Thread: series 1 300tdi disco any good?

Yes the Series I TDi can be reliable. I own a 98 TDi Manual with 170000km on the clock and it runs like a dream. Ignore all the bad press. People mistake lower build quality with poor reliability. The only issue disco's have is that the interior build quality is said to be lower than its Jap counterparts. However i havent noticed anything with mine. I have only owned it for 4-5 months, but it has been brilliant, on the the usual wear and tear issues. The seals needed replacing in the power steering box and a new bearing in the Air con belt tensioner pulley. Hardly reliability woes. Mine came with documentation for all servicing and is well maintained. So to answer your question, yes there are plenty around. Ignore all the rubbish Toyo and Nissan drivers say about land rovers, they are just jealous that they have to spend thousands of dollars on mods to get where a standard disco will get. Buying a used disco is no different to buying any other vehicle. Find a well serviced example and continue to maintain it and you will have many miles of trouble free motoring.

The main thing to look out for, is, as said above a good service history, but the most important thing with the 300TDi is to make sure the Timing Belt has been replaced when specified. If they dont have receipts assume it hasnt been done and budget for it. Replacement of the TB will set you back between $800-$1000 depending on who does it.

As for towing, the auto is most definitely the go, towing heavy loads regularily with a manual pays it price on the clutch. I recently towed a series III wagon from Glenbrook to Rylstone, say around 200+km, with very steep hills. And taking off at lights on uphill starts was very difficult and riding th clutch was necessary to get the revs up to get the turbo wound up. The Auto is by far the best option for towing.

I would tell you the bad points of owning a Land Rover Discovery, but unlike what you have heard about them, i havent got anything to tell you. Just get the vehicle checked over, as you would any other, make sure any servicing and repairs are backed up by receipts and you will definitely have a reliable trouble free 100000km ahead of you. Matt

I'll second that!

Originally posted by Jojo
I'll second that!

Was it you, Jojo, who was looking at buying the disco? How is yours travelling? As good as mine I hope.

The whole reliabilty thing is a load of crap, if you bought a poorly serviced cruiser you would have reliability problems aswell. Matt

but then again you could get two identical vehicles come off the production line one after the other and one will go forever while the other breaks down once a week.

there are lemons out there.

Originally posted by DEFENDERZOOK
but then again you could get two identical vehicles come off the production line one after the other and one will go forever while the other breaks down once a week.

there are lemons out there.

yep im with you on this 1

i had a extreme td5 110 wagon , biggest pile of **** i've ever owned

This is my second 300tdi and except for being a bit down on power I reckon they are fantastic.

Any car can be unreliable, it all depends how often the owner gets it serviced and how well it is treated.

300tdi gotta lovem [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

The poms are reporting getting 300,000 MILES or more from their 300tdi's with regular oil changes, filters and tappet adjustments. Now that they have been around for over 10years, they are developing a good reputation for longivity, after initial concerns re timing belt (which only cost <$400 to have replaced, or do it your self for <$100). Also, even thou it is an old design, it still produces competitive economy compared to todays common rail power plants. I get 8.2lt/100k's or 14lt/100 k's when towing our 8 foot wide full height 16ft van. They can also be cheaply modified for more power - 140kw can be achieved reliably whilst 200kw is possible. A slight mod is recommended even if just to improve the poor low rpm response.

cheers,taz

Taz , Can you tell me how I could get 140kws ?