disco help

[mr smith]

Hi there

been looking for a landy for a couple of months now, my first choice was a defender but after seeing a few motors i am being moved towards a disco as you get a better condition car for your money

so i have a few questions if thats ok...

at what stage does the cambelt need changing on a 300tdi?
what is the average mileage b4 these motors die? (if good service history)
what is the auto box like? (length of life)

ive been reading many posts on here and understand the need to check for rot as this will scrap a car before the engine gives up. ive seen some real rusty buckets on my journey!!! do they all rot?

any other tips on buying?

many thanks:)

[JulesV8]

HI there,

Defenders are cracking cars but disco's are more confortable, I think your decision should be based on what you need the car for. If you will be doing tonnes of hard off road then the Defender will be better but if you are doing more road miles then the Disco will be far more confortable.

The 300 TDI belt needs to be changed every 60 to 100K - I think
The engine will go for many, many miles, easily exceed 200K though, as you point out, its all down to the servicing and knowing your engine. Regular checks of the cooling system and any funny noises should be immidiately investigated.

Yes Disco's rot but you do get a lot of car for your money. Key things to look for are
- Rear boot floor
- Wheel arches - inc rear door side - they rot in the corner next to the door latch
- Sills
- the chassis
- Corroded brake lines
- Lift up any mats / carpets and feel for damp in front
- If it has sunroofs check that they dont leak
- Rear alpine windows tend to leak
- Check gearbox for "cluckiness"
- Smoke on start up
- Check that high / low and diff lock work
- ball joints
- Cruise control

There are lots of things to look for but if you are slightly mechanically minded, its pretty much all "home fix". If you know how to weld and have the time to take the car off the road for 48 hours then these jobs should be easy.

As for leaks, dont really worry about these, unless they are gushing. As someone on here has in there signature block: "If it does not leak, there's no oil"

Good luck and post some pics when you get one!

[mr smith]

thanks for your great help! the one i just saw did not have a great service hisory and was very rotten just about everywhere!:(

the search goes on:)