Good Morning
Looking for a Disco for our company, any advice gratefully recieved on what problems to look for, sign of wear, common problems etc
Have been Offered a:
Diesel TD5 gs 5 seater, V reg 99/00
Mot until October 2011
Tax March 2011
'No leaks'
170,000 miles
FSH
all the info I have, anyone have a guide price (private sale)
note: Using this vehicle for towing trailer but will never do many miles really vehicle above has never been used for towing
Cheers
Nick
Hi Nick, I've had about 10 discos in the last 10 yrs and I can say hand on heart that they all turned out well, but all needed work to bring them up to a std that a non LR owner would expect.
Being handy with spanners is an important asset as is a knowledge of reliable and cost effective parts suppliers. All of which can be gleaned from the forums.
Discos are expensive to have serviced properly so most owners don't, irrespective of what the service book might imply. There are lots of preventative maintenance elements that just don't get done until it's too late and that's when reliability problems can come in.
Assuming the car in question is straight legal and no obvious running problems and at 170,000 I would have thought a figure no more than £2000 would be a fair price. Then allow another £1000 to get it in good working shape - assuming that is for parts and you do the work yourself.
Things to check:
1. Leaking sunroofs - VERY common issue. Look for stains on roof lining and upholstery;
2. Rear wash/wipe not working - usually requires a new motor at about £60
3. Rust on the rear of the chassis.
4. Leaks in the ACE system - expensive to repair and not easy.
5. Faulty or lazy door locks. Often a new lock is required. £50.
6. Noisy Dual Mass Flywheel on manual 'box cars - this is expensive to repair. Parts alone can be £500 so important to check.
7. Oil in the red ECU plug can cause rough running - replacement part about £30.
8. Faulty oil pump bolt can cause catastrophic engine damage so immediate replacement of this £1.50 part is well advised.
9. Engine overheat/pressurisation - early TD5's can blow their head gaskets and potentially warp heads. Look for signs of bubbling in the header tank and over pressurisation.
10. Mass Airflow Meter - these are known to fail and a new LR one will cost about £80. To check for good running go for a test drive and once you have the feel of the vehicle, stop the car and disconnect the electrical plug on the MAF and evaluate the drive. If there is no difference the MAF is cooked and needs replacing.
NB. Buy yourself one of the LR-dedicated diagnostic tools such as Nanocom or Hawkeye - it will save you money and bad diagnosis issues.
If you are not aware, LR aftermarket parts prices are very reasonable for example:
1. A front axle set of discs and pads -about £50. Rear set slightly less.
If you are going to be doing a fair bit of towing go for a quality towbar kit such as a Dixon Bate adjustable one - easy to fit and costs about £100. The electrics are separate LR part for about £40 and just plug straight in.
Please don't be alarmed about the issues listed above, your car may not have any of them, but it might?
Overall Disco TD5 is an excellent vehicle vehicle with a blend of comfort, utility, offroad ability and a large chunk a feel-good factor.
Hope that helps
Dave
