Thread: Confident TD5 purchase?

I am in the same boat. Looking at a D2 to buy very soon. The message I have got from these forums is only buy one that has a detailed service history! If there are blanks in the service books walk away.

Having said that there are plenty of lemons out there, particularly 4x4s that have been abused or neglected regardless of make. These are the ones that tend to be discussed at length on forums such as this. There are plenty of Land Rover owners out there who have never heard of this forum or considered that their vehicle may be unreliable because they look after it!!

Good luck with your hunting and enjoy!!

I just recently bought a 99 manual D2 TD5. it had all the service history, 1 owner, 210000kms and was awesome to drive. like urself im new to the land rover scene so i got it checked out at specialist land rover mechanic. ended up coming back with exhaust manifold needed replacing, harness leaking and new brake upgraqdes by previous owner were good except the rotors where under sized. even though i did a thorough check of the main things (rust, leaks, temp ect)these things i wouldnt of looked for myself so it was worth the cash to send it to a mechanic. the dealer fixed all the problems and she is an awesome car. so if everything looks great but you are still a bit unsure spend the extra bucks and get it fully checked out, either by a specialist or RAC its worth the peice of mind .

Also is it a manual or an auto, becasue i have read in a couple of threads that if you upgrade your ECU, the auto gearbox's sometimes have drama's taking on the new amounts of power and torque and might need replacing in future, while as the manuals take it just fine.

Hope ive been helpful and good luck

Hi IamKONG

I would rather a manual but they are hard to come by in TD5 with 7 seats and good nick and by all accounts on various forums, the Auto is better to tow with.

I had a brief chat with Bruce Davis in regards to ECU upgrades and auto boxes. My concern was it would hunt around gears more with the extra power going through it asd perhaps fail prematurly. He explained the auto is actually better suited to the extra power and torque and respons very favourably.

Once I have found one that passes my criteria, I will most likely see if Davis or Cooper can have a good look.



Thanks

If you get a good one, there is no finer 4x4.

All good advice in the above posts. Look for service history. Pay a bit and get it checked by a LR person.

3 Amigos aren't always expensive, but keep $1500 in the back of your mind. (it's still cheaper than a Land Cruiser).

The experts will only chip the autos to around the 120-130kW and 380-390Nm. Still a great improvement.

I would also make sure it has the CDL internals. There was a period in which these were removed.

I have an 02 Td5. This is my first LR and it has been fantastic.

Waz

Hi Waz

Thanks for feedback.

One I am looking at has the electronic servo operated CDL retro fitted by Graham Cooper. Apparently though, these foul up with dirt and become useless. It also has a full service history at a single LR dealer. Bruce mentioned around 135Kw and 420Nm. Would this be the mild tune? Much more than my chipped, bigger exhaust, EGR blocked, inlet modified 2.8 GU Patrol that now pumps out a massive (over standard) figures of 112Kw and 319Nm.

One vehicle nearby, the owner has admitted has the intermittant 3 Amigo issue and quotes
Three amigos are the "Shuttle valve switch electical failure" - we looked into fixing it early in our ownership - but is about a $4k fix. Doesn't affect the usability of the car, so haven't forked out for it.
It does not bode well on this particular vehicle.

If the 3 Amigo's is so common and potentially dangerous, would it not have been recalled or brought to the attention of someone like ACA?

Thanks again

Originally Posted by nath69

If the 3 Amigo's is so common and potentially dangerous, would it not have been recalled or brought to the attention of someone like ACA?

Thanks again

The issue of the 3 amigos is highly overrated. It is not dangerous as the brakes still work, you just may not have the ABS, HC and TC functions - but the brakes still work.

Most 3 amigos can be fixed by turning off the ignition off and turning it back on (certainly works on my Freelander - same basic system as the D2). Most fault lights occur because of dust etc getting caught up in the sensor and cleaning with compressed air can fix. Of course there can always be a faulty sensor or a broken wire.

If the shuttle valve plays up it is usually dirt in the system caused by not changing the brake fluid at recommended intervals. In the good old days this could not be repaired and was expensive to replace but now repair kits are available making a fix cost effective.

I would not be put off by the 3 amigos.

Garry

I agree with garrycol. Don't be put off by the 3 amigos.

Shuttle valve errors can be a couple of things. Dirt, brake fluid, or the actual shuttle valve. Mine was the worst case scenario. The original epoxy coating on the ABS modulator can breakdown causing shorts in the shuttle valves. I needed an ABS modulator rebuild.

It used to be that the ABS modulator was not repairable and the replacement cost is $4000. Now they can be repaired and it is about $1400-1600.

I would use the $4000 as a negotiating point and then spend $1500 getting it fixed.

I will defer the chip advice to Tombie. He is the one to talk to about the chips. He's the gun. He just did mine and it's fantastic.

Waz