Hey everyone. Been a while since I've posted, but I've got a new handfull of items I could use some advice on. I'm driving a '95 Discovery with 102,000 miles. Within last year new fuel pump and relays, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, IAC, fuel and coolant temp sensors.
So two weeks ago I shipped the car from Hawaii to California and drove it to Wisconsin. Picked it up in Oakland and the battery was dead, got it jump started and the SRS light was on (and still is). Coming into Nevada I blew a heater hose. The temp gauge hit the roof, but I was pulled over pretty quick and don't think I did damage. The next day the car wasn't running very well at parking lot speeds....getting small popping noises (like backfires) from the engine when giving it gas and needed to keep the RPMs up to keep running. Seemed like the entire engine was vibrating more while looking under the hood while idling, but that may be in my imagination. Third day coolant starts pouring out of the weep hole on the water pump in the middle of nowhere Wyoming while filling up the gas tank. Topped the coolant off and it barely leaked while the car was running so I went for it and made it about 200 more miles to Boulder, CO where I had the water pumped replaced (water temp was in normal range whole way). Next day made it to Wisconsin with little problem.
Haven't had the poor running at slow speeds or engine shaking since.
So that's the recent history. Here are the problems I could use some input on.
1) For the last month or two at random times....maybe once a week or so, the fuel pump keeps running after I shut the car off and remove the key. Is this normal or is it an indication that the relays or pump might be going bad already - they are less than a year old.
2) SRS light is on. Plus battery was dead when I picked it up at the port. I think I read that low volts from the battery can trip the SRS light. I had the battery tested recently and they said it was okay, but I didn't get the exact volts coming from it. I think I read that it needs 13.6V-14.4V for proper running, is that correct? I currently have a DieHard battery that's over 2 years old in it and the alternator was replaced a couple months after getting the new battery.
When driving at night now with the lights on, if I turn on the A/C all the interior and the headlights completely shut off for an instant before recovering and working normal - you can feel the car kind of stutter for a second. Also during the day sometimes I'll turn on A/C or headlights and it will completly **** and reset the radio/CD player (non-factory). Similarily if I keep the power window switch pushed in after the window is all the way up, it dims the electrical.
3) Tonight when coming home I got fault code 17 for the throttle pentameter. It drove normally though and I will probably just reset it and see if it comes back. If anyone has any experience with this fault I would like to hear about it.
I will be going to the auto store in the next couple days to pick up supplies for oil and transmission fluid change. Thought I would have them test the battery and alternator and see if those are causing my electrical problems.
That reminds me...what weight of oil you guys use for Wisconsin and Boulder, CO winters? I've been using 10W-40 in Honolulu, but thought I might need something different to handle the cold.
There is a lot here, any advice that you have would be great to hear. Thanks.
So two weeks ago I shipped the car from Hawaii to California and drove it to Wisconsin. Picked it up in Oakland and the battery was dead, got it jump started and the SRS light was on (and still is). Coming into Nevada I blew a heater hose. The temp gauge hit the roof, but I was pulled over pretty quick and don't think I did damage. The next day the car wasn't running very well at parking lot speeds....getting small popping noises (like backfires) from the engine when giving it gas and needed to keep the RPMs up to keep running. Seemed like the entire engine was vibrating more while looking under the hood while idling, but that may be in my imagination. Third day coolant starts pouring out of the weep hole on the water pump in the middle of nowhere Wyoming while filling up the gas tank. Topped the coolant off and it barely leaked while the car was running so I went for it and made it about 200 more miles to Boulder, CO where I had the water pumped replaced (water temp was in normal range whole way). Next day made it to Wisconsin with little problem.
Haven't had the poor running at slow speeds or engine shaking since.
So that's the recent history. Here are the problems I could use some input on.
1) For the last month or two at random times....maybe once a week or so, the fuel pump keeps running after I shut the car off and remove the key. Is this normal or is it an indication that the relays or pump might be going bad already - they are less than a year old.
2) SRS light is on. Plus battery was dead when I picked it up at the port. I think I read that low volts from the battery can trip the SRS light. I had the battery tested recently and they said it was okay, but I didn't get the exact volts coming from it. I think I read that it needs 13.6V-14.4V for proper running, is that correct? I currently have a DieHard battery that's over 2 years old in it and the alternator was replaced a couple months after getting the new battery.
When driving at night now with the lights on, if I turn on the A/C all the interior and the headlights completely shut off for an instant before recovering and working normal - you can feel the car kind of stutter for a second. Also during the day sometimes I'll turn on A/C or headlights and it will completly **** and reset the radio/CD player (non-factory). Similarily if I keep the power window switch pushed in after the window is all the way up, it dims the electrical.
3) Tonight when coming home I got fault code 17 for the throttle pentameter. It drove normally though and I will probably just reset it and see if it comes back. If anyone has any experience with this fault I would like to hear about it.
I will be going to the auto store in the next couple days to pick up supplies for oil and transmission fluid change. Thought I would have them test the battery and alternator and see if those are causing my electrical problems.
That reminds me...what weight of oil you guys use for Wisconsin and Boulder, CO winters? I've been using 10W-40 in Honolulu, but thought I might need something different to handle the cold.
There is a lot here, any advice that you have would be great to hear. Thanks.
