Land Rover Discovery

Here We Go!!!.

Hello,
Turbo diesel all the way. I went out on a run yesterday with a TD5 03 Disco and it went everywhere and is basically stock standard. The owner loves it. You probably need to read the Land Rover forums at aulro....most of the people on this site tend to think Landies are unreliable and can be a bit scathing about them but my experience has been very good, they have ability and character built in :-)
Now there will be heaps of people telling you to buy Japanese by quoting things like facts and stuff, but just ignore them because Landies rule! Don't forget though that it is polite to pull them out when they are stuck.
Cheers
Mike

G'day my brother had a 1991 V8 back in early 90's couldn't kill or fault it I bought a TD5 2001 modelin 2003, piece of rubbish lights coming on the dash all the time flares faded traction control came on turning into my driveway got 1/2" of sand in the air box not even a windy day had to put a snorkel on services expensive sold it after 3yrs very disapointed sorry about putting them down but I'll never buy one again own a 1993diesel patrol you can keep they modern one's

I owned a 91 manual TD5 for 6 years...in 170000km I had 2 turbo hoses delaminate and the wiring loom for one of the injectors break down. In that distance the total cost of the car other than servicing and consumables was less than $500

I could regularly get 1000 km out of 1 tank (95 litres)...outer suburban and semi rural travel

Great cruising car, comfortable, large enough to carry loads and the best off road driving position around. Good tow vehicle (jayco Swan) but in hill country you had to watch the revs as not to let them drop too low.

Any of the Landrover forums will give you info on what to watch for in a used one

And what's more...its got a soul

I had a 1999 TD5 Auto and even though it would be one of the comfiest cars I have driven would i buy one again??

NO!!

The problems with oil leaks, injector wiring looms, the interior falling apart, air bag suspension falling apart (and that happened in the middle of Frazer Island) and other electrical problems hmmmm... it would have to be the most costly car to run. Maybe i got a bit of a lemon i don't know but you never seem to hear as many problems from other cars.

One other thing the Landrover servicing is a complete joke !! to really get someone to work on your car you need a speciality work shop one that only works on Landrovers and they are few and far between. In Brisbane you have 2 choose from Moorooka of Redcliffe and that's it. Nobody else like touching them and nobody else can work on them like these guys. I never had a service that came in under $900.00

There were problems with older models but the models you are looking at are a brilliant vehicle. As others have suggested, try here for specific advice:

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/aulro-general-forums/

I had an earlier V8 which was an excellent car and I had no problems whatsoever with it - other than it's thirst, especially when towing.

I did a lot of research on the TD5 series II but ended up sticking with my Defender, mainly because I couldn't be bothered with kitting the new model out with toys all over again. There's a few blokes on that forum who'll chip your engine up for about $400 to give it over 500nm of grunt if you need it.

I am absolutely amazed at the rubish people come up wiyh to justify their decision

We have a 2002 Disco TD5, done about 190000km, 100000km towing a van & it has not let us down once. We find it very comfortable for touring, probably about 30% cheaper on fuel than petrol & a lot cheaper to run than a Nipponese V8 petrol. The TD5 engine is a great towing engine

Jayde05

I had a manual 2001 TD5 and after 90,000 km changed to a 2003 to get auto and CDL.

In the current one I have done 140,000 km of extremely remote travel without being let down.

I recently put in new springs and shocks so had it lifted a bit. I recently replaced a turbo (Garrett) that was starting to whistle _ it hadn't failed but I didn't want to risk it on a trip.

The TD5 appealed because it was lighter and more economical than the alternatives. I love the car. The Series 3 has a superior ride. I recently drove a V8 Toyota Workmate Wagon with a view to getting one. Nice car, but only in manual, and doesn't have the X factor of the Disco. I decided to keep the Disco.

You should be able to pick up one of the later releases for about $25k

Hi I owned a TD5 99 Disco,

Very comfortable tourer with 5 speed auto, 14 speaker 6 cd stereo, dual zone climate controlled air.

I only traded it in due to living in a remote area and any repairs meant days without a car.
At the time Common rail Diesels were "cutting edge" and all the mechanics ran away and hid.

The annoying problems with tyres was then an issue as the size was odd. Most Nissans and Toyotas run them now.

Economy was excellent as already stated but niggling electric problems as previously described always sat in the back of your mind.

There are heaps here in Broome now as the value for money is excellent compared to Playdos and Pathfinders.

The later 2002 onwards were excellent and the build quality problems were being managed.

Buy the model designated as a series 2a. I think it started in 2003.
A td5 will get much better fuel consumption and can be chipped for more power if required.
Air suspension is nice if you are towing, and ACE makes cornering at speed much more comfortable.

Regards

John D - Defender 110 2.4

Quote At the time Common rail Diesels were "cutting edge" and all the mechanics ran away and hid.
Unquote
Being in Trainspotter mode, I will point out that a TD5 is not "common rail" but unitary injection. Each injector generates its own pressure from the camshaft and a solonoid controls "spill".
They are much more tolerant of fuel than common rail. The US air force bought some for Iraq to run on Jet A.
Probably more reason for mechanics to panic.

I still think it amusing that Land Rover are the only company that can produce a wiring loom that leaks oil. I would point out it is not a big problem.
Regards Philip A

We have a 99 4.6 litre V8 auto and tow a 21 foot dirt road van which weighs just under 2.7 tonnes fully loaded. We have coil springs and ACE.

The vehicle is a great tourer, and with the up-graded V8, handles the load very well. BUT it is thirsty. 24-28 litres per 100 km with the van is normal, 13 litres per 100 km without the van. We fitted long range tanks to get a decent range towing.

If I was buying again as a caravan tug, I would go the diesel. A chipped TD5 will give 400 Nm torque, which is almost the same as the 4.6 litre V8, and diesel might be easier to come by in remote areas than petrol.

I have a 2001 TD5 with 235,000ks and yes I have had the injector wiring loom problem (which also happens in the Jackaroo BTW) and the "3 amigoes" problem as the are called, which is caused by faulty ABS sensors (and sensor problems are not just a LandRover problem) but I love this car, it has great fuel economy, good power (great if chipped) it's very comfortable, it tows well, it has never let me down or left me stranded anywhere we have travelled, it just does everything well and all the members of our family love driving it.

All the modern 4WDs that have ABS/traction control, air bags and other devices that require sensors have these sensor problems, it's just what happens now, the problems are being addressed though by all the manufacturers and problems are getting less frequent.

Would I buy another later model TD5, well yes I would, I now know quite alot about them and know how to stop some of these annoying problems, but I won't be buying one, cause I'm getting a D3 instead!!!!!!!

Baz.