Thread: D4 on white smoke!

Hi, sorry about the confusion early on. Just pick up from dealer, it stated secondary turbo solenoid valve stuck open, valve replaced. Code reading (755, 759) I had been offered two years warranty at $5000, include Roadside assistance. However, I would make a complaint to Land Rover about my circumstance and 3 faults cut short of my touring are not reasonable for this capable 4WD within two years, consider there were not serious offroading at Fraser Island, board track in SA, Rawson GOE training. I never push D4 to its limit, but I don't what is its limit now.

Otherwise, I am considering get RACV roadside, plus using other LR repair should be better off to pay extra $2500 each year. Thanks everyone opinions and your guys keep me going on my adventure, very much look forward to catch up with your guys if any AULRO events in Victoria. Where can I get a AULRO Wheel Cover for spare wheel hang at the back as I had seen on AULRO event on Your tube?

Cheers,

Originally Posted by DIS4

Where can I get a AULRO Wheel Cover for spare wheel hang at the back as I had seen on AULRO event on Your tube?

Cheers,

The 'Shop' link just under the AULRO banner

https://www.davesitshop.com/emporium/tyre-covers.html

Originally Posted by rocket rod

Hi Gary

Despite what others here have said that these cars are reliable and will go anywhere, the fact is you ARE having problems and the car is not reliable for YOU. Rather than buy an extended warranty why not try and approach Land Rover with your complaints. If they are confident about their product then maybe they will pay for your extended warranty? You can always talk to them about consumer guarantees and "fit for purpose" type clauses if things get difficulty.

Good luck, Rod.

Hi, Rod. FYI, I did write to LRA customer service and marketing Dept. It seems that they never reply to negative comments, I bet they will happy to see compliment rather than complaints like most big corporates. Very disappointed to the co but still love my D4.

Originally Posted by DIS4

Hi, Rod. FYI, I did write to LRA customer service and marketing Dept. It seems that they never reply to negative comments, I bet they will happy to see compliment rather than complaints like most big corporates. Very disappointed to the co but still love my D4.

I had an issue with Lexus service, and after 3 months of me trying to get something done about their Brighton Victoria dealership, Lexus did nothing. Totally hopeless. And Lexus have a reputation for providing good service. A crack in a side mirror - the dealership said it had to be replaced. They claimed the whole unit - had to be brought over from Japan. Over $5,000 to replace it. I took the vehicle to a repairer, who bought the mirror and a plastic bezel and replaced it with labour for $600. The dealership would have done the same but would have charged $5k. Robbery. The same dealership also lied about a supposed issue with another Lexus (an RX350). The girls in the reception area are pretty though.


I also cracked my mirror in the D4 (my units fold back so the mirror costs more as its a different shape) - the cost was $95 inc GST. Quite a bit different from Lexus.

Turbos can go wrong and at least your's did not fail - but if it had of, its not a common failure, and LR don't make the turbos, they buy them in. The same with the solenoid that seems to have caused your problem. I do worry about turbos though - I had a 99 series Turbo SAAB - turbos were unusual then. I still idle down my Disco for a while before turning it off - I don't know how well the turbo bearing oil is cooled after the vehicle is shut down, so I prefer to ensure the temperature of the turbo is gone before shutting down. I remember one night out racing around in the SAAB with a friend in his hot car back in about 1980 at night - we stopped and I lifted the hood on the SAAB - and we were bathed in bright red light - the trees next to the road as well - from the turbo which was glowing red hot metal.

Another approach might be to try another dealer - perhaps your not getting the best service available?

The extended warranty charge is really annoying though ... I do think that LR normally only offer an extended warranty at time of purchase. I think the key is to have a warranty that will take your vehicle to where it can be repaired without much cost. So if your in the Kimberly outback or somewhere, its got to go to Perth - you need a policy so that it won't cost much to get a broken down vehicle to where it can be repaired. My 2014 Disco got an extra 2 years and that cost about $1,000 - so someone is making a big profit from that $5,000 quote of yours IMO. I recall that a big insurance company is behind the LR warranty was Allianz - perhaps there are companies like Allianz who might provide a 3rd party warranty? The fact your's is still under factory warranty might make such insurance more available?

I notice that you are towing too - since you have the Redarc Tow Pro. Not sure if that has been an issue or not. Also I note you are using 20" wheels and low profile tyres. IMO that is a risk in itself off road. 18" are a better bet IMO.

I considered selling my Disco for around $75k and getting a ute for towing - but all up, I'd have got no change from doing that. And the vehicle would not have been nearly as safe as the Disco, or as comfortable, easy around town, or as good a tow vehicle. But if I was doing really tough off road climbing etc., I wouldn't choose a costly vehicle.

Cheers and I hope things go better for you. let us know what 3rd party warranty you settle on ...

Originally Posted by Melbourne Park

Turbos can go wrong and at least your's did not fail - but if it had of, its not a common failure, and LR don't make the turbos, they buy them in. The same with the solenoid that seems to have caused your problem. I do worry about turbos though - I had a 99 series Turbo SAAB - turbos were unusual then. I still idle down my Disco for a while before turning it off - I don't know how well the turbo bearing oil is cooled after the vehicle is shut down, so I prefer to ensure the temperature of the turbo is gone before shutting down. I remember one night out racing around in the SAAB with a friend in his hot car back in about 1980 at night - we stopped and I lifted the hood on the SAAB - and we were bathed in bright red light - the trees next to the road as well - from the turbo which was glowing red hot metal.
.

So the idle down of turbo cars was regarded necessary prior to turbos becoming water cooled, and prior to synthetic oils. Water cooling ensures the oil temperature of the turbo bearing remains at a reasonable temp, whilst synthetic oils can handle the extremes better. It's simply not necessary to idle modern turbo engines, unless you've come straight off a racetrack It won't hurt it, aside from wasting fuel. Once upon a time it would be surprising for a turbo to last over 100,000km, but these days it's not unusual to last the life of the engine.

As for turbo glow. They all do that - even the LR turbos if you flog it hard enough then look at it at night. Hard to see with modern car heat shields however.

Originally Posted by DiscoJeffster

So the idle down of turbo cars was regarded necessary prior to turbos becoming water cooled, and prior to synthetic oils. Water cooling ensures the oil temperature of the turbo bearing remains at a reasonable temp, whilst synthetic oils can handle the extremes better. It's simply not necessary to idle modern turbo engines, unless you've come straight off a racetrack It won't hurt it, aside from wasting fuel. Once upon a time it would be surprising for a turbo to last over 100,000km, but these days it's not unusual to last the life of the engine.

As for turbo glow. They all do that - even the LR turbos if you flog it hard enough then look at it at night. Hard to see with modern car heat shields however.

And when they are glowing they do so due to over 1000 degree C exhaust temperatures. Red hot metal is hot stuff, and if you turn the motor off when the turbo is hot, it appears that todays D4 also turns off the oil pump. So then, the bearing heats up and cooks the oil. While the synthetic oil will not leave deposits on the bearing due to its purity, it will still degrade from that heat. Once oils would build up carbon on the bearings and the carbon would wreck the bearings - synthetic is not prone to that process - but the oil will still be ruined by the high heat.

Concerning idling and fuel usage - diesels don't use much fuel when idling so its a cheap thing to do.

And another thing - diesel fuel also infiltrate the engine oil as time goes on. So the synthetic oil you spoke about, after you drive the vehicle, gets more and more distillate into the lubrication oil. And that stuff is not synthetic. Some diesel engines appear to increase their lubrication levels as time goes on - due to distillate getting into the oil. So if you don't believe in idling a hot turbo, don't forget that your synthetic oil has now been joined by some distillate which isn't as clean as synthetic oil. Have you seen the colour of the synthetic oil at an oil change from your Disco? Its black - and that black is not due to synthetic oil break down. Its due to distillate. I suspect distillate could leave contamination on the turbo bearings if I turn off a hot turbo and then cook the bearing oil.

I missed a 6th month oil change last year - but I won't this year. IMO oil is cheap stuff. I've a friend with a Porsche diesel and he changes his oil every six months, because he reckons its the cheapest way to keep things young. He's an engineer and races cars too and really, diesel oils have a hostile environment. Just like Land Rover say you do not have to change the transmission fluid until 214,000km, I think its sensible if your vehicle tows or goes up some steep hills on rough tracks, to change the oil twice a year. And idling for a few minutes after some engine work is cheap insurance IMO.

As I said, if you're that stupid, yes stupid, that you have raced your engine to the point the glow is in the trees and then turn it off, then yes, you will have issue. I specifically stated under normal driving conditions there is no need today to run a turbo engine after you pull up. NORMAL usage.
I have spent many years playing with high power turbo cars, have rebuilt my own turbos and made my manifolds that have flowed red all day long. Yes I idled down those engines - but when I get home from the shops in my Disco, that's just silly. It won't hurt anything, it's just unnecessary in modern times. Progress does actually happen in life. It's not the 80s

Originally Posted by DiscoJeffster

As I said, if you're that stupid, yes stupid, that you have raced your engine to the point the glow is in the trees and then turn it off, then yes, you will have issue. I specifically stated under normal driving conditions there is no need today to run a turbo engine after you pull up. NORMAL usage.
I have spent many years playing with high power turbo cars, have rebuilt my own turbos and made my manifolds that have flowed red all day long. Yes I idled down those engines - but when I get home from the shops in my Disco, that's just silly. It won't hurt anything, it's just unnecessary in modern times. Progress does actually happen in life. It's not the 80s

Agree about suburban driving. But since I tow at times a 2.5 tonne GVM off road van that is quite high, my fuel use at 100KMH real speed is about 13.5 litres per 100km. At a real 110 KMH on a flat road, its about 15 l.100k. That's equivalent in energy use to quite high speeds I reckon. And lots of people here with LR vehicles tow. And they consider that normal driving conditions. So when I pull in to fuel, or stop for a break, I do let the engine idle. Foolish not to IMO. But its up to the driver to make his own mind up.

I also think that diesels are quite a bit different to petrol turbo cars, due to the contamination of the lubrication oil. Its another factor that should not be ignored IMO. It appears we differ a bit, but our posts are both worthwhile I hope.

Cheers
MP