How Reliable are TD5 Discovery???

**bsperka** · 15th December 2015, 06:49 AM

Originally Posted by Nomad9

Hi NT guy,
Not much to add to what everybody else has mentioned. I have had a few Land Rovers and for that transition over from simple to oober complex the TD5 motor is a good compromise. Yes you have to change the head gasket, better done proactively than reactively, engine mountings are bets kept in good condition unless you have a family dentist. On top of that, good coolant, best lubricating oil you can afford, OEM filters where possible and regular servicing not 26k intervals.
Treat the vehicle as you would like to be treated yourself.

Cheers Marty.

Good advice; however TD5 is 20k intervals in service book. Suggest 12 to 15k.

**james couper** · 2nd October 2019, 02:34 PM

In mr opinion the D2 manual TD5 is the best 4x4 that will ever be built. No contest.

**Bohica** · 2nd October 2019, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by james couper

In mr opinion the D2 manual TD5 is the best 4x4 that will ever be built. No contest.

You do mean the D2a Manual?
Sadly not the best, still very very good. I'd have the D4 manual, but they are so hard to find here.

**INter674** · 2nd October 2019, 08:05 PM

Family has and has had cruisers and patrols and discos and they all give trouble from time to time. Patrols have very tough drive trains. ..none better for flogging off road but they are agricultural compared to a td5...and don't mention the zd30 or ridiculous parts prices. Toyos much the same but have weaker drive trains.

My boys r Patrol mad but love the D2 to drive. It's much more comfortable and cheaper to run. Yes there are weak points eg loom and flex plate and silly things like the roll pin in the diff centre and sensors that can drive you mad and of course oil leaks eg rear of cam cover and transfer case.

Discos are very cheap comparibly so you can afford to fix and mod them to suit your needs.

I just bought a D4 Sc and compared to my mates LC200 it is vastly superior in every respect EXCEPT resale value..but I don't care as it cost one third of my mates cruiser..for which he is now 100k in the hole.. with necessary suspension mods fir gvm..air box mods to stop dust entry..chipped the engine for decent towing power..shift mods to fix the overdrive issue and it still rides like a boat in a storm. I fail to see the attraction...and the Y62 is a much better car anyway.

D2 td5s and v8s are cheap..can be made reliable ..are comfortable and capable both on and off road!

Ignore the nay sayers and note the new cruiser and patrol...if it survives...will be more like the LR than ever b 4..no more chassis and hybrid engines too.

Valiant barny · 24th January 2020, 01:11 AM

TOYOTA LAND CRUISER

**onebob** · 24th January 2020, 09:40 AM

“............Discos are very cheap comparibly so you can afford to fix and mod them to suit your needs........”

“........D2 td5s and v8s are cheap..can be made reliable ..are comfortable and capable both on and off road!......”

The above quotes from INter674 say it all

and the knowledge to achieve it can found on this forum..

**Bazzle218** · 24th January 2020, 10:05 AM

A couple of years ago, i lashed out and bought a 2000 td5 disco. I can say that once i caught up on the maintenance that had been sadly lacking, it was a great vehicle. I found the best bang for bucks was a nanocom. great learning curve but more then doable. Ask for and follow advice and you will love it. I sold mine to a non land rover lover mate so i could purchase a 130 defender. My mate has be converted, he loves his TD5. Enjoy the challenge and enjoy the vehicle. Further to this i drove it up to the cape with no issues at all. Baz

**onebob** · 24th January 2020, 10:46 AM

It’s a simple equation really ... owners who pay scant regard to maintenance, and who lack mechanical sympathy, will always own unreliable vehicles.

**DazzaTD5** · 24th January 2020, 11:23 AM

IMHO
*A Discovery 2 TD5 is a great vehicle and a better all round vehicle than a Defender TD5 (not to mention cheaper to purchase).
*Keep in mind we are now talking about a vehicle that is 15 to 19 years old, so it's fair and reasonable to expect maintenance items will need doing.
*Whenever I do a full go through of service repair items on a D2 TD5 the end result is a great truckster.
*So if I'm doing a used engine replacement or a cylinder head overhaul, other items that get done may include coolant hoses, thermostat, engine mounts, turbo overhaul (not a must), water pump, fan support bearing, viscous fan, belt tensioner, belt, engine oil cooler replace, remove coolant pipe behind engine etc, fuel cooler overhaul, egr delete, exhaust manifold fix, fix numerous oil leaks, service auto, driveline fluids, other service items such as suspension, brakes, tyres. Basically I do as much items that are in the budget.
*Doing it all at once makes customers (after the fact of paying the bill) in the long run much happier than fixing items as they fail.
*I've had the odd customer that complains about their disco "its not even making it to each service now" (thats because you are a tight arse and wont do the services/repairs it actually needs) they end up selling it and getting a vehicle half its age and then think the newer vehicle is so good.

*No diesel engine with an alloy head is going to take kindly to being overheated.
*Head failures are generally always caused by some item being neglected such as a top hose or water pump failure.
*Head overhauls/replacement cost floated round $5K all up including labour.
*Bottom end knocking/blow smoke is an expensive exercise and is when I normally suggest a used engine replacement, again round $5K will see it fitted with a reasonable amount of service items replaced at the same time.
*I have had 3 Disco 2 TD5 and all have been great great vehicles.

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