I don't even own a LR Discovery but I've learned more about engine mechanics in 40 minutes than I ever did at school. Bravo!

I'm an engineer, both mechanical and light current electronics, and a Bosch qualified fuel injection technician. You have my respect because your analysis is thorough and complete. Thank you.

"for our Toyota viewers we have to explain what's an engine failure..."

Lets not forget the fact that you guys are the goal for being a couple. Vera you are hilarious as ever 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Design by committee is the problem, money saving is the only thing a committee can all agree on. Simple.

In Australia, Penrite 5w40. High zinc, suits my 400k TDV6 beautifully. 6000km changes with OEM oil filter. I would never miss LR Time; only wish I had Christian’s expertise!

Excellent video. After 12 years of owning at least one d3/4 at a time, (at times I owned 2 at the same time) I’ve finally walked away from them for good. I’m now daily driving my 300tdi defender. It may not be any more reliable, but failures are easily fixable in my humble workshop and I’m yet to hear of a snapped crank in a tdi.

WOW! As an ex-master tech, I was riveted by this! I would watch one of these technical break downs on every single engine ever built. Brilliant!

Love the video as usual. Quite interesting. I had total engine failure in my wife's Toyota a few months ago. brand new battery installed and all was good

Wow just wow!!! Finally the most logical explanation to all the problems I have heard, thank you for all the effort you put into this...and Landrover take no responsibility for there failures, so many people were financially bankrupted by this vehicle

Wow, best video ever describing the TDV6 engine. Mine failed at 375000KM on a 2008 LR3, did what you said to prolong life. 1 thing to add are the failing glow plugs that add cranking time in cold weather and accelerate wear. So make sure they are working tip-top.

By far, and I mean it, the best documented and well explained video on these engines. I'm pretty happy to get rid off my former 2011 Disco 4 sdv6 4 years ago knowing a few of these issues. But now i'm even happier since I didn't suspect so many design flaws. Many thanks!

being an owner of an D3 ('2005, 200k miles) and D4 ('2015, 120k miles), I watch all your videos with great interest (and get inspiration to do my own repairs where possible). However, this one tops everything done so far. it is systematic, logical and really well illustrated. Have you ever considered giving lectures to engineering students (Maschinenbau), as an externally invited/contracted guest speaker? I have nothing to do with engineering, but considering the very high didactic value of your videos and specifically this one, such lectures could add significant value to the curriculum. [of course, students can just subscribe to your channel...]

In my humble opinion I think your best video to date. I have owned my 2013 Discovery 4 HSE since new and love the car but am nervous about the engine issues. You explained the details perfectly, a great pity you were not on the original design team! Keep up the great work.

Had to stop the video half way to comment how amazing this episode is. Your insight into the engine is a pleasure to watch. I have a new found respect for the engineering department. Please do more content like this!

This is by far one of the best engine explanations I ever saw. Thank you very much for putting your time and effort into this.

Thank you both for all your time & effort to share and so clearly explain this information. I’m sure like myself, there are many D4 owners / followers of your channel right now out there feeling a huge sense of relief at finally understanding the actual issues and causes of the crank weaknesses plus your advice on actions to mitigate. Its a great service you’ve done. Btw- I actually do have a mint condition ‘89 W124 M103 E Class now 335k as my back up car, inherited from my father in 2001. Ballarat, Australia

Hi Guys, well that was, without doubt the best 40 mins I've ever invested in learning how engines are designed and built. Your delivery Christian was at a measured pace, with just the right amount of detail, backed up with lots of source material and above all, LOGIC. This is probably not only your best ever video but one of THE BEST EVER technical videos I have watched and absorbed. Whilst watching this, I kept imagining how many viewers were preparing their court cases against LR for negligence. Very, very well done, you deserve a big pat on the back for such fine work. "Helmets on, ready to receive the shells of discontent..."

Another amazing video, thanks both. My Jaguar XJ engine suffered catastrophic failure after 5 years and 35k miles. It was out of warranty but I was lucky, I wrote to JLR's boss at the time and they agreed to 100% fund a replacement engine. Another issue I've read about elsewhere is oil dilution... Basically, the engine takes your 5W Dumbass and gradually dilutes it with diesel, which makes it even thinner. With the new engine I'm doing oil and filter changes every 5k miles and I'm a little more cautious with my right foot. I just hope I haven't got a Monday morning crankshaft 😮

This fabulous engine is also in the Aussie Ford Territory. Which is funny, that car has the worst diesel engine and also the best ever petrol engine. Fun video! :)

By far 100% the best automotive videos by any other couple, so easy to understand and both of you are naturally funny which makes it even better to watch and it makes learning fun

What an excellent in depth review. I’ve owned my XJ350 Jag for over 10 years. Bought with 48k miles on the clock and now at 183k miles. Still runs as sweet as a nut, but will be vigilant to follow steps as described to protect the engine. Absolutely love the car and it’s not going anywhere soon, so I hope I don’t live to regret it…..

That was an outstanding video. Very informative and your examples and explanations made it very easy to understand. Thank you for the effort that both of you put in to these productions. 👍🏻👌🏻

That was one of the best videos I’ve seen in a long time. I’m no engineer, but thanks to both of you I feel like I could grasp all the points and I’ve learnt a very great deal. The style and dynamic between you both is amazing! Thank you and I’ll keep watching!

Absolutely brilliant !! Outstanding analysis and explanation, and always entertaining. Thank you both very much.

Wow, what a great point of discussion. I really appreciated your explanation of the 3.0L Lion engine crankshaft design and failure modes along with your thoughts on possible preventative measures. I have owned my 2011 Discovery 4 SDV6 since new. The SDV6 engine reliability is an issue that sits uncomfortably in the back of my mind, and given the distances that I travel it has me a little concerned. Many years ago an old mechanic friend said to me that "new oil is cheap maintenance" and that comment has stuck with me and has been literally applied to every vehicle and motorcycle I have owned, consequently the engine in my D4 has had the benefit of oil and filter changes every 7,500km for the entire life of the vehicle. The D4 is now approaching 340,000km on the odometer. I still use the 5W 30 oil in my discovery 4 but and am now wondering about a change to the 5W 40. That said, I am not sure of the benefit given the age of the engine and and the work it has already done? I must now go back and watch your comment on the oil issue! Anyhow thanks again for your well considered and excellent explanation.

Outstanding. I've been reading up and trying to find a definitive guide to this problem for a while now for my 2011 TDV6 and this is it. Brilliantly explained, thank you!

Oh my God, thank you all for all this valuable information that we cannot get except through experts who share the results with everyone for the benefit of the community. You are more than wonderful. The explanation is more than wonderful and simple to understand for the community. I wish I had known about your channel a long time ago.

An absolutely, brilliantly presented, thoroughly researched, most informative video you guys! A really great piece of work, most definitely will be watching this one a few times over, as it's too much for my non-engineer brain to capture all in one sitting.

It's amazing how much of this advice also applies to the Mazda 2.2 turbo diesel engine. Thanks so much for the insights guys.

This is probably the best video I have seen analysing issues with an engine - so logical and well explained. Thank you Christian and Vera!

Excellent analysis and great tips for Disco owners. A big thank you for all of your hard work - Christian and Vera.

Just excellent, irrespective of the engine manufacturer, your explanation of engine design tolerances and potentials for failure are the best I have ever heard. Just superb, thank you.

Another interesting and very informative episode! Thank you Christian and Vera 👏🏼

What an epic video. Your presentation skills, technical knowledge and ability to explain it IN ANOTHER language is fantastic. Then add in your humour and your lovely wife's fantastic support, the result is glorious. I can't wait to watch some more and learn lots.

Your passion shines through about these vehicles. Your amazing in-depth knowledge is truly something to be very proud of. Unfortunately , I just couldn't commit to buying any lr product. I havn't the time for all that maintenance. Keep up the fantastic work 👏 👏👏

About 4 years ago I nearly “upgraded” my 190k miles 2005 D3, that I have owned from new, to a D4! Glad I stayed with my D3 and continue to do my own servicing. Also very pleased to find this channel. Well done.

Great video keep them coming. Love the references to what we need for our mall crawlers down here in Australia.

I do love the way that you are so factual and explain things in a way that everyone can understand whilst also being sarcastic and funny with it.

Thanks for the video. I can listen to you all day. All you are putting out here is loads of experience that would take anyone so many years to get. Thanks.

Maybe a second channel as automotive research scientist? Absolutely amazing in depth information on the TDV6. I was lucky and covered 160, 000 miles without this issue. Thanks for listing this video and sharing this essential information, there are a lot of owners who will benefit immensely from your research, on behalf of them thank you.

Hello Vera and Christian. Just wanted to say thank you! It is really good fun to watch your videos, and also one can always learn something. But to all of us not having a workshop and a two post lift or even a pit… Well our only way out is to pray, beside from switching to 5W-40 😊 Thank you!

Brilliant video. Explained it way better than I could be bothered when I covered it!!

Excellent video with just enough technical detail and explanation. Keep these videos coming.

As a UK Automotive Engineer, I also 100% agree with your assessment of the LR V6 diesel engine, I would suggest that the diesel Injection system also needs to be in good health to ensure engine reliability. The Common Rail Injectors need to be calibrated and balanced to ensure that no engine cylinder runs at higher combustion pressure than the other cylinders. Especially important is the use of Good Quality Diesel fuel Shell, BP or similar which is to the EN 590 spec and add a diesel fuel additive like 2-EHN to improve the cetane number of the fuel which improves combustion, emissions, power and reliability. Good Video ..............👍

Some serious information to take in guys and thanks for taking the time to produce these quality video's......biggest bit that gets me is the fact LR wont take responsibility for the failures.

Great presentation both super informative and entertaining. Love your synergy and humor.

Excellent work. Love the way you two work.

I must agree with others, this was a brilliant video, the best yet. I liked the design history part, the explanation of common failures and what you can do to minimise the problems. In all I loved it, 10/10!

Very educational! In recent days, I have started looking a little sceptically at Discovery 3s for sale, whereas I used to only think about Discovery 1s, classic Range Rovers and Defenders...

Great video thanks. Having stripped down a few engines in the past I am well aware of oil delivery problems & wear etc, I also never floored my D3 from any revs :) Luckily I was a member of the LR3 website & learned about the auto gearbox linkage issue as well. That linkage will sieze up & immobilse the box. I read a few people have been subject to gearbox stripdowns when that stuck linkage was just the issue.

fascinating discussion, love the detail. The engineering analysis of the crankshaft design and lubrication requirements is invaluable to engine longevity for anyone how has a TDV6. Great work.

Hello Cristian and Vera , iv just watched your video on the land rover tdv6 with crap engine. Nearly 25 years ago my wife and I purchased a 1998 R reg landrover discovery 1, as i say its nearly 25 years old, VERY HAPPY i never upgraded to a more modern piece of crap. I am very fortunate to have had an engineer for a father who taught me from a very early age look after it, and you wont be left stranded on the side of the road , a wise man . This vehicle has always been serviced by myself every 6000 miles New oils New filters , And when needed New discs and pads, iam on my 4th New Battery, and last year had to replace the alternator which failed , oh and last year 4 New glow plugs, New top and bottom radiator hoses and the ones from the header tank . Towed a 24 foot caravan all over Britain, also towed a 20 foot boat for quiet a number of years , and a 2.5 Ton trailer , with what I reckon had nearly 3 Ton of 450x450 x 5 cm slabs . A WORKHORSE OF A VEHICLE. I will be resting in my box and this vehicle will still be going IF it gets the same attention i have lavished on it , OH and its sthil the original chassis .

Brilliant video, very informative and easy to understand. Thank you!

You both are great, see how your mechanical skills made you both a great detective to find problems and solutions, this training also crosses over to most ever other problems in lifes problem solving.

This is spot-on. I also learnt many years ago about those locatting lugs on shell bearrings, they are most certainly not there to stop a bearing from spinning, mearly to locate the bearring on assembly. Its a common misconception. The only thing that stops it from spinning is the friction behind the bearring in its journal .

This is an excellent video. It contains many engineering principles which apply equally to cars from other manufacturers.

This analysis is superb. Thank you

Incredible video. I own my D3 for 4 years. In the very beginning I performed a preventive maintenence - bearings, sealing, oil pump etc were changed. From then I change the oil every 160 hours (distance per average speed) and it's 5w40 certainly

Amazing guy! I learned a lot and now i understand all the good advices i put into practice. You are a very honest person giving all this precious information. Immidiately subscribed.

The only thing I can say is "Awesome video".... thank you Christian from someone that's been driving Land Rovers since 1977

Brilliant video. Have a D4 and because it’s under warranty I’m stuck with getting it serviced at the dealer. However I run it for a few thousand km on the 5w dumbass before doing another interim service myself and change to 5w40 magnatec. Have done a lot of research myself but the internet is a hard place to find the truth. Really interesting to see that one main bearing feeds two others but essentially cuts off half the time! Very sobering! You’ve earned your Patreon fee this month 😂. Keep up the good work

Amazing vid, very informative & I liked the fact it was explained why things fail as well.

watched all the way to the end. learned a lot!! many thanks, Christian & Vera.. bravo!

Just saying... If you would like to do a full series of lectures breaking down the D3/4 designs and engine construction, I would pay good money to see it! Truly amazing job. This level of detail whilst remaining consumable is a rare thing these days. Thank you both!

Great analysis. I've often wondered why they don't design an electric pre-pump arrangement for start-up on all engines. My old BMW bike is designed with a flooded pump and very low oil filter and the engine lasts for ever on any old oil.

I’m very impressed with your knowledge and ability to keep focus on this deeply concerning matter. You’ve taken great care to explain the issues with qualifications and statistics. For those of us who’ve bought the vehicle without prior knowledge a further statement would help qualify the risks. Given all that you know about this engine can you indicate if there are records of the percentage of failures to give us all an idea of the risks we are taking by keeping these engines. Obviously different models and vehicles will impact the figures but even if it was an overall percentage that would help those willing to accept the risks or not.

In the past, I really wanted a LR4 but after finding out how many problems they have, I am glad I never got the chance to buy one. High blood pressure galore, and stress by the score with this heap would have been the case. Nice vehicle design, capable vehicle, but crap. I ended up going to a Toyota Landcruiser, and missed out on a big, big smorgasbord of failure and expense. Fate stopped me making the worst mistake I could make. Fate was truly kind to me. Fantastic video, and exemplary explanation of Ford's big R&D flop.

Thank you both for an informative and entertaining video. Having worked for a subsidiary of a German Automotive company for many years I also came across instances where Management Directives overruled design principles! Christian sounds very much like my old works colleagues, which makes the video more enjoyable. Oil technology is very interesting and not just about SAE grades. Different oil manufacturers/blenders use different friction modifiers and other additives which makes a difference between brand performance. Castrol is one of the best, in my opinion.

Excellent video on the technical aspects of the Ford (and LR) V6 diesel. In regard to oil grade and the current, nearly standardized, spec for 10w-30 or even 10w-20, I wholeheartedly agree. Both my BMWs and Volvos (still looking for a decent Disco 3 here in Nova Scotia) go thru that same "noise" about approved grades in their owner's manuals, showing 10w-40 only as an extreme service application. I use, and have used, 10w-40 religiously over the last 15 years or so and have achieved 300K+ kms on multiple engines (all petrol). On all these engines, I have had no noticeable oil loss due to wear, no smoke, no plug deposits, etc. So absolutely 10w-40 or 0w-40 is the way to go on nearly all modern automotive engines. BTW, is Christian the same Christian Muth that holds a dozen plus patents involving balancing of rotating shafts? If so, you might want to mention that in these kinds of vids. I've been around car stuff for over 50 years now, and it is clear to me that Christian can speak to these subjects with authority. But to some these days, they need to "see the paperwork". Anyway, great content! Thank you.

Always good viewing at LR Time but this was the best yet. As a dedicated Discovery 4 owner I really appreciated the research you have done to answering this lingering question. With my oil pump altready replaced I have since watching your videos reduced the duration of my oil change and will now change from dumbass. As a previous Prado owner I understand there is more than reliability when selecting your 4x4 and I hope to be one of the lucky ones to get 400k but until that day I will drive with a smile on my face. Keep up the excellent content. Mark Adelaide South Australia

Excellent well explained video Christian, (and Vera of course) concise and informative thank you

That engine MR LR works very well in the Peugeot and Citroen C6 , of which I both owned for ten years, but as you say when it is in a saloon body car the stresses on the crank and the demands are almost negligible

Brilliant explanation of the process and problem

Hello from NZ! I have the 4.4 Petrol V8 Discovery 3 so most of the engine related issues don’t apply to me but I still watch all of your videos as they’re informative and entertaining, keep up the great work!

Thanks again guys, I learnt even more today.😊

Hi Christian and Vera. Brilliant delivery on a sore subject. I'm looking to change my Range Rover to a D4, i.e. from petrol to diesel. Very worrying subject, but is it possible to minimise the main bearing oil delivery problems at least, by trying the following: 1. Relocating the oil filter to a lower position using a remote filter? 2. Using a top cap main bearing in place of the bottom cap? I suspect they use different materials, but at least the channel provides oil to the bottom of the crank. 3. Use a regulated electric oil pump to pre-charge the oil galleries. That then raises the oil pressure to near 1 bar at engine start up and idle.

I absolutely Detest Discovery 3 & 4 but your videos are addictive. I'm a mechanic of 30 years and I've learnt some things from your explanations. Awesome 👌

Without doubt best forensic on an engine. Very impressive. Clear and to the point. Excellent analysis. Thank you.

That was awesome!!! Going to change from 5W30 to 5W40 immediately! I love my L4 but the engine problems scares me. Understand that it could break anyway but I will follow your 3 recommendations and hope...

Very interesting talk about the Ford Lion. Although scary, the reasons for an engine failure applies to any make of engine, with a second hand vehicle you never know how it's been treated. Shame Ford didn't spend a bit more time on it 😉. look forward to next Sunday, take care.

Thank you guys , Excellent technical lecture, first class as usual 😊😊😊

Watched barely 2 mins….loved the delivery, humour and creativity of the video so much that instantly liked, saved and subscribed!!

Great insight into the workings of the auto industry 👏

Christian, your knowledge is amazing! German engineering at its best! What a wealth of knowledge. I'm glad I live in the U.S. and get to run Petrol not Diesel! Vielen Dank!

Awesome video. This the best technical engine failure analysis on youtube. Christan & Vera the clearity of the technical presentation, vidoreography setup would the bbc.

You guys are both informative and entertaining!! I love your production and presentation of this topic. Some interesting facts with many examples to back up your ideas with. Especially if the crankshaft was produced on Monday morning and the engineer's football team had a bad result!!!!😂😂😂😂👍👍

Oh well done. That is by far the tech best video you have made. Very informative and yes I learnt a bit about the design ethos, not sure I understood it, but that is for another rabbit hole when I get out of my current warren :) I'm also going to try to remember to not kick it down so hard when I have to do my fast overtakes to change position at work escorting Convois Exceptionnels, but drop 4 or 5 gears with the paddle first. I do sometimes use the paddles to change down before letting the torque rip on fast overtakes, but that's more when I'm driving in manual mode and S with a 20mm suspension drop, in a 'spirited manner' on some beautiful Spanish twisty roads. Now I have to explain why certain people in the garage trade continue to recommend 5w30. It's the oil LR spec for the UK market. If a garage that a customer pays to service their car uses a different grade than which is specified, and the crank fails, then some customers will blame it on the wrong oil and come back to claim on the garage who did it. If a garagiste goes public on the internet saying to use a different spec oil then there is a possibility that some dumbass could take legal action against them. We know such madness happens. 'he told the world on FaceAche it was ok to put 5w40 in my engine, and he's a professional garagiste, and then 2 days or 2 years later my reved from cold, low oil level engine snapped its crank, so I'm going to sue him because he expressed a professional opinion'. If I were to take my car for an oil change, (I cannot imagine any circumstance for this :) I would specify in writing what oil to use. Then they're in the clear, and I get the oil I want. Long ago I did the research on the oil, and like you, found the Citroen specifications. My 2.7 has run on 40 ever since. I've not yet run the 3.0 on it as it's been difficult to find a 40 C1 or C2, but now 5w40 C3 oils are becoming common, and the difference between C1, C2 and C3 is in the soot level and HTHS, with C3 being slightly less in favour of fuel consumption and slightly better in terms of bearing face protection. C2 and C3 oil is slightly sootier than C1 so the DPF needs to regenerate more often which also slightly increases the fuel consumption. As you so eloquently put it, the tests were designed to reach the conclusion required because the 5w30 gives just enough of a better fuel consumption under test conditions to enable the manufacturer to claim a certain fuel figure, and the engine will probably last the warranty period. The reason for this is to pander to the big leasing companies, as is the ridiculously long oil change interval. The leasing companies are not interested in the car after the 3 or 4 year lease as it's made them their money and they put it out to the 2nd hand market, so they want a minimum of servicing that they have to pay for while being just enough to meet any service requirements for warranty claims. My advise, as a D3 and D4 owner driver and DIYer is: I prefer to get the best engine protection I can for a reasonable cost. I can live with slightly increased fuel consumption and I care not a jot about the emissions because I don't run the vehicle under strict test conditions to meet a prescribed consumption, and they easily run clean enough to meet the legal emissions limits. 5w40 C3 oils are now coming to the mass market for 3.0 engines with DPF. 5w40 A3/A5 oils have been available for non DPF 2.7s for a long time now. The engine was designed over 20 years ago and the oils specced with the reasons explained above. In the real world, the engine spec remains the same (or gets slacker as seen in the 3.0 workshop manual) and the oil technology continues to evolve. Embrace that, get the best protection you can at a price level you are happy with, but make your own decision, and don't put the blame on someone else if it all goes wrong. Gruff 2023

I've been in the motor trade on the tools for about 34 years now but this video is tremendous on the information, very very few people that have this level of knowledge are willing to share it. brilliant😊

Brilliant video! Knowledge, experience and great humour! Also hello from South Africa!

Superb insights.. really enjoyed your presentation. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this. (Big old school Landcruiser diesel fan here, so also really enjoyed your pro-Landcruiser comments!)

Bad Monday morning crankshaft failure! 😂 Love the humor. Here in Australia the Lion 2.7V6 only made it into local cars by 2012. Here they seem to hold up reasonably well. Love the Toyota reference, but even they struggle to make a bulletproof engine (KD series with pistons cracking). However L series, 1HD and 1HZ is king and probably will never be surpassed is reliability and simplicity.

I didn't know about the 'ticking time bomb'..but, I have a Discovery 5 which has a perfectly engineered engine and will never have faults...cough, cough, splutter, splutter....Excuse me, I started to choke for some reason. I will now go and stand in the corner and stare at my feet for the rest of the day. No, perhaps for a week would be better. Great video as always Christian and Vera.

Christian, this is the best video on KZfaq about problems on a Ford-LR V6 engine. Thank you very much.

Brilliant lecture guys. Thanks for sharing 👍 😊

Sorry, going to have to nominate the Ingenium Diesel 2.0L 4 cylinder engine when installed in just about any Land Rover. The D150/180 variants in the original Discovery Sport and Evoque, plus the D240 when used in the Discovery 5. Even *if* you do regular oil changes i.e. double the recommended number, after as little as 40k miles you may be in trouble with snapped timing chains. Mine now booked for it's chain to be replaced (74k miles) and currently have my fingers crossed that when they do the compression test before they start the work, that it doesn't change from new chain to new engine... It's making the Lion V6 crank snapping lottery look like a worthwhile game! Love your content and humour, Sunday just wouldn't be Sunday now without LR Time 👏

Bravo, well put! Wonder if LR knew about this form the start on. My early Discovery3 would often sound one of it’s confusing ‘bongs’ just after starting, if the oil pressure had any delay in extinguishing the warning light. Annoyingly, no message ever appeared to say why the ‘bong’. I suspected it related to slow oil pressure and varied with oil changes. It had had the oil pump replaced but it was very fussy on the oil used. There may have been a software upgrade to remove this feature as I haven’t heard anyone mentioning it. The engine never failed, to my knowledge, but I traded it in at 110kmiles for its weekly attention seeking fault routine. Great truck, but their engineering suffers from accountant interference.

I don't have a Land Rover but as a DIY mechanic i enjoyed the in depth explanations, instant subscriber 👍🏾

Absolutely brilliant, sat here chuckling at the reference to the Monday morning syndrome. As a retired life long engineer I can relate to every instance of the accountants or marketing managers ‘re engineering ‘ what already was a crap design into a disaster waiting to happen. We also had anachronism for all makes of machines, Ford was fix or repair daily...

Great video! It was nice seeing how enthusiastic and knowledgeable couple you are. You have earned a subscriber! I wish you could have a look at Volvo’s B5254T4 engine which was installed in S60R and V70R cars. It would also be interesting to see what the new VEA engines are hiding in Volvo’s new line of engines…