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nickdisco4
Member Since: 12 Nov 2011
Location: Glos
Posts: 6
  
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| Ice in MY10 Discovery 4 intercooler and other problems |
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Hi,
Having bought my first disco in October (MY10 HSE) I have been generally pleased (especially the timed climate enabled by Pete at BAS).
I've done just over 13,000 miles trouble free until last week in Austria when it failed to start - turned over OK but wouldn't go - I called out LRA who sent the OAMTC (Austria’s AA) who got it going with a portable battery pack. He thought the battery might be going but it was only -5 so not exactly cold for a Land Rover and its only 18 months old so should be fine.
Sadly, on Thursday evening same thing with lots of turning but the engine wouldn't actually get going. It was a bit colder at -20, but everyone else was starting up OK. So this time I spent a few more minutes looking round the engine before I called LRA and noticed that the inlet hose to the engine was sucked flat during start-up. When the bloke from the local garage came he took one look and said it was ice in the inlet system intercooler - my German & his English were not that good so I might be wrong. Apparently they see this quite a few times each winter with Discos and RR. They took it away and thawed it out, then used compressed air to blow out loads of water that had condensed in the inlet system. I asked if any other cars suffered and he laughed and said no, only Land Rovers. For a car that's supposed to be capable of going anywhere it's a bit disappointing to see every other 4x4 working fine while my car sits uselessly when it gets a bit chilly.
Does anybody know if this is likely to be just a fault with my car or a design fault with the Discovery 4?
To add insult to injury when I topped up with screenwash in Germany on the way home the car refused to recognise that the bonnet was closed an so wouldn't let me lo0ck the car - which on a 15 hour journey back home to Gloucester was a bit awkward - what idiot would design a car that won't lock just because of a faulty bonnet micro switch??? I called LRA who sent the AA to meet me at home and he managed to fiddle with it so I could lock the car this week, but this kind of fault is really annoying, not to say inconvenient - if you get my meaning on a 15 hour journey...
Oh, and the sunroof stopped working on Wednesday - I didn't actually want it open at -20, but sometimes it seems to need opening and closing every week or so to properly seal. It opened a whisker then wouldn't shut, so I had 500 miles with an annoying whistle above my head.
I fear I might have to consider something a bit less of a 'hobby car' if anything else goes wrong - I do about 45,000 miles a year across the UK and Europe and -20 is not that unusual. Unreliability always put me off LRs and RRs before but I thought they had cracked it. So I took the risk 4 months ago after the usual German / Japanese choice for the last 15 years. Sadly, it seems you still need to be an 'enthusiast' and be prepared for hassle and inconvenience if you want to drive a Disco - or is just my car that is a bit of a dog?
Any advice on how to get the fault in the air inlet system (intercooler?) fixed gratefully received, as I don't suppose my dealer will say anything more than 'we couldn't replicate the fault so let us know when it happens again'.
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 6th Feb 2012 9:58 am |
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Russell
Member Since: 23 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
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Welcome to the forum, pitty your first visit is a negative one.
Never heard about the inlet system issue but there are loads on here who have been to some very cold conditions so I am sure they will be along in a bit.
Sunroof, had same issue with a Ford Galaxy, morale is not to open when it is freezing.
Bonnet catch issue is a known issu that many have had, just needs a flick of the catch to reset it and a good spray with WD40 on return to home.
The car is not a "Hobby car" it does what it says on the tin, goes anywhere in any conditions as many on here will voutch, but it also needs loving after all it is a LR.  If you feel free and want to buy another make, again its your money but next time you are out in heavey snow stuck and a LR goes past, need I say more MY17 D5 1st Edition Namib Orange
MY15 D4 HSE Kaikoura Stone
MY12 D4 HSE Nara Bronze Sold and gone
MY11 D4 HSE Stornaway Grey Sold and gone
D3 S spec Silver Sold and gone
Tow bar, full length roof bars, side steps, tow bar storage unit, surround camers.
D4 camera club
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| 6th Feb 2012 10:25 am |
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nickdisco4
Member Since: 12 Nov 2011
Location: Glos
Posts: 6
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Russell,
I didn't mean my post as negative, but it’s annoying to be stuck in my "go anywhere" car whilst lots of other cars were working perfectly. Yes, there had been a bit of snow (5 inches in 24 hours and 6 feet over a few weeks) but when the bus goes past every 20 minutes and my very expensive 4x4 is stuck then I do feel a tad tetchy!
The sunroof thing was caused because it needs re-sealing every week or so - so it seems that the answer is to put up with an annoying whistle until back in the warmth of the UK....
Oh, and the bonnet catch fault stopping the car from locking – what is that all about? And if the fault is a known issue, perhaps LR could fix it.
I know all cars wrong occasionally but for nearly £50k new they should have got the basics sorted by now - I drove discos for work to Eastern Europe a few times a year in 2006/7/8 and thought it would be a great car when the reliability was sorted. Last autumn I sincerely believed they had, hence my decision to drop a shed full of cash into Land Rover's pockets, but I've only done 12,000 miles in four months and having to call out assistance 3 times in 10 days is starting to feel like a bit of hobby.
As for 'loving' a car? It's a car.. I just need it to work, not remind me of my 1971 Hillman Imp on which I could change the head gasket in 40 minutes - because I had lots of chances to perfect my technique.
Having made the decision to buy the thing then I’m prepared to give LR a chance to fix their problems, but if it strands me again at -20 then I’ll have to consider if I can afford to take the risk again.
PS Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extremes on some old D3 wheels worked as well as ever in heavy snow and on untreated roads. I still don’t know why we are so resistant to the correct tyres in the UK, the country might not grind to halt if people spent 5% of cost of a new car on winter tyres (or 2% in the case of a D4!)
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| 6th Feb 2012 11:07 am |
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amazing
Member Since: 05 Mar 2011
Location: chengdu
Posts: 1542
 
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pheaton suffered from same problem so they fit a mesh inside the airbox for colder climates It is better to have and not need it then need and not have it.
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| 13th Feb 2012 4:02 am |
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DingMark
Member Since: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Perth Oz or Erbil, Iraq
Posts: 388
 
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It is likely that the moisture entered the air intake as water (not ice or vapour). It may have been slush that melted in the warmer air intake, but then re-froze when it went into the intercooler. Of course this is all theoretical as we don't have much ice here in Perth (particularly this time of year). I would have to think that a raised air intake would solve this permanently (as little moisture gets up that high and it has to reverse flow to flow into the RAI). An alternate would be some sort of shroud on the exterior of the air intake on the fender, which required air to reverse direction to enter the air intake.
Has anyone with a RAI had this problem? In a sense you're lucky that the moisture didn't suddenly melt and "slug" into the engine (and punching a piston). Jim Dowell - D4 HSE TDi, 12,000 hydraulic winch & hidden winch mount, MTRs, TyreDog, Traxide 2 x aux battery system, fixed air compressor, Dolium roof rack, MitchHitch.
RIP 2005 D3 HSE V8 5 seater gold (stolen and torched)
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| 14th Feb 2012 12:50 pm |
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Q86ARR
Member Since: 23 Feb 2010
Location: Jersey
Posts: 379
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Bulletin LTB00364 covers this.
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| 14th Feb 2012 8:14 pm |
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nickdisco4
Member Since: 12 Nov 2011
Location: Glos
Posts: 6
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Thnaks for the info.
What does Bulletin LTB00364 say or where can I find it to make sure the dealer does whatever it says?
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| 17th Feb 2012 12:23 am |
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nickdisco4
Member Since: 12 Nov 2011
Location: Glos
Posts: 6
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Bill,
Thanks - it looks like the ususal temp fix of a heat shield. exactly the same thinking that caused people in the 60's and 70 to stick some cardboard or tin foil in fornt of the radiatior grille in winter to help the car warm up more quickly - my dad used to do it to his Hillman Hunter. I guess I shouldn't be surprised - it is a land rover after all, and the cardboard trick definitely counts as a tried and trusted method.
I took the car for a service this morning and explained the faults and they looked as interested as a goldfish who swims round his bowl saying "nice castle" on every circuit...
I pointed out that the bonnect catch fault prevents the car from being locked and they said - "yes - it does that". i explained how useless it is when travelling alone on an 800 mile journey and I can only guess that the reason they looked so surprised was that they couldn't imagine that anyone would venture quite so far in a disco!
I'm looking forward to some trouble free miles as I'm off to Slovakia in a week or two, but I think i'm going to be looking out the old emergency kit I had when i couldn't afford modern cars - tools, WD40 (x2?), blanket, inspection lamp, workshop manual, flashing orange light, wellies, goretex jacket, etc. etc. It'll bring back memories of fighting the Series 3s we had in the Army. They would go anywhere if they were running, but you had to be a keen enthusiast to ensure that they actually did run - and of course had keen ears to listen out for new exciting noises where some other vital component had worked loose.
Perhaps I've just discovered the joy of a new hobby!
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| 17th Feb 2012 11:14 am |
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Bill Wright
Member Since: 03 Nov 2007
Location: Glorious Devon
Posts: 3254
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I know what you mean. I learned to drive ina Series 2 in the Royal Marines and later passed my test in a Series 3 Lightweight. Never be without your running kit and bag of bits. 
Good luck in your travels.
Bill Never take life too seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
D4 SDV6 SE Tech Kaikoura Stone MY15.
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| 17th Feb 2012 12:23 pm |
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nickdisco4
Member Since: 12 Nov 2011
Location: Glos
Posts: 6
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Got the car back after being relieved of a mere £500 - they replaced the bonnet sensor, fixed the sun roof but the shield for cold weather causes problems over 15 deg C - maybe LR could speak to some of the many car makers who design things to work in all weathers...
The only slight annoyance was being charged almost £70 for oil - if the retail price is around £40 they probably get it for around £20. I'm paying through the nose for labour so a margin of at least 250% is a bit much! (I used to work for a company that ran it's own fleet of vehicles and top quality synth oil was around £1 a litre bought in bulk so let's assume they have to pay 4x that price - which is generous). Oh, and another £10 to dispose of the old oil and £10 to clean their workshop doesn't seem right - although i know that all motor dealers are in on this particular number. i guess that's why dealers are called stealers by lots of people.
Hopefully the car will be OK now and I can get some serious miles done without testing LRA in far away places!
Thnaks to Bill for details re the bulletin, ice in the intercooler must be a really common fault for LR to have to produce the special parts - shame they didn't own up to it straightaway.
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| 19th Feb 2012 12:34 pm |
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