Land Rover Discovery and Discovery II

odiopus

Thanks for the info...

Odiopus

unsure3

Thanks for the advice. It's appreciated.

nanuq

This is how we all learn about our trucks. I've been on this site and other Rover sites for years, listening and learning. Most of us enthusiasts have a subdirectory fondly named "Check Engine Light" and we just save message after message after message. You can also look over at www.discoweb.org, he's got a TON of good DIYS info.

Cheers! -Bob

02discovery

I started my day by taking a Jeep Liberty for a test drive. A Liberty Sport with command track. I will not post this on the liberty thread because I wish all who purchase one, my sincerest best wishes but, I would not give you one thin Diam-ler for that Chrysler product! I then headed out to my Land Rover dealer to see about the 2002's.In my local area, New York, I was told that the new, 2002's would not start arriving until sometime in the middle of october. I was told that the first shipment would be all SD models. I was told that the SE's, the model that I am looking to purchase, would not be arriving until sometime in November! The only new information I can contribute is that Kent green will no longer be offered for Discoveries in 2002, but there will be a new shade of silver and a new shade of green offered. Also, as most of you know from reading these threads, the self leveling system, SLS, will now be included in the ACE package. Regards To All,02.

wasko

All:

I've driven Cherokees and Wranglers in the past and can say I'm sort of a jeep fan BUT if the future of Jeep lies in the Liberty ...

IMO, it's one of the ugliest utes on the road with that crazy front end

kemmons

I own a 97 SE. Bought it used myself with 60k. My recommendation is to become as familiar with those trucks as possible so you recognize what they're supposed to sound, feel and drive like. Research the history of the truck to see if it had regular LR service and any of the usual leaks have been fixed. Does it have a warranty? These are things I would suggest you investigate along with having the truck looked at by a trustworthy, knowledgeable LR dealer/mechanic.

Good luck!

Kim

kemmons

Hi everyone.

I haven't been online for a while due to some extended vacationing up north. Lizzie did great all loaded up with gear and family and took the seasonal road driving like a champ.

When on vacation, I put the key in to start her. The engine cranked but she didn't start. I withdrew the key and tried again and she started immediately. My cruise control, dash and some exterior lights, and chime (intermittently w/ the chime) won't work since the no start. The P R N D 1 2 lights under my shifter don't work when I turn my headlights on, but work during the day.

I'm not sure if these are related issues or not except they all occurred after the no start, and all have ties with the steering column. Electrical issues aren't my forte' so I'd appreciate any suggestions my fellow Rover lovers may have.
( I did check the fuses. All good.)

Also on the trip, she developed a decent size crack in the exhaust manifold. How big of a pain in the butt is that going to be to fix?

Thanks to any and all who respond. Glad to hear folks are enjoying their summer!

Kim

P.S. I agree about the Jeep Liberty. My first response was "Good heavens; Where's the rest of it?" One of my first vehicles was a CJ-7. I loved her. These vehicles seem a sad representation of what a Jeep is to me.

flyinggeek2

Hello All,FYI
Went 4 wheeling for the first time in my new (to me) 98 disco with 25,000 miles a couple of weeks ago.It was GREAT!!! Went everywhere that a '77 full size GMC Jimmy 4x4 w/4" lift and big tires went except a very steep/rutted hill - chaulk that up to driver inexperiance - but hey I'm learning.The Jimmy driver was very impressed! He kept saying " I can't beleive that that thing doesn't bottom out or scrap the running boards off." He would get out of his truck just to watch me go threw some rutted washes.It was GREAT. Did go up one hill to fast and landed kind hard.Hard enough to make the doors unlock and the flashers come on - dealer said that that is a safety thing in case you are in an accident(Cool) Reset itself after I turned the key off.
Took the disco into the dealer for some warranty work
- rear window not working (electrical)
-getting super hot water in the passenger front side floor(drain hose plugged)
On the car seat issue: We have 2 kids - one is 6 and the other is 1.5 .The 6 yrs.old is in a booster seat behide the driver and the 1.5 is in a car seat behide the passenger.We had to run another strap throught the back of the 1.5 childs car seat and clip the ends onto the rear seat belt anchors(in the rear cargo area)to tighten up the seat enough - looks like @#$% but that car seat is not moving.
This pass weekend went camping up in Eastern Az.(Greer,Az.)to escape the heat in Phx..Again it was GREAT.Towed a 1300 lb. popup tent trailer threw hills for 175 miles.MPG was 11.86(not to bad). Did have one thing come up while driving
- at around 2500 RPM or 70 mph I would get this dead spot in the acclerator,like I was at the rev limiter(happen 3 or 4 times up hill, down hill and flat)??? Anyone else ever have this problem.
Other than that everthing went well-passed a couple of other Land Rovers on the road-is this like a big club or what?? because every time we passed one they all waved at us.(Very Cool).
Anyway that's all for now. Just having FUN in my new Disco
Seeya,
Flyinggeek2

expert1

I just got back from my first 4x4 experience in my 2000 Disco II. It was sooo cool. The TC light came on telling me that the traction control was operating every thime that one of my back wheels slipped and the HDC operated flawlessly. All you have to do is hold on to the steering wheel while your passengers scream. I crossed small streams and motored up large rocks. What a joy it was to not have to worry about gear selection, braking, backing up to disengage 4x4 etc.

nanuq

I'm sorry to hear about your electrical issues with the Disco... I might have a solution.

In the engine compartment, passenger side, is a fuse block. It's black plastic, about 5"x10" and located just aft of the battery. Inside are the BIG fusible links. My Disco gets electrically weird fairly often and it seems to infect several apparently dissimilar items at once... meaning their power source is nasty, noisy or intermittent. Remove the electrical plugs to the block, take off the top, remove every one of the fusible links and clean their contacts with a pencil eraser. Do the same down in the block where they make contact. Attach/remove the plugs a couple times to clean THEIR contacts, blow out ALL the dust, and reassemble. It takes me 15 minutes and solves a world of weirdness.

About the cracked manifold: if you're proficient it won't be too hard. This is a basic V8, no magic. The tricky part will be the studs in the alloy block. DO NOT break a stud off removing it, likewise don't worry if one backs out as you twist the nut... just double-nut the stud to reinstall. You might soak the fasteners with WD-40 overnight before you start. Pay extra attention to torque settings as you rebuild, and use anti-seize compound on the threads. If you strip a thread in the alloy you can try helicoils, I've had great luck with them in other alloy engines.

Good luck! Take your time, you should have no worries. -Bob

odiopus

Does anyone know of a place where I can order accessories for my Disco II at a decent price? I'm looking into buying a full set of rubber mats, the full length cargo mat, and wheel locks. Any comments are greatly appreciated...

Tincup.. Can you look up the build date of my new Disco? 1A730415

Thanks

Odiopus

tincup47

Your new Discovery was built on 5/10/01

kemmons

Thanks Bob, we'll give it a shot and let you know how it goes. I really appreciate the input.

Kim

expert1

Tincup, I just looked under my hood and lo and behold was a paper stcker next to the hose routing schematic. On this paper was the build date as you stated for my vehicle and also the fact that it was built at 2109. Hopefully by that time their weekend hangover is finally over and my truck was spared the Monday/Friday problems.
Odiopus, checking around it is hard to recommend a parts supplier that is consistantly reasonible. Rover Connection has alot of good prices on alot of things. Stay away from Atlantic British they are way too high in most areas. Want cheap parts? Do as I have and check your local wrecking yards. There is a 1999 Disco II SE that I have been taking alot of parts off at a reasonable price. (hitch $125.00, full carpeted mats $35.00 etc.) Although there are not too many Disco IIs' wrecked yet.

kemmons

I found the fuse block you're talking about, but I can't get the clear tops off of the fuses, or plugs themselves. I realize this isn't rocket science, and I've probably tried every way but the correct one to take them off, but I can't get them without feeling like I'm going to break them. What's the trick? After I clean those, do I need to unscrew the brass pieces that secure them in place and clean those as well?

Thanks,
Kim

nanuq

Oh Lordy, I'm sorry... I might have misled you. My fuses are held on with phillips head screws. Undo those and they come right out. The fuse itself remains sealed and happy, you just want to clean the brass contacts where it's screwed together with the phillips screws. SORRY!!!!!!!

I think my plugs were the push-on-click-together kind, take a peek and see if there's a tab to hold back as you pull them off. These are the connectors that hold the big snake cables to the underside of the fuse block.

Good luck!

woodyww

Tincup, I asked you a few months ago if LR would sometime again offer the extended warranty to existing owners of LR vehicles that are still under the original factory warranty? I know it ceased to be offered about a month after I bought my '98 RR in January.

I'm asking if there is any news on the warranty front because, after owning this beautiful vehicle for only 6 months (& mileage around 32K), I have become a confirmed believer in the theory that to own a LR w/o a warranty is akin to playing Russian Roulette. (Unless I am over-reacting merely because in 6 months I have made about 12 trips with this vehicle to have things fixed........2 radios....(meaning 6 weeks w/o a stereo), sunroof replaced, rear hatch glass replaced because it was leaking, A/C control module replaced, etc. etc. etc.) Altho one of the LR dealers I have been to has been terrific (& the other one.....I give a very mixed review), I shudder to think what all of this would have cost out-of-pocket!

Could you please also check the VIN SALPV1442WA396401, for build date, and previous problems? Thanks, I appreciate any info you can provide.

bks10

Looking at a '98 Discovery SE (I assume Series 1?). New to LR. A little nervous about making the jump. Need to move on it quick. $22,700 with 29k mi. Included is the balance of the factory warranty up to 50k mi or Dec 2002 plus dealer limited extended warranty up to 62k or Dec 2003. I will contact the dealer tomorrow for VIN to do a vehicle history, however, in the meantime, I'm interested in any recommendations from potentially fellow Disco breatheren. It has a few surface scratches. I'm particularly concerned about reliability for this model year. Decent price? I need to move quick. Thanks in advance for the help!

kwamedog

My wife has been intent on buying a 1999 or 2000 Volovo S70. However, I have always wanted a Disco so I pleaded with her to just take a look. She drove a Navy Blue 98 LSE and fell in love. That being said, we have not bought anything yet. I have read every post on this board and am a bit scared. However I think we are going to throw caution to the wind. We are fortunate to have 3 dealers in the Denver Metro Area so I feel like we can get a good deal. As luck has it though, we live less than 2 miles from the South dealer and I pass them on my way to work every day! Judging from this board that seems like a good thing as I will most likely be spending alot of time there. Anyway, the one that we drove was very clean and only had 30,500 miles on her. They were asking $26,995 but told me "there was room to negotiate" and that they would even throw the brush guard into the deal for free (my wife loves them). Is this a good deal? What should I expect to pay? Would it make a big difference if bumped up to a 99 and paid a bit more? I can't afford the II series but a LSE might work. Also, we want to purchase an extended warranty (especially after reading this board). I forgot to ask what they typically sell for -- I heard that they too are negotiable. Has anybody had any good experiences with third party warranties (I read some earlier posts on them)? Anyway, I hope that there is somebody out there who can answer my questions. I know that I have a lot but I want to make sure that we are doing the right thing. Although most people have called me crazy for wanting to forgo a model of reliability in the Volvo for a Disco but the way I see it -- if loving style is wrong then I dont want to be right! Not to mention the fact that the Volvo probably wont get me to Winter Park for skiing like a Disco will (the pass is hairy).

tincup47

Sorry, no info on extended warranties yet, I've heard they are still working on it. Your vehicle was built 03/03/98 and there wasn't anything major listed in the warranty history, mostly trim and body issues.

bks10

Looking to purchase 98 Discovery VIN# SALJY1242. Do you see any major issues with the maintenance history on this vehicle? I have a copy now from the dealer but not really sure how to interpet it. I'm looking to do a deal today. Please let me know asap if possible. Thanks in advance.

burosky

Did anyone attend the Bodega Bay event last August 4 sponsored by Cole European at Walnut Creek? I wanted to know what I missed. I had originally signed up for it but had to cancel due to last minute "stuff". I know I'll have to wait for next year but am curious how this one went. Please be as detailed as possible.

tincup47

I need the last eight digits of the VIN, not the first nine digits

bks10

The Chassis ID# is WA781733. Is this the number you need?

tincup47

The vehicle you are looking at was built 3-10-98. It seems to have been well maintained, with all sceduled maintainence performed. It had a lot of warranty repairs, but all were for minor problems.

woodyww

Re: Post 917: $22,700 for a '98 Disco is not such a bargain, altho maybe not terrible. When I was looking at them a year ago nice low-mileage '98's could be had for that EASILY. I doubt the dealer paid over $17K for it. Offer them $19,500 or $20K perhaps & see what happens. There are a lot of these out there!

Re: Post 918: IMHO $27,000 for a '98 Disco is WAY Too High, unless it is gold plated. Free brush bar? For that price you should get 10 free brush bars! Or could buy a '98 Range Rover (4.0).
Check prices on Edmunds, KBB, & NADA. Make sure you know both retail & wholesale prices. Good Luck.

BTW, There are tons of '98 Land Rovers coming off lease now, & prices on used LR's more than a couple of years old tend to be pretty soft....the Warranty is ticking down! And all used car dealers know what that means with a LR product.....wait 'til you try to trade one in!

However, LR's truly are distinctive vehicles.....if you "have the itch" to get one, my advice is to shop really really hard on price, & don't necessarily just swallow whatever prices the LR dealers are asking. I finally bought my RR from a private seller, at about $5,000 less than any LR dealer was asking for same yr/miles etc.

ken133

I bought a 98 LSE earlier this year and I love it! After doing a lot of reading I concluded that 98 was probably one of the most reliable years, and 98 also offered the best value if it still had a year of warrantee left.

The prices you both quote seem high. I got mine with 35K miles for $20K in (relatively expensive) San Francisco.

My Disco has taken a couple pretty long trips so far and is proving pretty reliable. I have only taken it in once for two cosmetic issues (sunroof rattle and cracking window trim). Both covered under warrantee no problem.

So...strong recommendation for 98s, but haggle more on price.

bakca

I bought the LR extended warranty 5yr/100k for my new '01 DII SE since I will easily put the mileage on it. The coverage extends the full factory to these limits. I don't know if there is a difference buying after the purchase but thought I'd pass along the info.

I've had my truck for 3 weeks and love it. I will be camping up at Lake Lopez in a couple weeks and probably won't be able to resist driving on Pismo Beach while there. Any advice for the sand... tire pressure, etc...

I think we found our name. My daughter named her Golden Rover or Goldie for short (it's white gold). I think it fits since we also live by the beach in CA.

kbonnel

Hi All,

I am really thinking about getting a 2002 Disco., but I want Silver for the ext. color. This is not a problem, but that means I have to get the SE package, which is also not a problem. But my dealer informed me that the 2002 SE models will come standard with the 18" wheels that the ACE package currently uses. Why are they doing this, 18" wheels off-road is not good, and that is one of the major selling points for LR. Does anybody know if a 16" wheel will be an option, or were I could purchase the current "standard" 16" rim. This is could hold me back from purchasing the vehicle (I am not ready to by one now, or I would get the 2001 model).

Thanks for any info.

Kimo

expert1

I am trying to get a aftermarket CD changer installed in my LR Disco II and cannot find the keys that take the head unit out to install the blitzsafe converter module to the back of it. All the install shops state that LR is the only manufactuer that holds on to these keys. My local LR dealer was no help, saying that removal of the head unit would void the warranty, but their estimate of 3xs the stereo shops price for almost the same Alpine changer and that seems excessive. Although if I can't get the head unit out I am stuck. HELP!!!