Adrian

[discoscriber]

I am a very new Discovery 3 SE petrol owner (previously 5 prado's) with some questions for those with more knowledge about this vehicle.

Problems I have had so far are as follows -

1. Flywheel replaced under warranty by removing the gearbox to stop a sensor problem that had sent the car into limp mode 4 times. The first time this happened was 15 hours after I got the car and the service manager finally had to contact London to get the fix right.
2. Replace the spare wheel winch that didn't work after it was wound up (not over wound) without the spare wheel attached. I had a flat tyre so the spare was being used.
3. When I found the rear passenger tyre was flat I had only dim light to work in so when I found the solid rigid place for the jack - same shape and hole that fitted the top of the jack I started to jack up the car, problem was the place I found was in fact the bottom of the compressor and after I wound the jack up,replaced the flat tyre,wound the jack down a rather grinding sound eminated from the compressor.

$1360 dollars later I was told by the service manager that I wasn't the first person to do this and won't be the last. In good light I looked at the spot I put the jack in and found a "small dont do it" black symbol on the black compressor casing. The owners manual showed a jacking spot 60cm from the front of the rear tyre.

My question is has this happened to other discovery owners?

To say that I find this vehicle a disapointment would be an understatement. The new compressor won't work after "1 "raising to off road height -2 idiot messages tell me that the vehicle is raising slowly then not raising due to overheating.

Have other owners had this problem with their air suspension?

maybe the happy birthday e-mail I just got from land rover will make it all better!!!!!!!!!!

[shining]

Hi 'scriber

I understand that there have been quite a few compressors replaced due to jacking misadventures. Your subsequent problem... straight back to the dealer I'd say.

Spare tyre;
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-zone/95077-spare-tyre-ratchet-has-gone-faulty.html

Cheers,
Steve.

[WhiteD3]

1. I've had the limp mode thing but it was due to wheel alignment.
2. Yes I've had it replaced too. You have to be very careful winding it up without a weight on the end.
3. Been there, done that:angel:

Just a note re the compressor. I had noise and heat problems once and it turned out to be mud caked around the compressor, compliment of an off-road trip.

Air suspension? Now I've had it for 3 years I can't imagine owning a 4WD without it.

A disappointment? Not for me. I've had a couple of issues with the D3 but all have been fixed. It's a big, complex and expensive vehicle. I love the D3 and the only thing that will replace it is a D4, once I can afford one.

[discoscriber]

Thanks Steve
Yes the car is booked in on wednesday for a "warranty" fix on the replaced compressor.
i agree the vehicle is very complex and all the issued are/have been fixed. I haven't had the vehicle offroad any place yet, I bought it to tow a caravan which it does just fine.
My problem is these inbuilt design faults need some serious attention by Land Rover. to have to take a new vehicle back 4 times to fix the sensor problem(which took a tech from london to solve it) just beggers belief. I still hadn't had the first service

[WhiteD3]

Adrian,

have to take a new vehicle back 4 times to fix the sensor

Just for interest sake, how old is the car and how many Km's has it done? V6 or V8?


Cheers.

[discoscriber]

The car is new bought May 2009 and i have done 11,200 km it is a 4.0litre v6 petrol SE
I am on a first name basis with the service dept. i know they tried lots of ways to fix the problem. They finally replaced the flywheel as the sensor unit on the flywheel had a flatspot on it and when the flat spot lined up with the sensor at startup the car went straight into limp mode - no power steering,ABS, only 3 gears and 60km max speed. Discovered a few problems that day

[CaverD3]

Service varies with product knowedge of the vehicle. On such a new vehicle I would have thought a new box would be the way to go.

Sometimes the bracket is the only thing damaged with the compressor. So they may not have needed to replace the whole thing.

It may be worth writing to LR to try to get some re-imbusment for the cost saying there is insufficent warning on the compressor housing (as you you said black on black).

If not try your car insurance they may cover it as accidental damage.

[discoscriber]

Thanks caverD3 i have undertaken both suggestions, haven't heard back from LR or insurance company.
Discovered another thing wrong this morning
Luckly have the car booked in to get compressor fixed tomorrow as this morning the bells and whistles went off with the idiot messages saying - hdc not available,gearbox failure 3 gears only available.
turned car off/back on and got the gearbox message to go off but the engine management light is still on.
not to worried about not having hdc in the carpark.
unbelievable

[CaverD3]

Did the dealer wash engine bay? :whistling:


Hope you mentioned all the other troubles you were having when you spoke to LR.