Anything to look out for on a Disco 2 TD5?

[JimGNR]

Today, I ended up buying an 2002 Disco 2 TD5, it's a facelift one with the projector headlights, GS Trim and seems to be quite tidy, it's done just under 50K miles, in shiny grey. It has rear coil springs but has got the ACE. Did they all have this?

I was not really looking to buy one but I was offered it at a very good price and I could not really say no.

It drove well enough, much smoother and quieter than my 300TDi but getting back into the old 300, I thought it felt much more powerful, particularly at low engine speeds compared to the TD5. Perhaps the mods I have done to the 300 made more difference than I thought. I imagine there is more potential to 'tinker' with the TD5 than the 300.

Is there anything in particular I should look at on this model? Is the problem with oil getting into the ECU just the Defender? I guess the oil pump failures have all happened by now.

It had no centre diff lock, should I be concerned about this or does the electrickery and ABS take care of the traction well enough? Also, what is the button above the coin tray, with a picture of a car going downhill for? When pressed it starts beeping but no lights. I guess it is Hill Descent Control? I thought this was only on the Freelanders?

I am sure I will think of some more questions soon!;)

[TEMPL4R]

Only problems we get are the fuel regulator on the drivers side rear of the head leaking, fuel pipes over the tank rubbing through and suspension compressors failing Jim.

Chris

[Roger Whittle]

The power thing may simply be that you have to push the throttle further, Jim. :rolleyes: Its a fly-by-wire thing and its response seems to vary with load, speed, ascending, decending and so on, so you sometimes have to tread pretty firmly. Once its going, you back right off.

My autobox went into 'safe mode' once, while I was towing a 1 1/2 ton trailer and had six passengers with me. Safe mode is locked 3rd gear basically and I just thought it was; 'a bit sluggish this evening'. :D

Roger.

[freelanderPX54]

The button is HDC. The similar button with an arrow on it gives you an extra 2 inches. Oh if only it was that easy:):)

I haven't been off road proper yet with mine but Cowm Quarry near Rochdale beckons next Sunday.

[JimGNR]

suspension compressors

The similar button with an arrow on it gives you an extra 2 inches.

It's definetly not got air suspension, I specifically looked, it's got coils front and back but it does have ACE.

I don't know about the power thing, I am sure it's what you get used to but both my wife and myself commented on the power. It was more lag before it started to go and then the power was much higher up the rev range.

I presume they sorted out the leaks and corrosion by the time they built this model?

[ncooper]

I think rear air suspension goes with the 7 seat model and ACE goes with the sports pack,so you can have both but the suspension will not be self levelling with rear coil springs and (obviously) you can't push a button and raise the rear.
On the good side,you don't have an expensive compressor and your coil springs are unlikely to leak.

As I understand it,the car will have traction control as standard and this was deemed more effective than the diff lock which they left off.

I find ours to be equal to our previous 300 tdi Discovery and 200 tdi RR but the engine is so much less like a tractor.
Put your foot down and they go like the wind, not something I ever found myself saying about the 200 or 300.

Neither of ours leaks or has any corrosion...except on the chassis.
WHY don't they galvanise them,after all,it's not long since you could buy a house for the price of a new Land Rover.

Hint: If you haven't got a handbook,they do make interesting reading.....

Regards,

Nick.

[LandyV8]

Neither of ours leaks or has any corrosion...except on the chassis.

I have known Disco II's to leak around the front sunroof. Drips in from behind the interior light in the roof consol.

[Rich_P]

Discovery 2s in general can corrode above the front windscreen, at the joint between the windscreen and roof as well as corrode around the edges of the rear quarter windows and alpine lights.

I've always thought of the Td5 Disco 2 being quicker than a 200/300TDi Disco 1 too.

I do like Disco 2s as well. :)

[CraigB]

The disco II td5 does have the oil in the ECU problem, just like the defender. Just that the ECU is near the battery and not under the front seat.

Your MAF might be giving trouble if it feels like you have no power. Try cleaning it - didn't work for me, but might for you.

Make sure you replace all the coolant hoses when you get to 100 000km (60 000miles). I lost 2 hoses around 120 000km. Almost cost me an engine. Remember about the one under the exhaust manifold - it will almost certainly be nearing an end around now.

Remove the EGR valve if it isn't already out.

[NomadABC]

When I swapped my 300Tdi for the Td5 two things struck me immediately:

The build quality is in a different league on the Td5. Can't believe the same people put it together.

The 300Tdi is gutless at low revs. The Td5 is simply dead. You'll just have to get used to revving the thing more and learn to stop stalling the thing:( I'm a bit of a lazy driver and after over two years, I can't say I've warmed to the engine characteristics of the Td5.

Take it as a blessing that you haven't got air suspension. Mine's cost me nearly £1k in repairs, but ACE is worth every penny. Had I not spent so much on the suspension, I might have considered getting the engine chipped as the consensus is that it makes the car much more pleasant to drive.

[browng5]

Get it chipped or fit a Dastek powerplug. It changes the car completely, especially the low end of the rev range. I can pullaway from 1000rpm in 2nd & 3rd with no fear of stalling.

Graeme.