[BKILLA13]

I currently drive a 96 Rangie and have enjoyed it. I can never put the wrench down though. Have been looking at some Discos as I've always liked the looks. A couple questions though.

1. I've been looking at 2004 almost exclusively because of the diff lock. Is it really that much better or should I be considering other years also?

2. I've heard about the 3 amigos, should it be a deal breaker if a vehicle has it?

3. The P38 has been relatively easy to work on. How are these?

Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated. I am going to look at a few tomorrow.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Chubbs878]

Discos are fairly simple to work on as well, but you will be dealing with just as many issues. Engines in the D2 are notorious for block failures as well as the top end. A lot of people have overheating issues and have the headgaskets redone without knowing the block is cracked, liner has slipped, and continue having engine problems. It's hit or miss, but I would ONLY buy a D2 from an enthusiast by keeping an eye on the classified ads of various forums. If you are lucky you can find a well maintained D2 with a rebuilt engine maybe including top-hat liners and you won't have to worry about the engine too much. But you are on the right track with a CDL equipped 2004 and the bigger 4.6L engine. If you buy one from a soccer mom you will have your hands full and break your bank trying to update every mechanical part that is now on its way out, and expect operating temps to be higher than normal and a CDL shifter linkage that is frozen from lack of use. So like I said, be patient and wait to buy a D2 from a true enthusiast which has been maintained, lifted, etc.
PS: temperature gauge on instrument cluster is basically a 3 position switch that has cold, neutral and hot settings. many soccer moms and HS kids drive these trucks hot for days on end until there is a full blown cooling system failure because they don't know any better. An aftermarket temp gauge should be your first purchase/project if you end up with a model that has not been modified with this. Test drive any vehicle and absolutely have some hardware on hand that you can plug into the OBD under the dash so you are able to monitor operating temps under all conditions, as well as check for fault codes and system readiness. We have heard of people disabling lamps/bulbs in dash for ABS and CEL faults! I've read horror stories of people buying a D2 and overheating on the way home from the dealer... Having to add water on side of road, finding bulbs broken/removed from dash cluster. Too many problems with these trucks so be wary and suspicious. Never take someone's word.

ABS problems can usually be resolved with 1)new brake pads and rotors, 2)new wheel hub and speed sensor, 3) shuttle valve replacement, 4) modulator rewire, 5) modulator replacement with known-good unit.

 

[gurunutkins]

My last landy was a 1976 series 3 that I sold in 1996 - I was without one for a few years and I bought my 1999 disco 2 in 2002 with 29K miles on. I love it to bits - Its just as capable as my old series 3 and a lot more comfortable. It takes some experience to learn how to drive with the electronic traction control and I installed a dif lock on mine (it was there but not connected - I believe only 2002 - 2003 dont have it at all). Like all landy's it takes some time to maintain properly but its quite reliable and mine has never stranded me in the 14 years I have had it although I did have a series of bad starts until I figured out the CPS (may the engineer who put it at the back of the engine burn in hell) and I had a series of misfires with bad plug wires. The only other biggish problem was a burst gasket on the back of the timing chain cover which blew out coolant. I run an ultraguage so I knew it was getting hot and limped home slowly. There are a number of horror stories out there about disco's but I am very happy with mine and I believe that if you keep up with routine maintenance they are very reliable.
As to the three amigos most are cured by the shuttle valve bypass, the electronic plate looses its ground contact and doesn't send the correct signal. I fixed mine in about 40 mins and for less than $10. the biggest problem is that the three amigos turns off traction control so if you dont have dif lock you become a 1 wheel drive in essence. I found driving with TC difficult after my old landy but once you learn to go slow and steady so the TC can lock in and the abs does its stuff they are very capable.
good luck on whatever you decide
cheers
Barri

 

[BKILLA13]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will keep all this stuff in mind.

Honestly I'm a little nervous because I ended up changing my head gaskets in my p38 a month after I bought it. I've also done a million things to it and I know where I stand on a lot of issues. Buying a new one is almost asking for problems.

Why must I have a thing for land rover? A better question might be, why did they make these things with all these freaking problems?

 

[Doug Myers]

Discos are fairly simple to work on as well, but you will be dealing with just as many issues. Engines in the D2 are notorious for block failures as well as the top end. A lot of people have overheating issues and have the headgaskets redone without knowing the block is cracked, liner has slipped, and continue having engine problems. It's hit or miss, but I would ONLY buy a D2 from an enthusiast by keeping an eye on the classified ads of various forums. If you are lucky you can find a well maintained D2 with a rebuilt engine maybe including top-hat liners and you won't have to worry about the engine too much. But you are on the right track with a CDL equipped 2004 and the bigger 4.6L engine. If you buy one from a soccer mom you will have your hands full and break your bank trying to update every mechanical part that is now on its way out, and expect operating temps to be higher than normal and a CDL shifter linkage that is frozen from lack of use. So like I said, be patient and wait to buy a D2 from a true enthusiast which has been maintained, lifted, etc.
PS: temperature gauge on instrument cluster is basically a 3 position switch that has cold, neutral and hot settings. many soccer moms and HS kids drive these trucks hot for days on end until there is a full blown cooling system failure because they don't know any better. An aftermarket temp gauge should be your first purchase/project if you end up with a model that has not been modified with this. Test drive any vehicle and absolutely have some hardware on hand that you can plug into the OBD under the dash so you are able to monitor operating temps under all conditions, as well as check for fault codes and system readiness. We have heard of people disabling lamps/bulbs in dash for ABS and CEL faults! I've read horror stories of people buying a D2 and overheating on the way home from the dealer... Having to add water on side of road, finding bulbs broken/removed from dash cluster. Too many problems with these trucks so be wary and suspicious. Never take someone's word.

ABS problems can usually be resolved with 1)new brake pads and rotors, 2)new wheel hub and speed sensor, 3) shuttle valve replacement, 4) modulator rewire, 5) modulator replacement with known-good unit.

Chubbs you sound like a hater.....

 

[Chubbs878]

Chubbs you sound like a hater.....

Yes, yes I suggest these things because I'm broke. I hate the Discovery so much because I can't afford to fix mine and I'm just waiting for a catastrophic failure. You are a fucking idiot.

You all have fun discussing your coolant leaks and over-heating problems. I have better company with which to entertain myself.

 

[Chubbs878]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will keep all this stuff in mind.

Honestly I'm a little nervous because I ended up changing my head gaskets in my p38 a month after I bought it. I've also done a million things to it and I know where I stand on a lot of issues. Buying a new one is almost asking for problems.

Why must I have a thing for land rover? A better question might be, why did they make these things with all these freaking problems?

If you skim through the last 10 threads you will find a link with the answer to this last question you have asked. Land Rover never upgraded/rebuilt/replaced any of the tooling on their production lines so quality became worse with every unit manufactured sometime after the mid-90s. The blocks were porous and the liners did not fit tightly enough as the engines were built. Combine that with more displacement and higher operating temps in lieu of emissions standards and the result was an engine prone to premature failure. Scrub Meyer can tell you all about premature issues should you need any more information related to that topic.

 

[Doug Myers]

If you skim through the last 10 threads you will find a link with the answer to this last question you have asked. Land Rover never upgraded/rebuilt/replaced any of the tooling on their production lines so quality became worse with every unit manufactured sometime after the mid-90s. The blocks were porous and the liners did not fit tightly enough as the engines were built. Combine that with more displacement and higher operating temps in lieu of emissions standards and the result was an engine prone to premature failure. Scrub Meyer can tell you all about premature issues should you need any more information related to that topic.

Chubby is a little touchy huh?