Convinced myself to buy 03/04 TD5 Disco

D2a HSE'S are like rocking horse poo. I've seen only a couple come up in the last 18 months. Best looking one was September last year in Kalgoorlie, a td5 2003 with 90,000km. Asking $28 k and it went within a couple of weeks of being listed.

According to my mechanic good td5 d2a's are selling in the range of $18-20k in Perth ATM. As siddersC says you can find cheaper and if you are mechanically handy they can be a bargain.

Yes the SLS can be raised for off road work. If you buy an accessory PLIP it can also be lowered to get under low trailers and help grandma get in :)

Steve

Hi there,

A few comments about ACE etc and the SE model.

I've got an SE Td5 D2a and have only seen two other 'real' SE's. An SE should have electric leather seats, 12 speaker stereo; ACE; SLS; 18" 'Hurricane' wheels and rear aircon. The real giveaway is the 'SE' badge behind the front wheels.

The HSE had, in addition to the SE kit: twin sunroofs, DVD player, rear parking sensors and heated front seats (although the heating elements are in the SE - you can buy a pair of switches and new fascia, plug them in and you have heated front seats - nice in Canberra but not too much of an issue is Brissy). I wanted a Td5 HSE but there were none around when I was looking and I found mine with 64k and full history - sold!

The trick is that there are many, many vehicles on Carsales that are called 'SE' by the sellers. They are usually the last of the D2a's, the 'Classic' or 'S' that came with leather covered seats (not electric) and the 18" Hurricane wheels.

If you're after an SE:
From the exterior look first for the 18" Wheels and then the 'SE' badge.

From the interior, the main giveaways are: the seat controls on the side of the centre console next to the seat belt clip; the presence of 4" speakers near the front/top of the doors; subwoofer box at the bottom of the rear door; and the stereo head unit (unless replaced) should match the curve of the dash - like you'll see in an HSE; you'll also see aircon vents in the ceiling in the middle and back of the vehicle and aircon controls in the ceiling next to the middle cabin light.

Under the hood, you can spot ACE by the presence of two filler caps on the power steering reservoir. ACE doesn't mean it's an SE but an SE will have ACE.


Plug for ACE: I bought the D2a over the D3 (D4 wasn't out) because I liked the handling facilitated by ACE. The D3 has a better ride for sure but 16" wheels help close that gap considerably while keeping the ACE goodness intact.

Plug for SLS: If you use the vehicle with differing loads it's brilliant. I use mine as a daily driver with nothing on board but will load up with a few 100 kg's of camping gear and it gives a consistent ride height and (with ACE) consistent handling. If you set it up with all your camping gear and leave it there, coils are probably quite OK. The airbags last about 8 -10 years and Dunlop Pneuride brand replacements can be had for very little money from Paddock Spares in the UK. There's also a filter for the compressor inlet behind the left/rear tail light - change that out occasionally (my brother's SE didn't have one at all - dead compressor was the result).

Plug for Td5: Range on a tank (95litres) of fuel is great. Servicing interval is 20k for 'normal' conditions and there are two oil filtration devices. Most service at 10k. I left mine run for 20k for the last interval just to see - no dramas at all but it certainly wasn't 'normal' and I'll probably go back to 10k as I do a lot of offroad. I haven't remapped mine but probably will one day; everyone says it makes them drive really really well.

What ever you get, make sure you get a service history with all recalls done and then get it checked out by a reputable dealer before committing. You can also hit TOPIx on the web and for a nominal fee for a days access, punch in the VIN of a vehicle your'e considering and confirm the recall status; also learn heaps of other neat things about servicing/running the vehicle.

I bought mine in Brissy and had MR Automotive in Redcliffe check it out; bought it and then got it checked again by my local guy in Canberra, just to be sure (they both recommended the same things:) ). Just walk away if you are't 100% sure of the mechanical state.

cheers,

bidds

Quote:

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Originally Posted by striking

@Datt, Although I won't be driving it daily, I like the range of the TD's especially on weekend trips up the beach, nothing worse than having to fill up every day at Bulwer or carrying extra fuel. Send the photos and details mate, happy to have a look.

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Striking,

Hopefully this link works.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/vehicles-s...co-2a-td5.html

I now realise the price I was after back in March must have been unrealistic. Haven't got round to placing it on carsales yet as I'm in no hurry to sell. Still like driving it. Am open to an offer.

Now has 154000km. I'll get some better photos if it ever stops raining. Let me know if you want any further info etc.

Matt.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by striking

Thanks for the comments all.

@bsperka - I am actually towards the Gold Coast (Coomera Waters). How does the air suspension perform off road? Can you manually increase the height if needed?

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I can't feel any difference between driving a car with coils and or with air suspension off road. They just work. Not as good as say a D3 or D4, where they cross link the air suspension so that it drives one wheel down, as another goes up. (tempting thought to rig up though...)

You can manually increase the rear height by another 40mm by using the off road mode. It also has an automatic mode, where, "if the vehicle becomes grounded and traction control is induced, the SLS system automatically pumps more air to the rear springs to raise the body clear of the obstruction, thereby enabling the vehicle to be freed. This is known as 'Extended mode' and will cause the off-road warning light to flash." (from the owner's manual)

Well I am starting to think that I will be able to get into a Td5 d2a 7 seater but I may need to forego the ACE from what I have seen, not many have this installed.

I drove 1 yesterday (HSE), but it was a little rough on the inside and some oil on the pasenger side of the engine... So I gave it a miss.

Hoping to view another one tomorrow with no ACE and compare how they drive.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by striking

oil on the pasenger side of the engine...

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Could be leaking from turbo drain pipe, engine oil filter or centrifugal filter. Would need a good clean then wait an see to trace the leak.

Turbopsi, there was a fair bit of oil, all over the filter as well... could be something simple, but not been mechanically minded, I didn't want to risk it...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by striking

Turbopsi, there was a fair bit of oil, all over the filter as well... could be something simple, but not been mechanically minded, I didn't want to risk it...

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Take the ACE one to a good landy person and get them to give you a no-**** assessment of it, honestly if you can get one with ACE, take it and run.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Disco Muppet

I got mine with no SLS or ACE for 12, paid too much for it but that's okay.
Muppet

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Hey mate,

Is yours an SE?

Just looking at "bidds" post and your signature block?

Is "bidds" wrong or you dont have an SE.

I'm curious becasue I thought I had an SE. I'd been searching for a long time before I bought it but i was rushed when I finally did. I'd seen plenty go by but couldn't afford them. Then I sold my WRX and due to a work transfer from Canberra to Darwin, I need to buy a vehicle quick or wear the cost myself for it to be transported to Darwin.

I really dont know if I bought a dud or it's just Land Rovers. I've had a few problems but it's been good as it has been bad. I know a danm lot about the vehicle now that I wouldn't had I just had to do oil changes and nothing else. It might help if I break down in some remote part of the NT.

I paid $13,000. Maybe the price was the unlucky part.

Happy Days.

Hi there,
My comments about SE spec only relate to the D2a; post oct 2002, referred to as the MY03. There were SE trim levels for the earlier models but this thread was about considerations about the D2a (03/04); I have no idea of the specifics of the pre-03 vehicles.
Cheers,
Bidds