Post
by Edweird » Wed Aug 29, 2012 2:21 pm
At least it's a 300. The 200s aren't any good at all. The suspension was stupidly soft; I've ridden spacehoppers that were more stable. Plus the 200 diesel engine was completely gutless. Even the Discovery MPI with a 2 litre petrol engine pulled better.
We've had several 300s (two 3.9 V8s and a TDi), still got the better of the two V8s. The first one was a V8 with LPG. Half way through it's life we also bought a 300TDi That one lasted about 8 years but the rear end rotted out as did the TDis. The V8 was stripped for parts and scrapped because of the rust and the the TDi had its arse end welded up, we ran it for a few years more, then sold it. We also got a much newer V8 Premier (extra fancy version, more gadgets. Was a last charge kinda thing before the MK2 went on sale) a couple of months after getting rid of the scrap one, but before we sold the TDi.
The only problems we had/have were:
Interior electrics (windows and sunroofs, these all work in the current one, even the electric seats)
The relays in the V8s. Fuel injector relay in the one that we scrapped, window wiper relay in the newer one. They just kept blowing them. Fixed this in the newer one by replacing the wiper motors.
The cylinder head cracked on the 300TDi once whilst Mum was doing 80 (probably the cause) down the motorway on the way back from Newcastle
The TDi shattered a diff once, for reasons unknown
The springs in the door mechanisms have gone on all three we've had. It's a common fault but pretty easy to fix.
The central locking solenoid in the tailgate on the V8 we've still got make a nasty noise.
Penultimately, for some reason, sometimes the V8 won't start unless we open the petrol cap and return the pressure in the tank to atmospheric. We think it's some kind of roll-over/crash safety device combined with a blocked tank breather and hot weather.
And of course there's typical Roveritus to deal with.
It's not such a long list, really, because not all of the issues applied to all three trucks. They run well most of the time and so long as you're not in a hurry, the ride's comfortable. It's a shame they're so heavy that they need power steering really. I hate power steering with a passion. It's another thing to break and it makes me feel like I'm at the helm of a boat. It takes away too much feedback from the wheels.
There's three ways of doing things:
The right way,
The wrong way
And my way, which is like the wrong way but faster.
