CJ1 Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 From next week I am starting to look for my next Discovery to add to my household, My green 300TDi is soon to be back on the road, but I am going to be buying a TD5 Auto Facelift (2002 onwards), I have already started looking on line but not in a position to buy one for a few more weeks. What do I need to look out for on the facelift TD5's please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Challo Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Sorry to be pedantic, but in your other current post, you state that you cannot afford new inner wings at the moment. Surely inner wings for for a Discovery 1 are cheaper that a Discovery 2 automatic vehicle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelw Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Rotten chassis. All electricals work and that the three amigos are not illuminated. If fitted with ACE, check as best you can for corrosion of the hydraulic pipes. If fitted with air springs on the back factor in replacements in the purchase price. Grumbling wheel bearings as they are more costly to replace than D1s. Basically most now are on to their 4th and 5th owners so beware of smoke and unusual rattles and ANY leaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelw Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Sorry to be pedantic, but in your other current post, you state that you cannot afford new inner wings at the moment. Surely inner wings for for a Discovery 1 are cheaper that a Discovery 2 automatic vehicle? I wasn't going to be so blunt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Challo Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 I wasn't going to be so blunt! Yup I am very experienced and highly qualified at putting my foot in it! Not known for tact either lol No offence meant CJ1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJ1 Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 I have found 1 that I like, it has 2 owners, 149000 Miles, its in North Yorkshire, This is the description and it is on a dealer forecourt. LAND ROVER DISCOVERY TD5 2.5 GS AUTO, 2002, 52 Reg, 149,000 Miles, MOT History, 2 Former Keepers, 7 Seater, PAS, Electric Windows, Electric Mirrors, Remote Central Locking Alarm & Immobiliser, Spare Key, CD Player, Spoked Alloys, Side Steps, Tow Bar, Climate, Twin Sunroofs, MOT Oct 2014, Taxed Until 31/01/14, Very Clean 4x4 For Year & Miles, Runs & Drives Very Well, Sorry for the advert being so big, I copied and pasted it on to this post. And thanks for the advice. I am not put off the D2's by that information though, although how much is a spring suspension conversion on average? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJ1 Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 Sorry to be pedantic, but in your other current post, you state that you cannot afford new inner wings at the moment. Surely inner wings for for a Discovery 1 are cheaper that a Discovery 2 automatic vehicle? I didn't say I can't afford the inner wings at all. But right now it isn't worth me putting the money into it to do that job as 80% of the patchwork welding had already been done before it was too late. And getting a Discovery 2 Auto is something I am getting in addition to the Discovery 1. The Discovery 1 is going to be more as a back up towing vehicle and back up run around, parts collection vehicle and the Discovery out of the 2 that I will be more adventurous off road although the Discovery 2 will be taken off road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJ1 Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share Posted November 13, 2013 Rotten chassis. All electricals work and that the three amigos are not illuminated. If fitted with ACE, check as best you can for corrosion of the hydraulic pipes. If fitted with air springs on the back factor in replacements in the purchase price. Grumbling wheel bearings as they are more costly to replace than D1s. Basically most now are on to their 4th and 5th owners so beware of smoke and unusual rattles and ANY leaks. Please dumb down a couple of things for me What is ACE? What are the 3 Amigos? Did Land Rover not correct the Chassis Problem on the later D2's? or was it not corrected until the D3's came out? I will be checking the Chassis thoroughly anyway though and 1 of the first jobs I will be doing is waxoyl or the equivalent treating all of the underneath etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelw Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Active Corner Enhancement Best to just type "three amigos" into the search bar, will give you far more info. If it has air, keep it, spring conversions are for people who are happy to ride coil springs well past sagging, the air suspension is great on them and with a little expert help they are very reliable, I wont bore you here with my knowledge and love of air suspension so if you want to know more PM me. BTW something like a pug partner van makes an extremely reliable and economical parts run about, will easy do triple the mpg of a disco on running around and cheaper to insure too! Maybe you should push more money into the D1 and make it ultra reliable and get a pootle wagon for parts etc, or you'll just end up with two broken Rovers and empty pockets, or will history repeat I wonder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJ1 Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share Posted November 13, 2013 History wont repeat itself, don't worry there, I am planning on getting a Discovery 2 off a forecourt so that it comes with a warranty. I have no intentions of throwing my D2's budget at the D1 as it stil doesn't solve the issue that I need an Auto for my every day runabout. And the D1 is only being kept for the business as it proved to be ultra reliable before and wont only be driven by me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 What do you mean by forecourt? If you are going to buy from Dels Dodgy Motors or some such 'business', then you'll be lucky to get much back from them if it goes wrong. Also, purchasing locally would be wise since if you buy from Yorkshire, if anything goes wrong, you have the hassle of getting the car back up there and will probably also have the hassle of trying to reclaim the cost of that transport from that dealer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJ1 Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share Posted November 13, 2013 Forecourt as in car dealer forecourt and will be paying by credit card for extra protection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelw Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 You should watch this series of videos on the tube to get a good idea of potential problems. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTSFFhhmkMvKcE6_zgyMs97WdFurl1l0L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticbadger Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 To be a bit more constructive... I've been very impressed with my D2 over 7 years and 90k miles of hard use for towing and pleasure. I bought mine from an independent dealer and the warranty was worthless, it went back 3 times with an issue that years later turned out to be a worn spigot bearing. As others have said, problems with ABS, ACE, air suspension, chassis corrosion, leaks, and the auto box need to be considered. Mine has factory coils and it rides better than the air and has been trouble free, so worth considering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJ1 Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share Posted November 13, 2013 To be a bit more constructive... I've been very impressed with my D2 over 7 years and 90k miles of hard use for towing and pleasure. I bought mine from an independent dealer and the warranty was worthless, it went back 3 times with an issue that years later turned out to be a worn spigot bearing. As others have said, problems with ABS, ACE, air suspension, chassis corrosion, leaks, and the auto box need to be considered. Mine has factory coils and it rides better than the air and has been trouble free, so worth considering. Thank you. To me this reads, the D2 has just as many problems as the D1, just more costly to sort. These posts have been incredibly helpful and have not deterred me at all from wanting a D2. Although I may wait a little longer for 1. But only around an extra month if the Blue one I have found turns out to not be the right one for me which is in West Yorkshire and not North Yorkshire like I thought for some reason, I am not too worried about weather I buy from a dealer or not as such, but buying from a dealer using a credit card gives me more back up if things were to go wrong because the dealer turned out to have sold me a dodgy motor knowingly. Not that I believe that this will happen. But I am hoping to have a Discovery outside my house by Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disco_al Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 Incidentally, if it is a 7 seater it has to have air springs on the back due to construction & use regs, plus the seaters were only type approved to have the air springs. Make sure the autobox has been serviced properly too (filter changed at correct intervals) as they can be costly to fix when they go wrong. Injector wiring harness problems with oil ingress (causes a misfire) - unplug the wiring to the ECU (drivers side - big red connector?) if it has oil in then negotiate a new loom for the injectors in the price. Look for fuel leakage underneath, although not easy to see due to the undertray, as this can be a sign of a faulty fuel pressure regulator. Listen for the fuel pump as well, if it's loud enough to hear, then agan, try and negotiate a replacement with the dealer - best part of 200 quid for a new one. Rust on the rear of the chassis by the fuel tank is a major D2 problem - my brothers' 2004 D2 has got this problem, not enough to warrant any welding yet, but will in a few years time. Sunroof's leak due to the drain tubes either blocking or breaking off the tray under the headlining. If the tyres are looking close to the limit - especially if they are 18", then again, negotiate replacements in the price. You can use P38 alloys on a D2, so finding 16" replacements to have a set of winter/off road all terrains on is easy (apart from buying the tyres, although you could use one of the deals in the likes of LRO on wheel and tyre packages and sell the steel rims on to recoup some of the costs). Make sure ALL the electrics work. If it has heated seats, check under the back, as the connectors can break. Previous posters have mentioned the ACE pipes, check them thoroughly, very pricey to replace. If it has air suspension at the back, take a spray bottle with soapy water in, spray the air springs and get it raised up to off road height - any bubbles will show a leak - another bargaining point. As always, do not buy the first one you look at - go and have a look, take it for a test drive, leave your phone number and walk away saying you'll need to think about it - odds are if they are desperate to shift it they'll ring you in a day or two with a lower price - that to me would ring alarm bells - if they don't then go back with bargaining power in your hands. I know people don't think much of Mike Brewer, but he does know how to point out things to help bring the price of a car down. Buying this time of year will also attract the Winter premium in the 4x4 market - more so with the press forecasting "ice age" and "snowmaggedon". Bide your time, wait until spring, and buy one when the prices drop by a few hundred quid - spend your money getting the D1 upto scratch, and use that as a showcase for your business maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJ1 Posted November 15, 2013 Author Share Posted November 15, 2013 A friend of mine has a D2 Commercial that they bought as converted to a 5 seater, It is a 54 plate with 220000 Miles on the clocks with a replacement engine. I will go and have a play with that using all the advice above as practice for when I go out looking properly. Thank you everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 Have you looked in the for sale section on here? http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=85948 I'd rather buy from a long standing member here than a second hand car trader. 'Warranty' or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 I'd read the thread about putting a new chassis under a D2, that was shocking for just how rusty they can be! Might help you understand a lot of what's under the skin too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJ1 Posted November 15, 2013 Author Share Posted November 15, 2013 I have looked a couple of times but nothing has come up that I like yet. But will keep looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 More bluntness 1. paying by credit card gives you virtually no protection when you find something horribly wrong with it thats going to costs a fortune. 2. I trust "Dealerships" about as much as "Arthur Daleys" they will smile, as they take your money and walk away thinking "Muppet / result" 3. With your track record of buying sheds and ****ers - pay some prioper money and have an engineers / RAC / AA inspeection report done on it. AND PAY ATTENTION to the issues, issues are NOT are bargaining tool when they are more than anything minor - BUY SOMETHING ELSE 4. Take off the rose tinted glasses when looking - a valet can make a dog look decent. 5. Read the above again 6. Have several to look at read stuff on here and no what to look for when you go and look at them 7. Read the above some more 8. find out how long the previous owner has had it - is it someone else who had it who got sick of it and moving it now to next sad bugger ... 9. Take someone who knows about them PROPERLY with you, get it on a ramp to have a proper look if it passes a once over 10. Read and Memorise the above - again DON't go buying another snotter and have threads here of tales of woe and disasters, take you time, look liong and hard enginners report and spend money wisely nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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