Hello! New to the forum, have a few questions

[AaronATX]

Howdy. I have a 1998 LS ( but with all the LSE options ) disco. Bought it with 22k miles on it, and she's just turning 70k this week. Overall the car has given me very few problems, even tho I dont treat her like she deserves

I am at a crossroads now, as I would like to keep the truck but the costs of maintaining it much further will be prohibative, I fear. So without further ado, my questions!

OEM Parts:I am continually blown away at the price of everyday replacement parts for this thing. My fan clutch went out a year ago and the dealer quoted me ~ 200ish dollars for a new unit. I did some scraping around and found one off a wrecked disco for $60. Now thats more like it. I'm sure you are all familiar with this frustration, so what are some good online stores to search for new or used OEM replacement parts @ less than dealer costs?

Aftermarket parts: I am a gearhead by nature (been building/racing/breaking/crashing 5.0 mustangs since I was 17) and if I am to keep the truck i'll most likely be modifying the suspension and engine along the way. Can I get a few suggestions to online stores that cater to this type of part or any other forums you may know that discuss similar topics?

Shop manuals: Is there a haynes, or chiltons manual for these trucks? Or something similar.


Now I have a few more specific questions as it relates to a few issues I am having with my truck.


Both the front and rear sunroofs leaked just a bit a few years ago, which over time, with me driving with the windows open has head to my headliner beginning to fall. The dealer wants over $500 for a new one. No way I am going to pay that. Does anyone know of a good place to find a used one? My other alternative is to try and have it fixed locally.

My drivers side seat control failed on me at one point. Did ALOT of digging around on the internet and discovered that the fault is generally in the little switches/rockers inside the switch itself. I dissassembled and cleaned the switch and it fixed it. However, in the process I lost one of the little bitty rockers that go inside, so a portion of the power seat adjustment isnt working. Anyone know where I can find that little piece ( already checked the dealer ) or perhaps where I can get a used seat control box? A new one from the dealer is over $300. From what I understand rover uses mercedes seat control modules....but I dont know what years will fit mine.

Also, I believe I toasted a fuse for the passengerside seat as the controls to that stopped working immediately after I fixed the driverside. I found the fuses for the driverside power seat ( under the seat itself, and thats not in the owners manual ) but I cannot locate the fuses for the passengerside one. Any help?


I believe my VSS is going out on me, as I get the slight hesitation at highway speeds in overdrive. Dealer price = $130. They want $100 just to pull the codes from the ECU (check engine light is on). My rover is OBDII, I believe, so I would assume that anyone with a code scanner machine could tell me what codes the ECU is seeing. I've also recently read something about a box under the passengerside seat that should display the codes but i've been unable to locate it or verify that it does indeed exist. Is this true? And what might be the cheapest price for a VSS and where can I get one?


I'd like to remove my rear jumpseats as they are mostly worthless. Short of me just removing the innards of the rear interior, has anyone seen a write up on how to do that?


Factory stereo questions: If I decide to keep the car, the factory system will have to go. The door speakers have proved impossible to replace with anything aftermarket as they are a special thin design that fits in the door. Anyone know of either a speaker that fits or a good place to get a used one for cheaper? Also, i'd like to remove the 6 disk changer and factory head unit, but I cannot find a diagram for the pinouts on the unit. Anyone know if anyone makes an adapter harness for the amps and speakers or will I have to do it from scratch?


Thats all I can think of for now, if you made it this far, thanks for reading and sorry for my longwindedness . I'll do my best to contribute to the forums where I can.

Thanks!

 

[AaronATX]

one other issue I had forgotten.....


My brakes have been acting very strange recently. The pedal is too hard sometimes, and in emergency stopping situations they are TERRIBLE.....the anti loc kicks in way way way before it should, especially in the rain. The truck used to stop great in the rain with no problems, but something has certainly gone wrong. The ABS light is not on. Pads and rotors are in good shape. The brakes are so bad in the rain that I have actually had to use the e-brake to slow the truck down so as to not hit anyone.

When you can pull the e-brake and slow the car down more than just depressing the front brakes, in the rain, without locking up, you know something isnt right!

 

[joey]

First off, your brake issue is the ABS sensors probably need cleaned. Any OBDII reader can read codes, but the ABS issues will require you to look here:

http://www.spanishtrailrovers.com/Tech/Maintain/Diagnosing_ABS/diagnosing_abs.html

Also never use the E-brake while driving, unless you have more money than your rover is worth.... it may and will tear up alot of expensive things. The Parking Brake is a drum brake that is right under the drivers seat that connects to the driveline and locks the front and rear axles. Not cheap to fix if it breaks.

Aftermarket parts, you can get lots of different stuff from many different sites.

Haynes makes a manual or if you can find someone who has it you can get a copy of the RAVE CD.

Sunroof could very well be a loose screw holding the glass in.
Headliner, I would look locally and hope you can find someone to make or fix it...normall some adhisive would work.

VSS going bad, Cheapest place I have found one is http://www.discountbritishparts.com/


Removing the Jump seats are okay, but either save them for reinstall if you ever plan to sell (better resale value), or ebay them.

 

[AaronATX]

Excellent info! Thank you.


While it is a minor point, im not so sure about the e-brake thing locking up the front and rear axles....( are you saying its like a transbrake? )


Dont ask why, but I have used the ebrake handle to slide the rear of the truck around corners in the rain quite frequently. If it was effecting the front axle in anyway I assume i'd have just locked all 4 tires up and slid off the road, and that has never happened.

Either way I will be inspecting my ABS sensors ASAP. Thanks again for the great info!

 

[joey]

Yes, the Parking brake is like a Center diff brake, if you get under your Disco you will better see what I am talking about. You will see the drum almost under the driver seat side in the center of the vehicle. The drum acually locks down both front and rear.

 

[Errant]

Welcome, Aaron. Looks like we have the same Disco! I was told that there was a group of LSE's that were mismarked LE, but I've yet to find and real info... or another person who has one. Mine's black, with lightstone interior. How about your's? I don't have the rear jump seats, but have been trying to find some within my budget. If you'd like to sell your's, let me know!

You can find shop manuals on CD at eBay. Most of those listed are a copyright infringement, tho, so that one's up to you.

Your sunroof leaks could be loose glass, plugged drain tubes, or maye a cell phone antenna (if installed).

The 98 does not have the code display under the seat like older models. If you have a local AutoZone, they will read the codes free... or you can purchase a reader (the connector plug is to the right below the steering wheel).

Parts are a ripoff, especially at the dealer. Try some online retailers (roverparts.com, roversnorth.com, roverconnection.com, expeditionexchange.com, brittishpacific.com, and of course eBay).

 

[JackUnion]

Hi, I don't know where abouts you live but if you live up anywhere near Toronto email me at [email protected], although I don't think it is right for people "in the business" to advertise or sell parts on sites like this I do break a lot of LR's. I don't get much call for headliners so I place no value on them and I throw the rear interior panels away as not too many people want to take out the rear seats and I have a box full of those seat switch bit's. If your near here you can have a headliner, the rear panels and the bit's you need for your seat switch free just pick them up. I don't know about the headliner but as far as the seat bit's go, I could pop a couple of rocker bit's in the post for you if it would help you out?

 

[AaronATX]

Welcome, Aaron. Looks like we have the same Disco! I was told that there was a group of LSE's that were mismarked LE, but I've yet to find and real info... or another person who has one. Mine's black, with lightstone interior. How about your's? I don't have the rear jump seats, but have been trying to find some within my budget. If you'd like to sell your's, let me know!

You can find shop manuals on CD at eBay. Most of those listed are a copyright infringement, tho, so that one's up to you.

Your sunroof leaks could be loose glass, plugged drain tubes, or maye a cell phone antenna (if installed).

The 98 does not have the code display under the seat like older models. If you have a local AutoZone, they will read the codes free... or you can purchase a reader (the connector plug is to the right below the steering wheel).

Parts are a ripoff, especially at the dealer. Try some online retailers (roverparts.com, roversnorth.com, roverconnection.com, expeditionexchange.com, brittishpacific.com, and of course eBay).

Excellent! Mine is the dark blue ( oxford blue I think? ) with the light brown leather interior ( cant recall the name of it ). The window sticker has it labled as LE, its badged as LE, but it most certainly has all the LSE equip. ( chrome bumper, trim, etc )

If I decide to remove the seats you will have first dibs on them. Im not 100% sure if I will take them out as of yet. Thanks for the info!

 

[AaronATX]

Unfortunately I am in austin texas, but thank you for the genorosity! I would very much like to take you up on your offer for the seat switch bits if you wouldnt mind. I'll send you an email. Thanks again, very very kind!

 

[AaronATX]

While under the car I was scratching my head as to what that round cylander was attached to the back of the transfer case....i'd never seen that before....until I remembered this thread! Thats crazy, do many other cars have e-brakes that function like that?