Buying a used Disco 3 . . Will the pleasure outweigh the pain?

[Leonoates]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and hoping to shortly fulfill a boyhood dream of Land Rover ownership . . . . . . question is which Landy? . . . .Having a family who wants comfort, a frequent need for a sixth or seventh seat and the occasional need to tow stuff I'm thinking a Disco 3 TDV6 is the way to go but should I being blowing the whole budget of $30kish on a 3 with 250k or more on the clock or perhaps a fewer kms but a patchy service history, going for a petrol? or should I save some money up front and get the best late model series 2 td5 I can find or should I heaven forbid hold off on the dream until I have come more dough and get Soft reader n the meantime?

Practically I'll be using the car mainly around town with weekends in the mud from time to time and I'll need to have it serviced and maintained by a garage.

Any thought or suggestions appreciated

[rar110]

If you are patient, have cash and can make a decision quickly you can pick up a late D3 with 150,000km in good used condition for $30,000. I've spent 6 mths looking and good ones come up but go quickly. Eg I missed out on the following 2008 SE D3s: • private Sale $30,000 150,000km white satnav, dual battery, e-diff, auto service done. Sold in a day. • Brisbane dealer $34750 DA 147,000km grey cream interior. • Brisbane private sale $27400, 96,000km, silver, black interior, sold in a day.

[Ean Austral]

Gday and Welcome to the forum,


There has been lots of discussion recently on the diesel vs petrol D3 and for your intended usage a petrol may be a good option, especially when you factor in the price and spec difference.


I have noticed the price of the D3 has fallen a lot in the last 12 months as the early D4 are now coming on the market. Just do your home work, don't rush and keep an eye on the markets section on this forum as there is always some good bargains to be had.


Personally I would look at a D3 rather than a D2. There is plenty of info on this site about the D3 and the things to look out for.


Cheers Ean

[gusthedog]

It depends . If it were me in your boat I'd buy a tricked up D2a td5 for $15-20k and go on a holiday. I'd then use the remaining budget to fix anything that goes wrong. I am a complete tight arse though and do my own maintenance If you have a good in dependant Landy bloke near you it can make it much easier too. My closest Landy mechanic is 150kms away and I'd never take it to a local garage. So I do my own minor stuff and will go the 150kms if I have to.

So my choice would be D2a. At least with your budget if it breaks you can afford to fix it. And it is a Landy so chances are it will break down at some point

[Bytemrk]

Welcome Leonoates,

As the others have said you can get a good D3 for that money. However you will need to do plenty of homework and be patient. Proper service history will be a real key to ensuring you start right.

Jump into the D3/D4/RRS section of the forum and read heaps - it will help you fully understand what to look for and the keys to getting this decision right.

Welcome to the forum and enjoy your stay.

[Leonoates]

Does anybody have any hints for things I should be looking, for on a disco 3. For example I've heard that they need a full flush of the transmission fluid at around 100k and the suspension needs often need new airbags at 150k. I guess I'm trying to get myself together a checklist for when I go and look at vehicles

[Rich84]

Transmission service is a definite one - 100k is fine but preferably it'd be at 80k. If that hasn't been done, factor in $2.5K for a new torque converter and trans service, because the TC lockup clutch friction lining will almost surely be damaged beyond repair.

168K or 7 years is timing belt and HPFP belt replacement time for the TDV6. You will also want to make sure the oil pump has been replaced as a pre-emptive, as the original pumps are known to fatigue crack around where the timing belt tensioner is mounted, which leads to failure of the timing belt and with it the rest of the engine. There is a new version available with beefed up metal webbing to prevent the problem.

For the air suspension it is mainly the compressor that wears out or fails due to being starved by a blocked air intake. The intake is servicable and can prolong the life of the compressor if tended to early. The airbags themselves are over-engineered and rarely fail. Normally they will outlast the shock absorbers.

The alternator is a weak point - very common failure.

Other than that they're pretty reliable cars and very enjoyable to drive and cover great distances in. I get comments on my RRS all the time and people asking about it - people like yourself probably who are thinking about buying them. I always recommend the newer LRs - they're great cars.

[BUNGLE BUNGLES]

We just bought our first 2008 petrol Disco 3 last week , 83 k kms on the clock for 25 k , was a bargain but we knew it required new lower control arm bushes , brake rotors - all these are expected maintenance items for a D3 about 2.5 k to replace .

Also make sure all the doors lock with the remote as well - common fault

What we didn't expect is now and then the "Transmission - Limited number of gears available" after we bought it . Not trying to get off topic , what does this mean ??????

[LandyAndy]

We just bought our first 2008 petrol Disco 3 last week , 83 k kms on the clock for 25 k , was a bargain but we knew it required new lower control arm bushes , brake rotors - all these are expected maintenance items for a D3 about 2.5 k to replace .

Also make sure all the doors lock with the remote as well - common fault

What we didn't expect is now and then the "Transmission - Limited number of gears available" after we bought it . Not trying to get off topic , what does this mean ??????

It means you parked close to a later model D4 and they had a chat.The D4 was telling the D3 it had 2 more gears
Leg pulling of course,Im sure the brains trust will come up with an answer.
Goodluck
Andrew

[CaptAwsm]

So, I bought a D3 TDV6 a few months ago now and with a budget of $30k you should be able to buy something good. My tips are definitely budget for a steel pan replacement on your auto box. The whole sealed for life thing is a load of rubbish. Also bear in mind that 168k is when the timing belts due on the TDV6, if you can find one that's had it done then you're on a winner.

If fuel consumption isn't such a big concern, pick the petrol. Runs a timing chain so no timing belt to worry about.

Ben.