In The Garage
By Tom Bache

The projects continue here. One of the 109’s recently imported from the U.K. developed a leak at the rear main oil seal on the 6-cyl engine. Since this vehicle is to be sold, the only solution was to have the engine out and fix the problem. What a difference working on a clean and recently rebuilt vehicle. No seized fasteners, everything just came apart. Inside 2 hours we had the engine out. Hopefully, it will go together just as easy.

Any way you want to slice or dice it the LR3 is a new Discovery - completely new: new platform, new interior, new powerplants, drive train and the introduction of 'Terrain Response'.

My first impression is impressive, very impressive

-Steve Hoare
LRM magazine Next Next up was Jeff’s continuing saga of electrical woes with his 88”. The generator wasn’t charging and the battery wouldn’t stay charged. A second battery didn’t solve it, so generator was exchanged for a rebuilt unit and the diagnostics continued. Out come the schematics and the shop manual. After two hours of studying the book and a spare regulator, I discovered the regulator was hot all the time draining the battery. After switching the connection on the back of the ignition switch, we had a complete system once again. This was a need to know education. I have never really looked into the voltage regulator inner workings, and not entirely sure why the ones we had didn’t look like the ones in the book, but we got it going. Even this didn’t entirely solve the problem, so Jeff is going to get an ignition switch.

The compressor for the EAS on our LWB seems to run for a very long time and it worried me I had a leak. I kept measuring the vehicle sitting still in the garage and it wasn’t losing altitude, so a search on the web produced John Brabyn’s very informative tutorial on all things Range Rover. I have it narrowed down to a leak from compressor to tank, faulty pressure switch or an aging compressor. John stated they can go bad after 120k miles, we have 105k so perhaps we in due for one. In the end, we went for a steel spring swap. The parts were already here, and removing the EAS just seemed to be the way forward.

We also have a battery drain. New battery 6 months ago, and it load tests OK. I have been looking at the obvious such as the dome light, underhood lamp, etc. What I have found so far was I had left the mobile phone charger plugged in, even though the phone wasn’t attached. It has a small LED light, which I didn’t imagine was much of an issue. I suppose the charger itself can have a problem, since disconnecting I have opened the door several times when walking by it in the shop and the dome light is still bright. Been working OK lately so there is hope.

A major reshuffle of the collection of bits is yielding some badly needed space. As you will read elsewhere, a major Land Rover Autojumble is planned for late August, get your surplus collection together and sell it off or trade for what you do need. Several folks have talked about it, but it needs critical mass to be successful.

Read on

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Trevor's Tidbits

My bride and my son, but not Francis the Labrador, have long complained about the inability to open the right front passenger's door from the inside easily. I was prepared for having to replace a latch, which requires significant dismantling, only to find out that the inner latch handle is slotted and secured with a pair of sheet metal screws. Loosening the screws, sliding the assembly and tightening it up made everybody, except the dog, much happier.

- Trevor
- Treasured Motorcars