty...
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| 27th Mar 2007 12:42 pm |
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DaveT
Member Since: 01 Aug 2005
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 2572
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From experience - not heresay!I had an 05 model, it reported many "suspension faults" for the first year, but NONE were actually a physical fault, and EVERYTHING was TOTALLY resolved by the software update that is carried out as a matter of course by any competent dealer.
Mine had done 54k when I traded it for a new one, and I can honestly say it's still a fantastic car that I trusted 100%
& the new one's even better  and the next one will be too  Long succession of Disco's since 2001...
SIII Lightweight - neglected & rusting. Bulkhead, A panels, vent panel & outriggers now disintegrated - Next years project!
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| 27th Mar 2007 9:10 pm |
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AndrewS
Tarquin of the Desert
Member Since: 06 May 2005
Location: Y...... because I can
Posts: 10438
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Slimer wrote:Absolute ! I have a 05 model, 45000 miles on the clock with no suspension issues at all, I'm sure there are many members on here that will tell you similar
Show us some evidence of these worldwide 'chronic' suspension problems A few cases amongst thousands of D3's doesn't rate as chronic
Seconded and some with 90,000 miles on the clock. In the Beginning there was nothing, which exploded.
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| 27th Mar 2007 9:40 pm |
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simon
Member Since: 11 Jan 2005
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 18296
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Thirded (not a word I know)
60K miles 05MY and still luvvin it
I admit I had one suspension error - was in the 1st week and all it was, was a connector not seated correctly. NEVER reoccurred since it was sorted very quickly by an excellent dealer.
And the dealer is a real key to any happy motoring life with any manufacturers product.
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| 27th Mar 2007 9:45 pm |
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