Picking up from Part 1....
just covering the first 6 of 13 issues.
1. Leaking radiator
Like death/taxes...inevitable. Save money by using an aftermarket radiator.
(I will look up part number and put in future post)
2. Rear tail lights burning out
Common occurance and potentially dangerous. I carry a box of NAPA heavy-duty bulbs in the glovebox.
3. Malfunctioning front wipers (multi part)
A. Really exciting, this one. Imagine..very dark morning..heavy snow/ice..two-lane road with oncoming traffic.....my wife/3yr old with me. The wipers are on...suddenly the driver's wiper rotates off the screen and gamely tries to knock the mirrors off semis. We sat quietly in the ditch watching the feeble jerks of the wiper while I pondered on why adrenaline leaves an "electric" taste in your mouth. Anyone know? Anyway, a couple of suggestions. First, don't go out after a fresh snow/ice storm and turn on the wipers, scrape the blasted stuff off the windscreen first. Second, the wiper arm is attached to the drive system using a small nut. I had to crank mine down to about 100 ft lbs. I'm joking about the 100lbs, but mine are down very tight.
B. The OEM blades are ridiculously expensive. I purchased NR 21.5" refills at my local Napa dealer. They fit fine and clear more screen than OEM. I think I paid $7 each. Better yet, go to NAPA, remove the wiper blade assembly (there is a small, plastic slide on the wiper arm with an arrow....push it over to unlock and slide the arm off) and ask the person behind the counter to test-fit the blade.
C. The wiper arms do not have enough downforce to reliably clear ice/snow. The manual of arms is: Roll down the driver's window, reach out and quickly grab/lift/release the wiper blade at its apex (don't do this in heavy traffic or at high-speed). For goodness sakes, don't hold onto the blade. A quick snap against the windshield is the ticket and with a couple of attempts, should knock the ice free.
4. Seized rear wiper motor
The motor isn't hard to get out but there are an absurd amount of screws to remove. Good grief, there are probably less fasteners on a battleship's rudder. The sad little motor is expensive, so shop around.
5. Brake-wear/pulsating brake pedal
The OEM brakes and pads are dusty and wear quickly. Call Atlantic-British and purchase one of their brake kits. I have the carbon/drill/slotted combination that seems very prone to rust....avoid the carbon pads. My friend has had great success with EBC green pads. Incidentally, the wheels on the D2 occasionally stick on....liberal application of contact cleaner and a gentle beating with a sledge against a 2x4 will often do the trick. I apply a very light coating of grease between the wheel and hub to prevent future disagreements. The rotors also are loath to release their grip. You can pound on them with a slege, but I've found a large SNAP-ON puller yanks them right off.
6. Transmission problems (slipping and electric)
Slipping. Very annoying....very, very annoying. Particularly in a high-priced vehicle with about 75k. My problem started with brief slipping at very cold temps (sub-0) and progressively became worse at higher temperatures. A fluid/filter change did the trick, but I have to ask...what other vehicle besides the Rover needs trans maintenance every 30k? Madness. Also in the certifiable category is not including a blasted dipstick and filler tube. I performed my service in the driveway at -7F. At least nestled under a running vehicle with my arms and face inches from the hot catalytics kept me warm. The exercise of pumping little quart bottles into a large transmission was a cardio workout. Honestly, if the #$%@#$% had burnt to the ground at that moment, I would have celebrated. Funny, I usually enjoy doing my own maintenance.
Electric. Cold morning, too early for light, (28F) and I am greated by a blinking "D", S, and M light when the Rover coughs to life. A 42 mile drive in a low gear...engine howling at high RPM...bad mpg (AHAhahaha). It was so painful, I stopped in a parking lot and rolled around in the slush trying to peer up into the trans tunnel to see if something had come loose. No luck. To drowned out the engine howl, I turn on the radio only to find that there is severe distortion on all channels---even with a cassette. It was too much. I know there is a radio amp under the seat......in great consternation I leaped out of the vehicle swearing like a sailor. I ran the seat up to full height (you would think the slowness would have allowed me to calm down, but it only made matters worse.) Savagely ripping the plastic cover free, I grabbed the large bundle of wires under the seat and gave them a right good yanking. On restarting, the blinking lights were gone, the transmission was performing normally, but the radio made the Dixie Chick sound like they were gargling gravel. Did you know the transmission ECU is under the radio amplifier? I'm guessing, but pulling on the wiring must have reseated a connection on the trans ecu. It helped in my case and might point you in the right direction. However, my method of removing the plastic cover isn't advisable and will likely cause you to bleed.
to be continued...
just covering the first 6 of 13 issues.
1. Leaking radiator
Like death/taxes...inevitable. Save money by using an aftermarket radiator.
(I will look up part number and put in future post)
2. Rear tail lights burning out
Common occurance and potentially dangerous. I carry a box of NAPA heavy-duty bulbs in the glovebox.
3. Malfunctioning front wipers (multi part)
A. Really exciting, this one. Imagine..very dark morning..heavy snow/ice..two-lane road with oncoming traffic.....my wife/3yr old with me. The wipers are on...suddenly the driver's wiper rotates off the screen and gamely tries to knock the mirrors off semis. We sat quietly in the ditch watching the feeble jerks of the wiper while I pondered on why adrenaline leaves an "electric" taste in your mouth. Anyone know? Anyway, a couple of suggestions. First, don't go out after a fresh snow/ice storm and turn on the wipers, scrape the blasted stuff off the windscreen first. Second, the wiper arm is attached to the drive system using a small nut. I had to crank mine down to about 100 ft lbs. I'm joking about the 100lbs, but mine are down very tight.
B. The OEM blades are ridiculously expensive. I purchased NR 21.5" refills at my local Napa dealer. They fit fine and clear more screen than OEM. I think I paid $7 each. Better yet, go to NAPA, remove the wiper blade assembly (there is a small, plastic slide on the wiper arm with an arrow....push it over to unlock and slide the arm off) and ask the person behind the counter to test-fit the blade.
C. The wiper arms do not have enough downforce to reliably clear ice/snow. The manual of arms is: Roll down the driver's window, reach out and quickly grab/lift/release the wiper blade at its apex (don't do this in heavy traffic or at high-speed). For goodness sakes, don't hold onto the blade. A quick snap against the windshield is the ticket and with a couple of attempts, should knock the ice free.
4. Seized rear wiper motor
The motor isn't hard to get out but there are an absurd amount of screws to remove. Good grief, there are probably less fasteners on a battleship's rudder. The sad little motor is expensive, so shop around.
5. Brake-wear/pulsating brake pedal
The OEM brakes and pads are dusty and wear quickly. Call Atlantic-British and purchase one of their brake kits. I have the carbon/drill/slotted combination that seems very prone to rust....avoid the carbon pads. My friend has had great success with EBC green pads. Incidentally, the wheels on the D2 occasionally stick on....liberal application of contact cleaner and a gentle beating with a sledge against a 2x4 will often do the trick. I apply a very light coating of grease between the wheel and hub to prevent future disagreements. The rotors also are loath to release their grip. You can pound on them with a slege, but I've found a large SNAP-ON puller yanks them right off.
6. Transmission problems (slipping and electric)
Slipping. Very annoying....very, very annoying. Particularly in a high-priced vehicle with about 75k. My problem started with brief slipping at very cold temps (sub-0) and progressively became worse at higher temperatures. A fluid/filter change did the trick, but I have to ask...what other vehicle besides the Rover needs trans maintenance every 30k? Madness. Also in the certifiable category is not including a blasted dipstick and filler tube. I performed my service in the driveway at -7F. At least nestled under a running vehicle with my arms and face inches from the hot catalytics kept me warm. The exercise of pumping little quart bottles into a large transmission was a cardio workout. Honestly, if the #$%@#$% had burnt to the ground at that moment, I would have celebrated. Funny, I usually enjoy doing my own maintenance.
Electric. Cold morning, too early for light, (28F) and I am greated by a blinking "D", S, and M light when the Rover coughs to life. A 42 mile drive in a low gear...engine howling at high RPM...bad mpg (AHAhahaha). It was so painful, I stopped in a parking lot and rolled around in the slush trying to peer up into the trans tunnel to see if something had come loose. No luck. To drowned out the engine howl, I turn on the radio only to find that there is severe distortion on all channels---even with a cassette. It was too much. I know there is a radio amp under the seat......in great consternation I leaped out of the vehicle swearing like a sailor. I ran the seat up to full height (you would think the slowness would have allowed me to calm down, but it only made matters worse.) Savagely ripping the plastic cover free, I grabbed the large bundle of wires under the seat and gave them a right good yanking. On restarting, the blinking lights were gone, the transmission was performing normally, but the radio made the Dixie Chick sound like they were gargling gravel. Did you know the transmission ECU is under the radio amplifier? I'm guessing, but pulling on the wiring must have reseated a connection on the trans ecu. It helped in my case and might point you in the right direction. However, my method of removing the plastic cover isn't advisable and will likely cause you to bleed.
to be continued...
