300TDI-what to look for

[discoal]

Hey there guys, Im going to look at a 1997 discovery 300TDI and am jsut wondering what sort of things i should look out for. a friedn of mine said that the timimg belt on them needs doing at about 70,000 miles ??? and that they rust in the bottom of the boot.

where and what else do i need to look at.

Cheers, Al

[poseidon]

Hi discoal.....these 2 points are the main ones to check out. But you should also pay careful attention to the gearbox/transfer box condition on a manual box as that can be near terminal even on late 300 TDi's. Replacement could knock you back nearly £1K with a good s/h box. Listen for odd noises, make sure the gear change is smooth and try to get a look at the main gearbox lub fluid (it's pink auto transmission fluid even in a manual gearbox and should be clean and pink).
I'd also get underneath and poke around on the inner sills where rot can lurk.

Good luck and they're great vehicles, so hope you join the merry band of impoverished but happy fools.....Keith