'95-'96 What to watch out for?

[Black Magic]

I am looking for a 95/96 model Disco, 5 spd.

Anything I should be on the look out for?
I have been told that the motors where dodgy on them. Seems a number of ones I have seen online in ads have had the transfer case replaced/repaired.
Seems the the steering column electrical connections are another failure point...

I'm not bashing on them - just know I am getting into a used vehicle with around 110,000 miles on it...
I grew up in Landrovers - SII SWB pickup, SIII SWB Cab/Chassis w flatdeck, 85 Defender 110 with a flatdeck, all took a beating on the farm and kept going (except for axles on the early models - had to walk for an hour or two a couple of times)

The Disco will make a great tow vehicle for my Suzuki Samurai rock crawler - and something to play in when I am working on the crawler

[roverX]

The best and simplest answer I can give you is to take it to a good rover mechanic - not your favorite mechanic you always use, but a good rover one. If you can't do that, do the usual like compression, rust, how beat up is it underneath - you can't buff out frame and undercarriage stuff - check bushings, radiator, look closely at the rotors - will tell a lot about the type of driving that was done, will the diff lock engage? If not, it has probably never been offroad which might be a good thing but you can also use that fact that the diff lock won't engage to bargain it down to a lower price. I'm sure the guys (and gals) will add more to this. Hope this helps

[Black Magic]

I don't use a mechanic - apart from things like wheel alignment, engine machining - things needing expensive, speicialized tools.

Thanks for the tips - have to drive at least 2 hours to get to the two that are on the market in the price range that appeals.

I will take a heap of tools with me - will be interesting to see if the dealer lets me go over it that well.

[LRWheelman]

I don't use a mechanic either, don't trust them. Most of them, anyway. Any 95-96 Discovery should be well looked over before you buy it. You probably won't need many tools though, as this will just scare the used car salesman. Starting @ the front, check the condition of the lamp lenses, look under it at the wet steering gearbox. Look for oil leaks @ the same time, and point it all out to the salesman. Check the oil, coolant tank, it should be no more than half full (use a flashlight) check the PS fluid, brake fluid should be clean. It requires DOT 4 fluid, I believe, so if it looks funny someone may have mixed some DOT 3 into it. Open all the doors and check for rust and delamination around the inner edges. Check for rust where the top of the rear wheelwell meets the body upright. (D-pillar) Open the rear hatch ALL THE WAY. It may not open easy, so use that for a barganing point along with latch & hinge wear. Check for rust around the alpine windows, and cracks in the rubber in the rear windows. Start the engine, BTW, they aren't "dodgy", they ROCK! Put it in neutral & try to move the difflock lever forward. If it moves forward, try to move it to the left. If it doesn't move - bargaining point. Check power windows for function and NOISES! Make a face @ the salesman if either is a problem. Apply the parking brake. It should work. Get out, look @ the tires, point out uneven wear and the "non-original" valve caps. Look under it @ the bushings. Are they still solid?, or rotting? Try to look @ the brake pads. They are easy enough to change . . . but . . . bargining point! You may have to take off a wheel, & unless anti-sieze has been used, that could be quite a chore. This may seem extreme & somewhat anal, but I used this same "technique" when buying mine and got several THOUSANDS off the price of the price of the Rover! I'm sure I missed something, so please someone, speak up. That said, Rover are fantastic! The transfer cases are not weak. The lug nuts are not weak. The manual trans may be a little questionable, but I prefer an automatic. Good Luck, LRW

[LRWheelman]

Also check the "rubber donut" rotoflex coupling @ the rear end where the rear driveshaft meets the pinion. Check all the u-joints appearance also. Look @ the front axle swivel balls for leaks. Look for leaks in the oil cooler lines. The 95 & 96 Discovery have many differences, so make sure you know which one you are looking @. 95's have 3.9 engines w/distributor, 96's have 4.0 w/o distributor. 95's have a code reader box under the passenger seat, 96's have OBD2. Manual trans. is a little rarer in 96's. Check to make sure they have the radio code, or hopefully the manuals and service records. Again, Good Luck, and Happy Hunting! LRW.

[aussie disco97]

The earlier 5 speeds 94/95 had no oil feed to the rear of the mainshaft and caused several failures. Most if not all would have been fixed or replaced under warranty.If both cars are in the same condition buy the latest model.