Discovery TDI info

[warren9981]

I am looking to buy my first Land Rover - a TDI due to cost.
Can anyone give me any advice on which year is better?
Traps to look out for?...etc.

[loanrangie]

I am looking to buy my first Land Rover - a TDI due to cost.
Can anyone give me any advice on which year is better?
Traps to look out for?...etc.

Get as late a model as you can afford, test drive an auto (so much better than a manual) you want history of the timing belt and when it was replaced and if it had the upgrade kit fitted (should have by now) , check out the cooling system but otherwise they are really no different to checking over any other vehicle. And dont listen to salesmen who say they dont rust because they are ALL aluminum, they have a steel shell and some panels including the roof and are prone to rusting around the alpine windows which are the oblong windows in the roof above the rear 1/4 panels.

[Treads]

Check the carpets in the drivers and front passengers footwells for any sign of dampness. They are prone to leaks from the heater core, which in itself is not that much of a problem, but causes coolant loss and can lead to overheating. Overheating a Tdi happens fast and then you'll be up for a head gasket job, which is a pain in the a$$.

[Taz]

The post 94 300Tdi's have a more modern interior and had driver and passenger airbags as an option. LR say they made over 200 changes to the 200Tdi (pre-94) to make the 300Tdi more maintainable and quieter, however the power/torque figures are the same and things like the turbo seems like a backward step (it's integral with the exhaust manifold on the 300 where as it's not on the 200, and the 300 runs at 15psi where as I think the 200 runs at 12?). 200Tdi parts are becoming harder to come by. Post 94 also came with the stronger R380 manual gearbox. If you do buy one - make sure you fit a low coolant alarm as the temperture sensor is in a high spot and it reads air temp in the case of coolant loss giving you the impression everything is OK when in fact your engine is being BBQ'd. And these engines are very expensive to rebuild.
Alpine windows are prone to rotting, and the manual clutch yoke is also prone to failure. Turbo hoses can delaminate from the inside and will feel soft when sqeezed. As has already been mentioned, the timeing belt on the 300Tdi is the only major maintanence item, and if you do not find written evidence of when it was last done, do it straight away. If your handy with tools it can be easily be done in one day for less than $300.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

so it was only mine that had rust in the rear floor?:(
you can check it from underneath though

though my alpines never rusted:D

get a '98 if possible,

[mcrover]

Get a 97 or 98 as before 97 the build quality was questionable and you either got a good one or a really bad one.

Most of the really really bad ones will be gone by now but there are still some that give their fair share of trouble.

If you get a good one, make sure you do the maintenance things first before you take off and test it out and all that.

Do :

- Timing belt (If no eveidence of being done already, the major kit is about $180 but just the belt is about $90, the update kit is around $300 with the belt and idler pulley).

- Coolant flush and change (if you bleed it properly from the top bung until it comes out of the over flow bottle and then drop the level in the overflow bottle then you wint get any air locks and no need for expensive gimicks like coolant alarms and all that. They dont overheat and blow as much as people make out, I know heaps of people with them and only know of 1 that has ever done a head gasket and they knew that they were over heating when it happened but it is one of those piece on mind things).

- If Auto, do an auto service ($40 filter and 4.5ltrs of Dex 3 ATF).

Yes they leak into the front foot wells but it's not that bad, it is normally through the bottom corner of the windscreen in the ones that are glued in and in under the seal for the rubber sealed ones.

Yes the Heater core can rot out but if you keep a proper mix of fresh coolant in it then there is less likely hood of it happening.

Ive had very very few problems with my Disco and I dont do that much to it other than general checks e.g. oil coolant and trans juice, tyre pressures, wheel bearing checks and put fuel in it and Im sure it will be around for a long time yet although after 303,000kms the trans is giving us some problems (which has been going on for about 2 years) with a slipping sprag and now a bit of a vibration on take off so it looks like a pricey rebuild but I think we got our moneys worth.

[warren9981]

Thanks heaps for all the advice guys.
I have found one in my area which I think I moght run with.
It is a 1996 Manual TDI with 260K on the clock. No rust, No 4wd work (no evidence anyway). The only things I can see wrong are the rear fixed window rubbers are perished, The passenger side key lock is missing and there is only 1 remote key.
Any idea on the cost of these items, window rubbers, remote key, door lock.