Of all the luck

[raebhoop]

Got an old Disco...good as gold.Fully serviced, new glow plugs and battery.Winter tyres fitted.Battled through the snow and ice like a trooper.

Yesterday morning the wiper motor packed in.Land Rover tell me they've stopped making them.None in the local yards...and Ebay no chance till after Christmas.
That's my Christmas stuffed now it's snowing again.....S**t.

Saw this the other day....waddya reckon?

 

[merlin50]

3 points and a fine

 

[Blasphemous]

3 points and a fine

Make that 6 points... there's no Road Tax either!

 

[RedHerring2]

My old Disco is going strong although I do use the glowplugs twice on these really cold days.
I daren't use the wipers mostly unless it's snowing/raining 'cos the washers are normally frozen up.
If I use the wipers without the washers I just smear dirt over the screen.

Do any other 4X4 drivers notice how irate the 2WD'ers are when we pass 'em. They seem to think that we should stick behind them and suffer with them.

Don't get me wrong I'd gladly help out other drivers in distress, but when they slow down to go uphill, or creep along at insanely slow speeds on decent road conditions, it's counter-productive.

My tip is to check the road conditions regularly. Just try the brakes at sensible points. You'll soon tell what the conditions are like.

I mean sensible points, where there's room for mistakes and corrections.

BTW, Raebhoop, try the 'net for parts from breakers. There must be plenty of old Discos about.

 

[MisterG]

Theres one on eBay for the 1998 model for £20, plus £7 postage.

 

[Mw Roofline]

Discos with winter tyres are awesome. More grip than a lapdancer on a pole

 

[MisterG]

3 points and a fine

Make that 6 points... there's no Road Tax either!

Probably no MOT or insurance either - automatic ban?

 

[raebhoop]

Theres one on eBay for the 1998 model for £20, plus £7 postage.

There's a few...but none can be got before Chrimbo...S.o.ds law the damn things packed in this week.....And another 5 inches of snow this morning.

 

[Deluks]

If that were me I'd be cracking the motor open just in case I could spot something obvious.
Although I know nowt about electrics or cars, let alone car electrics

Have you checked the fuse?

 

[raebhoop]

If that were me I'd be cracking the motor open just in case I could spot something obvious.
Although I know nowt about electrics or cars, let alone car electrics
Have you checked the fuse?

Me neither...motor fuse blown,and it blew a new one.I've put the problem on Land Rover forum....see if somebody has a clue.

 

[Donkmeister]

Do any other 4X4 drivers notice how irate the 2WD'ers are when we pass 'em. They seem to think that we should stick behind them and suffer with them.

My view? I get held up for 51 weeks of the year by 4x4s and FWD cars... I'm slowing them down for once, they can just suck it

I wouldn't get irate though, I would rather someone passed me than sit a millimetre from my back bumper on an icy road, who wants an angry person driving behind them?

People really don't seem to realise how limited certain configurations can be in this weather though: my OH has a RWD car with an LSD... the LSD seems to lock at all times on a snowy road so corners become "interesting". I have a mid-engine configuration, the rear wants to overtake the front so anything more than 30 on an ungritted road involves constant steering input and you're never going completely straight. So, it's safer (and easier) to just keep it at 30 until the roads are gritted.

I borrowed a FWD people carrier at the weekend, it felt incredibly sure-footed compared to our cars - so wrong-wheel drive does have its advantages.

 

[joe-90]

Check the blades are free to move. If they are frozen you'll blow a fuse.

 

[Ricardus]

Have you tried somewhere like Craddocks?

 

[Donkmeister]

I know a Disco is bound to be pretty rugged anyway, but check if you can upgrade the wiper mechanism at the same time... I managed to bust the plastic balljoints on mine last year (hit the wiper stalk by accident with 6 inches of frozen snow on the screen!!!) so I replaced it with an upgraded one that has brass balls.

Seemed more appropriate for cold weather, somehow...

 

[raebhoop]

Check the blades are free to move. If they are frozen you'll blow a fuse.

It's possible the wipers were left on and froze on screen when the motor was fired up next day to warm up...but I'm not sure.The fuse was blown and keeps blowing...so I wouldn't be surprised.

Ricardus...thanks for that link.