Land Rover oil problems

[Limey Linda]

Originally Posted by BogMonster

Rubbish! I live in a country where, until about 15 years ago, there were NO roads, not even unsurfaced ones. Everything was off road. Can anybody else claim that, even in Africa? What did we use? Land Rovers. People who want to go off road still do, like this

The three Land Rovers returned with barely a scratch. The guy with the Pajero spent about three hours with a sledgehammer straightening all his underbody guards ... tells its own story I think

Great big tubby Fords and Chevys would be totally useless because they weigh even more than a Discovery 3 so you would be climbing out the windows when you got to the first swamp

Hi Steven
There ain't no swamps in Arizona. Sooooo choose your vehicle for the purpose and environment you intend to use it in. Surely you must agree. Have had my Chevy ( 4wd , 3/4ton, Suburban.) for 13 years, has never let me down, brakes, a few batterys, tyres etc. and an alternator, new silencer only. Will tow a 26ft boat as if it was not there. Note: I do serious off road driving and it is big enough for two people to sleep in and carry 1 weeks worth of food, beer and camping gear. And, I can get a couple of shot 400lb. mule deer on the roof rack. Down side is the petrol consumption of a 5.7 ltr. engine

[Limey Linda]

Hi Steven.

Just looked at your photo's. Looks like a Safeways carpark to me !!

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by Biggles

That thread says you got pulled out by a Pajero.

It does. However it doesn't say I pulled the Pajero out about four or five times and everybody else at least once oh and and it also doesn't say the Pajero driver was a complete nutter who had no regard whatsoever for the health of his vehicle, it is a good job the photos didn't have smell because "eau de clutch" is never nice

Linda - I agree. Horses for courses. But I still say my 90 would go anywhere your Suburban would (even if I would not, ever, try to sleep in it!), while the reverse would not be true

The seriously sexy US rock crawling trucks, now that is a whole different story and few if any LR will come close to the performance of those in their native environment. But they are hardly off the shelf items, and they would be no good here because you would drown. For serious off road use in our conditions a Defender is about the only factory 4x4 that can seriously perform off road with nothing more than a change of tyres, which is all that many vehicles here have got.

I'll call you next time I go to Safeways and you can come along believe me the photos do not do it justice and for many of the interesting bits I wasn't outside taking photos!

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Limey Linda

I hate to be the 196th contributor to this thread but!!!. LR's are very popular in AZ, in fact there is a huge LR dealership about 5 miles from my home. They are considered fashionable yuppie vehicles usually driving by middle age blondes with silicon tits. The only off road use they get is Safeways carpark. LR's would NEVER be considered for serious off road use. Yes, they do have a good suspension system but that is about all. If you want to go climb mountains most people would buy a Chevy. or a Ford; but that is not quite as chinzy as a LR. but I guess it is dependant on your bra size. Perhaps we can divert this thread to something more interesting, like boobs, and then we could get another 196 posts.
Regards, To all

Funnily enough some Arizona LR owners may just disagree with you there!!!

http://www.azlro.org/index.php

They seem to do quite a bit of offroading!!!

http://www.azlro.org/photos/main.php?g2_itemId=3805

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by BogMonster

The seriously sexy US rock crawling trucks, now that is a whole different story and few if any LR will come close to the performance of those in their native environment. But they are hardly off the shelf items, and they would be no good here because you would drown. For serious off road use in our conditions a Defender is about the only factory 4x4 that can seriously perform off road with nothing more than a change of tyres, which is all that many vehicles here have got.

Most of the Yank sites I have been on run twist off competitions - they measure RTI or ramp travel index to work out axle articulation. They all say LRs are the best un modded vehicles around. Of course you can then mod them just as far as the jeeps - if not further. The Ashcroft underdrive sells very well in the USA!!!

[Jimbo]

Originally Posted by Biggles

To add to all this I'm in the market for a Defender 90. Cheap just as a run around.

http://www.witham-sv.com/infopage.php?ID=857&Overide=1

[Biggles]

Originally Posted by Jimbo

http://www.witham-sv.com/infopage.php?ID=857&Overide=1

Jimbo, I'm off up to York in September to look at some Ex MOD vehicles. They seem to have a few more than Withams to look at.

Wish there was somewhere down south to go.

Cheers Nick.

[gavin]

I dont think the Falklands is a fair unbaised sample to use, the main reason Landrover is used apart from offroading, is a political reason , and an effort by the Islanders to support home grown industry, this is admirable, but not convincing.
I think that Landrover are enthuasist vehicles, most of my links are indeed from their enthausist sites, come on you dont buy a vehicle, then have to do a timing belt to cam gear train conversion, and not be an enthuasist.
No other brand or marque of vehicle has so much aftermarket spares, upgrades and mods, available to it.
The reason for this is simple, the stuff that rolled out of Longbridge needed this huge amount of changes, upgrades, and repairs to keep it going.

[Biggles]

Originally Posted by gavin

I think that Landrover are enthuasist vehicles, most of my links are indeed from their enthausist sites, come on you dont buy a vehicle, then have to do a timing belt to cam gear train conversion, and not be an enthuasist.
No other brand or marque of vehicle has so much aftermarket spares, upgrades and mods, available to it.
The reason for this is simple, the stuff that rolled out of Longbridge needed this huge amount of changes, upgrades, and repairs to keep it going.

Somehow I agree. But isn't that part of the fun of owning a Landrover. I know that when I get one I shall be customising it. I just don't want to spend thousands on a new gearbox or bulkhead.

[Jono]

Originally Posted by gavin

...The reason for this is simple, the stuff that rolled out of Longbridge needed this huge amount of changes, upgrades, and repairs to keep it going.

Longbridge?...Numpty....

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by gavin

I dont think the Falklands is a fair unbaised sample to use, the main reason Landrover is used apart from offroading, is a political reason , and an effort by the Islanders to support home grown industry, this is admirable, but not convincing.
I think that Landrover are enthuasist vehicles, most of my links are indeed from their enthausist sites, come on you dont buy a vehicle, then have to do a timing belt to cam gear train conversion, and not be an enthuasist.
No other brand or marque of vehicle has so much aftermarket spares, upgrades and mods, available to it.
The reason for this is simple, the stuff that rolled out of Longbridge needed this huge amount of changes, upgrades, and repairs to keep it going.

Wrong again I am afraid. Politics/loyalty has nothing to do with it - there are plenty of Jap vehicles coming in now, but they are mostly bought by people who don't venture off road much. It was only Friday I was talking to somebody whose daughters Mitsubishi had just exploded, and she wanted to know if I knew of any Land Rovers for sale because she wasn't having another Pajero under any circumstances!

I do agree that the Defender is an enthusiast vehicle - its easy to be enthusiastic about - but there are a lot of mainstream buyers who go for the other models because they offer a blend of qualities they like. I don't think it is fair to say that they need the upgrades to keep going - mostly its about improving the performance, hence the roof rack, winch, mud tyres, underbody armour etc fitted to mine. I'm afraid I haven't spend any money on fixing it! My father has two old Defenders, one 1986 and one 1987, which have been used off road all their life as working vehicles, and they have had no mechanical problems at all to my knowledge, even though the 90 has been drowned in a river to halfway up the windows at the back (oops that was my fault...), the gearbox was a bit sticky for a while after that and it took a year for the seat cushions to dry out properly, but that experience would have been terminal on just about anything else! The general mechanical reliability is not as good as something like Toyota but that doesn't mean they all break down as soon as it rains.... a lot of the problems come from people who buy a Land Rover (or indeed other 4x4s) and then fail to appreciate that it is more complicated and requires more maintenance. If you never change the gear oils and it never sees a grease gun, to then moan about it when it eventually breaks is hardly reasonable IMHO. But a lot of people do - because they wouldn't know preventative maintenance if they fell over it. I'd guess the same is probably true of boat owners, the ones who spend a bit of time tinkering are probably the ones who never need to call for help.

Longbridge - wrong company old chap

[codprawn]

I have some very good friends in The Gambia - Sierra Leone - Zambia and Guinea-Bissau. They all LOVE Land Rovers. They also have plenty of Jap vehicles these days but they just can't take the 20 years plus of abuse they get in Africa. It is nothing to see 50 people hanging onto the back of a Landie - WAY over what they were designed for but they keep plodding on!!!

[codprawn]

And talking of gearboxes - MANY probs have been caused by people sticking EP90 in the main gearbox - people still do it even now but the last LR to need it was the Series III which they stopped making in 1983. Then they wonder why the bearings pack up. Look after your Land Rover and it will look after you!!!

[gavin]

Solihull not Longbridge my mistake

[gavin]

US J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Survey for 2005 (published 8th July 2005) places the Land Rover marque last (Kia second last). This is the fourth year that it has been in the last or second to last place in the survey. This study was based on responses from more than 55,000 US based original owners of 2000 model year cars and light trucks at three years of ownership. [1] In 2004, it narrowly dethroned Kia, as the least reliable nameplate, but swapped places in 2005. (Kia last, Land Rover 2nd last).


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_Rover

On this page heading Quality problems

read for yourself the various survey results

[BogMonster]

Sorry, my mistake. I'm just off to throw both of mine in the skip now... since they both caught fire and burnt out this morning due to appalling unreliability of something or other.

Then I need to fit some wheelbarrow handles to the boat trailer so I can still go ribbing tomorrow

[Kernow Buoy]

Originally Posted by gavin

US J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Survey for 2005 (published 8th July 2005) places the Land Rover marque last (Kia second last). This is the fourth year that it has been in the last or second to last place in the survey. This study was based on responses from more than 55,000 US based original owners of 2000 model year cars and light trucks at three years of ownership. [1] In 2004, it narrowly dethroned Kia, as the least reliable nameplate, but swapped places in 2005. (Kia last, Land Rover 2nd last).


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_Rover

On this page heading Quality problems

read for yourself the various survey results

Wow thanks for that Gavin, had a good read of the article, I think you missed this bit-


Abilities
The use of Land Rovers by the UK and Commonwealth military as well as on long term civilian projects and expeditions is mainly due to the superior off-road performance of the marque. For example, the short wheelbase version of the Land Rover Defender is capable of tackling a gradient of 45 degrees, an approach angle of up to 50 degrees, a departure angle of 53 degrees and a ramp break-over of up to 155 degrees - greatly superior not just to urban 4x4s but to military vehicles such as the HMMWV and Pinzgauer High Mobility All-Terrain Vehicle. A distinctive feature of all Land Rover products has been their exceptional axle articulation (the degree to which the wheels have vertical travel, with high amounts allowing them to maintain contact (and traction) with the ground over uneven surfaces), which is currently 7 inches (178mm) at the front axle and 8.25 inches (210mm) at the rear on basic Defender models.


Safety
Road accident statistics on a model-by-model basis from the UK Department of Transport show that the Land Rover Defender and Land Rover Discovery are the safest cars on the UK roads (measured in terms of chance of death in an accident) - between three times safer than the safest Volvo models, twice as safe (half the death-rate per accident) compared with the Jeep Cherokee and Toyota Land Cruiser and only matched by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Jaguar XJ.


Crikey impressive stuff! surprised you linked to it Gavin

[gavin]

There is no doubt in my mind, or anywhere in this thread about the credibility of Landrover off road.I have never questioned it,I have no doubt they are formidible off road,

Once again, this thread is about their unrelilability............
Unfortunately this is where they fall down , no point having an off road vehicle , thats good, or great offroad, but lags behind in many other areas,

do you think its a fair statment ,out of 55000 vehicles tested

Landrover has come last or second last the past 4 years, or do you think that the US survey, isnt independant enough

[TJ101]

Can only speak as find, not had 55,000 of them, but a fair share,

From freelanders, to current Range Rovers, had 1 fault, dead battery in a 14 month old discovery (replace warranty), have 3 at present from 12 months old to 20 years, no problem,

This thread is now boring !!

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by TJ101

This thread is now boring !!

It is

And I didn't even read the first 150 odd replies

We should just accept that we are right and pray for the enlightenment of flawed souls, eh Tim?