Buying a td5 disco

[JoshV12345]

Hey,

I'm thinking about buying a td5 d2. Just wondering how often you guys work on your discoveries? Do the little issues really happen that often? e.g. 3 amigos, oil leaks, other electrical issues? All I seem to hear is how I'll be working on it all the time and dealing with faults.

[RobMichelle]

Nah, ya learn to ignore the oil leaks on the driveway, live with the 3 amigos and put up with door actuators that stop working, and look at the new radiator and abs lead in the shed and keep thinking next service il get around to em.
Could just be me thou [emoji2]good luck and enjoy the experience

[simonmelb]

I would still recommend a well looked after TD5 D2 for someone that doesn’t mind a bit of tinkering now and then.

Common parts are all available and not expensive and given it’s not a complex vehicle ( like the D4) most jobs you can do yourself.

Once you go through all the common faults / wear items you can have a great vehicle.

Most importantly they are a ~20 yo vehicle so be very patient to wait for a very very well looked after one.

[johnp38]

I would still recommend a well looked after TD5 D2 for someone that doesn’t mind a bit of tinkering now and then.

Common parts are all available and not expensive and given it’s not a complex vehicle ( like the D4) most jobs you can do yourself.

Once you go through all the common faults / wear items you can have a great vehicle.

Most importantly they are a ~20 yo vehicle so be very patient to wait for a very very well looked after one.

What he said

Mine was a POS that must have had multiple knuckledraggers working on it.

If you can find a daily driver that has been doing shop/school runs and serviced now and then all good.

Buy a nanocom and learn how to use it, coz the upfront cost will be saved soon as you have any issues and can see and sort things out very quickly.

Check the injector adjustment and cam/crank timing as part of the initial going over after you have bought it.

Use NUK brand seal for front axle leaks then you won't have to do the job twice.

Make sure you learn difference between 10p and 15p otherwise you will be thrown off by forum posts that apply to one or other but not both especially with MAF issues.

Get RAVE on your computer and read relevant area before following guidance from forum posts.

Mine is still a POS but I can get in it and drive it to shops or interstate now without giving a second thought just fluid checks underbonnet for long runs and off I go.

I would recommend it (D2) as an excellent value for money 4WD (yes I know its All Wheel Drive you pedantic lot) vehicle to buy for a handyperson who knows how to use spanners and common sense.

[Discosux]

Pretty much all the problems have been sorted by this mob and others around the world. Fix the known problems / issues, give it a tune and you'll have a stupid awesome and reliable 4x4. Apart from the standard auto (that bit sucks)

Fix it all up and you'll know the D2 inside out and have confidence in it. They're not crazy complicated and are very easy to work on.
Having said that, if you're not prepared or able to DIY most stuff, there's probably better options. It's a DIY world out there at the moment

I bought mine for 3k from a wrecker / 240,000km, Spent heaps on it getting it right, still spending and sorting stuff out. She just keeps getting better and better. I doubt any other vehicle gives so much back for a bit of love and some basic mods.

[PhilipA]

I have had my 2002 auto for 8 years now and 100000 km. Now at 230kk.
It has been the cheapest to run LR that I have had. Most money was spent on mods rather than problems and everything on mine works.
I have done some preventative maintenance by replacing the trans cooler lines . I run Castrol full synthetic ATF .
I have fitted EGT and boost gauges and try to keep under 700c and the manifold that I had machined modified by cutting webs and hi temp coated seems to still hold gas.
I see some with problems like oil cooler corrosion because they do not keep adequate and fresh coolant. If you see rust stain in the coolant walk away.
I have minimal oil leaks with maybe a 5 cent dropped from the sump and output shaft after a trip. Although I do keep up seals a bit.
I look to keeping mine as long as I can drive as the size of the servicing costs and risk on a D3 or D4 will prevent me from buying one.
regards PhilipA

[Noisy]

Probably the best car i have ever owned. Yes they have problems but like other said most are easy to fix these days. I don't work on mine anymore than my mates 4wds of other brands and no matter what brand of car you buy it will have its own of problems. Parts are slightly dearer i have noticed but if you do the work yourself its not too bad.

[James NZ]

I'd like to second everything here, as long as you do your own servicing. My D2a has now got 336xxxk's showing and I quite happily throw some gear in the back and drive 5 hrs north over 4 mountain passes visit the relatives and then take the longer route home. I love both of my D2's. Buy a good one, service it, job done. Oh and I like to thank all the forum users for excellent advice and a friendly place to hang out. Cheers, James NZ

[V8Ian]

I'd like to second everything here, as long as you do your own servicing. My D2a has now got 336xxxk's showing and I quite happily throw some gear in the back and drive 5 hrs north over 4 mountain passes visit the relatives and then take the longer route home. I love both of my D2's. Buy a good one, service it, job done. Oh and I like to thank all the forum users for excellent advice and a friendly place to hang out. Cheers, James NZ
So it's a reasonable assumption that you don't live at 90 Mile Beach, then.[wink11]

[RRT]

Cannot recommend them highly enough. As an as best poor mechanic, the thing is simple to work on and nothing (wouldn't think of doing an autobox repair ever) is difficult along with the best reference site on the web here at Aulro. There are a few bits that are thoroughly a PIA such as the front end ball joints but the rest is pretty easy, changing out the springs and shock absorbers could be done by a child.

The prices are purely dependent on the care that has been given during ownership, well cared for ones for mine a little undervalued (but are rising) especially compared to the alternatives such as $30K 80 series which cannot ever match the inherent qualities of the vehicles such as ride and inline diff pumpkins etc. K's as many will attest with the TD5 are again not a concern as most have passed the time where the worse issues such as cylinder head movement has long been fixed.

For mine, the SLS rear and if you can get one, ACE, are other aspects that provide a differentiation to other vehicles of the vintage. I lucked with the D2, SLS, ACE, Heated electric seats and the Harmon Kardon audio.

The three Mexican friends are also not issue an that was once seen to be, wheel hub sensors having been shown to be the major cause. The Nanocom helps without doubt and should be purchased with the vehicle.

I think the other aspect of the D2 and D2a is how easily they are upgraded. Power upgrades especially so.

Parts are available and if you have time, getting them from the UK or even US depending on what you are looking for can make the ownership even cheaper.


One other aspect I should mention when purchasing is that an oil leak is not necessary the problem it might appear to be. The oil leaks in a D2 flows in mysterious ways and having picked a D2a with an extensive service history which also had oil leaks (got the ball joints that had to fixed done by the mechanic by the way) turned out to be the rocker cover only. It does not leave a stain on the drive at all once the rocker cover was retightened, the D2 has a similar issue which is going to be fixed this week. Make sure the engine bay is fully cleaned before discounting a leaky D2.

Basically be prepared to do maintenance that should be done on the vehicle if it has not - i.e. replacing old rubber pipes, water pump etc. and get to know the engine bay well.

[JoshV12345]

Thanks for all the replies, I'm definitely swaying more towards a disco now. Have been looking at other cars mainly 80 or 105 series but they seem to be double the price and double the amount of k's on them, or even any of the dual cab ute options but then you get worse ride and independent front.

The disco is very capable and probably the best bang for buck.

How does the ecu/auto ecu do with water crossings? I'd definitely be doing the top end of aus such as pascoe river and nolans crossing, do they have issues of water stopping them, they don't seem very protected or high where they are.

[Discosux]

Thanks for all the replies, I'm definitely swaying more towards a disco now. Have been looking at other cars mainly 80 or 105 series but they seem to be double the price and double the amount of k's on them, or even any of the dual cab ute options but then you get worse ride and independent front.

The disco is very capable and probably the best bang for buck.

How does the ecu/auto ecu do with water crossings? I'd definitely be doing the top end of aus such as pascoe river and nolans crossing, do they have issues of water stopping them, they don't seem very protected or high where they are.

most of them are oil filled. mine is. [bigsmile1]

they do have good gaskets / seals on the plugs. carry a spare ECU just in case though

[SPROVER]

Thanks for all the replies, I'm definitely swaying more towards a disco now. Have been looking at other cars mainly 80 or 105 series but they seem to be double the price and double the amount of k's on them, or even any of the dual cab ute options but then you get worse ride and independent front.

The disco is very capable and probably the best bang for buck.

How does the ecu/auto ecu do with water crossings? I'd definitely be doing the top end of aus such as pascoe river and nolans crossing, do they have issues of water stopping them, they don't seem very protected or high where they are.I got back from Cape York just over a week ago. Did the old telephone track and went through Nolan's with no problems at all. But I did have my old ecu with me just in case. [emoji16]

[PhilipA]

The auto ecu is most vulnerable under the passenger seat but IMHO if you are stopped in water to that depth then you have more problems .
you can relocate it up in the back or side of the console as I believe there is enough cable.
the engine ecu is quite high in the engine bay.
of course a snorkel is necessary both from water entry and dust as stock pulls from lh guard.
regards PhilipA
ps if there is a dvd stacker it sits on top of the trans ecu.

[Discosux]

The auto ecu is most vulnerable under the passenger seat but IMHO if you are stopped in water to that depth then you have more problems .
you can relocate it up in the back or side of the console as I believe there is enough cable.
the engine ecu is quite high in the engine bay.
of course a snorkel is necessary both from water entry and dust as stock pulls from lh guard.
regards PhilipA
ps if there is a dvd stacker it sits on top of the trans ecu.

Will a drowned BCU stop a TD5?

[PhilipA]

I do not know. I think it would go into limp home and only have2 nd gear available.
I once read a long time ago that the car refused to move after a dunk but I do not remember the details.
regards PhilipA
maybe someone else knows

[AK83]

....

How does the ecu/auto ecu do with water crossings? I'd definitely be doing the top end of aus such as pascoe river and nolans crossing, do they have issues of water stopping them, they don't seem very protected or high where they are.


Will a drowned BCU stop a TD5?

No direct experience, but auto ECU should be fine .. not so sure about BCU tho.
My experience with this issue comes from the brothers TD5.

It had some weird stuff about it. Bro bought it 'modded' to high heaven by previous owners(??), but idiots had no real idea about how to achieve it. But it didn't stop them from trying hard.
Many clues pointed to a point in time previously where they(POs), must have drowned the TD5. BCU wasn't in sync with ECU nor actual VIN on the body .. all had different VIN numbers!(once again, sorry 'bout that Shack [biggrin]).

Once all the small bits of info came together, the only conclusion was that it had been drowned in silty stuff, all doors had silty build up inside them(I just assumed it was 20+ years of dust) .. and then the ECU anomalies.
Auto ECU tho appears to be original. I recently changed it out for the V8 version(better).

So I assume a drowned auto ECU may hold up fine, no idea how a drowned BCU, will survive .. but expect anomalies at the least.
ECU may also have been changed, as the TD5 is an NNN, so reason to swap it out for mapping(which had also been done) .. but the point that it had a different VIN to the body VIN suggest it was changed too.

[Discosux]

I might try unplugging the BCU to find out how it goes. I've already disabled all the immobiliser and alarm settings.

Last thing I want to be carrying around when remote is a spare BCU.

[Reddirt204]

My young bloke bought his D2a about 2 years ago as a first car, was in pretty good shape, very straight with reasonable service history. It did turn out to have several issues that we've (read, me..) have fixed.
Front drive shaft was first to fail, that was replaced with a heavier unit (not a super HD unit but at least greasable uni's)
Then came the general wear and tare items, engine mounts, rotoflex coupling and a few other bits and bobs. The biggest one was it needed a head gasket replacement, the lead up to this nearly made the young bloke sell it (or burn it to the ground..) kept on over heating, split a hose or 2 and generally miss-behaving.

I did some research here and with Google, ended up new head gasket, injector seals, exhaust gasket, modded the exhaust manifold, new studs, tweaked the waste gate and basically reset things. it is now quite a weapon, runs well, uses no coolant, very little oil between changes and just runs very nicely.

Currently he doesn't need a vehicle (living in Perth CBD) so I am driving it around, as I do FIFO it is now clocking up 700km a week back and forth to the airport, showing 325,000 on the clock and due for a service in a few weeks. The next plans will be the gearbox, as it is showing signs of slipping and the trans fluid is showing metal partials (auto) but as others have said, 20 years old, returns about 10.5L/100km day in day out with all the mod cons you really need, I would deffinetly be looking at a D2 again

cheers

Redd

[onebob]

If you have the factory CD stacker you will find it in the little cubby hole under the driver seat. Access is via a fold down flap in the trim panel behind your heals when you are seated …..

[JoshV12345]

The auto ecu is most vulnerable under the passenger seat but IMHO if you are stopped in water to that depth then you have more problems .
you can relocate it up in the back or side of the console as I believe there is enough cable.
the engine ecu is quite high in the engine bay.

Yeah agree it would have to be pretty deep, but when looking at some of those crossings, you're pretty much over bonnet level (not that the water would come in to that level unless you stopped halfway). I'd probably run some sort of tarp if it was that deep anyway.

[simonmelb]

And if not, it’s a great place for an ARB compressor.



If you have the factory CD stacker you will find it in the little cubby hole under the driver seat. Access is via a fold down flap in the trim panel behind your heals when you are seated …..

[JoshV12345]

And if not, it’s a great place for an ARB compressor.

I looked at an earlier model that had an aftermarket cdl pull cable fitted there, PO thought it was stock.

[JoshV12345]

No direct experience, but auto ECU should be fine .. not so sure about BCU tho.


I'm still wondering whether to go manual or auto - prefer driving manual (also no electrics for the gb) but auto might be the better option for towing. Manuals are also way harder to find.

[gavinwibrow]

I'm still wondering whether to go manual or auto - prefer driving manual (also no electrics for the gb) but auto might be the better option for towing. Manuals are also way harder to find.


No - go auto - you can always drive it as a 4 speed manual if you get withdrawal symptoms. Far more relaxed driving, rarely gives significant problems, and better in most off road scenarios. 4HP22 is an easy box to repair/replace and usually good for about 250K km.

Only hassle is if you often drive at about 70 kmph, the bloody thing doesn't lock up in 4th (overdrive) until 80, then will stay locked up until you drop below 70 again.

[onebob]

And if not, it’s a great place for an ARB compressor.

Agree totally.
I wouldn’t (and didn’t) recommend it….

[AK83]

....

Only hassle is if you often drive at about 70 kmph, the bloody thing doesn't lock up in 4th (overdrive) until 80, then will stay locked up until you drop below 70 again.

Find an auto ECU out of a V8, and contact Shack to mod the tune in the ECU(assuming an NNN) for the cruise control to function "normally". How it'd work with an MSB ECU, I can't advise, sorry.

But with a remapped ECU and the V8 trans ECU, it locks up easily at about 55k/h on light throttle in 4th and 40 k/h held in 3rd(which is mainly how I drive on my work commute).

I dare say those lockup points would be far too low for a std tune TD5.

I don't hold in in locked 4th tho at less than about 70-ish, as it feels like the torque converter in the TD5 can't handle it that low. It may require a V8 torque converter mod to work well less than that and locked up all the time.

When I first changed to the V8 TCU, I used to commute along a freeway which was pretty much all 80k/h roadworks, and reality was more like 70-60-70 ish speeds. 4th locked was fine here, and I had no real problems driving this way.
I changed work, and of course now that freeway is all proper freeway, but my new commute is through suburb after suburb and maybe 20k/h average! [biggrin]
Much less klms tho, but all stop start(mainly stop!) .. hence why I use the hold in in 3rd method 99% of the time .. 'around town'.

3rd locked at 60k/h is 1750RPM, and the tune on the TD5 as it is currently, feels like most of the torque is made about at that point, so millimeters of right foot translate into quick acceleration without the slippage and consequent engine noise.

It's a hard task having to get back into my auto D1 tdi.

I haven't driven a manual TD5, but have driven a manual TDi. I much prefer the auto in the overall way it drives as a TDi, and I can only assume the TD5 auto vs manual the overall experience would be a bit better again.

[JoshV12345]

I haven't driven a manual TD5, but have driven a manual TDi. I much prefer the auto in the overall way it drives as a TDi, and I can only assume the TD5 auto vs manual the overall experience would be a bit better again.

I'm the opposite, I've never actually driven a td5 auto, only auto LR's I've driven have been range rover classics so probably not something to compare to. I'm just not a fan of the typical late 90's/early 2000's slush boxes. Do td5 auto's feel the same as these?

I'm hopefully test driving a few auto's in the next week or 2.

I guess I'm just not familiar with them if something goes wrong I wouldn't know what to do, at least a manual is simple and could probably get you home.

[JoshV12345]

No - go auto - you can always drive it as a 4 speed manual if you get withdrawal symptoms. Far more relaxed driving, rarely gives significant problems, and better in most off road scenarios. 4HP22 is an easy box to repair/replace and usually good for about 250K km.

Most cars I see for sale have around this amount of k's - or more. Would that mean that I should budget for an auto replacement fairly quickly? Do auto's normally fail quickly or do they die slowly over a period of time? Like would it be something I could pick up in the test drive or could it drive totally fine then next week go bang.

[PhilipA]

Only hassle is if you often drive at about 70 kmph, the bloody thing doesn't lock up in 4th (overdrive) until 80, then will stay locked up until you drop below 70 again.

If you drive at 70kmh you should be in third gear. The driver’s handbook even states that. In that case it will stay locked down to 50 kmh. You have to exceed 70 by 1 or 2 kmh to lock.

In 80 kmh zones I usually stay in locked third rather than unlocked fourth as my EGTs are lower so I assume economy better and in congested 80 kmh , they often drop below 70 kmh. Again if it is pretty clear and flat I will go to 81 for the few seconds it takes to lock.

This is amplified if towing.

Regards PhilipA

[AK83]

My biggest gripe between earlier(earlier than D2) and D2 type autos is that in the D2 era, they removed the trans dipsticks, to make fluid checks and tops easy.

Had this issue on both my D1(dipstick) and bros D2(no dipstick).

When you're on your own trying to force fill the D2 auto .. hmmm ... PIT@ is an understatement.
D1(and obviously RRC and suchlike) is a breeze.

Having said that tho, the trans dipstick tube in my D1 did snap at the halfway point, where it's bracketed and mounted to block ... so it's not all good [biggrin]

lol I did fix it, and tho it lost some fluid .. not much .. and kept me mobile whilst I was ignorant of it's failure.

[Discosux]

Will a drowned BCU stop a TD5?

Yes it will. Another spare to carry [bigsad]

[JoshV12345]

Yes it will. Another spare to carry [bigsad]

I thought the bcu was up in the dash somewhere? Or is it in the engine bay, or under the seat with the auto ecu?

[JoshV12345]

Having a look at an auto disco on the weekend. Definitely put off by all the threads on bcu issues and immobiliser's etc, but I guess when everything's ok nobody posts anything on the internet. Do late model td5's still suffer from head gasket issues? Would you expect to get 300k-400k before needing to do the head?

[RobMichelle]

As a lot of people have said they are an awesome vehicle ,super capable,comfy can tow a lot, and with some Landrover traits to keep you on your toes.
I’ve never had a bcu issue as yet, vehicle has been well used as a 4x4 and towed our van and taken us to a lot of places. You may need to carry some different tools, like fan hub spanner, I carry a spare hub just cos I have one. If you get tied up in all that could go wrong you will never enjoy any vehicle.
As stated, find one with a good service history and enjoy the build up of a vehicle that will suit YOUR needs and adventures.
Just my 2 bobs worth [emoji106]

[simonmelb]

Only reason you should need to touch the head is if it overheats.

Also injectors should last the life of the engine - which is well over 500,000 km or a lot more if looked after.


Having a look at an auto disco on the weekend. Definitely put off by all the threads on bcu issues and immobiliser's etc, but I guess when everything's ok nobody posts anything on the internet. Do late model td5's still suffer from head gasket issues? Would you expect to get 300k-400k before needing to do the head?

[shack]

There are very very few BCU failures on a discovery 2 td5. Defender td5s on the other hand have numerous failures of the 10AS, but they are a completely different unit.

I would not give the failure of the D2 BCU any thought at all when planning a trip.

[Discosux]

There are very very few BCU failures on a discovery 2 td5. Defender td5s on the other hand have numerous failures of the 10AS, but they are a completely different unit.

I would not give the failure of the D2 BCU any thought at all when planning a trip.

There's been enough immobilizer / eka problems for it to be an issue though. While not a BCU failure it's a BCU issue.
I've been stuck because of this.

The more we understand how this stuff all ties together the less likely a silly failure / setting will cripple a vehicle.

Sorry if I freaked some potential d2 buyers out over the BCU bypass thing, Not my intention to suggest it was an unreliable unit.
I'm getting out of Dodge for quite some time. I just want the old girl to be sorted.

[Discosux]

I thought the bcu was up in the dash somewhere? Or is it in the engine bay, or under the seat with the auto ecu?

Right behind the glove box, just above big toe level. If you're not planning big water crossings - don't worry about it.

[Discosux]

Most cars I see for sale have around this amount of k's - or more. Would that mean that I should budget for an auto replacement fairly quickly? Do auto's normally fail quickly or do they die slowly over a period of time? Like would it be something I could pick up in the test drive or could it drive totally fine then next week go bang.

I wouldn't buy an Auto without first dropping a bit of fluid, see what it looks like. If there's clutch stuff in it, run a mile.

Also take a nanocom and check the adaptive values. This should give an idea on how much the clutch packs have left.
Double check about what I just said, but from what I understand this is a good indication.
Also never, never reset the adaptive value if you buy one.

I've had an Auto D2 it was awesome until it **** the bed.
I now have a manual D2,
with a stock tune D2 man's are the worst thing in the world to drive.
with a touched up tune they are the absolute best.
Probably not the best for technical off road though.

A good working low K Auto would be my preference, but for towing - no way is a stock 2nd hand 200+klm auto up to that job. They're barely able to lug a fat D2 around. Mine finally died when gently towing a 4+ tonne CNC machine, it was already sick though. I don't really miss it. It died with 180,000 soccer mom K's on the clock

[V8Ian]

I wouldn't buy an Auto without first dropping a bit of fluid, see what it looks like. If there's clutch stuff in it, run a mile.

Also take a nanocom and check the adaptive values. This should give an idea on how much the clutch packs have left.
Double check about what I just said, but from what I understand this is a good indication.
Also never, never reset the adaptive value if you buy one.

I've had an Auto D2 it was awesome until it **** the bed.
I now have a manual D2,
with a stock tune D2 man's are the worst thing in the world to drive.
with a touched up tune they are the absolute best.
Probably not the best for technical off road though.

A good working low K Auto would be my preference, but for towing - no way is a stock 2nd hand 200+klm auto up to that job. They're barely able to lug a fat D2 around. Mine finally died when gently towing a 4+ tonne CNC machine, it was already sick though. I don't really miss it. It died with 180,000 soccer mom K's on the clock
It didn't just die, you murdered it. Had you been caught you would have been grounded and charged with a substantial risk overloading offence. You can't blame the transmission for your abuse.

[discorevy]

I think it was Jeremy Clarkson on top gear that said, "Discoveries are driven by murderers".

But when not driven by murderers or worked on by butchers, they are the most reliable and fun to own of the Discos, with the TD5 being the most robust and tuneable engine, easily capable of sustaining modern power levels.
However, I wouldn't expect a 20 year old transmission to cope with it for very long without an overhaul, they're not as robust as the engine in standard form.

I don't see many early 2000 era Prados getting around, but still plenty D2's around here

[Tombie]

I think it was Jeremy Clarkson on top gear that said, "Discoveries are driven by murderers".

But when not driven by murderers or worked on by butchers, they are the most reliable and fun to own of the Discos, with the TD5 being the most robust and tuneable engine, easily capable of sustaining modern power levels.
However, I wouldn't expect a 20 year old transmission to cope with it for very long without an overhaul, they're not as robust as the engine in standard form.

I don't see many early 2000 era Prados getting around, but still plenty D2's around here

Well put!

LRs are usually unreliable due to back yard hack “mechanics”, owners going for cheap aftermarket parts and outright owner neglect / abuse.

[James NZ]

So it's a reasonable assumption that you don't live at 90 Mile Beach, then.[wink11]

Hi Ian,
yer nah. Canterbury boy thru and thru [smilebigeye]

[RRT]

This popped up on my feed just now. Reasonable take with a few interesting discussion points.

Hints and Tips on Buying a Land Rover Discovery 2. (Big Lollopy Dog) - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPt_PbDtQE0)

[Discosux]

This popped up on my feed just now. Reasonable take with a few interesting discussion points.

Hints and Tips on Buying a Land Rover Discovery 2. (Big Lollopy Dog) - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPt_PbDtQE0)

It's scary how much rust is under some of those English Disco's.

Also he has a disabled ACE system, but complains about the handling (big lollopy dog). I don't know about this bloke.
I don't reckon he gets it.

[RRT]

It's scary how much rust is under some of those English Disco's.

Also he has a disabled ACE system, but complains about the handling (big lollopy dog). I don't know about this bloke.
I don't reckon he gets it.

Exactly right re ACE, he spoke re the cost of the fix, which seemed exorbitant even not explaining the issue, having lost the pump on mine which is expensive new but no problem to get a 2nd hand one at about $150.

The difference between the D2a without and D2 with is for mine chalk and cheese. Takes quite a few k's to get used to roll when cornering in the D2a, nowhere near as bad as the D1 Tdi which almost felt you brushed your hair on the asphalt when cornering with gusto. Let alone on the tracks with the increased wheel articulation - on my off road course, couldn't get the thing to cross axle whilst a 110 defender popped the coil out of the rear.

Rear rust in the chassis might be an issue for boat owners but have not really heard of it being an issue here at all.

Maybe also re the driving position, having had two D1's it felt natural and was already used to it. Know others who have sat or driven it comment more on the sight lines rather the 'space'. Suppose it does require an adjustment of sorts but at 6' 3" with the auto, the limited space of the footwell could have been an issue with the manual, it wasn't in the D1 Tdi...

[Discosux]

It didn't just die, you murdered it. Had you been caught you would have been grounded and charged with a substantial risk overloading offence. You can't blame the transmission for your abuse.


In my defence though, The Auto was already on it's last legs. The CNC docs listed it as 1800kg. Un-known to me it was a factory special with an upgraded (stupid heavy) cast iron powder filled frame. I had two hours to get it out of a factory under distress or miss out on the deal. No time for a proper assessment. (not a justification) I unloaded it 50klm later at a riggers yard which revealed it's true weight. First thing the auto had ever towed over 750kg (by me at least)

It wasn't murder, it was a mercy killing. My old D1 auto would have **** it in, and done so legally.

So yeah I did commit a bit of Discocide, But I came out in front big time. It was a once in a lifetime deal.[bigsmile1]

Thank Christ there isn't a "crimes against Discomanity" commission in the Hague, I'd do time for sure.

[Discosux]

Exactly right re ACE, he spoke re the cost of the fix, which seemed exorbitant even not explaining the issue, having lost the pump on mine which is expensive new but no problem to get a 2nd hand one at about $150.

The difference between the D2a without and D2 with is for mine chalk and cheese. Takes quite a few k's to get used to roll when cornering in the D2a, nowhere near as bad as the D1 Tdi which almost felt you brushed your hair on the asphalt when cornering with gusto. Let alone on the tracks with the increased wheel articulation - on my off road course, couldn't get the thing to cross axle whilst a 110 defender popped the coil out of the rear.

Rear rust in the chassis might be an issue for boat owners but have not really heard of it being an issue here at all.

Maybe also re the driving position, having had two D1's it felt natural and was already used to it. Know others who have sat or driven it comment more on the sight lines rather the 'space'. Suppose it does require an adjustment of sorts but at 6' 3" with the auto, the limited space of the footwell could have been an issue with the manual, it wasn't in the D1 Tdi...


I took a ram owner for a drive not long ago - first thing he said was "how good is the view"

The father in law (Ranger fanboy) took the Disco for a spin, he couldn't believe how it handled. His wildtrack is pretty awesome. but no comp in that regard. He just shut up and looked a little sad after he drove it again after the old girls remap.

There is absolutely no room for the left foot in a manual D2. It's the worst. I take my left shoe off on long drives.

If it wasn't for ACE and the TD5, i'd rather wheel a D1.

[Outback 1]

If it hadn't been totalled I'd still be driving my d2a with 400k on it most awesome 4wd point it into any track and just go.
Now to learn about range rover sport