New Disco Owner - Few Maintenance Questions

[avking]

Hello everyone. I just picked up my first Land Rover, it is a 2003 Disco II with 60k miles on it. Got a VERY good deal on it, I traded my wife''s Jeep Liberty for it. I hated that Liberty.

I called a dealer to check the maintenance history and it looks like the previous owner missed a couple maintenance items or at least did not do them at the dealer. The maintenance that requires the tranny filter replacement and the maintenance that required the serpentine belt replacement were both missed. So, better safe than sorry, I am going to do a maintenance that includes everything up to and including the 60k mile maintenance. That way I know exactly where I am.

I like to consider myself an almost competent shade tree mechanic, but there are many things I have yet to try. I have a lot planned for the Disco, and want to do as many of them as possible myself. My Disco will be a daily driver (it gets the best milesage out of anything I own) and 95% of the time will be on the road. But, I have a 3 mile dirt driveway with over a 1000'' elevation gain that will be VERY muddy and have ultra-deep snow in the winter. I split my time between CA and ID. Many people would consider my driveway and decent offroad trail when the weather is not so nice. So, I will not be modding for hard core offroad use, but it will need some improvements from stock. I have a Hummer H1 that is a dedicated trail rig, but will take the Disco out from time to time, for a change of pace.

Now, for the first project. The service.

Do most of you use a OEM air filter or is an aftermarket a better option for it?

Same question but for the serpentine belt.

Same question for the tranny filter.

Where is the best place to order all the parts and lubricants I will need to complete the service? Is Atlantic British - Land Rover Parts & Land Rover Accessories | Range Rover, Discovery, LR3, LR2, Defender, Freelander and Land Rover Series Parts & Accessories a good place to shop? I do not need the lowest pricing, as service and attitude are more important, but I would at least like competitive pricing. The closest dealer is an hour and a half south, so I will not be using them much.

How much of a PIA are the fender flares to replace? Mine are very faded and need to be replaced. I am probably going to paint the entire vehicle if the clay bar and buffing I am planning don''t get out the serious swirl marks and numerous scratches.

I have four VERY large dogs that go with my everywhere. Is there a consensus on what rear cargo area liner is best and is there one that goes all the way up front with the rear seats folded down?

Is there a consensus on the best rubber floor mat option?

Last question. Do the jump seats come out easily? I need the extra room for the dogs, but want to be able to put them back in when I need the people room.

TIA for all the help and I look forward to being an active member of the forum and hope to contribute as soon as my knowledge of the Disco gets to that point. If you are ever in my area and want to head out on the Oceano (Pismo) Dunes, I love to take out the H1 and romp around all day. I end up pulling out a lot of stuck trucks along the way, and love the look when everyone see''s how effortlessly I can pull out a big F350 or the like. Looking forward to getting the Disco stuck from time to time.

[Disco Mike]

Here is a list for you to start with, if you have any questions, and you probably will, give me a shout.
By the way, you will probably need to replace the 2 bad u-joints on the front drive shaft along with a service.
Mike
This is the parts list for a 60,000 mile service or a high mileage used truck, the way I do it.
1 Oil filter, K&N 3001 or Mobil 1- 301
1 Air filter
6 Qts of engine oil
12 Qts of ATF
7 Qts of 80/90W synthetic gear oil, 85W/140 for HD use
3 Pints of synthetic Brake fluid
2 Qts of synthetic Power steering fluid
2 Gallons of OAT, orange coolant, also called Dexcool
1 Bottle of Lucas Power Steering additive
1 Bottle of Lucas Transmission additive
1 Can of Spray Carb. Spray
1 Can Of Brake cleaner
8 Spark Plugs, I use Bosch Platium Plus 4's
1 Set of Magnacor 8mm plug wires
1 Serpentine belt
2 Bottles of SeaFoam gas additive
1 T/Stat
1 bottle of WaterWetter or Purple Ice
Hoses and belts, as necessary

60,000 Mile Service or Major Service for High Mileage Used Vehicle just purchased

Bleed the brakes
Flush and change the power steering fluid adding one bottle of additive
Service the tranny adding one bottle of additive
Change the coolant and t/stat
Do an engine flush before changing the oil
Do an induction cleaning
Clean the throttle body
Add fuel additive to full gas tank
Change both of the diffs fluid
Change the t/case oil
Replace the plugs and wires
Replace the air filter
Lube all the drive shaft grease fitting including the 2 slip shafts
Do full inspection of brakes, hoses, bushings etc.

Hopefully I didn't leave anything out.

[hankeester]

Avking,

AB is probably the best place to buy your parts. On the oil change, I use the Mobile 301 filter and Rotella synthetic blend. The fenders or eyebrows are somewhat hard to take off as they used a padded sticky tape to adhere them. This is also on my list and you can get the entire set from A.B. for $350. That's two full brows for the fronts and two split brows = four for the back.

You can also buy the original Discovery floormats from A.B. which have the Land Rover stamp. The rear mats are a two piece that lap in the middle. They are great water and winter mats.

For the dog seat covers, I would shop at Orvis, they're expensive but worth the money. They have all different configurations including the type that cover the back seat then hook to the back of the front seats forming a cradle over the rear seat floor.

I don't have the jump seats but I believe I read that they're bolted in and come out without much effort.

As Mike said, the maintenance items are important to keep up on especially the cooling system. I would also recommend spending another $80 on the Ultra Gauge. You can keep an eye on things such as engine temp, engine load, and an a plethora of other information with this great tool. It also spits out any fault codes should they arise. The engine temp is probably the biggest one to watch.

The temp stock gauge will not give you enough warning on the engine overheating. Keep an eye and report back on what your temp is on highway and city stop and go traffic. Any variations you get in the future and I would look into the cooling system for problems. This has been stated on these forums before, but here are the rules of the thumb:

220 F - a bit high
230 F - you are lucky the head gasket is still good
240 F - you screwed

[Nextdisco]

Just looked up the ultra-gauge. Wow! What a great tool. I just got an OBDII scanner for Christmas, and now I think I am going to return it and order the Ultra-Gauge instead! Thanks for the heads up on that.

[Bosnian Discovery]

Guys this thread is over 4 years old. Let it die.