Member Since: 15 Oct 2019
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 12
Should it stay or should it go????
I'm new to the Land Rover Discovery 3 world, I've recently purchased a Discovery 3 which was cheap (£2800) I brought it to save it being broken up for parts (stupid I know)
Good bits:
It starts and drives (drives lovely, drove it 50 miles home and went like a dream)
Has an MOT (10 Months)
6 Speed Manual
Dunlop Coil spring conversion
Now for the bad bits:
Parking brakes doesn't seem to work
Only has one key that only operates by the lock on the passengers side
No Service History although the pervious owner did say the cambelt had been done 40,000miles ago.
Some stole the spare wheel (guess this makes it a light weight now).
After speaking to some bloke down the pub he has basically put the fear of god into me saying the cambelt will snap and if that doesn't happen then the crankshaft will snap.
I also have a Land Rover Series 3 which is much less daunting than the Disco 3 as you pull leavers and metal bits move instead of you push a switch an hope something happens (or not in the case of the hand brake).
So question to fellow Disco 3 owners should I persevere or should I off load it cheap?
Also just how much of a ball ache is the cambelt to do?
15th Oct 2019 7:15 am
Russell
Member Since: 24 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
On 3's the crank does not normally snap
The cam belts are OK if they are changed at the correct times. The issue with the cam belt change is the oil pump, Look up oil pump failures and see the story.
Basically change the cam belt and for the sake of a £100 do the oil pump at the same time and all should be goodMY17 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
15th Oct 2019 7:35 am
robpenrose
Member Since: 12 Jan 2016
Location: Surrey / SW London
Posts: 2136
I think the crank shaft is as likely to snap on the D3 as D4. Seem to be plenty of people on the forum with D3 snapped cranks.
Now where is DSL...
Current: D4 HSE
Previous: BMW Z4M Coupe
Previous: Land Rover Defender 90 CSW Td5
Previous: Land Rover Discovery Td5 ES
15th Oct 2019 7:52 am
DG Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50934
'Plenty on here' actually equals not that many in a relative sense i.e years vs numbers ...try counting more than 75 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
15th Oct 2019 8:15 am
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26701
If your adept with spanners, which if you own a Series you must be, then all the answers are on here, and some very knowledgeable people with years of experience too. There is not much that is beyond the realms of diy.
Spare wheel, easily replaced, keep an eye on the for sale ads on here. Probably needs a new wheel winch as they probably cut it. Get an RLD wheel protector to prevent future theft.
Park brake, could be a lot of things. Loads of info on here. Get fault codes read. Maybe get yourself a fault code reader to read codes yourself?
Yes the engine could break, but it might not! All you can do is look after it. Change the oil pump, use decent oil and keep it topped up.
15th Oct 2019 8:26 am
Peakwayfarer
Member Since: 25 Apr 2016
Location: Uk
Posts: 434
As one of those unfortunate enough to have suffered a broken crank on a fairly new D4, I would say get the codes read, fix the parking brake, drive and enjoy it. Maybe get the belts looked at and changed if required.
It will probably go for a long long time, dont recall hearing of a manual with a broken crank on here.
Even if it fails you will probably still get most of your outlay back in bits you can sell, which is more than can be said for a newer one, which is why mine had to go.
15th Oct 2019 8:42 am
aaronh21
Member Since: 15 Oct 2019
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 12
Thanks for the words of encouragement, I've decided I'm going to keep it. I've ordered a service kit so oil and filters first, then cambelt, oil pump, water pump, aux belt. Then tackle the handbrake issue and the warnings about the air suspension on the dash which I think is due to coil spring conversion. Does anyone know if you can get a blank for the suspension height switch?
Does anyone have any suggestions of where to get a new key coded ideally not a main stealer.
15th Oct 2019 8:07 pm
darrind
Member Since: 04 Jul 2008
Location: In A World of My Own!
Posts: 2863
At that price I would definitely say its a keeper!
Re the key, there is a really good company up near Leeds who I have had two additional keys from over the last year via an infamous auction site from memory each key was around £30 including cutting the key - I programmed them myself as I have an IID.Must stop buying shiny toys....
15th Oct 2019 8:35 pm
kayble
Member Since: 01 Aug 2015
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 147
Peakwayfarer wrote:
As one of those unfortunate enough to have suffered a broken crank on a fairly new D4, I would say get the codes read, fix the parking brake, drive and enjoy it.
What he said!
If you took note of every scare story and tale of endless woe related to Land Rovers - you'd have got rid of your car, sold the house, built a bunker and be living in it with a tin foil hat.
It's there to be driven/fixed/driven - enjoy it!
16th Oct 2019 9:57 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72786
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stole the spare wheel (guess this makes it a light weight now).
