Disco DJ

Welcome, plenty of people here to help

IF it is the switches it needs doing more thoroughly than that I'm afraid! The gunk inside the mechanism that flicks the contacts open to closed gets restricted. You need it in little tiny pieces, clean it up, then have fun reconstructing!

Are you sure you cleaned the switches properly? Blasting them with cleaner is a waste of cleaner. I stripped mine down into little pieces at the kitchen table and just wiped everything clean with tissue. It is a bit fiddly. Also you could check their function with a multimeter whilst you're there. Did you say the fronts work fine? If so, can you swap switches to test?

I had this on mine. All the switches were full of crud. Have you taken the switches out and stripped them right down and cleaned them? Good chance that might fix it. They are a little fiddly, that's why I said take them right out (and work on the bench/table)

Does it just "click"? If so it could be the contacts in the starter motor gone, very common! (Mine did it!) Search "repairkitsuk"

Good news!! This is a well documented common problem and a cheap fix! See; http://www.repairkitsuk.com/1.html Bad news- it's a fiddly job! Done it myself, DIY grade repair but does take time!

+1^^^^ Had mine 10+ years, done 130,000 miles in it. Never heard that D2's had major chassis worries, thought that was all D1's!! Air suspension isn't "wallowy" it's brilliant for comfort and perfect for towing. Plus you can manually raise the rear slightly for off road. That's if it's working of course!! All 7 seaters came with air, option on the 5 seaters I believe. Avoid sun roof, look for air con (works well as long as used constantly). 30mpg or just under has been the constant over 10 years with mix of country lanes/motorway/town etc. You should get a good one (facelift model) for less than £5k Dave

Presume all lights (especially abs) come on with ignition and then go out? If lights are working it "shouldn't" be abs related!? Dave

There's loads of Info and guides about, have you not considered giving it a go yourself? Nice to know its been done properly and good satisfaction to be had. Saves a bundle of dosh too! Not everyone's thing, but it is all dead easy, it must be if I can do it!! Dave

I'd say the running costs are fairly similar if you're servicing yourself. However, when they go wrong the Disco will do so more often and cost more! That's prob why old Defenders seem to hold their value. Dave

3rd is the magic gear. You can motor up hill at 50 or crawl at tick over! Just to try it, I let my TD5 (with trailer) just pull itself up a small hill the other day in third, with NO gas pedal usage! It just drove itself up!Dave

I tow regularly with my D2 TD5 (2002). Standard height, Air suspension, michelin latitude cross tyres (last for ages!) Never put a foot wrong, but I don't try to race round in it! Plenty of power with big Ifor and 2 x 600kg horses. Also same trailer fits 58 bales of hay and I collect from a site with very steep hill to climb! No probs with manual, never tried an auto. Dave

You could drive better, but where's the fun in that?! Mines always been around 29mpg +/- 2mpg since I got it in 2003! Dave

Does it clonk on take up within the same gear? Ie accelerate, ease off accelerate again? If so it maybe a worn prop shaft as they're known to give a good clonk when on their way out! Dave PS maybe some specifics would help eg model/transmission etc?

Just found a leaky pipe on mine. The pipe that comes off the bottom of the expansion tank and goes to the fuel cooler "wore through" by rubbing about half way along. Played with the pipe looking for the leak and it crumbled (very brittle). New pipe ordered but patched together with a washing machine hose!! Dave