Thread: Potential D3 owner - buying guide & advice

When I was researching, I asked a couple of well known service shops what I should consider. There was no concern about the engines and previous towing ( after all that why many of these vehicles are purchased). However they did say that you should do a transmission service replacing the metal pan and the oil if it had done a lot of towing.

Regarding electronics,Yes the electronics are scary, but on the other hand that's one of the things that makes them such a capable vehicle.

I recall reading here that One of the forum members (gghaggis), has added extra protection to the ECU computers. Especially the one behind the wheel arch, and certainly corrosion from a leaky battery is known to damage that ECU.

I can't really comment on the corrosive effect of beach driving, but I would imagine that in the UK winter, the salt on the roads would be fairly corrosive too. Perhaps have a look here for some commentary on that. DISCO3.CO.UK - Index

In any case I think the D3 is a great car.

d3's are great vehicles, but remember even if you buy the last one ever made it is now at least 5 years old. Personally I would try and stretch to a D4 which seem to have fewer issues.

I still get the perma grin with my D3 but they can cost a bit to keep going if your unlucky.

thanks for the replies.

what is the wading depth like on a D3?

I can't remember if the wading depth is in the FAQ section or not however there is lots of other interesting information that is very good to know if one is considering a D3/4.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/...rrs-faq-3.html

I spoke to the seller again. He says the D3 needed the turbo replaced after 60,000 km and wasn't done under warranty as time expired. He didn't seem to understand the problem (said boost had to be replaced), but that there was some part of the turbo that needed replacing which couldn't be bought separately. So a new turbo was fitted.

Does this sound warning bells?

Originally Posted by rar110

Does this sound warning bells?

I wouldn't think so. Parts need to be replaced when they fail.

It's more the quality of the service / repair work that's been done that you'd want tone sure of. Maybe the seller can give you the details of their repair shop and you can have a chat to them. A good repair shop will maintain a record of the work done on a vehicle and will have a sense of what might be coming up.

Alternatively if you have an idea of which service centre you're going to use in your area, go a have a chat with them about what problems they see on these cars and what you should look out for. They may suggest someone in your area who can inspect the car for you also.

In the end though it's a leap of faith buying a car out of warranty. If you love it and the price is right then sometimes you've just got to leap.

Originally Posted by rar110

thanks for the replies.

what is the wading depth like on a D3?

700mm.

Can anyone please point out what upgrades were made with the release of the MY09 D3 and then with the D4 release?
Thanks