Thread: One year of D2 Ownership

Time flies and it’s been almost a year and 10,000km since I bought Charlie, a 2003 Td5 D2a. So I thought I would write up the first year of ownership going through the mechanical ups and downs, modifications undertaken and some plans for the future. Overall I’m a very happy camper. Love the TD5, it tows better than my old soft dash classic with half the fuel consumption and much quieter on the highway!

Except for a set of accessory floor mats and compass interior mirror he was a totally bog standard 7 seat, S model. With 141,000km when purchased, there was enough service history to support the Ks and demonstrate he had been regularly maintained. He had a few minor cosmetic blemishes and evidence of a bit of panel work at the rear. This was subsequently found to be a corner parking ding, so nothing major.

As to be expected, with a Disco of this age, a number of the usual midlife mechanical issues had/were to appear. Luckily for me most had been attended to by the previous owner or by the dealer, as part of the deal or under warranty. So:

• Front drive shaft, front passenger window regulator and LT spec Cooper AT3 tyres, all replaced by the previous owner in the year before trade-in.
• New headlining, ECU loom, fuel pressure regulator, some minor cosmetic panel work and a second hand front bumper with no cracks, were all done by the dealer for sale or as part of the deal.
• Horn buttons, ABS shuttle valve overhaul and driver’s window regulator were done under the statutory warranty at no charge to me
• MAF sensor, Drivers door lock, the usual collection of blown clock and HVAC back light globes and a few miscellaneous panel and trim clips at my cost.
• As a preventative measure the turbo intercooler hoses were also replaced during the first service.

So on to trim, bling and mods which to date are fairly restrained:

• Brass Diff Plugs(recommended by my mechanic)
• Aircond drain extensions.
• Enginesaver low coolant alarm (AULRO forum shop)
• ARB side steps (ARB new) to keep the kids happy
• Genuine Land Rover dog guard to keep the family hound where he belongs… in the cargo bay (local supplier).
• NAS spec console cup holders. Great for holding the mobile phone and hand held UHF! (local supplier)
• Upper rear brake light protectors (UK)
• Rhino roof bars(Gumtree)
• Exmoore trim canvas seat covers (from UK) and matching Melville and Moon dicky seat covers (local through the AULRO markets).
• Rubber boot floor mat (club swap meet)
• Dash mat (local spare parts shop)
• Leather gaiters for the hand brake and transfer lever, to replace worn vinyl originals (ebay).
• Leather centre console lid cover, dyed to match the Alpaca trim (both ebay)
• Leather steering wheel wrap to cover sun damaged wheel (ebay)
• Homemade Jarrah timber dash strip (Bunnings). Most elegant. See earlier posts.
• AULRO Forum window sticker and membership

I also bought a suspension plip which till Anzac day I considered a waste of money…. But then it saved the day hooking up to the van on a steep slope. So not essential but….

One essential accessory which I recommend to all D2 owners is a Nanocom or similar diagnostic tool. Mine has paid for itself in diagnosing problems and clearing fault codes. Also the support of the AULRO Forum and members has been an incredibly valuable in understanding how to use it effectively.

Future Plans

Mechanically I will be up for an XYZ switch in the medium term, as I don’t always see N lighting up in the dash board cluster and occasionally also loose D, plus I’ve had a couple of visits of the M and S lights. The mechanic diagnosed it last week but considered it not an immediate repair issue. Otherwise touch wood nothing else is misbehaving.

Next though will be a visit to the auto sparky to get a new generation trailer brake controller fitted along with 12v wiring to the rear for the van battery.

I’m also getting tempted by an ARB bull bar, with tie rod and front diff protectors. Ditto a steel rear bumper. I have a set of front recovery points but I am holding off fitting them ATM as there will be a bit of plastic cutting required. A pair of Trutracs or Ashcroft ATB’s is also enticing but in reality I don’t do enough extreme off road driving to justify the cost.

I’m not contemplating any ECU mods. Charlie has enough power and I like not having to drive to an EGT gauge. Ditto suspension lifts as I won’t be able to fit in the garage and after 30 years off-roading I’ve never done any panel damage, except to mud flaps and rear bumpers.

I also have a few ideas in the timber trim department which if they work will look a lot classier than the faux timber bling kits, think Jarrah and understated elegance.... Muppet and Offtrack’s recent banter on the issue has inspired me.

Cheers

Steve

Originally Posted by Disco Muppet

Because after the first year we run out of money

True... fiscal fatigue usually strikes around then . However for all the second hand cars I've bought the first year of ownership is always the most costly, getting them to where you want them. My Alfa though after 18 years ownership in going through a second round of fiscal pain Its a small world Muppet but I was living in Orange at the time when I bought it.

Cheers

Steve