I'm going to save this Discovery 2 before it TOTALLY Melts Down!

[@stealthg35infiniti94]

Being a professional Electronic Technician, I'm pretty sure I know what happened. The fuse would blow, so the customer kept putting a higher and higher amp fuse to make it stop. Well, he finally put a high enough fuse that exceeded the amperage what the circuit can carry. The wire is now the weakest point and will melt taking out neighboring wires. The moral of the story: If you blow a fuse, find out WHY it blew. Don't be stupid and keep putting more fuses in, otherwise you may end up like this guy.

[@Flies2FLL]

Did you know in aviation, we are NOT allowed to reset a tripped circuit breaker? Unless this is a safety of flight item, you leave it tripped and write it up on the ground. These devices exist for a reason....

[@ChrisPatrick-q6k]

Agreed, unless you're in the very rare situation where the original spec underestimated the resistance. Chucking in a higher amp fuse can even cause a fire.

[@abarratt8869]

Indeed so. For added emphasis - as @stealthg35infiniti94 says, find out why the fuse blew! Don't replace it with a bigger fuse, don't guess or bodge it. If you know enough to be able to properly diagnose an electrical fault, go ahead and do so. If you're guessing, stop, and get a professional to have a look at it. If you don't know what a multi meter is, you're probably going to need someone else to take a look at it.

[@johngaither9263]

An electronic professional should know a direct short should blow any amperage fuse instantly.

[@Jimmyky77]

Maybe it was a fusable link that shorted out and melted

[@thatguy6111]

Having had a Disco 2 get under my skin I understand the customers decision. There are land rovers and then there is ”My Land Rover.” And they are not the same thing.

[@andresboza8285]

Exactly! That ownership feeling. This is my car! All those miles shown in the odometer have been driven by me.

[@abdelhassand]

hear, hear!!

[@sotirislabrou5058]

On top of that, who can guarantee that this cannot happen in a similarly aged car? Not to mention that this is not 'your' car and you can't really be sure that is maintained as yours.

[@frankzappa3834]

My Dad is the same way. Single owner and less than 100k miles. He will never own another truck.

[@matth4069]

100% correct

[@forgingluck]

The tipping point for me would be about 6 to 8k... There's plenty of value in having your own, that you're used to the quirks and features of, rather than just swapping to another used one.

[@gregedmand9939]

It's truly amazing how many people ignore what a fuse is there for, and will go to great lengths to avoid discovering what would cause one to blow. In past years, some would slip a penny in to replace a blown glass house fuse or more up to date: get out the duct tape to hold down an "annoying" circuit breaker... And burn their home down. Doing it in modern vehicles is even more stupid as they are so well designed not to just fail with out reason. And before I forget: adding Mrs Wizard to your creative team, full time, was a masterful stroke!

[@johnanchovie2b]

If the car is essentially good, and the owner knows the car and where it is at repair wise, then it would be viable to spend 3000 on this level of repair. The car is a know quantity, a replacement used car is unknown. I prefer known quantiles personally.

[@Joe-hz1nw]

Agreed for a reliable vehicle. I’ve put $2k of maintenance (some myself, some with a mechanic) into a 1998 Honda Accord. For a Discovery II, I’d definitely hesitate, definition of a money pit (and they are one of my favorite).

[@paulstejskal]

@@Joe-hz1nwagreed. We are in a similar spot with our 01.

[@williamjones4483]

The ideal solution would be to replace the wiring harness with a new factory harness. Personally, I do not like patchwork wiring with this much damage.

[@gregedmand9939]

Having replaced entire wiring harnesses in fighter aircraft at my last job, doing the wire-by-wire method could end up being an expensive fool's errand. With that much visible damage, there is still what is hidden. You can replace six obviously melted ones and putting power to a circuit will just reveal what was still hidden. Unless you have the whole harness out on a bench and check each and every connector and wire you are looking at hundreds of hours. Buying a new harness, is the only way to warranty your work. Attempting to do so in the car... 👎

[@andrewash9318]

Agreed. For this vehicle, you’d have to budget $2000 a year for maintenance and repairs anyway. To buy or lease a reliable replacement vehicle, new or used, would still cost much more on an annual basis. $3000 sounds like a lot to spend at one time, but if it helps give the owner an additional 10 years of life on an otherwise solid engine, it’s insignificant.

[@steelwheels327]

Grimes is a hell of a good troubleshooter !! i don't know how you remember where everything goes when putting it all back together . Love this indepth format

[@GrimesGarage]

Luckily the rover shop manual is readily available. Really helped with teardown

[@bikecommuter24]

Every Tech-shop has their own way of keeping track , the manual is one, placing the parts on the carts as you take them off in order is another, taking pictures is also another method that works for short and simple jobs, there are different ways I was a mechanic for 40 plus years and used all kinds of methods I especially liked the zip lock bags I would take a part off put in the bag write with a marker on the bag what it was and kept going. Something they didn't mention is all of the screws, bolts, fasteners, clips, etc you need to put those in bags or bins, sometimes that one missing special bolt or screw will prevent you from finishing a job, I work on cars in High School, Jets in the Air Force for 15 years and then got out and worked on cars and motorcycles.

[@benjaminlusskin3211]

As my father always says READ THE MANUAL!@@GrimesGarage

[@Mizmilla]

I am going through a 2000 Disco 2 restore right now with my trusted mechanic. When I looked at the LR taken apart with wires everywhere, I had an immediate panic attack. Then I remembered that this is my dream car and he is making sure it will be safe and long lasting for me. It is slowly coming back together and I’m excited for the end reveal.

[@kenbo80]

Somebody must have smelled the meltdown and ignored it. Bad idea. Kudos to Grimes for the courage to tackle this. Good luck!

[@danielhurst8863]

Check the windshield cowl at the bottom of the windshield. I would bet that it is either cracked or not flush against the windshield. This piece is way more important that most Disco 2 owners understand, because it keeps water out of your vehicle. When it is compromised, water will drip in under the dash and up against everything under the dash. It will short out your main wiring harness, it will cause damage to the BCU, it can cause door issues. The part is rather expensive at $350, but cheaper than $5K.

[@timothykraus7654]

Did you notice of the two bolts from over the steering column when the Mrs was talking about the dash ! The right side bolt was rushed and showed obvious water markings from above the bolt that made it rust ! Glad you know this and shared . that could be the source if the water in the electric system causing the short ! Im a Volvo guy and know the rust points in older combo pre2000

[@GrimesGarage]

I’ll have to take a look, there was corrosion on the exposed wiring

[@landrover8327]

The fresh air inlet is notorious for allowing water to weep in when it rains, leaks between the duct and the steel panel it's bolted to. Best solution is to loosen bolts and sikaflex around where the duct seats against the steel then tighten up, when cured after 24 hours fit a plastic hood over the duct to prevent water coming in during extreme weather too which you can make with an old 5 litre plastic container.

[@waterzap99]

A new defender is $100k. Shops are going to do well for the next few years. $5000 repair vs new truck is not even a comparison anymore.

[@rafaeloreirorodriguez5278]

That is why I maintain my old school defender 300 tdi black series actually those and a few other limited editions pre ford era in great conditions are actually more expensive than a brand new defender. The good thing is that 200 and 300 tdi are sturdy and quite reliable engines only downside is that are pretty agricultural almost a tractor.

[@1crustyoldmsgtretired870]

The circuit using the wire that burned through is most likely where the short initially occurred. I don't envy Grimes in the forthcoming task. Way back in 1980, I got to build an entire body harness for a Lincoln Town Car that had a similar meltdown. We couldn't just get a new harness from Ford, but they were more than happy to sell us all the stuff to build our own. I quit eating spaghetti for a while after that.

[@phillipsofthedriver]

I lost it at 'spaghetti'.

[@seanhershey3390]

Funny…

[@jessecain1646]

If he bought another one whose to say that one would have the same or other issues that are just as expensive. He obviously loves his vehicle. So if I had the money and had an excellent shop to work on it and know it's going to get done right I would spend the extra money to get it done. This was an excellent video, it answered I had on this subject. Thank everyone at Omaga for doing what you do to keep these mechanical works of art goin.

[@baconmcbacon62]

Nice work, Grimes and Wizard. I’m super glad you caught that in time. It’s too nice a car to burn down. My favorite part of the video, though, is just how excited and giddy Mrs. Wizard was to show off her artwork. Her being able to retire from teaching seems to have done both of you well; it thrills me that you’ve both had enough success for that to happen!

[@patrickcarnahan2751]

I was a porter at a Jaguar/Land Rover dealership in Scottsdale AZ around 2003. I drove many of these from our roof lot down to the technicians in the shop and recall that the felt very odd and had numerous electrical issues. I still enjoy seeing them around because of nostalgia though.

[@1AEROSOL.1PUFF]

LET'S GIVE IT TO GRIMES, HE PULLED THAT DASH COMPLETELY OUT, AND IT WAS PAINFUL TO SEE 👀 😢

[@logdon17]

That was the easy part, now lets see if he can rewire everything and get it back together..

[@GrimesGarage]

@@logdon17shouldn’t be too much of a hassle. One by one, just takes time.

[@andresboza8285]

He truly deserves all the credit, as he has been the knight in shiny armor on this case.

[@fist003]

that's really crazy

[@justinfleming3551]

@@GrimesGarage I admire you Grimes. You have learned a lot from the Car Wizard and you take on projects no matter their complexity with calmness and confidence and work until the job is completed. That takes real dedication, patience and commitment and I applaud you for it. Keep up the good work! 😎

[@alexm1736]

If the customer would not fiddle with the fuse (im sure he installed biger fuse) which then melted there wouldn't be wires melted that far and to that level. The fuse blows for a reason. If you put the same fuse and it goes that means there is something real wrong. The customer did make things worse.

[@matth4069]

Funny enough the power wires going to the HVAC fan in these are known to heat up and burn at the butt connectors completely stock, especially when owners don't maintain the filter strip and it withers away, letting leaves and all kinds of trash fall into the blower, causing it to run with restriction and heat the wires up even more. I epoxied a metal screen just behind the filter strip on both my Discos to really prevent anything from entering.

[@leivabernie]

Guys you’re in this far, just keep going.

[@spambot6221]

Car Wizard - i have a long hiatory with Landrover back to the mid 90s. A lot of these had wiring harness issues from the factory.

[@Czechbound]

Well done *Grimes* : that must be a very, very mentally exhausting job. You'd need a lot of resilience I guess to keep going after doing the first 10 wires, and have only another 40+ to go. And then to have to test everything. And then put everything back together, and test it again.

[@maxcarroll13]

It just feels right seeing a Disco in the shop

[@pops55650]

I had a 1974 VW bus with wires going to the carbs, I think a fuel shut off solenoid. One wire had fallen ont a heat shiel during a long drive from California to Seattle, melted the insulation and once it shorted, melted wires from the engine to under the dash. Had to rent a u-haul in Weed California to Seattle. My brother rewired it the following year and got it running. Always use the correct fuse and make sure your wires are secured away from anything hot.

[@markwilliams8488]

I had something very similar happen with a 1995 Plymouth Neon Sport Coupe. Long story short, I paid an auto electrical specialist to troubleshoot and repair. The culprit was a bad ground under the arm rest console. I nearly lost the car over this. May I recommend hunting down and reconditioning every chassis ground in that vehicle before wire replacement. During functional testing after wire replacement, install a suitable temporary in-line fuse - if things go south, you won't damage more wires. Finally, I enjoy Mrs. Wizard's contribution to your channel. Blessing to you both and Happy Thanksgiving.

[@jameshenry3530]

The owner should continue the repair. If he buys another comparable Range Rover, it will have its own list of defects.

[@johngaither9263]

I disagree. He's still going to end up with a problematic Discovery when the repairs are completed.

[@jalsr.speak2379]

Everything ran good except for the stuff effected by the short. Chances good to have a nice land rover again.

[@andresboza8285]

And it won't have the love, the history, all those cherished family moments over so many years. Geez! Even a new Land Rover won't fit the bill.

[@russelljacob7955]

I would get the new harness depending on what other work has been done

[@beauthestdane]

I had to make a similar decision with my '93 Miata when the keyway on the crankshaft was obliterated. At the time the car in good condition was only worth maybe $2000. I opted to have it repaired (finding a replacement crankshaft at the time was difficult), it's been running great since then. It's a car I have owned since I bought it new, so I knew all the issues it did (or rather mostly did not) have.

[@benjaminlusskin3211]

Was just on the Miata subreddit talking to a guy about radiators he said the three he put in his lasted way over 100,000 each! He had over 450,000miles on his!!! Thats like 30 years of daily driving!!!!

[@beauthestdane]

@@benjaminlusskin3211 just under 200k on mine, still on the original radiator and clutch for that matter.

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

A British car with electrical problems? Never happens.😂

[@jomaoliveira7949]

Prince of Darkness vibes😅

[@clydedoris5002]

They never leak oil either (because they don't work)

[@jomaoliveira7949]

@@clydedoris5002 oil leaks are auto rustpoofing technology

[@DirkDeadeye_]

Absolutely unheard of. What is this nonsense! 😂😊

[@ChrisPatrick-q6k]

Hey don't be so disrespectful about our sxxt cars!!!!😂 You know it was the unions and Margaret Thatcher that destroyed our car industry. There were some very good designs, but greed, corruption and management incompetence wrecked it all.

[@Spokaneexploration]

It honestly depends on the maintenance history and the ownership of the vehicle history like say he's had the vehicle a long time and he's done transmission replacement differentials etc depending on the condition of the vehicle you know exactly what you have if you put that kind of money into it if you go out and buy another one you can be in the hole just as bad because that one needs transmission work differential work other stuff that will add up just as much money as fixing the one you have that you know doesn't have those issues

[@willcarson7328]

Those transmissions are very solid, ive never really heard of people having issues

[@Bhughe4]

I'm in agreement with you that a new harness isn't the most cost effective option. I do strongly disagree on replacing single wires one by one as needed. It is not a cost effective use of your techs time or the customers money. The used/scrap yard option would be the best way. Used interior harnesses usually fair pretty good because they are away from the engine heat, vibration and the elements. The connectors aren't brittle, the insulation won't crumble. There is sure fire way to test your new-to-you harness. Place the overlay harness in the cabin roughly where it will be installed and take your Fluke meter and check continuity end to end of the harness. There is no guessing or hoping or luck involved. Its a yes its good or no I got an open circuit in a wire. I'm interested to see how this one turns out in a later installment!! Keep up the great work guys!! Sincerely, Brian. Current Master ASE technician and (formally) Land Rover Gold Certified technician of 10 years : )

[@willcarson7328]

I mostly agree but by the time you get all the wiring tables and check every single pin on every single connector i cant imagine you would have made up much time over splicing a dozen wires

[@Dozav7]

Other channels have advertising for gambling or pay-2-win games, while the Wizard has his wife’s parts-crafting using parts off of vehicles we’ve seen. Love it!

[@danielcarter5579]

That thing is obviously very loved and i knew the owner was gonna fix her up, definitely deserves it

[@abelreyna8781]

I had a 2004 dark gray Disco 2. I miss the old drama queen.

[@mr.carguy3161]

You guys outdid yourselves with this one! AFTER the tear down, Mrs. Wizard does an interior look! I’m like, NOW?! 😂😂

[@admranger]

Kudos to the customer on doing it right and changing out the heater core and the rest of the "while we are in there" (the most expensive phrase in the English language after "American hospital visit") stuff.

[@GlycerinZ]

I remember those carts in school, in Cali the TVs were strapped to the carts because earthquakes.

[@allworldmusic8270]

I think the car is worth fixing, just because it is older does not mean it is cheap to run, I know having an older car that you still have to service it well if not better than when new and when there is a problem fix it properly and your car will be reliable.

[@shipmanschaum]

This is a Game Show I have been on many times 😵 I have built 3 discoveries first one d2 offroad stuff just like that one, 2nd one green blew head gasket rebuilt engine blew again sold. 3rd one was d1 white rare manual blew head gasket, hot tanked, shaved decked heads, valves new radiator everything. Ran great put Headman headers custom exhaust gained some power was nice. But one thing I didn't replace the fuel line and the exhaust flange leaked. The fuel line blew out and the truck went up in flames on the road when my mother was driving it. I probably would have rebuilt the engine bay again but that wiring harness and dash yall are working on was completely toast. Sad today 😭 Love yalls Videos Wizards 💯🙂

[@shipmanschaum]

😅 That is the Question "where do you draw the line " In a Love Hate relationship 🤪 It took me 3 Rovers the last one in flames. Taillight housings will melt so go ahead an upgrade your bulbs to led save you a ticket. If you find someone like the Wizard Team with Knowledge and Patience, Pay them there's not many people who will do this quality of work.

[@TheSleepingonit]

I once turned a dead mini fridge into a book case

[@matth4069]

Disco videos are best videos. I've done this same job in both my 03 and 04 because of mice chewing up the same wires. I could have done this job with my eyes closed at this point haha. Basically rewired the entire body harness myself with correct color wires and everything. Tested all of them before reassembly and wrapped the whole harness in capsaicin electrical tape to prevent having to do it again. Both have been flawless for years in the electrical department. I think its worth spending the money and getting it fixed correctly, especially in my case because I can do it all myself. Just got done doing the headgaskets on the 03 which was fun /s but both have done many trails and driven to the top of quite a few mountains here in colorado, keeping up just fine with the jeeps along the way. The 04 will be getting an LS swap starting in spring. Too bad I don't live closer to car wizard, he could sublet a ton of land rover work my way and know its going to be done correctly without a single shortcut. Plus I'm at the point in life where I'm more interested in keeping these on the road for people to enjoy over making money. I know them like the back of my hand, bumper to bumper. If you ever have a weird one you can't solve, message me. I'm sure I'll have a solid answer. Great job!

[@RichieRouge206]

Love Mrs Wizards review of the ‘lack of interior’ review! Really made me laugh. Glad the owner is saving this lovely Disco.

[@jake_of_the_jungle9840]

I used to have a c4 corvette that lights and blinkers would come on when you hit bumps, slapping the door panel would make them go out

[@kennethross786]

As the Car Care Nut opined in one of his videos, overall mileage often matters less than how what miles it has were acquired. I'd put more money into this one than even what an equivalent used one would cost, because I know the history - how it's been maintained, major services that have been done, etc. in short, how whatever miles I had put on it were acquired. If he buys another LR Discovery 2 with similar miles, he has no idea of the history. It may have been maintained very badly (or not at all), it may have been abused, been wrecked ... better to keep what you know than risk coughing up $6-8k on a used one and find out it'll need a head gasket or worse.

[@MrKillswitch88]

Melted wiring isn't a joke, back in 1998 a short resulted in an onboard fire that downed Swissair flight 111.

[@gregbuser4690]

The good news is that there should be no shortage of Landrover Discoverys in junk yards to get parts from.

[@JohnHoganN8]

😂😂

[@damienwilloughby]

🤣

[@BobSmith-ui4qu]

No, you are wrong. It’s hard to find Disco 2 now.

[@BobSmith-ui4qu]

That is a good looking Disco, I have never seen such a clean one. So little rust. Have taken mine apart removal of the dash is not bad. It’s better if you have a copy of the RAVE manual then you have the shop manual from LandRover.

[@gregbuser4690]

Must have sent them all to the crusher, because they certainly aren't on the road considering their unreliability.@@BobSmith-ui4qu

[@eggmanfryer]

You asked what I would do in the same circumstance, I have no idea. I would never buy a used Land Rover, BMW, Mercedes or Audi. they cost WAY too much to drive after the warranty expires. I have a 2004 Nissan Maxima. Runs like a champ and cost next to nothing to repair it when it breaks down. When I bought the car a year and a half ago it had around 115k miles. I replaced tires, battery and wiper blades for around $800.00. Then I replaced the struts, sway bar ends, drive shafts and the spark plugs & coil packs (for less than $3,500.00). ...oh, yea. I almost forgot. I bought about $400.00 in special tools to make the job go way easier. (That includes having a 4 wheel alignment done at a repair shop after I did the work) I recently replace two A/C hoses and recharged the system with 134a for less than $75.00. I am a plumber by day and a shade tree mechanic by night. Most nights I just sleep though.

[@willcarson7328]

Ive got a discovery 2, ive had it for 2 years, ive done the basic breaks, coil packs, spark plug and wires, alternator and buying it and im still into it less than the maintenance on your maxima

[@hotrocks888]

I love disco's and completely understand why the customer wants to fix the harness problem, I would of done the same. Such a cool car which I would want to keep for along as I possibly can. I hope you do a video showing the finished repair & put back together, I would love to watch that!

[@lanceripplinger8352]

Wow, that is a tough one. Well, I say it all depends on what the customer wants. Since they are happy to have it fixed, I'd be more than happy to take their money.

[@adminmick]

#2 I would say; interior review was fantastic!

[@rogeralbans4082]

In the RHD 2.5 diesel (particularly manuals) of that model these were notorious for having a short in column loom, sometimes starting and driving off. There was a Disco fired up that started drive into six other cars at Sydney airport long term parking before burning to the ground back in the late 90's.

[@markfletcher8040]

Hi David we have a saying in Australia, if you want to go bush take a landrover, but if you want to come home ,you use a toyota landcruiser. If the landrover has electrical woes, it's a lucas.

[@LilYeshua]

I'm more curious as to what caused the shorts so that could be corrected. I still remember someone stopping on the highway in front of the service station I used to work at and running towards us desperately asking us for a fire extinguisher because his whole dashboard was on fire

[@stephenjackson6515]

I'd fix her up, as long as the chassis was ok and the rest was sound, its such a shame to see so much waste in the motor trade, so much, i left it and became a gardener instead. Great job mr and mrs Wizard. Love the videos...shame about the bus, i was looking forward to seeing you work your magic on it but it was going to take time, i guess? Much love to all❤

[@gnomiefirst9201]

My first guess at cost, $6--8,000. A friend asked if my mechanic would rewire his truck for $200? Uh, no. I used to be a car hobbyist. I told a friend their battery cable needed replacing. They said that couldn't be the problem. The shop they took it to replaced the cables, battery and alternator. I'm pleasantly surprised at how often the wizard is below my own estimates. Bravo! BTW, 38 years ago an automotive electrical shop was $80 an hour---no estimates.

[@jacobpockros]

I’m a dealer tech, I’d buy a used harness and vin-check compatibility through Land Rover to make sure it’s the same. Could take months to find one though so I see why it’s being repaired in this case.

[@Mark-po5rp]

I've often seen Land Rovers for sale on the cheap and always wondered "how bad can it be?". Thank you for answering that question.

[@Watcher3223]

It was a mistake of the owner to have bypassed the fuse with a circuit breaker that was likely rated higher in amps than the original fuse, allowing the short circuit to persist and cause such extensive damage that will cost so much more to fix than it could have. Remember, boys and girls: if a fuse blows, replace it with one of the exact same amp rating. But if it blows again, stop! Find out why the fuse is blowing. While occasionally fuses can just fail for no reason, the majority of the time they blow because there is a problem in the circuit. Keeping on replacing the same fuse when it blows is wasteful while using a higher rated fuse creates a potentially dangerous fire hazard.

[@bobamu]

This one's getting a sequel video, I can feel it...

[@ericbeauchea8526]

It's a nice truck but there's no way I'd spend that. That's why I sold my D3 and got an LX 470. At least the repairs are worth making.

[@jamesellsworth9673]

Owners know these are expensive vehicles to own and maintain. I'd spend the money and also understand that more expensive repairs were in my future.

[@andymair7992]

Looks like Grimes is the Electrical Wizard! 😃

[@cloudpumper6399]

Wow, serious stuff. Guy obviously loves his Disco. Hope you gave the poor guy a break on some labor.

[@r.l.strange1897]

I think he probably does if he gets a good video out of it hahaha.

[@glennbeadshaw727]

I hope you give a break on your labor every time you go to work Mr cloud

[@GPOLICE]

Can't wait for the follow up video showing us how you fixed it. If it were my range Rover I would probably pull all the electronics and ghetto rig some rudimentary switches and wires. The brake lights and horn would have to be switch activated too so it wouldn't be able to pass inspection.

[@frasermitchell9183]

I'd fit a good used loom (US=harness), carefully checked before fitting, and the customer made aware that no warranty can be given. What puzzles me is why fuses didn't blow to isolate the fault, Can it be that somebody had a blow fuse and just replaced it with a far higher amp fuse to "get things going". I suspect the current owner was sold a pup.

[@AeroGuy07]

My stepsister drove one of these for years. Her husband hated it because he knew when it broke down it was going to cost $1000, at the minimum, to fix it.

[@ephraimmura]

I love my Disco 2, it is my baby. It is hard to give up on it, even replacing it. They are just unique trucks

[@thomasfastiggi5916]

It appears the windshield is cracked on this car. There are rust streaks down the roof line from the jack on top of the roof too. I suggest he call his insurance company about the wire fire. If he is lucky they will total it out under his comprehensive coverage. it makes no sense at all to put 5 cents into a car that would make Lucas the prince of darkness proud.

[@kclefthanded427]

Can't imagine what would a new Land Rover Discovery do

[@Paul_Caruana]

Thanks wizard for that very interesting video. In your (and Grimes) opinion, what could have caused such a massive short circuit?

[@atodaso1668]

I bet the wires were not melted before the owner decided to unfuse the circuit. It was probably something as simple as a blower motor or door lock actuator, now he needs a new body harness...

[@GrimesGarage]

It appears to have originated from the column lock solenoid.

[@Paul_Caruana]

@@GrimesGarage Thanks for the update. I appreciate it, especially considering how busy you must be on that nightmare wiring loom. To me it’s scarily amazing how a steering lock problem can lead to this disaster!

[@allworldmusic8270]

A couple of thousand dollars it is worth it as long as there are no other major issues with the car, I had a Discovery 1 which I never liked but if it's a solid car fix it.

[@johngaither9263]

Wiring ala Chef Boyardee. Reminds me of Fiat or Smiths electrics. In every other car brand I know of a direct short will blow every amperage fuse there is. Melting the insulation off of wire requires a lot of heat which takes a lot of current. Why bother to have fuses if short circuits this severe can continue without any restraint? Only the Brits and Italians doing wiring this way.

[@williamwoods8022]

It was because the guy stuck a higher amp circuit breaker into it that caused the problem as the Wizard has answered someone above - and as many have said on here as well that someone must have stuck a bigger fuse in it as this would not have happened if the correct fuse was in it as the fuse stops the wires from doing this. I NEVER had any problems with any of the British cars I owned electrically because I always used original Lucas or Unipart parts in my cars as I looked after and serviced my own cars - it is the owners and garages that used cheap parts in the cars that caused the problems or break downs and then they blamed the cars/manufacturer/Lucas etc.

[@terryharvey9815]

Had a 98 Discovery with the heated passenger seat started on fire still remember that smell. Bought it new didn’t own it more than a year so many problems. Loved it when it all worked, it was a nice three months.

[@highlandmalt6368]

People love their Land Rovers - I knew the customer was going to give the go ahead.

[@russellhammond4373]

Grimes has an attention to detail that most humans do not. Great detective work.

[@Yahboishaboss]

Mr. And Mrs. wizard are couples goals 💪🏻

[@robertharris7027]

10:27 Someone from Germany gave you a 'number plate' for the Citroen! Nice.

[@fubartotale3389]

Insert "Joseph Lucas, the prince of darkness" joke here.

[@jeremya3120]

Hey wizard take the oil cap off and replace the vehicle underneath it sounds like the right move

[@Romeo_GR]

When i was 15 , in 1993, my father bought a brand new Discovery Mk1....2.000cc , 4 cylinder, petrol, manual, colour british green ! Obviously, not a fast car, but really spacious and comfortable .30 years and 210.000 kilometres later...and is still in his garage. Fine meccanically, fine internal, fine external. Some minor electric issues throughout these years, but nothing really catastrophic. A fuel pump and a battery failure, maybe the worst of all. Clutch changed at 165.000 km. Α shift stick problem some years ago, kept the car in our garage for nearly five moths, but it got repaired at the price of ...180 euros , using brand new spare parts!!! Anyway, consider that I am from Crete, Greece (that explains the 2000cc engine) where maintenance and repairs are much (...much...) cheaper , I live in a city of 150.000 population and there have always been at least two more cars around . So, the Disco has always been used carefully enough by my father and really carefully by me, mainly out of the city and not every day. Now he is 76, he prefers driving his Jimny but him an my mother still enjoy some small trips and excursions with the Disco ....maybe once a month!

[@Rene-Hernandez]

Super interesting! Be sure to give us a follow-up on this and how it went.

[@secpac58chichi]

As a D1 owner I would let this one go and find another good one - swap the best bits out and sell the rest off as a parts car

[@cedhome7945]

An old friend had a range rover that he had a engine and gearbox rebuild done then said you can rebuild everything on these cars ! My wife risking her life said well you don't have to do it to prove your point .....

[@nukedathlonman]

At least it was caught before it burned down - but wowzas is that a large job!!!

[@TheEulerID]

Then the insurance would have paid for it...

[@aztech4x4mechanical]

Your estimated prices are pretty dam reasonable, I doubt many workshops could fix it for that.

[@jeffboyer8214]

Fire Hazzard 🔥 Ground issues Be safe.

[@steveb6386]

I used to work in a firm that was close to an independent Landrover mechanic. The place was immaculate. Paid for with all the not so old but terrible products churned out by Landrover. They were never short of work.

[@yelapa999]

In the nineties, we were being driven on the Dealer's silly rock course, there was a burning plastic smell and, cough cough, we didn't buy one. It was a Discovery.

[@RDEnduro]

It doesn't look messed with or anything i guess the wires just got too hot there damn. The reputation lives on

[@Flies2FLL]

I hate wiring work! I did a little on my previous car, an '85 Porsche 928S2 and I got nothing out of that crap! You couldn't pay me enough to do this job. Grimes has mucho patience.... Great video!

[@thomasconnolly7452]

If it 20:33 were mine I would proceed with Omega. You know the truck and once the wiring is fixed you are good. Buying another old one is a gamble in itself.

[@buckdesystem4562]

Dude hates BMW but likes Land Rover. Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. Makes perfect sense.

[@billwampler9608]

These are known to be electrical nightmares. I owned a 2003 disco with the 4.6. Never again.

[@jkclassy3643]

This is GOOD content! Really good and cool to watch!

[@ryanaustin2617]

For the works that you have to do, I suspect it will surpass $5,000. It comes down to how you feel about the vehicle whether it has any sentimental value to you, but for the financial perspective, it is not worth repairing it.

[@georgebettiol8338]

My preferred method would be to source a front portion of the body wiring harness from a 'trusted Land Rover recycler' - i.e. one that carefully removes the wiring loom from the wreck and doesn't just 'yank' the wiring loom off the car - check the general condition and continuity of the proposed harness and then install the harness to the vehicle and connect the relevant wires to the rear portion of the body wiring loom using robust and appropriate connections (preferably soldered) that are staggered in order to avoid a single excessively large 'connection bundle'. Needless to say, it's very time consuming and requires a focused work ethic (no interuptions) to pull it off without introducing a future 'family of gremlins'. How do I know this, I have done it and won't ever do it again - phew!

[@taurota1554]

Awesome as always.Thanks for sharing and taking us along

[@WhittyPics]

It is hard to know what that will cost until you get into it. It will take a genius to figure out that spaghetti

[@Land_Raver]

Better to spend 2 or 3 grand for an awesome car than to spend 30 or 40 thousand for something that won't last. It's all about running cost vs total cost. These cars will run forever and the body won't rot away with a little tlc.

[@ronnytotten9292]

Actually the frames are notorious for rotting on these in the rear. They are made with very thin metal.

[@Land_Raver]

@ronnytotten9292 Actually, I said body for a reason.

[@ronnytotten9292]

@@Land_Raver the body is the least important part of the vehicle. They are aluminum that's why they don't rot like others but everything around it does. And bad too. You would much rather have a rottibg rocker than a rotting frame pal.

[@Land_Raver]

@ronnytotten9292 sounds you've never riden in a XJ where you can see the ground beneath the car from the seat.

[@ronnytotten9292]

@@Land_Raver oh man seen a lot. However an XJ is a unibody, not really comparable.

[@paulhoogeveen7353]

The curse of "The Prince of Darkness"....😂

[@jdrs4214]

I love the artwork, you two!!!! I’m sure Mr. Wizard had a hand in some of that stuff. 👍🏻

[@neildean7515]

Wow, i would have thought this year would have basic wiring!!! A New 100k one will be miles and miles of this and i suspect after 10 years use, almost every modern car will be scrapped because cost will be too high for hidden electrical issues, let alone potential fire risks..

[@genekelly8467]

And the depreciation is so fast that a minor accident will cause the insurance company to total the car.

[@habbadabbado5765]

He knows the vehicle, where it’s been, how it’s been maintained, etc. so I’d stick with it. Seems like someone was exceeding the limits of the circuit with larger amp fuse

[@bmolendijk7884]

owww, heavy...if it is not going to be worse, then go for it. a new car cost the same(i reversed your line) and this seems to be a nice one. big job, respect

[@johnsnedekerjr594]

Wow I love the way you folks dealt with this I love disco’s

[@brentdabels803]

Maybe it's just myself, but I would look at the cost for a new vehicle, which is quite ridiculous. I would just have it repaired at high-level care and have it done. Even if costs get to 5000 to maybe more, it'll be cheaper than a new one and all the accessories that have been added. Hopefully, the rest of the vehicle isn't rusted out out or something, though. Have it sorted and keep it maintained, and keep driving a cool, unique vehicle that isn't seen every day. It's just crappy that it's happened.