Best Discovery 3

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Bigplumbs

Member
Posts
51
Location
Suffolk, UK
Hello I have a Discovery 2 TD5 and an 09 Plate Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE.

I am seeing that the price of Discovery 3's is very good now and I like many others have had issues with my Disco 3. Air Suspension, EGR Valves, Engine System Fault etc and of course my Road Tax is £585.

I was wondering which is the best Disco 3 to buy. I see that the older 2005 ish ones are £385 tax and you can easily blank the EGR valves.

What is peoples opinion of which model and tear is the best and least hassle Disco 3

Thanks

Dennis
 
Best option for disco 3 is keep your disco td5:D but joking apart my son has been looking at disco 3 and they are cheaper than a good td5 here, there is no road tax here so that not a problem, I remember when I bought the td5 some 15 years ago not being sure if that was just too complicated and should I buy a disco 1, I will watch this thread with interest
 
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Ian M in France said:
Best option for disco 3 is keep your disco td5:D but joking apart my son has been looking at disco 3 and they are cheaper than a good td5 here, there is no road tax here so that not a problem, I remember when I bought the td5 some 15 years ago not being sure if that was just too complicated and should I buy a disco 1, I will watch this thread with interest
Click to expand...
Have no fear I will keep my TD5 but the extra pulling power (I tow Caravans and Boats) of the Disco 3 Is incredible and it is somewhat more refined over the TD5.

I am kind of thinking that a Disco 3 year 2005ish with Blanked off EGR Valves and converted to Spring Suspension (so no more air compressor issues), Keep an eye on and lubricate the gear shifter and indeed the Turbo actuator might be the way to go. Always of course keeping my TD5
 
Bigplumbs said:
Have no fear I will keep my TD5 but the extra pulling power (I tow Caravans and Boats) of the Disco 3 Is incredible and it is somewhat more refined over the TD5.

I am kind of thinking that a Disco 3 year 2005ish with Blanked off EGR Valves and converted to Spring Suspension (so no more air compressor issues), Keep an eye on and lubricate the gear shifter and indeed the Turbo actuator might be the way to go. Always of course keeping my TD5
Click to expand...

I wouldn't remove the EAS, as that's what makes the D3 so versatile, especially if being used for towing. It will also fail the MOT as there's no way to adjust the headlamps for different loads, and there are issues with warning lights on the dash. It's far better to keep the EAS in good maintained condition, which is all that's needed for a long life.

The EPB needs regular maintenance, or the module will strip it's gears.
EGR valves can be blanked.
The turbo actuator isn't generally a problem, as long as the engine is driven using the full rev range.

More of a issue is oil pump case failure, resulting in loss of tension of the front timing belt, which then jumps and bends valves.

Or of course there's the random crank failure, which the TDV6 is known for, which on an older D3, is terminal as far as the vehicle is concerned.
 
Like all discos, rust is going to be an issue sooner or later, so the older you go the more chance you have of rust, check inside inner sill, and under outside plastic sill covers, also rear arches as per d1.

Pre March 2006 is cheaper road tax, so late 55 and very early 06 plates are low tax.

The problem will come as you could be buying someone elses piece of crap that is well over 15 yrs old, as cars age people become more and more reluctant to spend money on them, putting off essential jobs etc.

I would say stick with what you have, saving 200 quid per year on road tax is nowt in the scheme of things, paying monthly is a good way to soften the blow.
 
Nodge68 said:
I wouldn't remove the EAS, as that's what makes the D3 so versatile, especially if being used for towing. It will also fail the MOT as there's no way to adjust the headlamps for different loads, and there are issues with warning lights on the dash. It's far better to keep the EAS in good maintained condition, which is all that's needed for a long life.

The EPB needs regular maintenance, or the module will strip it's gears.
EGR valves can be blanked.
The turbo actuator isn't generally a problem, as long as the engine is driven using the full rev range.

More of a issue is oil pump case failure, resulting in loss of tension of the front timing belt, which then jumps and bends valves.

Or of course there's the random crank failure, which the TDV6 is known for, which on an older D3, is terminal as far as the vehicle is concerned.
Click to expand...

So what does EAS and EPD Stand for
 
So EAS means the Air Suspension. I think you are incorrect about it not passing the MOT with this converted to Springs as there are loads of conversion kits on the market and I am certain that would not be the case if it would not pass the MOT. As for towing I have never ever felt the Need to do anything with my air suspension I just leave it in normal mode permanently as I suspect most people do.

As for the electronic parking break that is a terrible piece of kit. Gibe me a handle that you pull up all day long. People are inventing new things and comming up with far worse solutions than we had years ago
 
Bigplumbs said:
I think you are incorrect about it not passing the MOT with this converted to Springs as there are loads of conversion kits on the market and I am certain that would not be the case if it would not pass the MOT.
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Just because there are kits on the market, doesn't mean that having them installed on a vehicle, will enable it to pass the MOT.
I'd fail it for not being able to adjust the headlamps inside the cabin, and having warning light lit on the dash, both of which will fail the UK MOT test.

Anyway the D3/4 EAS is one of the best party pieces of the vehicle, so removing is seems a bit of a backwards step IMO, especially as it causes more issues than it solves.

The EPB is standard on the D3, so can't be converted to a manual parking brake.
 
Nodge68 said:
Just because there are kits on the market, doesn't mean that having them installed on a vehicle, will enable it to pass the MOT.
I'd fail it for not being able to adjust the headlamps inside the cabin, and having warning light lit on the dash, both of which will fail the UK MOT test.

Anyway the D3/4 EAS is one of the best party pieces of the vehicle, so removing is seems a bit of a backwards step IMO, especially as it causes more issues than it solves.

The EPB is standard on the D3, so can't be converted to a manual parking brake.
Click to expand...
You might fail it but I is good that there are some MOT places that are more sensible.

So perhaps back to the original question of My post which if you read above you will see..... Always good to answer the question that was asked
 
Bigplumbs said:
I disagree
Click to expand...

But why?
For instance how are you going to implement headlamp adjustment from the driver's seat? This is an MOT requirement, which should result in a fail, if the lamps can't be adjusted from the driver's seat.

Also how are you going to stop the computers illuminating warning lamps, when the expected conditions aren't met? , as would be the case when the EAS is removed.
 
Nodge68 said:
But why?
For instance how are you going to implement headlamp adjustment from the driver's seat? This is an MOT requirement, which should result in a fail, if the lamps can't be adjusted from the driver's seat.

Also how are you going to stop the computers illuminating warning lamps, when the expected conditions aren't met? , as would be the case when the EAS is removed.
Click to expand...

Well all you need is an MOT Inspector that is not a Jobsworth.

Here it is being done

 
Now after that little argument I am only interested in answers to my Original question which was what do people think was the best D3. Model and year etc
 
Nodge68 said:
If the MOT tester is keeping unsafe and potentially dangerous vehicles off the road, then he's not a jobsworth, as that's his job.
Click to expand...

But they aren't unsafe or Potentially Dangerous now are they and that is precisely what would make such a person a jobsworth........ Which I suspect is a category that you might fit into.

Any chance you could answer the original question or are you also not capable of that
 
Bigplumbs said:
But they aren't unsafe or Potentially Dangerous now are they
Click to expand...
So blinding drivers coming in the opposite direction isn't dangerous? That's exactly the type of driver who should have their licence taken away. :mad:
Bigplumbs said:
and that is precisely what would make such a person a jobsworth........
Click to expand...
No. If the vehicle is clearly unsafe to other road users, it should be removed from the road, and the driver fined or banned.
Bigplumbs said:
Which I suspect is a category that you might fit into.
Click to expand...
Not at all, but 35 years of time served automotive engineering experience says it's potential unsafe. An unsafe vehicle is an unsafe vehicle, regardless of what the owner /operator or some video on the internet said.
Bigplumbs said:
Any chance you could answer the original question or are you also not capable of that
Click to expand...
I did on post 16.
 
I cant see coils failing the mot, people have been doing it to D2 for years?

As for headlamps you cannot adjust them in the cabin anyway if they are HID, the air suspsenion does the adjusting, which is mad as some of the posher headlamps are adaptive, and can turn corners adjust up and down, yet the driver has no influence on what they do.

The EPB is just fine if people service it, which just means strip/clean and grease, but people ignore it, then they bitch about it!

I remember reading several times on the D3 forum that poeple reckoned the 06 models were the best cars at the time.
 
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