Disco II - Buyer Beware? :)

Hello All,
My first post here and I guess there are not too many members here from Sweden?

I have owned 4 Landrovers previously, 2 Freelanders and 2 Discovery III's. I loved all 4 and never regretted buying them. I am currently driving a different SUV (Touareg) and will be selling it soon and want to pick up a Disco II.
The reason being that I will be buying my wife a larger family car and I still want to have a good reliable SUV but will have limited cash to spend after the missus gets her new wheels.
All in all I will have about 50-60.000 Sek (about £5-6000) to spend.

My needs are:
1. 7 seats is preferable as I have 4 kids, all of whom are still in baby seats/booster seats.
2. Model year 1999-2004 (facelift Disco II is preferable, it looks great)
3. TD5 engine (Petrol is too expensive here and a V8 is not economical for me)


I have never owned a Disco II before and looking on the Swedish market I have limited choice. You can look yourself here if you like. Most of them have up between 200k-300k Kms (125-190k miles).

What should I look for with regards to:
*Recalls, warranties, service items etc..?
*Common issues with regards to the TD5 block
*What mileage is acceptable for these great vehicles? How much is too much?
*Air suspension or steel suspension?
*What is typical MPG for the 2.5 TD5?

Any suggestions or advice you can give would be much appreciated. I look forward to becoming a regular poster in the next month or so when I pick up my Disco!

Thanks

Red.

redking said:

Hello All,
My first post here and I guess there are not too many members here from Sweden?

I have owned 4 Landrovers previously, 2 Freelanders and 2 Discovery III's. I loved all 4 and never regretted buying them. I am currently driving a different SUV (Touareg) and will be selling it soon and want to pick up a Disco II.
The reason being that I will be buying my wife a larger family car and I still want to have a good reliable SUV but will have limited cash to spend after the missus gets her new wheels.
All in all I will have about 50-60.000 Sek (about £5-6000) to spend.

My needs are:
1. 7 seats is preferable as I have 4 kids, all of whom are still in baby seats/booster seats.
2. Model year 1999-2004 (facelift Disco II is preferable, it looks great)
3. TD5 engine (Petrol is too expensive here and a V8 is not economical for me)


I have never owned a Disco II before and looking on the Swedish market I have limited choice. You can look yourself here if you like. Most of them have up between 200k-300k Kms (125-190k miles).

What should I look for with regards to:
*Recalls, warranties, service items etc..?
*Common issues with regards to the TD5 block
*What mileage is acceptable for these great vehicles? How much is too much?
*Air suspension or steel suspension?
*What is typical MPG for the 2.5 TD5?

Any suggestions or advice you can give would be much appreciated. I look forward to becoming a regular poster in the next month or so when I pick up my Disco!

Thanks

Red.

Click to expand...

The first thing I would ask is are you handy with tools? All Land Rovers benefit hugely from having DIY owners who apply preventative maintenance approaches to their vehicles.

Moving onto specifics: for £6000 you should be able to find yourself a very nice DII facelift TD5.

Mileage: a well maintained TD5 engine will have no problems reaching 300,000mls and beyond before major works. Mechanically they are very strong in engine and gearboxes - subject to regular maintenance.

I know of no particular recalls or problem years, but facelift cars are generally that bit better built imo.

Things to look out for:

1. Oil in the ECU red plug. This can cause poor running and is caused by the injector loom seals wearing - £25 to replace.

2. Vibration at approx 100kph - this can be caused by the UJ's in the Hookes Joint on the front prop shaft being worn. This is due to a lack of grease nipples - replace with new U/j's with grease nipples. Easy job and costs about £50 for parts.

3. "The three Amigos" - this is the name for a regular problem where the ABS, Traction Control and Hill Descent come on simultaneously. Causes are many but often shuttle valve or wheel bearing issues. Well documented problem.

4. Rust in the rear section of the chassis - this is probably the single most important thing to avoid. However now that galvanised chassis are available (£2000) for these vehicles it is fully resolvable.

5. Manual or autobox? Manuals need clutch replacements from time to time but they have a Dual Mass Flywheel which bumps up the costs - new full kit perhaps £500. Auto's benefit significantly from an Ashcroft Engineering modified Torque Converter being fitted. If you find a car with one fitted
it's a great advantage as the engine power is more efficiently transferred through the gearbox to the road.

6. When you buy a DII TD5, the first thing I would advise you to do - irrespective of service history - is to go through it from front to back; replacing all fluids, belts, filters, brake discs and pads etc.In doing this you will avoid lots of niggling issues and find out EXACTLY what condition your new vehicle is in!!!

7. After initial purchase, ensure you have at least £1000 left as contingency.

8. Air suspension has real advantages imo and is excellent if properly maintained - notice a theme here?

Generally speaking the springtime is a good period for buying Discoveries, so book your flight soon. Buy from a private seller as you won't benefit from a dealer guarantee package will you?

Here's a few on Ebay.co.uk to start your ball rolling:

land rover discovery td5 in Cars | eBay


ES spec is the top one and gives a very comfortable car. The 7 seaters are all forward-facing seats (unlike the older TDi versions) and make excellent family cars.

MPG/ltrs per 100kms: As you can imagine this varies wildly dependant on driving style, environment, maintenance levels, gearbox type etc but a reasonable average would be between 25-30mpg or 10-12ltrs/100kms.

Hope that helps, the best of luck in your search

Dave


PS Get yourself a diagnostic tool such as Nano Evo or Hawkeye - gives capabilities similar to an LR Dealer for about £300

Hi Dave,
Many thanks for the reply and detailed information. Very much appreciated!

thebiglad said:

The first thing I would ask is are you handy with tools? All Land Rovers benefit hugely from having DIY owners who apply preventative maintenance approaches to their vehicles.

Moving onto specifics: for £6000 you should be able to find yourself a very nice DII facelift TD5.

Mileage: a well maintained TD5 engine will have no problems reaching 300,000mls and beyond before major works. Mechanically they are very strong in engine and gearboxes - subject to regular maintenance.

I know of no particular recalls or problem years, but facelift cars are generally that bit better built imo.

Click to expand...

I do all of my own Preventative Maintenance on all my vehicles (car, SUV, Tracktor & motorbike). I am not a professional mechanic but know one end of the wrench from the other. Also have access to a hydraulic lift and workshop if needed.
I use diagnostics tools for my VW and also my bike. I will def invest in same for the Disco.
Good to know about the mileage and recalls, thanks for the confirmation!

thebiglad said:

Things to look out for:

1. Oil in the ECU red plug. This can cause poor running and is caused by the injector loom seals wearing - £25 to replace.

2. Vibration at approx 100kph - this can be caused by the UJ's in the Hookes Joint on the front prop shaft being worn. This is due to a lack of grease nipples - replace with new U/j's with grease nipples. Easy job and costs about £50 for parts.

3. "The three Amigos" - this is the name for a regular problem where the ABS, Traction Control and Hill Descent come on simultaneously. Causes are many but often shuttle valve or wheel bearing issues. Well documented problem.

4. Rust in the rear section of the chassis - this is probably the single most important thing to avoid. However now that galvanised chassis are available (£2000) for these vehicles it is fully resolvable.

5. Manual or autobox? Manuals need clutch replacements from time to time but they have a Dual Mass Flywheel which bumps up the costs - new full kit perhaps £500. Auto's benefit significantly from an Ashcroft Engineering modified Torque Converter being fitted. If you find a car with one fitted
it's a great advantage as the engine power is more efficiently transferred through the gearbox to the road.

6. When you buy a DII TD5, the first thing I would advise you to do - irrespective of service history - is to go through it from front to back; replacing all fluids, belts, filters, brake discs and pads etc.In doing this you will avoid lots of niggling issues and find out EXACTLY what condition your new vehicle is in!!!

7. After initial purchase, ensure you have at least £1000 left as contingency.

8. Air suspension has real advantages imo and is excellent if properly maintained - notice a theme here?

Click to expand...

All excellent advice. Most of the motors I see here in Sweden (and Germany) are automatics and this is more than likely what I will end up getting. Is the tranny oil a 'for-life' oil or what is the service interval for change? Also, any know issues with the auto-tranny I should know about?

thebiglad said:

Generally speaking the springtime is a good period for buying Discoveries, so book your flight soon. Buy from a private seller as you won't benefit from a dealer guarantee package will you?

ES spec is the top one and gives a very comfortable car. The 7 seaters are all forward-facing seats (unlike the older TDi versions) and make excellent family cars.

MPG/ltrs per 100kms: As you can imagine this varies wildly dependant on driving style, environment, maintenance levels, gearbox type etc but a reasonable average would be between 25-30mpg or 10-12ltrs/100kms.

Click to expand...

I will be buying in either Sweden (where I live) or more likely in Germany and import here. The Euro has dropped against the Sek so I save up to 20% ! Also, the German Disco's generally have much better service history and easier mileage (autobahn).

The MPG is what I was expecting and I can live with that. Has anyone every re-mapped a TD5 engine? (not chipped, but ECU map) I got an extra 55hp and 90Nm from my 3.0TDV6 engine with a remap and would be interested in doing the same with the 2.5TD5 block too.

A couple more queries for you guys:
1. I live in Northern Europe (about 200 miles South of the Polar Circle) and get temps as low as -30C here. In fact has -28.5C this morning on the way to work. All diesel cars here are fitted with a Webasto (diesel burner)motor block heater as standard. Does the Disco come as standard with something similar? If not, what type of block heater would you recommend?
2. By law, we have to use Winter tyres here for 5 months of the year. I will plan to purchase a second set of wheels with studded tyres. Where is the best place to purchase Landy wheels (new or 2nd hand)?

Thanks again

Red.

Thanks again!

redking said:

Hi Dave,
Many thanks for the reply and detailed information. Very much appreciated!

All excellent advice. Most of the motors I see here in Sweden (and Germany) are automatics and this is more than likely what I will end up getting. Is the tranny oil a 'for-life' oil or what is the service interval for change? Also, any know issues with the auto-tranny I should know about?

Click to expand...

tHE AUTO BOX NEEDS OIL AND FILTER CHANGES every 40,000mls to keep it in tiptop order. It's an easy job, just need to use the correct re-fill procedure. The only other thing is the Torque Converter which I already mentioned. More info available if you need it.

redking said:

I will be buying in either Sweden (where I live) or more likely in Germany and import here. The Euro has dropped against the Sek so I save up to 20% ! Also, the German Disco's generally have much better service history and easier mileage (autobahn).

The MPG is what I was expecting and I can live with that. Has anyone every re-mapped a TD5 engine? (not chipped, but ECU map) I got an extra 55hp and 90Nm from my 3.0TDV6 engine with a remap and would be interested in doing the same with the 2.5TD5 block too.

Click to expand...

It is a VERY popular thing to remap the TD5 engine - as std it is 136 but quite easy to get it up to 180 with remap and new intercooler.

redking said:

A couple more queries for you guys:
1. I live in Northern Europe (about 200 miles South of the Polar Circle) and get temps as low as -30C here. In fact has -28.5C this morning on the way to work. All diesel cars here are fitted with a Webasto (diesel burner)motor block heater as standard. Does the Disco come as standard with something similar? If not, what type of block heater would you recommend? Not std but Webasto is the one to go for.
2. By law, we have to use Winter tyres here for 5 months of the year. I will plan to purchase a second set of wheels with studded tyres. Where is the best place to purchase Landy wheels (new or 2nd hand)? Paddock Spares or Ebay

Thanks again

Red.

Thanks again!

Click to expand...

Thanks again Dave!

Final question (I have been reading more on the forum here during lunch ). I see a lot of negative comments about rust issues. Is this also an issue on the D2 model or was it primarily a D1 issue?
Where are the most common areas on the vehicle that I need to search?

Much appreciative of the support!

Red

redking said:

Thanks again Dave!

Final question (I have been reading more on the forum here during lunch ). I see a lot of negative comments about rust issues. Is this also an issue on the D2 model or was it primarily a D1 issue?
Where are the most common areas on the vehicle that I need to search?

Much appreciative of the support!

Red

Click to expand...

Both can have rust issues just in different places.
D1 the whole body can rust but the chassis tends to be pretty solid.

And with a D2 you need to look out for rust on the rear of the chassis. If you can find one thats been waxoiled regularly it probably wont be a problem but still advisable to have a good poke round with a screwdriver to make sure.

Rust seems to be much less of a problem on D2 models than the previous ones. The bodywork in particular generally wears very well and even early ones are cosmetically good. Going for a facelift one would make sense, they incorporated quite a few small changes that improved things.

The main area for concern for rust is the frame at the rear. If you find one you like, be sure to get down and have a poke about under the back. Surface rust is likely on all, but ensure there's nothing more than that.

Many vehicles have ACE (active cornering enhancement) and rear air suspension. Both are good and worth having, but do bring with them concerns that at some point they will fail and need repaired, which will involve time and money. It's a personal thing if you want them or not, whether you want the refinement they bring or the increased reliability models without them bring.

Good luck in your search.

redking said:

Thanks again Dave!

Final question (I have been reading more on the forum here during lunch ). I see a lot of negative comments about rust issues. Is this also an issue on the D2 model or was it primarily a D1 issue?
Where are the most common areas on the vehicle that I need to search?

Much appreciative of the support!

Red

Click to expand...

Hi Red, as others have said, Di's had real rust problems all over the body, but chassis's weren't bad.

DII's only really have one major rust area and that is the rear end of the chassis. I've had perhaps 5 DII's and none had this problem - but it is a know possibility.

Dave

Great, thanks guys. I found one that seems to be really good for the money in Germany, your feedback on what you think would be good. They want about €6750 (circa £5500) for it. May be able to haggle either a few hundred reduction or some extra swag

There are some good detailed pics and the interior seems in really good condition.

I still have to sell my Touareg and it is actually booked in for a repair job with the dealer next week. (It is a job I cannot do myself as my insurance covers the cost - replacement of the valve chest body on the auto-tran)
Once that is sold hopefully in the next month or so I will start expanding my search. Luckily I work in Germany at least once a month and have contacts there who can help with the export process and paperwork.


//Red

lycka till

4x4jack said:

lycka till

Click to expand...

Är du svensk?

redking said:

Är du svensk?

Click to expand...

Nei, Ja jestem Pongol

redking said:

Great, thanks guys. I found one that seems to be really good for the money in Germany, your feedback on what you think would be good. They want about €6750 (circa £5500) for it. May be able to haggle either a few hundred reduction or some extra swag

There are some good detailed pics and the interior seems in really good condition.

//Red

Click to expand...

Hi Red, tried to have a look but it's already gone.

Dave

redking said:

Är du svensk?

Click to expand...

Inte bara genom att använda en översättare (I think thats correct ha ha)

Hi Dave,
yeah not sure what happened there?

Try this one instead;
HAMMER- AUTOMOBILE in Garbsen/ Hannover - Freier Händler-ABG

//Red

4x4jack said:

inte bara genom att använda en översättare (i think thats correct ha ha)

Click to expand...

:d

redking said:

Hi Dave,
yeah not sure what happened there?

Try this one instead;
HAMMER- AUTOMOBILE in Garbsen/ Hannover - Freier Händler-ABG

//Red

Click to expand...

That's a nice looking example but with a strange specification?? No roof bars or sunroof but leather seats?

There is a mark on the rear wing drivers side, couldn't work out if it's damage or a sticker?

Dave

thebiglad said:

That's a nice looking example but with a strange specification?? No roof bars or sunroof but leather seats?

There is a mark on the rear wing drivers side, couldn't work out if it's damage or a sticker?

Dave

Click to expand...

It has a sunroof, (two). The mark is a sticker of a palm-tree or something similar. it is advertised as an ES model.
Thanks for the heads-up on the roof-bars, I didn't notice that myself. I sent them a mail earlier to see if they can arrange the export process ( a lot of paper work incl. special export reg plates). if they are willing to help then I can start talking money with them assuming there are no faults with the car that they have not disclosed.
I am hoping they can throw in another set of wheels or tyres in the deal. it is not unheard of in Germany and is standard practice here in Sweden due to the Winter laws.
Can the Disco 2's take an 18" or 19" wheel? If so, would I need spacers for the offset if a wider tyre was fitted? I assume the wheel bearings are designed for a specific load for a 16-17" as standard?

//Red.

redking said:

It has a sunroof, (two). The mark is a sticker of a palm-tree or something similar. it is advertised as an ES model.
Thanks for the heads-up on the roof-bars, I didn't notice that myself. I sent them a mail earlier to see if they can arrange the export process ( a lot of paper work incl. special export reg plates). if they are willing to help then I can start talking money with them assuming there are no faults with the car that they have not disclosed.
I am hoping they can throw in another set of wheels or tyres in the deal. it is not unheard of in Germany and is standard practice here in Sweden due to the Winter laws.
Can the Disco 2's take an 18" or 19" wheel? If so, would I need spacers for the offset if a wider tyre was fitted? I assume the wheel bearings are designed for a specific load for a 16-17" as standard?

//Red.

Click to expand...

Hi Red, std fitment wheels on this vehicle are 16" & 18". Std tyres are 255/65/16 or 255/55/18. No spacers needed for these sizes.

As you obviously realise if you install wider than std tyres you increase the effective 'offset' therefore putting more strain on the wheel-bearings.

Dave


PS If it's a real ES then it should have roof bars and electric seats - something not quite right there.

Hi Dave,
Thanks for the info! 255 is plenty wide on an 18" set. Do you know offhand what the nav-hole (center hole?) size is? I think it is ET45 and the bolt-circle pattern looks to be a 120*5?
Will start a search and see what I can come up with. The 16" set on the Disco are perfect for studded winter tyres and I would like an 18" set for the Summer/Spring seasons.

//Red.