Hello, Im Mark, and yes, I am a Land Rover owner, I simply couldn't help myself!
Been driving for many years, 30+, but first time LR owner.
I chose the D2 commercial because it ticked a few boxes:
DIY Repairable
No Benefit in Kind (run as company car) the V5 states its a "light goods vehicle"
I needed a van for work but also a decent car that wouldn't look bad in front of potential customers
Needed a good towing vehicle
Mine was a two owner car, did approx 148K miles as a lease car with Thames Water, so good service history. Last two years in private ownership but fairly well cared for.
Good body, chassis ok, rusty rear (common), but not serious.
Ive cribbed quite a bit of info from this site and others, most important info being about starting issues!
It stopped three times in heavy traffic two weeks ago, once on lane 3 of the M5, had to use the starter motor to get to the hard shoulder (not done that since I had a Mini), fuel purge got it going again.
So conclusion was injector seals, I was planning on doing a full service anyway, so I bought all the fluids, filters, drain plugs (to replace plastic ones), cam cover seal.
Spent a nice day doing the work, took my time with the seals, its not difficult, Discovery2.co.uk site is great for step by step guides, also id downloaded all the official manuals before, the LR online parts guide is quite good, I had to buy the gearbox oil from an indy place I was passing in Cheltenham. LR main dealers are pretty clueless and stock less!
Oil had been pouring out the back and front of the cam cover, the seal had been twisted last time it was off, new seal fixed that.
I did the heater plugs as well, right PITA to get out, but ok to install, remembering the golden rule with alloy heads, use your fingers first then a ratchet spanner
Oil change after the injector seals were done/fuel filter changed, then five min auto purge, then...started first turn! Has done so ever since.
BTW, mine doesn't have, A/C or ACE (don't miss either!) so its possible to turn the engine over using the big viscous fan spanner and gently push down on the drive belt between the two idler pulleys to get a bit more tension on the belt, with the heater plugs out the engine will turn over easily.
Next gearbox oil, I suspected that the wrong oil had been used before, because it was VERY difficult to change to 2nd and other gears sometimes, when I drained it it smelt like roast beef!
Then filled oil MTF 94 from LR, the difference? Chalk n Cheese, Night n Day! Now changes gear even when cold using just two fingers on the gear lever.
If anyone has gear shift issues, do the oil first!
Other things Ive done, re-instated the cruise control, button and used leather wheel from "Gentlemen of Salvage" love the name and great service too.
Moved spare wheel from door to internal bulkhead, too vulnerable and the door was very heavy as well!
Checked internals of ECU, no oil from red plug (BTW I personally think the oil in loom thing is a bit of a red herring) just my opinion, unless oil is full of metallic particles, or en-trained water, which it shouldn't be! Its not conductive, in fact I fill some of my equipment with oil to stop moisture/pressure getting in, the red plug cant be changed anyway and will always contain traces of oil.
Not much else so far, just done Scotland and back, cruised very well, 65/2500 RPM is my sweet spot, 34MPG, so quite happy!
That's all for now, thank you forum posters for giving me the info I needed before on Seals etc.
Mark
Been driving for many years, 30+, but first time LR owner.
I chose the D2 commercial because it ticked a few boxes:
DIY Repairable
No Benefit in Kind (run as company car) the V5 states its a "light goods vehicle"
I needed a van for work but also a decent car that wouldn't look bad in front of potential customers
Needed a good towing vehicle
Mine was a two owner car, did approx 148K miles as a lease car with Thames Water, so good service history. Last two years in private ownership but fairly well cared for.
Good body, chassis ok, rusty rear (common), but not serious.
Ive cribbed quite a bit of info from this site and others, most important info being about starting issues!
It stopped three times in heavy traffic two weeks ago, once on lane 3 of the M5, had to use the starter motor to get to the hard shoulder (not done that since I had a Mini), fuel purge got it going again.
So conclusion was injector seals, I was planning on doing a full service anyway, so I bought all the fluids, filters, drain plugs (to replace plastic ones), cam cover seal.
Spent a nice day doing the work, took my time with the seals, its not difficult, Discovery2.co.uk site is great for step by step guides, also id downloaded all the official manuals before, the LR online parts guide is quite good, I had to buy the gearbox oil from an indy place I was passing in Cheltenham. LR main dealers are pretty clueless and stock less!
Oil had been pouring out the back and front of the cam cover, the seal had been twisted last time it was off, new seal fixed that.
I did the heater plugs as well, right PITA to get out, but ok to install, remembering the golden rule with alloy heads, use your fingers first then a ratchet spanner
Oil change after the injector seals were done/fuel filter changed, then five min auto purge, then...started first turn! Has done so ever since.
BTW, mine doesn't have, A/C or ACE (don't miss either!) so its possible to turn the engine over using the big viscous fan spanner and gently push down on the drive belt between the two idler pulleys to get a bit more tension on the belt, with the heater plugs out the engine will turn over easily.
Next gearbox oil, I suspected that the wrong oil had been used before, because it was VERY difficult to change to 2nd and other gears sometimes, when I drained it it smelt like roast beef!
Then filled oil MTF 94 from LR, the difference? Chalk n Cheese, Night n Day! Now changes gear even when cold using just two fingers on the gear lever.
If anyone has gear shift issues, do the oil first!
Other things Ive done, re-instated the cruise control, button and used leather wheel from "Gentlemen of Salvage" love the name and great service too.
Moved spare wheel from door to internal bulkhead, too vulnerable and the door was very heavy as well!
Checked internals of ECU, no oil from red plug (BTW I personally think the oil in loom thing is a bit of a red herring) just my opinion, unless oil is full of metallic particles, or en-trained water, which it shouldn't be! Its not conductive, in fact I fill some of my equipment with oil to stop moisture/pressure getting in, the red plug cant be changed anyway and will always contain traces of oil.
Not much else so far, just done Scotland and back, cruised very well, 65/2500 RPM is my sweet spot, 34MPG, so quite happy!
That's all for now, thank you forum posters for giving me the info I needed before on Seals etc.
Mark
