Thinking of getting a newer Disco

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Disco Magic

Active Member
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137
Have been looking around the net at what's available for about £8k. Seems to be quite a choice but I know very little about TD5 D2's.

I'm ploughing through all the info I can find but any advice as to the best bang for buck appreciated.

Are ACE and/or SLS worth having or better avoided?

Would a 7 year old, 80k to 90k miles, D2 with SLS, on average have had or be needing new air springs?

I never want another car without a/c or climate control so that's a must. Any major unreliability factors here?

Any pointers gratefully received.
 
Disco Magic said:
Have been looking around the net at what's available for about £8k. Seems to be quite a choice but I know very little about TD5 D2's.

I'm ploughing through all the info I can find but any advice as to the best bang for buck appreciated.

Are ACE and/or SLS worth having or better avoided?

Would a 7 year old, 80k to 90k miles, D2 with SLS, on average have had or be needing new air springs?

I never want another car without a/c or climate control so that's a must. Any major unreliability factors here?



Any pointers gratefully received.
Click to expand...
With that sort of budget you should be able to get yourself a very nice 2003/4 ES.

Re the air springs questions - how can anyone possibly answer that and does it matter? They cost £150 the pair and are a very easy job.

Re "known issues":

1. there's the oil in the injector loom - £30 part plus 1 hour;

2. Leaky sunroofs - well it is an LR;

3. The "three amigo's"

4. The flashing "s & m" lights for the auto gearbox;

5. Fuel leaking into the sump;

6. Leaking fuel pressure regulator;

7. De-EGR & De-Cat;

8. Rusty chassis - not usually body.


They are excellent cars just like Disco 1, but a much more refined and better built car, but at least as competant offroad.

To put it another way - I will not be buying any more D1's, it's D2 for me all the way. I suspect in times to come D2 will be seen as the best ever Discovery.

Cheers
Dave
 
Gotta agree with above. I have driven many D1s. I didnt buy one because I didnt like the ride or road manners. Tried a D2 with ACE/SLS. Had to have one. The ride is good, the top heavy "wallow" has gone. It just sits better on the road. The only thing I would knock it for is the poor air con. It would probably be ok for UK but down here we hit 45o on a bad day, and the system struggles. I have had it serviced, regassed, etc and the tech guy reckons it just the landrover system and you will never get a vent temp below 12o. My girlfriend has a poxey little Peugot that even in extream heat blows ice cold. Mine cant match that.
 
Get a D2, it's the best car you'll ever own. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry.

The 3 things that have helped me live with my TD5 are a decent socket set, AT tyres and membership of this forum (even the grumpy senior members help sometimes!!!!!) LOL.

As thebiglad says, there are a list of things to fix/wait for to break but that's all part of the privilage of LR ownership.

Welcome to our world!!
 
All of the above, had mine(52 plate DII) for 6 yrs & love it, fuel pump went @72k & airbags after 6 years. I am just planning a European tour next year, so decided to get the Air-con fixed,don't need it in N.Scotland, only to find the Air-con electric fan was siezed. So check that also.
 
Bizzarly, your better of buying one with 80 plus K on it !

I got mine at 60 K and in that time I,ve pretty much had all the " common " failures up to 80 K.

Funny thing is, I dont resent the car for having to spend this money on it, I just see it that these things are not likely to go wrong again for many miles.

At the risk of repeating myself, I still, in the 2 and half years of having the vehicle, hav,nt spent as much on repairs as the cost of one replacement turbo on a VW van !

And I,ll say again, Disco ownwership will be hard going, financially, if you dont know an imperial adjustable from a metric one.

Great cars.

Del.
 
50 pence said:
Bizzarly, your better of buying one with 80 plus K on it !

I got mine at 60 K and in that time I,ve pretty much had all the " common " failures up to 80 K.

Funny thing is, I dont resent the car for having to spend this money on it, I just see it that these things are not likely to go wrong again for many miles.

How true !!! especially not resenting the car, makes you love it all the more. I got mine with 56k on it. now has 76k, new fuel regulator, Clutch, Injector harness, steering box(old one leaking), Air springs etc. Any other car would be gone by now, but fully intend on keeping this one for the long haul.
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Meego, mines exactly the same as yours apart from the air bags/sensors, but I,m not going to be suprised when they go.!

Ive done,

Steering box 85k,
FPR 65k,
Chaffed fuel lines 75k,
Clutch slave 70k,
Clutch master 85k,
Fuel pump 75k,
Injector harness 80k,
Front and rear shocks 80k,
Clutch switch 85k,


Del.
 
meego said:
50 pence said:
Bizzarly, your better of buying one with 80 plus K on it !

I got mine at 60 K and in that time I,ve pretty much had all the " common " failures up to 80 K.

Funny thing is, I dont resent the car for having to spend this money on it, I just see it that these things are not likely to go wrong again for many miles.

How true !!! especially not resenting the car, makes you love it all the more. I got mine with 56k on it. now has 76k, new fuel regulator, Clutch, Injector harness, steering box(old one leaking), Air springs etc. Any other car would be gone by now, but fully intend on keeping this one for the long haul.
Click to expand...



I can only agree, every car i have had with low milage has cost me where all the higher milage ones have been great.
My 03 disco had 98k on the clock when i got it in febuary this year and it came with main dealer recipts for all the common problems listed plus some. Its a great car and very comfortable to drive but for anyone looking to get one allow some cash free for a hawkeye or nanocom.
Mark
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squizzel said:
meego said:
I can only agree, every car i have had with low milage has cost me where all the higher milage ones have been great.
My 03 disco had 98k on the clock when i got it in febuary this year and it came with main dealer recipts for all the common problems listed plus some. Its a great car and very comfortable to drive but for anyone looking to get one allow some cash free for a hawkeye or nanocom.
Mark
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Theres always money to spend on these cars, and it seems that the last thing you want to do is spend more on a diagnostics machine.

BUT, having one of these will make DIY maintenance of the Disco sooooo much easier.

Bolting on and off clearly failed componenets is pretty straight forward, but the time WLL come when the reason for a fault will not be obvious, and this is where these tools come into their own.

My car started black smoking a bit, and I,m thinking, MAF, turbo hoses, air filter, oil in the loom, re-map, the list is endless. ( and I have read, time after time, on the internet of people replacing parts like this to no avail ).

Plugged in my newly aquired HawkEye, and " BOSH " injector fault.

Del.
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My D1 has been pretty reliable all things considered although having driven LR's all my driving life including a Series IIa 88" a Series III 109" and a 110 Defender before the Disco, I know the tribulations as well as the joys. My Dad also had a P38 before he died.

The D1 has done 95k miles (I bought it with 9K on the clock) is de egr'd and apart from a clutch, radiator and general service maintenance and minor repairs she's been stellar up till now (apart from a few knocks and shunts).

I have another thread going about finding a coolant leak which is keeping her off the road at present. Also she's wallowing a bit more than normal so I need to look at that once the leak is sorted and there's some brake judder under heavy braking so might need new front discs.

I'm thinking of shifting the Freelander after it has a new VCU this week (just hope the IRD is OK), keeping the D1 and getting a decent D2.

Will definitely get a Hawkeye to go with a D2. Always nice to know what I'm talking about even if the fix is beyond my capabilities. Fortunately I have a couple of good independent LR specialists within 30 mins drive for such occasions.
 
Peeps around me are trying to talk me out of a TD5 but having had the 300tdi for nearly 11 years I know I want another Disco. I'm happy to do what I can to keep costs down but anything major I would need to concede to lack of ability.

I've been fed tales of water pumps, steering boxes/pumps, "multiple" new injector looms on same vehicle and god knows what else at bank busting expense but I still like 'em.

Two on Autotrader winking at me at the moment:

2003 LAND ROVER Discovery 2.5 Td5 ES

2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 2.5 Td5 ES 5 Seat 5dr Diesel Sw

I prefer manual boxes and although not essential quite fancy the full leather of an ES.

Am I right that ACE and SLS would be standard on an ES?

What extra is on an ES Premium other than SatNav?

Without having a sales brochure to hand it's difficult working out the full spec, anyone have a link to one online?

I've seen some nice GS's too but apart from half leather/suede, colour bumpers and dash trim I don't know what else is different.
 
Last edited:
Disco Magic said:
Peeps around me are trying to talk me out of a TD5 but having had the 300tdi for nearly 11 years I know I want another Disco. I'm happy to do what I can to keep costs down but anything major I would need to concede to lack of ability.

I've been fed tales of water pumps, steering boxes/pumps, "multiple" new injector looms on same vehicle and god knows what else at bank busting expense but I still like 'em.

Two on Autotrader winking at me at the moment:

2003 LAND ROVER Discovery 2.5 Td5 ES

2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 2.5 Td5 ES 5 Seat 5dr Diesel Sw

I prefer manual boxes and although not essential quite fancy the full leather of an ES.

Am I right that ACE and SLS would be standard on an ES?

What extra is on an ES Premium other than SatNav?

Without having a sales brochure to hand it's difficult working out the full spec, anyone have a link to one online?

I've seen some nice GS's too but apart from half leather/suede, colour bumpers and dash trim I don't know what else is different.
Click to expand...

Hi mate, the range of Disco II starts with E, then S, then GS, then XS (part leather) then finally ES (full leather).

GS is fairly low-spec as std, but buyers often put on some options.

If you can find a good ES you'll enjoy it immensely, I know I did mine.

ACE will be on pretty much all the TD5's you look at, SLS is always on the 7 seaters and often of high spec 5 seaters.

Good luck and don't pay too much

Dave
 
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I have recently acquired a 1999 TD5 ES with ACE and SLS. Fantastic vehicle - especially roadholding, rather a heavy clutch but that can be sorted.
All thing considered, it is a lot of car for the money - masses of kit, electric and heated everything, extremely refined engine and generally very quiet.
I think once you accept that these vehicles are first - complex and highly developed machines with inherent foibles and are a car second; then you can appreciate them for what they are.
Membership and use of this forum is essential unless you are a member of the landed gentry and have a man to take care of all that for you :).
All the best, Will.
 
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