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our series 2a 88" has a better turning circle than our discovery. I would say it was really good. All we did was use a newer steering relay - off an 84 donor vehicle and we put lwb rims and tyres on, we wanted to fit some kind of power steering but after driving it we found we didn't need to. I can do a 3 point turn in the road just using the palm of my hand to steer

Thanks for the replies. I've read loads about parabolics but I'm still unsure about them and I've not really read much about how they would make it a smoother ride, more about the extra articulation they provide

I've got a 1970 88" Series 2A with a few series 3 bits and bobs on it. It's not a bad ride in general but every little grid or manhole cover that you go over seems like a big deal and it makes it feel like you've gone through a big pothole. It's been like that for a couple of years and I just learnt to live with it but the other day I put a load of rubble in the back (I ended up having to shut the back door and shovel it in through the front doors). I went to take it to the tip and the springs were completely straight, but it was the smoothest journey I've ever had it in! You just didn't notice any bumps. Is there anything I can do to get this normally?? It has LWB wheels and tyres on, it has original leaf springs although the spring hangers have been extended 2" to give it a bit more ground clearance. It's a hard top but the back is empty (no rear seats, no side windows in the back) and it weighs 1400kgs. So other than carrying a load of bricks are there any options?

Well I'm still confused with it... I'm not saying it's a bad starter infact for the last few days it been warm enough (still a bit cold) to start with no glow-plugs and it starts fine. My only problem comes on really cold mornings, as it really could do with some preheat, although I've found the best way seems to be just to start it and it will go after a few seconds with a bit of smoke. It just seems to be that it won't start immeadiatley after having the glow plugs on. Very strange. and my light still doesn't come on for them

Very strange... It seems that the glow plug light now doesn't come on when I first come to start it, but if I wait for the relay to click it starts fine. Which seems very strange as it wouldn't start like that before. After I've made my journey to work which is only 4 miles and I come to switch it off, if I try switching it back to the glow plugs then every time it doesn't come on then flashes on right at the end, then if I turn the keys off and on again the light comes on each and every time like normal. My only thoughts are heat from the engine bay expanding something and making it a better contact, but it's starting fine without the light coming on, wheras when the light used to come on it wouldn't start.

Well I turned it on this morning, no glow plug light still, waited for the relay to click but never heard it, after 10 seconds or so I thought I'd better start it, so carried on turning the key and it struggled a bit but started. When I got to work, I switched it off, then turned it back to glow plugs to see if I could get the relay to click, there was no glow plug light on, then suddenly it appeared then went straight off. I turned it off and back on again and now it shows straight away each time. I tried starting it after having the glow plugs on and it started up fine. Very strange - but needs more testing - I do think though it's related to the glow plugs - I just can't think how they could stop fuel!

I thought the same about the bulb - but I think I'll leave it a while and a) se if comes back and B) see if it starts any better now. These are more fun than my series

It seemed to start now - I tried 5 or 6 times, waiting a few seconds as if the glow plug light was on, and sometimes waiting for the glow plug relay to click. Everytime it started fine - but I'll have to test it a few more times to be sure about that. My only worry is that the glow plugs aren't heating at all now and it won't start when it's cold! I'll probably find that out in the morning! Yes - the buzzing/ticking noise is probably nothing to worry about - Pete seemed to recall his doing the same

good idea, only problem is I seem to have lost the light now! It worked this morning then at lunch time (without touching anything) it had stopped lighting up - the relay still clicks though

humm, I don't seem to be able to get the glow plug light on at all now - does that mean anything? the relay still seems to click

3 wires are just loose, the 4th a white one splices into the big wiring harness that runs down the wing, it splices into a blue cable

I'll trace them back as much as I can later, but I don't think I could see very well. I just hope it's not some PO bodge

Yeah I'd noticed it there - I'll have a good check over and clean the contacts up. When I left to go for my lunch I just went to start it straight up and normally I see a flicker of orange, but I didn't that time which I thought was strange but it started so I drove off, then when I came to start it again to come back I thought I'd put it on glow plugs which I did, and there was no light I waited a few seconds with the key in that position then went to start it and it just turned over - no fuel. Turned it off waited a few seconds then started it straight up and it started. It just doesn't seem to like having the key in that position for long before it starts! Thanks for your help with all this

I'm having a few starting issues (on another thread), but I've just noticed today at lunchtime my light didn't come on at all, on two journeys. Is it just a feature because it's warm enough or is it a dodgy connection somewhere?

Mine isn't so much that it's a cold start issue, it's more something to do with the circuits being on first, I'll give a couple of examples. Nice warm day, engine still warm as it was used 10 mins ago, go to start it, turn key to glow plugs wait (not long as it's warm so the light goes out quickly) then go to start it and it will turn over no problem but it won't get any fuel. Switch it off - wait 10 seconds or so then start it straight up and it instantly fires up (if I do that it then the first place then it works) So I have a way around it all the time if it's warm - it's just cold weather that makes it worse as I need to use the glow plugs to get a bit of heat in there but then I have to switch it off - wait a couple of seconds then start it by which time the plugs have gone cold. My one thought at the moment is to try and make up a circuit to power the glow plugs on their own, then start it straight up and see if that helps, then switch them off once it has started. Does that sound a good way to go? I just can't figure out why it's not getting fuel when the glow plugs have been on, but it does if I kick it straight in.

Doh - I didn't do very well there did I - ended up with the post on one thread and the picture on another!! Anyway the siren is just a bit further forward towards the front bumper

I've sold a couple of cars on ebay, really easy and with both I got more than I wanted for them, neither sold properly through ebay though so wouldn't show as selling - which happens a lot. With both I had people come look at the car first and make me an offer whilst they are there to save them having to go and come back, then I had to cancel them on ebay. Also a colleague tried selling a rover on ebay which didn't meet it's reserve, but straight after it finished (with no bids) he had 5 people contact him wanting to buy it and ended up selling it for £50 less than the reserve. It's a great way to get it infront of a lot of people.

Any idea what is normally here? It looks like there used to be something there, there is a multi plug type thing, and there is a few ring type spade terminals. I can't think that there is anything missing but just thought I'd check. Cheers Matt

Thanks for the tips, on that other thread is the spider the thing pictured in the 1st picture? as that looks completely different to the old type. Do you know if there is a bypass for that? On your PM you said you managed to bypass a couple of circuits, for the fuel cut off is that the same as running a 12v wire to the fuel cut of solenoid? As I've tried that and it didn't help! And finally does anybody elses EDC 300tdi making a buzzing noise from the fuel injector pump when the ignition is switched on to the glow plugs (even after the glow plugs go out and the relay clicks off)??

Hi I've got a 1995 300tdi Auto ES which I've just found out is an EDC model. I'm having trouble starting the Disco, If I go out to it and turn the key so the glow plugs are on then there is quite a loud buzzing noise from the fuel injection pump, and the black fuel pipe that goes between the pump and the filter vibrates - is that normal on the EDC models?? If I wait for the glow plug light to go out, then try and start it then 9 times out of 10 it will fail. I have found a way to start it easily when the weather is OK. To do this I have two options if it's really warm or the disco is warm from just being run, then I just turn the key all the way and start it straight off with no glow plugs and it starts fine. If it's a bit cool then I put the glow plugs on wait till the light goes out then turn it off wait a couple of seconds then start it straight up. My main problem comes with cold mornings like this morning. I think it needs the heat from the glow plugs but they're going cold before it starts with me having to switch it off and back on. If I do wait for the glow plugs then try and start then it turns over no problem but it just doesn't seem to get fuel, I can try over and over again then use my method of switching it all off then starting it straight up and it starts fine with no smoke as would be expected if there was fuel there before. I had been advised to get the bypass plug for the Spider but having pulled the dash apart, I then found there was no spider there (behind the heater controls) is the spider somewhere else and can I still bypass it on the EDC model? Any ideas what can be wrong and how to fix it?

As above how do I tell if I've got a fly by wire version of the 300tdi disco? Can anyone tell from these photos:

It passed it's MOT when they were worse, now I've replaced the servo they are better. I know they're older etc and I can't expect them to work better than my car, but I have driven other series 3's and they are better! The main other one I have driven has got the peugeot pump - so I'll give that a try. I took the rod off the butterfly last night so I could move them independantly. The only time I get any real vacuum is when it is very nearly closed but then it pours smoke out of the exhaust. I'm now on the look out for a pump from a peugeot!!

OK so going back to the brakes.... I had a chat with a local mechanic who calls himself a landrover specialist (not sure on that but..) he thought it would be the servo and luckily had a similar one on his parts shelf wich he sold me for £20. The servo was a fair bit bigger in diameter but the studs were all in the same place so I wipped of the old one trimmed a little bit off the wing and fitted the new one. The brakes are now better but still not perfect, at thirty five I did an emergency stop and we stopped and everything fell on the floor! It did however take a lot of pressure. Likewise I can now slow down and stop on downhill descents although it takes a hell of a lot of right leg work!! So it was better but still not perfect. I've just been having a play with it so I decided to take the vacuum pipes off with it running and see how much vacuum there was - there is a little bit on idle not a hugh amount but I'm not sure what to expect. It isn't strong enough to suck the pipe on to my finger. If I rev it up the vacuum decreases even more. I then took all the pipe off and went for a drive - the brakes are just as good as they are with the pipes attached!! I've had a look through the haynes manual but it only breifly mentions the butterfly valve and doesn't tell you what to do with it! Any ideas on how to adjust it??

I don't want to go any faster, as I said before the 67mph is scary enough!! All I wanted to do was improve the permance at the beginning of 4th gear

Yeah you might be right. The power just seems fine all the rest of the time. 4th does maintain the speed and does accelerate, but it's just a lot better if you over rev 3rd We put a set of recon injectors in, in March. The pump timing is slightly out as it is over-fuelling, but we were advised to leave it because it starts so well. Do you think the pump timing would help on it's own??