series owners... about Discos

[amcordo]

Do NOT move this thread please.

So I trust you folks after all the advice you've given about Series. I'm looking at getting a used Disco for the soon-to-be wife. 98 through 04 are my options.

What am I looking for in regards to issues?

[superstator]

My experience with an '06 has been it has basically all the same issues as a Series truck, updated for the 21st century. Leaks, electrical gremlins, transmission goblins, suspension problems, and of course abysmal mileage. I'm sure it's rusting somewhere, I just can't see it yet. Give it 50 years.

In all seriousness, I haven't had any more problems with it than any other modern car I've dealt with. Only noteworthy thing has been the compressor for the air suspension regularly threatening to die, or the transmission occasionally reporting a generic "fault" and not wanting to shift, but shutting it down and starting back up has fixed both every time so far.

[I Leak Oil]

D1's rust....
D2's from what I gather blow their motors...and have the 3 amigos virus...

I had a 96' (which you can still find a D1 98' or 99') and loved it. If you are comfortable working on your series then a D1 isn't much of a leap.

Once in a while I fancy a decent 04' but I just couldn't bring my self to pull the trigger. Too much of a gamble and I think they're just a little too big.
The two platforms have differing sets of issues as well as good attributes. So you should probably narrow it down to one or the other first and then go from there.

[SafeAirOne]

Had a '98 D1, but didn't keep it long enough to have any major issues.

I've heard owners complain that a check engine light is usually a $2k problem (on a vehicle that's worth $1500), so the good news, I guess, is that used D1's are so inexpensive to buy nowadays that you can just throw the old one away and get a replacement for the cost of fixing the first one.

Of course your year range also consists of DIIs, so that may not apply to those.

[TeriAnn]

Discovery One parts have been discontinued by the factory and the aftermarket industry does not seem to be stepping in the provide replacement parts. the factory has disposed of the tooling for the V8 engines used in the Discovery I. Look for rust on the seam where the C pillar meets the wheel arch. This is a common problem area. Also look under the B pillar and at the edge of the alpine windows. The rear wheel arches inside under the carpet/padding are known rust problem areas as is the floor pan in the back and along the threshold at all the doors. Manual seats are a plus as are models without a sunroof. Less to go wrong.

Though the Land Rover Discovery II looks a lot like the original 4 door Discovery I with more upscale interior appointments, there were a lot of changes made that are not readily apparent. Drive train & some suspension parts were changed to have parts in common with the current Range Rover. So not a lot of Discovery II parts fit a Discovery I. The rear of the Discovery II body was extended to increase cargo load capacity. This change adversely affected the Discovery's angle of departure but the extra space makes it easier to sleep inside.

The Discovery II received the Freelander downhill descent control as standard and options that include active cornering enhancement and rear self leveling suspension. The Rover engineers thought the new off road controls made the center lock differential redundant and removed the center lock components for the 2001 model year. They realized that people wanted both the traction controls and the center locking differential so added the center lock differential back into the truck for the 2004 model year. This makes the 2004 the best choice for off road.

For 1999 the Discovery II got the new TD5 diesel engine and the 4.0 V8. For the 2003 and 2004 model year Discovery II got the 4.6L V8. The ACE (Active Cornering Enhancement system) was fitted to some versions to reduce cornering roll. Self-leveling air springs were also fitted to some models

Discovery II's are known to rot out the side of the frame next to the catalytic converters in climates where they salt the roads . The heat from the catalytic converters burns off the paint on the chassis exposing bare metal that road salt spray. Common weak points in the sensors controling the traction control, hill decent and ABS functions. Failure signals for these are commonly sensor problems and not system problem.

While the Land Rover Discovery I uses easily replaceable wheel bearings and suspension bushes, the Discovery II's bearings are integral to the suspension components, so are not field replaceable. A wheel bearing failure in a Discovery II will leave you stranded while waiting for a new assembly to appear.

The Land Rover factory is expected to start discontinuing Discovery II parts after 2014. The factory has already disposed of the tooling for the Discovery II V8 engines.

Of the engines, the 3.9 & 4.0 are the best (actually the 3.5 is the most robust). The 4.2 & 4.6 are lucky to last 100K miles. However none of these engine have a history for longevity and many time when they overheat you need to throw away the engine block.

I suggest an LR3 or LR4. Better engines, better vehicles.

Just because I don't like Discos doesn't mean I don't know anything about them.

[disco2hse]

Have had a 2004MY (first registered 2005) D2 TD5 for 8 years. That is, since new. It is chipped (reprogrammed actually).

Done around 135000km and had the three amigos a couple of times. That is annoying but will not kill the motor.

The motor has never blown up and I have never had to replace the transmission. Most of what you hear about these things are blown out of proportion and compared with other vehicles I have had, this is probably the most reliable. The 2004TD5 is a damn good engine.

It has had one leaky fuel line, the sunroofs leaked once, but that was because a leaf was stuck in the drain pipe, I have replaced the fuel pump (in the tank) once and the air bags once each side. It is on the second set of tyres (Maxxis) but they are going to need replacing soon.

The ride is great, especially on long trips (which is normally what it is used for). It pulls heavy loads easily (our boat is over 2000kg) and it is well mannered in city traffic.

I did take it off road a couple of times when I first got it, to see what it could do. It was freakin' fantastic and had the drivers of other marquees agog, particularly when they were spinning wheels all over the place and the D2 just quietly climbed up the same powdery slopes without losing traction.

Am I happy with it? Well, I ain't selling it.

[disco2hse]

The Rover engineers thought the new off road controls made the center lock differential redundant and removed the center lock components for the 2001 model year. They realized that people wanted both the traction controls and the center locking differential so added the center lock differential back into the truck for the 2004 model year. This makes the 2004 the best choice for off road.

Actually, not strictly correct. The choice of having the CDL installed in 2004 was left to individual markets. Some places did order vehicles with the CDL mechanism, others didn't. In other places, the CDL mechanism was included, but not the lever.

[I Leak Oil]

Alan, here in the land of the free we can't get the TD5 here so we're stuck with the v8 which is prone to some bad things. It's intersting to see what the rest of the world can get but I don't think that helps Tony a whole lot.

[disco2hse]

Sorry. I didn't realise that. Shame really, the TD5 is a terrific motor. In that case, I think TeriAnn's advice might be better. If it is the D2 you want for the new tech, then get a D3 TDV6. Just make certain you've got a well maintained engine because the V6 is a very small block with a short stroke. It revs high and I have seen two engines in which the crank melted against the main bearings and con rods. Messy result.

[I Leak Oil]

We don't get any diesel rovers here....:(

[disco2hse]

Oh...

[amcordo]

Hi All,

Thanks for the great feedback!

I have some level of worry over the parts issue that have been mentioned; I don't often see disco 1 or 2s near where I live so I wonder if they're a dying breed?

I tend to decide on a model based on its looks, then dig into the proper year to look for then the actual state of the options that are for sale. I'm just not into the lr3 or 4s - I enjoy the more unique rover look of the earlier ones over what I feel is that plastic leaning look of the last decade.

I'll keep everyone posted and probably bounce the options off you when I start test driving them next week.

[disco2hse]

About the parts issue. The engines have been in production for a long time. It is unlikely you will suddenly run short of parts, like, next week. In fact, it is unlikely you will run short of parts for life of the vehicle. If there are not LR branded parts, there are plenty of third party options. I tend to buy quite a bit from Summit Racing, for example.

If things turn to the worst and you can't get your favourite 3.9 bits anymore, replace the engine with something else.

[I Leak Oil]

Yup, especially with the D1 which shares many of the same or close enough to work parts with RRC's and defenders. Rovers weakness in its unwillingness to upgrade it's models is also a strength in the fact that you can almost always find parts for them. Look how many parts the SII from 1959 works with the last of the SIII from 1984!

Replacing the V8 engine with something else (more modern and reliable) is something rover should have done a long time ago. Would have saved them boat loads of reputation damage here in the States....

[stomper]

Being a boxed frame, your truck will rust out far before parts availability becomes an issue.

[artpeck]

I am in Northern California and there are Is and Iis all over and still going strong here. No rust so I am sure that is a big part of it. My Defender mechanic works mostly on RRC and Discos and parts aren't an issue in the slightest.

[antichrist]

Speaking as a long term Series owner (37 or 38 years and still have it, and some others) who bought a Discovery in 2001 because my ex didn't want our kids riding in a series, a '94 or '95 is the closest to a Series mindset. Distributor ignition and really easy to work on repair.
Rust, of course, is one of the major things to look out for. The under carpet mat is open cell foam and so absorbs water like a sponge. I found this out when I submerged the ass end of my '95 and the carpet was wet all the way to the front. That, combined with chronically leaking sun roofs can certainly cause rust issues. Try to find one without sun roofs, and also a southern vehicle. I'm happy to check out a few here around Atlanta for you, if they aren't too far from me.

Parts aren't really an issue. The critical stuff is available and there are plenty of used parts on the market for the odd bits.
If you want a manual transmission you can't go any newer than '97 unless you do a conversion.

We bought a '97 for my wife a couple of years ago. At this point, once it's sold in a year or so, I can't imagine buying another Rover, other than to flip, newer than a '95.

[amcordo]

I didn't realize you could even get them with a stick - that's fantastic news.

I really want the sunroof(s) so it sounds like I need to inspect those carefully.



Speaking as a long term Series owner (37 or 38 years and still have it, and some others) who bought a Discovery in 2001 because my ex didn't want our kids riding in a series, a '94 or '95 is the closest to a Series mindset. Distributor ignition and really easy to work on repair.
Rust, of course, is one of the major things to look out for. The under carpet mat is open cell foam and so absorbs water like a sponge. I found this out when I submerged the ass end of my '95 and the carpet was wet all the way to the front. That, combined with chronically leaking sun roofs can certainly cause rust issues. Try to find one without sun roofs, and also a southern vehicle. I'm happy to check out a few here around Atlanta for you, if they aren't too far from me.

Parts aren't really an issue. The critical stuff is available and there are plenty of used parts on the market for the odd bits.
If you want a manual transmission you can't go any newer than '97 unless you do a conversion.

We bought a '97 for my wife a couple of years ago. At this point, once it's sold in a year or so, I can't imagine buying another Rover, other than to flip, newer than a '95.

[o2batsea]

Many of my brethren will jump all over my sh$$ for this, but I would urge you to look for a P38 instead of a Disco.
Especially a P38 with a 4.6. They will out plush, out drive and out wheel a Disco any day of the week. They are cheap as dirt, and if you find a garage queen, they are usually in pretty good shape. They have their issues, mainly with the body ECM. The other stuff like the air suspension you can buy a cable and get free cracking software that lets you do a field reset. Or you can do a coil swap and eliminate the EAS.
I can find plenty of very strong candidates here in the DC area for around 5K any day of the week. Run a compression check to test for engine health and drive the F out of it til it dies.
P38s can still be worked on by the driveway mechanic. You can mod them with any height lift you can put under a Rover. You can get a winch bumper for it as well as under body protection, so it can hang with the big dogs.

PS Rotsa ruck finding a Disco 5 speed. If you REALLY have to have one, you can always yank out the slushbox and put in an R380/LT230. Those are fairly cheap and plentiful, just not the Disco flavor. You will prolly have to source the shifter for the LT230 from the UK. Dunno about the pedals tho....

[disco2hse]

Yup, get a P38 and earn a qualification in electrical engineering, maintenance and repair. :P

[antichrist]

PS Rotsa ruck finding a Disco 5 speed.I see them for sale very frequently. Of course condition varies widely.
There's one for sale very close to me right now.

[JHK07]

Head gaskets every 60k ish. Frame rust. Rust under foam carpet. 3 amigos, usually an easy fix. Always the chance of slipped liner, cracked block. Stock Front drive shaft WILL need attention. (That is mostly D2 stuff)



I'd be most concerned about rust and overheating. If I was buying and test driving 1, I'd have a Scangauge or similar tool hooked up to ODB to read actual temps instead of idiot gauge on the dash.

[kbar-04]

I've always owned a series but I did buy a 99 Disco I in 2004 to use as a utility vehicle. I just recently passed it on to my daughter. We have worked this poor truck hard and have had very few issues with it. Fuel economy sucks but on the other hand you have an AWD V8 thats is pretty heavy duty so in retrospect..not so bad. I like the Disco one better than the II, no air suspension system to worry about and the ECM system is simpler. I can still pretty much work on it all myself. I've never had an issue getting parts for it. I wish we had the option of a factory diesel in it. I owned a P38 briefly but had lots of trouble with it, way too complicated (ECM) for its era and I also had the air suspension system fail on mine..