Land Rover Discovery and Discovery II

frank · March 2004

First, let me thank you all for all your posting which helped me make my move. I just bough a 2003 Discovery with only 14000 miles on it. Still smells like a new one at 9K below 2004 MSRP. So far, I love everything about the truck axcept one big thing: I cannot seem to find the appropriate seat setting. Every time I drive the truck to work, I end up with a huge up back pain that will last hours. Never add back problem with my old Cheerokee. I guess all the setting available for the Disco seat don't seem to work. I pretty much tried them all. I am 6 feet tall and about 190 pounds. Anybody faced similar problem? This is definitely raining on my parade. HELP!

stopgo1 · March 2004

If you have the CD changer under the seat the OEM cable option will not work unless you remove the CD Changer.

What I did was get what's called and FM Modulator (different from the FM transmitter) and have it installed to where I tune the radio to a chosen station (89.1 in my case) then flip a switch to power the modulator and connect the IPOD to RCA cables (from radio shack) that go to the modulator. I now can play the IPOD without interference from other stations, it sounds great and cost $125 to have it installed at a Car Audio shop.

The FM transmitters stink, they are only good if you are sitting still, otherwise they are junk.

stopgo1 · March 2004

I have 31K miles on my Disco. Over the course of the 31K miles and 18 months I have owned the truck, LR has replaced 3 ABS Hubs and Sensors. The third time they also replaced the harness to the left side hub which has now been replaced twice. These hubs have caused me to have to make numerous trips to the dealership to find out why 4-5 different warning indicators are lit on my dash.

Initially they told me there were erratic error codes being stored in the ECU, then they started replacing hubs, first the left front side, then the right front, and this week the left front again. Seems we can't go more then 10K before one blows out. AND the right fronts are backordered at this point.

Anyone know what the problem with these things is? Anyone else having similar issues?

Thanks

williamhouse · March 2004

Thanks stopgo1. I'm talking with BlitzSafe now about helping them test one of their connection units. We'll see. I totally don't mind losing the CD changer since it's completely useless to me (I have all the CDs I own ripped on my Powerbook and I just put whatever playlists I want on my iPod - which is currently holding over 8300 songs - can't do that with a changer).

Thanks again. I'll check into the modulator solution as well.

PS - do you have the iPod mounted somewhere? I'm interested in knowing the physical layout of what you've done.

stopgo1 · March 2004

I don't as yet have the IPOD mounted, I just let it hang out in the cup holder. There is a cupholder IPOD mount available from the Apple website I believe. Thing is in the Discovery if you mount the thing anywhere you'll lose visual of something on the climate control display which I don't like to much. There are other mounts available for it as well but all are a tough fit for the LR.

The Modulator itself is mounted under the steering wheel behind the panel about where your knees are. The switch to activate the modulator is down there as well but is over towards the console, very easy to get to it. Any high end stereo shop should know what you are talking about immediately, if they don't I'd look somewhere else.

williamhouse · March 2004

Thanks again. I'd seen the cupholder mount (not crazy about losing a cupholder though). I'd also seen one that basically mounts in the AC vent (not wild about that idea either).

Definitely going to check into the modulator idea though.

alatt · March 2004

I was about to post something about sqweeking noise with my 00 Disco II. It is very annoying to hear sqweeking noises every time I go through uneven roads and expressways (many in NYC). For me, the noise comes from front dashboard. I cannot seem find exact location of the noise on the dashboard, however.
Is there anyway dealer can fix the sqweeking noise? I feel like I am driving a cheap old car. My old 97 Honda CRV doesn't make any sqweek noise in the cabin.

laker3 · March 2004

Williamhouse - congrats on your purchase. That green is awfully nice. Were your options part of one of the Trail trim packages?

We started shopping for a new family SUV to replace our '99 Mountaineer. We have a 9 & 5 yr old, and one due in May. Since two of my wife's friends drive a Disco, she wanted to take a closer look and dragged me out to the dealer's rock course. I must admit I was pretty impressed, even though our toughest off-roading will be parking lot speed bumps.

Up until now, we've looked at another Mountaineer, Durango, Pacifica, GM stuff (poor), & Nissan Quest. We like the quirkiness and the 3rd-row jump seats, but are having a hard time trying to justify the $40k price tag, especially when the longer wheel-base '05 is in the works.

Why did you trade-up to a new 04? What was your service history on your '00? What kind of resale did you maintain? Did you cart around any little sprogs? Did you look at anything else before re-upping?

williamhouse · March 2004

laker3 - thanks, we're very happy with the new Rover. Our options were not part of the Trail edition. The Trail editions seem to come with running boards and we didn't want those since they limit your breakover clearance to some degree.

I'm not certain the '05 appeals to us (at least not from the sense of its looks). We'll wait and see how that model pans out and decide in another few years if we want to own one of those as well.

We traded up because we really wanted the larger engine and we didn't have the 7 seat package with the '00 (something we always regretted). All in all, I think we were just ready for an upgrade. Our service record with the '00 was nearly perfect - we had a new rail kit put on the rear sunroof to stop a really loud popping noise when opening it and we had some faulty service light problems. Other than that, it was a great. Our resale was average, I'd say. We have one 2 1/2 year old girl now (she actually took her first ride home from Boulder Community Hospital in the Rover). And finally, no....we didn't consider any other vehicle when we decided to upgrade. We're lifers when it comes to Land Rover now.

Best of luck with your upcoming purchase.

- William F. House
www.oceanofwords.com

blockislandguy · March 2004

William, can you feel the difference in torgue with the new engine?

Incidentally, what did you mean by "average" resale in trading a 2000 for a 2004 with a LR dealer?

williamhouse · March 2004

BlockIslandGuy.....I can feel a marked difference in the torque, acceleration, braking, suspension and just the overall refinement of the vehicle. I particularly like the locking diffs on the '04 (don't know if '03 had that or not). I went up a trail that always gave me a little trouble in the '00 and with the diffs locked, it made quick work of it.

We didn't trade. I think selling outright is always the way to go since you can generally get a much better deal. We did average based on what the market value for a used private sale would be. That's all I meant.

If anyone is thinking of upgrading to an '04, I'd say don't hesitate. We couldn't be happier.

mnrover · April 2004

go to http://www.roverconnection.com/ and you will find the Powerchip on their home page. Looks like it add as about 20HP You can also do the Borla exhaust along with the chip to add additional HP's and increase torque.

mrtoad3 · April 2004

Can anyone elaborate on whether or not LRNA will void the car's warranty if a powerchip is installed? It sounds great but I bet gas mileage will suffer a bit. I hope this is a good product because we all know how a little extra power would help. Thanks

stever · April 2004

There was a little blurb about this issue in recent news:

Keeping 'car chippers' plugged in (Boston Globe)

Steve, Host

tincup47 · April 2004

They certainly can void the warranty on the engine and the Engine management system if there is a failure related to the powerchip. Those products have not tested for compatability or reliability by Land Rover. Remember, Warranties are there to cover defects in material and workmanship for the original equiptment in the vehicle, not for additional stresses related to aftermarket performance parts.

tincup47 · April 2004

Here is the link for the Land Rover LR3 (Discovery replacement in the US) website.

www.landroverusa.com/future or www.landroverusa.com then click on "what's next"

blockislandguy · April 2004

Tincup, congratulations to you and your company and thanks for the link. As I looked at it I thought through my business-man's eyes that the sales of the last of the 2004 Discovery's will be interesting. While one of the car mags suggests bargaining hard because of declining interest, I'll bet a lot of people will want to snap up the last of the live axle Discoverys (especially with the significant improvements this year). Somewhat like the case of used Defenders which are now 40K.

Like the improved on-road manners or not, the LR3 looks like it will really accelerate sales with a robust V8, IRS suspension, etc. and come to dominate this market segment. (Would you rather have an Exploder Limited or an LR3??).

tincup47 · April 2004

Thanks. Our marketing people have already planned for the runout of the 04 MY vehicle. We had a similar issue when the New Range Rover came out with the 2002 model. It worked out just fine.

adplusone · April 2004

We are finalizing my wife's next vehicle and an 04 Disco is one of our finalist. With the new one coming out this fall our dealer is making deals. We can not wait for the new one (lease expiring and besides I have personally experienced the first model year syndrome).

Three questions of current owners...

1) What has been the most frustrating service/repair issue you have had?

2) What has been the most pleasant surprise in owning/driving the vehicle?

3) If you could change one thing on your Disco what would it be?

Any other owner comments would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Alan

McAllen, Texas

fredit · April 2004

2003 Disco "S", 9300 miles and counting

1) Driver side heated seat would not heat since we bought it. It took a few trips to the service department before the issue was resolved. By no means was it frustrating though. So far, it's the best Sales/Service experience of any vehicle my wife or I have had.

2} Comfort/Handling is amazing, in my opinion...

3) Cruise control could be smoother, I'm not sure if the '04 has this issue. We've had the service update performed to this issue and although it is better than before, it's not perfect. The acceleration has a slight surge to it, to maintain set speed (and yes, I'm talking about level driving.) My wife does not notice it as much as I do.

It's my wife's car mainly. We've had this vehicle since October of 2003 and we do not regret getting the Disco at all, even with the premium fuel requirement (*%#@* OPEC). We got a great deal, and the only thing wrong with our model "S" Disco originally was the lack of the CD Changer. I was able to locate a company that sold the Alpine unit that LR uses, along with the adapter and installed it myself, for a fraction of the Dealer cost. Good luck with your choices.

Fred
Farmington Hills, Michigan

tidester · April 2004

I thought you were finalizing the purchase of your wife's Volvo XC-90?

tidester, host

adplusone · April 2004

"We are finalizing my wife's next vehicle and an 04 Disco is one of our finalist"

The other finalist is indeed a XC-90.

Thanks!

Jeff

sanslink · April 2004

We've been thoroughly enjoying our 01 Disco SE since we got it, however it's time for the dreaded brake repair. The dealership wants $1100 to replace front and rear. Since I prefer to keep both arms, does anyone know of a good brake place for Discos in the Phoenix area? We have always fixed our own brakes on our vehicles, but haven't ventured into it yet with this truck. Is there anything tricky we'll have to deal with on this model? Any info is much appreciated!

Thanks

blockislandguy · April 2004

Sanslink, how much would it cost to order from one of the Rover catalog houses 4 new rotors and four new sets of pads, buy the correct (I have no idea what this is, but it is a Disco so..) brake fluid and bring the entire box to your local independent BMW, Volvo, etc. garage?

But wait! Don't hang up that toll free call just yet. Order up four new shocks also. I suspect that could get a set of new shocks with the money you would save. (They're going to have the tires off and the car up in the air anyway and the old shocks ARE now 3 years old.) And would you really miss not paying the sales tax on the parts you brought in by UPS from out of state?

Then if you were as sharp as I think you are you'd take your new rotors down in the basement and using your drill press or Bridgeport drill a million holes in them to improve... (REST OF MESSAGE CANCELLED ON THE ADVICE OF COUNSEL)

nanuq · April 2004

My advice is to check the rotors for minimum thickness with a dial gauge. Chances are they are WELL within tolerances. My rotors have 89k miles and are still in tolerance.

Then go to your corner auto parts store, buy two pairs of brake pads and some jack stands. Put 'er up on stands on one side (start with passenger) and remove both wheels. Remove the calipers then the pads, crack the bleed screws and push in the pistons. Mount the pads and calipers, swap the tires front-to-back and torque 'er up. Repeat on the other side and make sure to reset your tire pressures.

If you're at all proficient with tools, this will take you perhaps an hour TOTAL to replace all the pads. Unless you knock your pint over and you have to mop up.

My Series I Disco is a pure joy to work on, the pad replacement is well thought-out and EASY to do. There is absolutely nothing difficult about it and I'm on my 4th set of brake pads. Hint, Lockheed and Wagner pads seem to work great.

Best regards, -Bob

tincup47 · April 2004

You forgot a very important step...Chock the wheels, especially if the ground is not level.

smarticus · April 2004

We are planning a family holiday in Virginia in July, flying into Washington DC from the UK. Does anyone know if it is possible to rent a Discovery anywhere in DC ? It would be good to have a vehicle that we already know and trust to tour Virginia for 2 weeks. The raised seating position and lots of glass will allow us to make the most of the sights, whilst feeling safe & sound. We wont be going offroad.

discofun · April 2004

I would recommend Hertz car rental agency. Ford owns both Hertz and Land Rover and they have Discos ready to roll at Washington-Dulles and Reagan National Airports.

Funny how the big automakers sell so many vehicles to themselves (rental agencies) to keep the wheels of commerce running. ;-)

Enjoy your trip!

sanslink · April 2004

Looks like I'll be getting my hands into some grease this weekend. Then I can spend the money I save on a pint or two (and maybe a first class ticket to Hawaii).

Thanks to everyone for your comments!

phill27 · April 2004

Well, it has happened! My ABS, traction control and hill descent lights all came on at the same time. After a 400 mile weekend (mostly highway and very light offroad) the warning lights came on just as I pulled in the drive! I remembered hearing of this through past posts. So, I cleaned the fuse block, in the engine as well as the driver console one. Now, while it did take more than 15 minutes, it was in dire need of a cleaning!
I have already gone to the local LR service dept. to reset the cpu. They informed that the the wheel speed sensor had gone bad. This, of course, is one of those "non-serviceable" parts and will cost over $600 to repair.
The thing is, I've already driven 700 miles without the lights coming back on. How long would it take for the lights to return if there were a "real" malfunction? I want to assume that I have fixed the problem by cleaning the connection and am now getting a better signal. Is this fix really possible though? Also, my tech at LR said that new brake rotors can make the sensor go crazy. Would a tire out of balance do the same due to vibrations?

lightcahill · April 2004

Here are some thoughts on the three questions that adplusone brought up in his note #3708. As background, we have a 2003 Red Disco SE with almost 18,000 miles on it, purchased in January of 2003.

1. My most frustrating service/repair issue is that a low beam headlight bulb just burned out and NAPA is out of stock until tomorrow afternoon. Darn! By the way, that is the only thing that has ever gone wrong with our Disco.

2. Our most pleasant surprises thus far have been, in order of magnitude. A. The Disco is great for long trips. We have driven from Denver to New Jersey and back, to Florida and back, and around the Northwest through Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. Our comfort was comparable to our German make 528 Touring Wagon. B., The Disco really does crawl around the rocks and mountain passes in the Colorado Rockies with ease. C. The Disco was unstoppable in last year's 32 inch snowstorm in Colorado the day after we returned home from Florida. I chickened out long before the Disco would have ever gotten stuck.

3. What would I change? I would improve the ergonomics of the interior controls, and in particular the (in)ability to read stuff on the dash while wearing polaroid sunglasses.

Through the 17,909 miles we have driven the Disco it has averaged 15.58 miles per gallon. The worst tank fill mileage was 12.98, suffered while driving locally this past winter, much on dirt roads, looking for a new house (lots of stops for "take me's"). The best was 19.47 mpg while on our trip through the Northwest, which included many tankfulls in the 17 to 18 mpg range.

Service at Land Rover East in Denver has been supurb, but has consisted of nothing more than routine oil changes and an exciting day long
off road rally at the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Conservation Center northeast of Denver.

The Disco has been everything I had hoped it would be, and much more. It certainly is not a boring truck to drive. My wife and our two Great Pyrenees love it even more than I do, if that is possible. Whatever may have been the reputation of Land Rover in the past, our Disco has been great!

LightCahill (formerly Pewee)

stopgo1 · April 2004

The warning lights that you described, ABS, Traction, and Hill Descent, and some others for me intermittently have come on. LR has replaced the entire front braking systems, rotors, ABS Hubs (the right one twice), and the rear ABS Hubs so far. The problem continues to occur, the latest was just a few weeks ago.

This is a huge concern for me going forward with this vehicle. LR can't seem to cure the problem permanently and chalks it up to erratic behavior frlom the ECU...seems they should change the ECU.

My worry is that after warranty expiration that LR will be hitting me with $600+ service bills each time this happens which seems to be a regular thing.

fredit · April 2004

You can try Enterprise Rental also. My wife rented one in the Detroit area last summer. It lead to us purchasing a new Disco in October of 2003. Enjoy your trip to the USA!

nanuq · April 2004

I hope the cleanup helped... my warning lights were coming on every time I turned on the headlights, and I finally picked up this hint from someone else. I cleaned my fuse block and it didn't happen again for about 6 months. Then I cleaned it again and it hasn't recurred in over a year.

I don't know how well this trick works for DIIs but it's magic for a DI because the fuse block is out there in the elements beneath the hood. Any erratic electrical supply due to poor connections will affect all "downstream" electrical systems, and from that fuse block, everything is downstream.

nanuq · April 2004

There's really no magic there, it's just a toothed ring with a sensor close. It counts how quickly the teeth are going by and compares that to the reported road speed.

In the DI it's a very durable system and not AT ALL prone to vibration or rotor weirdness. But it is possible to whack an ABS sensor going over roots and rocks, and to knock it akimbo so it quits reading that toothed ring correctly. It's just as easy to put it back into position again.

discoman · April 2004

Hope you enjoy your trip to the USA. I lived in London from 98-02, and can give you a few tips to make your driving here less frustrating.

When you are driving here it will take awhile to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road (for you) and being on the wrong side of the car( also for you)There just seems to be too much car on the right side, and the rear view mirror angles are all wrong for what you are used to. (If you have been driving in the rest of Europe you are probably used to it though) Also something you will probably notice is that drivers here tend to be not as courteous as in the UK. Whilst on the freeway (Motorway) drivers in the far left lane, or speed lane, will not yield to you if you are going faster than them, and if you flash your lights at them to get over, it could cause them to get angry at you. Do it in the wrong side of town and it could get you shot. The road materials are not as coarse as you are used to, and do not shed water as well as they do on the UK Motorways, so be careful when it rains. You will, however get better gas mileage due to less rolling resistance for the same reason.

If you ever come to Seattle, let me know. I would be glad to show you around.

mnrover · April 2004

Looking for some aftermarket headers for a 99 Disco II. Any ideas? Thanks

phill27 · April 2004

I've been looking for a cd changer to install on my own. Where did you find yours? The only one I've seen is just about the same price as the factory. I DO NOT wish to hook it through a modulator. The other concern I have is about the ability to use your factory controls (main {head} unit and steering wheel).

phill27 · April 2004

Just a follw up about my Disco II and her ABS TC and HD lights. My warning lights have not returned as of yet. I just passed the 1,000 mile mark! The fuse block clean- up has surely helped. My concern is, if we could easily fix this.. why isn't cleaning the fuse block the first check when the lights come on?! Trust me, even if it was unsuccessful, the fuses NEEDED to be cleaned!

stopgo1 · April 2004

I have an 03 Disco and the same warning light issues...as far as I know, the fuse block on the 03 is inside the passenger compartment by the driver's knees. Is that the same block you refer to as having cleaned??

fredit · April 2004

Hey phil27,
Go to www.disco2.com, under the "How To" section, and you'll see a link on how to "install a CD Changer with BlitzSafe adapter."

I found the parts described in that article at www.autotoys.com, click the "Go Shopping" link, and navigate to the "OEM Factory" link or try this:

http://www.autotoys.com/x/cust/home.php?cat=34

It does work off the head unit/steering wheel controls, and the cd changer brackets were already in place on my '03 Disco S. Other than removing the radio (very tight fit), everything was rather straight forward.

I hope this helps... Good Luck.

nanuq · April 2004

Stopgo, do a search in this discussion for "fuse block" and you'll see my attempts to describe it to people over the years.

Good luck! It's an easy job and it worked magic on my truck.

phill27 · April 2004

I've got a '00 disco II. It has two fuse blocks. One is under the hood in the same compartment as the battery (in front of the passenger seat). The other is the one you've already found (in front of the driver's left knee). It may be too early to tell but, I THINK it worked for me as well!

alatt · April 2004

Hi,

I think bulb just blew on my 00 DII small right turn signal (just above SE badge, near front passenger door). Is it easy to replace the bulb?
Thanks.

bagrah1 · April 2004

I just purchased a 1999 series II and I when I used the air conditioning system hot water leaks into the passenger side floor board. Any I idea what this could be?

discoman · April 2004

Bagrah

There are several possibilities for your problem. Since you said you were using the Air Conditioning, I take it you live somewhere in a hot climate. The water could be rain, or washing water that leaked in from your air intake in front of the windshield. This could mean the drain is blocked, and you got water sucked into the fan when you turned on the AC. Check the water and see if it has engine coolant in it, or if it just plain water. If it's water, then you will have to disassemble the vent behind the hood, and find the drain holes and clear them out. Otherwise, was the air that blew out the vents cold?

bagrah1 · April 2004

I owners manual is most unhelpful. I am now having trouble with my driver side turn signals. None of these lights are signaling nor do the hazards work, even though the passenger side is operational. If there is bulb that needs to be replaced, how do I determine which one it is if no lights are signaling? My local Land Rover dealership doesn't open until May/June, and the GMC/Buick dealership I bought the truck from isn't to savy on these vehicles. Is there a quick fix?

williamhouse · April 2004

I've a question regarding a new '04 Disco SE7.

My wife and I have been wondering if there's a way to program the instrumentation lights (speedometer cluster as well as radio and HVAC) to stay on their brightest setting even when the headlights are turned on.

In other words, when you turn on the headlights, each interior control panels dims to approximately half. Is this something that's programmable (whether by us or by our local dealer)?

I'm much prefer having the lights stay on full. Thanks in advance.

discoman · April 2004

Most likely your driver side relay for your flashers is bad. They should be under the steering wheel if you remove the panel there. Swap the relay out with the other one for the passenger side, and see if the problem moves. If it does, then that's your problem. If it doesn't move, check the fuses, especially since you are under there where the fuse block is anyway. I believe there is one fuse for the passenger side turn signals, and another, separate one for the driver side and Hazard lights. Best bet is for you to go online and get the workshop manual. If you want let me know and I can send you a CD that has all the workshop manuals. Send me an e-mail at c_weintraub @yahoo.com and we can discuss it further.

phill27 · May 2004

I am looking into installing K & N air and oil filters. Does anyone have experience with these or any other high performance filters? My local import part supply owner talked me out of the switch. He thought it wasn't worth the price. Is this true? Are the claimed increases in performance real?

Land Rover Discovery and Discovery II

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