300 tdi discovery

hi all
have just killed my freelander
going to look at a discovery 300tdi
not big money only £1500ish
1995 120000 miles full service history
full years mot(n.ireland mot quite hard)
is there any common faults i should be looking for
grateful for any help
barry

rust
rust
oh - and more rust

floor, seat belt mountings, inner wings

cheers thank you
looks ok on a screen lol
should i have any issues with a 120000 engine or should i save and get a fresher 1...was going to trade my freelander in but it died a sudden and painful death last week
so money a bit tight

that millage is nothing provided its been serviced properly the more important issue is the rusting as mad hat man said ..........
just check every where and the boot floor common place for rusting and inside rear doors on wheel arches and rear chassis cross member

thanks again for your help
going to have a look monday
Land Rover Discovery 300TDI on eBay, also, Land Rover Range Rover, Cars, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 29-Mar-08 14:58:29 GMT)

I see this has a full dealer history which I would say is quite rare for a car of this age. Most would be serviced DIY or in local garages. If Hursts have serviced it you could ring up with the reg and check out the work that has been done. The mileage is fine for a 1995 car.

LRO do a Discovery 1 buyers guide for a fiver that they will email to you. I got this when I was looking for a disco and found it very useful.

Cheers

Andy

thanks andy thats great
blew money on a freelander last year and dont want to end up that way again
nor do i want to spend a lot of money only do about 2000 miles towing caravan

does the 300 tdi have a timing belt if so how often does it need replaced

barlee07 said:

does the 300 tdi have a timing belt if so how often does it need replaced

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Yep, it should be at least on it's second one at 120k

barlee07 said:

does the 300 tdi have a timing belt if so how often does it need replaced

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Hi barlee, it looks like a nice genuine car. It does have a timing belt, which should be changed according to the book every 60000 mls or 4 yrs, but most owners does it sooner. They would also change the tensioner & idler at the same time.

What to look for: rust, leaks water & oil & drive quality:

1. Rust -
a, under the boot carpet and rubber mat have good look in several places. It's a little awkward to get the carpet up but you really should look there. Repairable. Done one myself, total cost £110 approx.

b, rear wheel arches - looking from the outside, rear passenger door (not back door), where the lock latch is, very common to have rust. Repairable - cost diy, £40 approx plus paint.

c, Outer & inner sills - this is a structural component so important and MOT-able. If these are gone, this is serious. Have a real good look - expensive to repair unless you are very skilled with welding (not me!!)

d, Inner front wings, engine bay - look in the corners, there WILL be rust to one level or another. If only a bit, scrape & Hammerite, if there are holes, repairable repair panels about £50 each.

2. Leaks - water and oil. -

a, Talking of water I'm mainly referring to rainwater getting in by just about every bit of glass on the car. Front windscreen, sunroof/s, rear side windows, Alpine roof windows. These last leaks are often the cause of rotted boot floors - if the carpets are wet you've got leaks. Generally straightforward to resolve.

b, Talking of oil - everywhere there is oil on a Landy there is potential for a leak. All are repairable. Powered steering box & pump, camshaft cover, engine block breather, gearbox, transfer box and swivels.

3. Drive quality -

a, Engine should pull positively (not fast !!) with little or no smoke, should rev freely to 4000rpm (when its yours you won't need to go above 2500rpm, but you need to know she's healthy)

b, Gears should change easily with no undue crunch or noise, ditto for Transfer box. Check that the Difflock appears to work (lights up).

c, The car should track straight and true, should not feel boat-like and should not wander. If it does any of these, it indicates wear in bearings, bushes, balljoints or suspension. All repairable at reasonable prices as spare parts are cheap from good suppliers.

d, Brakes should do what brakes should do.

General points:

Check the air filter, if it looks like a bag of ****e, it a, will affect drive quality and economy and b, indicates thoroughness of servicing.

Can't think of anything else just right now but do have a good poke around before parting with cash - then buy, enjoy, play & REPAIR

You'll be lucky to get that one for £1500 it looks quite good and he's STARTING bidding at £1500 be quick mate .

cossiedreamer said:

You'll be lucky to get that one for £1500 it looks quite good and he's STARTING bidding at £1500 be quick mate .

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hi all went to look at it
what a pile of sh1t
cound not believe the state of it go check it out looks the part
every panel has corroision bubble paint
service book later years all had written
cant believe he states let down by a timewaster he the 1 wasting peoples time
Land Rover Discovery 300TDI on eBay, also, Land Rover Range Rover, Cars, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 29-Mar-08 14:58:29 GMT)

barlee07 said:

hi all went to look at it
what a pile of sh1t
cound not believe the state of it go check it out looks the part
every panel has corroision bubble paint
service book later years all had written
cant believe he states let down by a timewaster he the 1 wasting peoples time
Land Rover Discovery 300TDI on eBay, also, Land Rover Range Rover, Cars, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 29-Mar-08 14:58:29 GMT)

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Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that barlee07, but not entirely surprised. You now know what to look for, so just keep on looking til you find a good 'un. Don't buy something your not happy with - you'll just keep beating yerself up afterwards.

Good luck
Dave