Disco2 advice please

[oRGie]

Afternoon peeps :) I'm in the process of looking for a disco2 and wondered if there is any advice you lot can share with me regarding things to watch out for ?

I'm looking for a 2001 + 5 seat td5 with abs/etc but I want to avoid ACE and air bags, hence the 5 seater model choice, so engine and g/box wise I'm familiar, I'll hunt around it for any damage, check for leaks, oil stains, water ingress round sun roofs etc and I've heard that 99 and some 2000 models had electrical problems ? any other things to check specifically ?

btw, where is the ecu situated in them ? I want to check for any signs of plug in modules..

which way round does the spec go, gs high, es then s or ?

many thanks :)

[oRGie]

:( oh well, good news is that my rave cd covers disco2's :)

[graham]

What's up with ACE and air bags :rolleyes:

[JohnW]

Afternoon peeps :) I'm in the process of looking for a disco2 and wondered if there is any advice......


Hello!
Hmm - A D2 you say. Well, I bought a 2000 D2 5 seat Td5 which has now done 40k miles.
There was a recent thread in this section on exactly the same topic - Should be able to locate it by the search facility - Sorry, I've had a bit too much beer this evening to look for it!

In short, I needed to get the front discs changed, pads all round, and a new drag-bar fitted as the bushes had gone - Apparently a common problem.

Had the two oil filters (and the oil) changed for good measure.

Check the front bumper's not been grounded, and the fog lamps aren't broken/bumper mounts subsequently bent out of shape.

There's a scare going round on the BBC Watchdog website that early Td5s suffer what one can only assume is statistically signifcant occurrences of oil pump failure, regularly leading to destroyed engines.
(I've got a thread running on this trying to find out more - More info there - Various threads on various forums listing tales of woe on this subject!).

My ACE is fine, and seems to make a good difference.
Got a coil-sprung rear :D - If you go for air-bags, it actually increases your load carrying capacity, although the only mate who has SLS, has indeed suffered punctures/problems on one occasion.

S is below GS, is below ES (which tend to come loaded with extras).

My box is stiff in 2nd when cold, esp. if standing for a week or two in cold weather. Wifey finds the hand-brake very stiff.

Check the back door for leaks and alignment (in addition to the usual Sunroof / windscreen suspects).

5 seaters are allegedly cheaper to insure than the 7 seaters.

If you get a wheel choice, bear in mind that the extra-large 18" "5-Stars" limit your tyre choice - For instance, BFG seem to only provide road tyres in this profile.

Cracked a headlamp (GBP45 from the main dealer, complete with bulbs), and blown a tail lamp - Other than that, it's great!

[oRGie]

John, many thanks.. I'll add your stuff to my checklist ;) I'm going to avoid 18" wheels as I intend to get it muddy, so prefer the extra softness of 16" rubber over rough surfaces.. I see in the owners book you can fit 255/65 on them :)

I thought ACE was part of the air bags. didnt realise you can have ACE with coils, hmm.. ??

Graham, I bet they work really well, but I was concerned as I am buying a 3 or 4 year old vehicle that replacement parts could be a lot more expensive than coils and shocks, plus I have no idea if they are reliable, easy to maintain etc and as I'm buying out of warranty I wanted to play it safe.. do you think I being overly paranoid ?

I did go for a test drive in a 7 seater with air bag suspension, ace etc and it was very nice I must say, especially as I had just bombed down the motorway in my defender :) Just waiting to find the right 5 seater with just coils to compare..

Sorry I know these questions come up often, I guess I'm excited and wanted to get some feedback going to help me choose the right spec vehicle :)

[USUKPAT]

I'm new to this thread, but not to Landies as I married a brit and now am living in the UK. I bought a V8 2000 disco with ace, rear air, and all the extras. Never had a single problem. I was concerned about ACE at first, but I spoke with a number of mechanics, and I haven't heard of any issues with the ACE. Obviously some of the older RR with air suspension have issues, and I'm not sure if the disco 2 is more reliable. I think the disco2 with ace is much better on and off road than the standard as I have driven both on and off road.. on a side note, before we settled in the UK, we took the disco for a very intense drive across the US, Canada, and Mexico. We definitely put it through the test from deserts to 14,000 ft. We drove it in low gear and set the cruise control at 100mph in Texas. It never failed us.. It ran like clockwork. I put ~55,000 on it and never had an issue.. I did run synthetic mobile 1 in it. I highly suggest it as the prices have come down. Only problem for me was when I returned to the US to pick it up.. my family had turned it in to the dealership.. so much for 42 months of payments.. grrrr. Now I'm driving a SIII 88 and love it. Miss that disco though..

[graham]

The ACE has been fine on my TD5 it needs a new power steering pump as it's got a leak.

I had a day at LR off road site using their disco it had air bags we compared the articulation between coil and air, coil have far more articulation so if you intend going off road bare it in mind.

My disco is auto and find it good off road, it was interesting that all the LR range on their off road site were auto boxes.

[shanno_2k]

The ACE has been fine on my TD5 it needs a new power steering pump as it's got a leak.

I had a day at LR off road site using their disco it had air bags we compared the articulation between coil and air, coil have far more articulation so if you intend going off road bare it in mind.

My disco is auto and find it good off road, it was interesting that all the LR range on their off road site were auto boxes.

i have a 2002 d2 never had any problems with the rear air sus,articulation is good which a few members can back me up Tim n mudalloverit,did have problems with a gearbox oil leak which landrover replaced the gearbox @ 33,000 miles

mileage 50,500 and 33,000 of that was in the last year,on and off road driving

now have a windscreen leak not sure how they are going to repair that


Geoff



Geoff

[oRGie]

hmm, interesting, I dont think I'll rule out vehicles with ACE and air bags, instead I'll just treat them like the rest, if all looks good I think I'll try it out :)

I would have an auto, just that they are aprox 1grand more than manuals and I'd rather get a newer vehicle with manual sort of thing, we'll see what comes up though :)

I was told that 5 seaters come with springs/shocks and 7 seaters come with air suspension, is that true or can you get 5 seaters with air suspension also ?

If you have a 7 seater, can you take the jump seats out completely and insure yourself for 5 only ?

I take it ACE has nothing to do with what type of suspension is used then ? (I thought it worked by adjusting the pressure in the individual air bags ?)

lol, so many questions :) your info is invaluable :)

Geoff, I saw a 2002 td5 for sale at East Coast motors in Fife, black, leather, a/c etc etc.. aprox £15,500 do you know them there ?

[USUKPAT]

Although I normally prefer a stick.. the Land Rover auto was really nice on the disco and it made off road easy- especially on slopes. I thought it paid to have the auto- but.. money is a factor there.

At least in the US, you could specify ace separate from air bags. And yes- I took my 2 rear seats completely out. the rear headrests still folded up and away, and my dog loved that rear air in the cargo space. The ACE is unrelated to the air bags- I got them for towing heavy items (boats, etc) and it worked great. The ACE is basically an auto adjustable sway bar in the front of the truck that helps in cornering. It keeps the roll of the vehicle down. I'm no expert on it, but thats my understanding. Besides- the air bags are only on the rear, not the front, and if the rear bags ever do go bad, you could replace them with regular shocks.

I didn't like the rear overhang on it as it could drag a bit offroad, but even that can be modified with aftermarket parts (which you could get safari guard in the UK- or can you?).

Its a wonderful truck, and I think is preferable to the Ford owned and designed disco III (the rear cargo on the III is really bad amongst 1,000 other things I don't like about it).

The 2002 looks nicer as (at least on the US models) it added the difflock whereas the 2000 didn't offer it.

The black is called Java Black and is an extra option. Its great to look at but scratches easily on the trail. But thats only if you care what the paint looks like- its a Land Rover.

[shanno_2k]

hmm, interesting, I dont think I'll rule out vehicles with ACE and air bags, instead I'll just treat them like the rest, if all looks good I think I'll try it out :)

I would have an auto, just that they are aprox 1grand more than manuals and I'd rather get a newer vehicle with manual sort of thing, we'll see what comes up though :)

I was told that 5 seaters come with springs/shocks and 7 seaters come with air suspension, is that true or can you get 5 seaters with air suspension also ?

If you have a 7 seater, can you take the jump seats out completely and insure yourself for 5 only ?

I take it ACE has nothing to do with what type of suspension is used then ? (I thought it worked by adjusting the pressure in the individual air bags ?)

lol, so many questions :) your info is invaluable :)

Geoff, I saw a 2002 td5 for sale at East Coast motors in Fife, black, leather, a/c etc etc.. aprox £15,500 do you know them there ?
oRGie i do know of the garage but dont know any one there,i do know that they shift a hell of alot of landrovers


Geoff

[Speedfreak]

Go for an auto, The 6 manual discos at work have clutches and flywheels all the time (pulling broken down coaches and lorries off the M4 Heathrow spur road)
Front window regulators are made of chocolate (always replacing these)
Only had 1 air suspension problem
Have had a few injectors replaced
Always blowing tail light bulbs

The vehicles on average have 110,000 miles on the clock

Far nicer to drive than their replacements (mitsubishi shoguns) :(

[JohnW]

.....The vehicles on average have 110,000 miles on the clock....

SF - Have any of your fleet suffered from the oil pump bolt failure?

Regarding the centre-diff missing, the electronic traction control should theoretically take care of that, as it applies the brakes - hence the need to check out your pads.

Agree about the Auto-box. That's the one thing I'd seriously consider if I bought another - I find it too easy to stall the Td5 - Very little pull-away torque - Not good if you're towing, and auto would make hitching-up and hauling over rough ground/pulling away at lot less fraught.

[Renny]

I'd avoid East Coast Motors. In my opinion, they do not have very good stock. What I've seen there is usually not that good once you start looking about underneath.

[JohnW]

...The ACE is basically an auto adjustable sway bar....It keeps the roll of the vehicle down.
The sway-bars are linked to a couple of hydraulic pistons (one front, one back) that are driven from the ACE hydraulic pump, via a valve/actuator-block mounted on the chassis "under" the driver's door.
Vehicles with ACE have the piston and it's conical/ribbed rubber boot visible just inboard of the front wheel, under the wing - Can't remember which side it's on though.

The ACE-ECU, mounted under the glovebox, takes input from a couple of accelerometers (one in the roof lining, one near the floor some place), and stiffen the bar accordingly. I guess it also takes input for speed / hi-lo range selection etc.
If it fails, the valves are supposed to clamp-on, effectively giving you the equivalent of normal sway bars.
IMHO, it works really well, giving a pliant ride on straight potholed tracks, yet providing stiffness on fast smooth corners.

[oRGie]

fantastic, thanks guys, I'm getting a really good feel for what i'm actually looking for :)

I spoke to east coast, turns out its a commercial thats had rear seats added etc, not ideal and expensive for what it is.. :rolleyes:

[madmole]

Before you assume pre 2002 model D2 dont have centre diff lock, get underneath and check they have the stub. My Sept 2001 had the stub on the box. A servo kit from Discoparts later I have CDL,

Mines at 85K and been extensively off roaded. Only problem has been the odd ABS sensor error. ACE and SLS are a great combination off road.

PS my TD5 has a 2" OME lift, 265/75-16 BFG Muds, Sliders, Sumo Bars, been chipped, replacement rear bumper and ARB front coming and has put a few Defenders to shame while sitting in Air conned luxary and able to hear the radio while crusing at 100mph