Thread: TD5 engine life - discuss

sorry guys i do like my Tdi 300 alot more now

fella's with head problems (except Edd ) have they been cracking or corrosion related ?

Originally Posted by rick130

fella's with head problems (except Edd ) have they been cracking or corrosion related ?

Hairline crack in mine which lets diesel into the oil. Kev (Rovertech) has seen a few the same and when I rang the dealer to see if they were familiar with the problem the impression I got was that it is very common.

Andy keep an eye on your oil! Apart from the stalling on take off mine was having similar symptoms, down on power, fan running more than normal etc.

thanks Frenchie, I've heard of a few having that problem. As you said, keep an eye on the oil level, although when you notice an increase in height on the dipstick, it is getting to too high dilution levels.

mine is coming up to 160K's did the headgasket at 150K's the plastic dowels were stuffed may have been caused when a hose let go a few months earlier,oil in the harness I stripped the plugs on the new injector harness and sealed the plugs up seems to have worked.

Now may be looking at a forth exhaust manifold gasket,when the head was off still could see hone marks on the bores replaced the water pump the bearing were stuffed and replaced the thermostat the last two were done as a precaution when I did the head gasket.

I have had the chip done and bigger intercooler and drive it fairly hard planing on keeping it another six years so hoping to get 300K's out of it

This thread started out about the engine, but seems to have become more general. So I'll mention motor first, then the rest...

Early 2000 model, no roofrails, steel spare etc.
TD5 Auto with ACE, no SLS.
Bought new, has 234000 on the clock.
Chipped, no intercooler yet.
Has done about 4000 kms over its life towing a 3500kg 35ft long caravan!

To my shame, it has been neglected, and has seen a dealer once
I have done most of the work on it myself.

Engine bay:
Diesel Regulator
Serpentine belt
Reco radiator
Fix hole in power steering line, wears on side of block
Tends to leak oil from around centrifugal filter

Rest of the vehicle:
Front prop shaft rebuild
Diesel pump

Niggly problems I live with until I can fix them:
Right front ABS sensor causing Christmas Tree on instruments
Transfer case input seal leak
Steering box output shaft slow weep
Handbrake cable adjustment thread stripped
Rear door hard to close
Left rear seat back rattles
Dust ingress through rear door

Problems I can't find:
Vibration at 2200RPM in any gear

One off/strange/weird problems:
Surging under light throttle, stopped by itself 4 years ago
Intermittent heavy jerking with M+S lights under all throttle positions, stopped by itself 3 years ago

That about sums it up. I love the Disco, and happily put up with it's quirks. Wouldn't/won't sell it. Will own it outright in a few months.

I was thinking about getting a TD5 in a Defender or D2 for a work car when the possibility arose. However having so many expensive issues from such a small representation of owners doesn't give me much confidence.

ah but dont forget the majority of forum users are always negative biased as they tend to come to forums for help in fixing things... then they kinda hang around and help others! i've been noticing lately round perth just how many Disco's there are... i parked in joondalup lakeside last thursday and just in the small section of car park i was in there were 6 other discoveries! seems to be stacks around..

maybe they are cheap cause of their reputation?

Steve