1998 Discovery I Missing Badly!

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W

westernsun

Guest
We're stumped! My '98 Disco I was in the shop with Red Rover in Martinez,
CA, trying to find out why my engine has started cutting out intermittently,
running fine, then barely running, cutting out, on, out. Kind of stuttering
down the road. They chased every fault code their computer noted, with no
luck, checked every electrical sensor possible, swapped the CPU, replaced
the alternator, plug wires, fuel filter, checked the fuel pump... I replaced the
battery, all good moves, but nothing has touched the basic problem.

The evidence I see is as follows:
1) The fuel tank has always had a venting issue, where the backpressure
while filling keeps kicking the pump off, and you have to let it breathe
through the filler tube, makes fueling up a ver-r-y slow process.
2) My new alternator can't keep up, and will allow my new battery to go
nearly dead while driving at night with the headlights on...(dead short?)
3) When the tank was low, the fuel gauge started wandering up to full,
back to empty, and back up again. When I filled it, it retured to normal.
4) Problem seems worse on a low tank than a full one, but will occur at
any point.
5) Car has an AC inverter on it for my mobile office power needs, which
has always been ******* the batteries; it's hooked directly to the
battery terminals.
6) Now, to add to my woes, my once clean engine is leaking oil (started a
few days ago, and I can't find the location)

Anybody out there have any suggestions?
 

joey

Custom Rover Accessories
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Oil leaks, not major issue.... if the alternator can't keep up with lights and your inverter... time to upgrade. The basic alternator will bearly keep up with a stock Disco, let along extras.

Fuel pump more than likely is your issue. With the bad running problem... and get the vent fixed, that is what is killing the pump.
 
W

westernsun

Guest
New Info!

SATURDAY MAY 2Oth:

Thanks for the info Mike. I really appreciate it! I'll try to have it the fuel
pump relay checked out monday.

So now my battery appears to be too low to turn the starter, even tho'
all other indications are that the battery is charged... lights, stereo, power
windows, etc. Could the starter windings be shorted/shorting out, and be
the cause of the problems? Is there any way to test the battery with a
volt/ohm meter?
 
W

westernsun

Guest
Fuel pump, or relay?

Thanks Joey!

Just had a suggestion via email from Mike who thought the order of attack
should be fuel filter (done), relay (not yet), then pump (float could be
causing the fuel gauge behavior noted above?) What do you think?
Also, do you know how to test a battery via volt/ohm meter?

Scott
 

joey

Custom Rover Accessories
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Any auto parts store can test the battery, the alternator while still in the vehicle and you can remove the starter if you want and have it tested.... my bet is the battery is just dead.

If you go to start the Disco and the clock resets to 1:00, then the battery is dead. If not... then it may very well be the starter.
 

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