Buying a td5 disco

**AK83** · 17th July 2022, 11:20 AM

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

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** · 17th July 2022, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by Discosux

Will a drowned BCU stop a TD5?

Yes it will. Another spare to carry

**JoshV12345** · 20th July 2022, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by Discosux

Yes it will. Another spare to carry

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** · 20th July 2022, 03:53 PM

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** · 20th July 2022, 05:06 PM

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

**simonmelb** · 20th July 2022, 06:29 PM

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.

Originally Posted by 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?

**shack** · 20th July 2022, 06:34 PM

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** · 20th July 2022, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

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** · 20th July 2022, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by JoshV12345

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** · 20th July 2022, 11:13 PM

Originally Posted by JoshV12345

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

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