Land Rover Discovery and Discovery II

stever

Edmunds has a '48(?) Caddy in use today.

It was cut up and is used for a coffee/juice bar in the lobby :-)



The passenger door and a large part of the roof, etc. is gone - you can't see the urns and stuff from this angle.

Steve, Host

rkoesler

Having owned several Toyota's (4Runners & Trucks -all 4WD), and LR's, I can honestly say that the Toy is a more reliable "appliance" than the Rover but they have "no soul". I've also had my share of problems with Toyota's, but none with my '00 DII. Off-road, Toy's lack seriously in the wheel travel department, lifting wheels and getting cross-axled rather frequently. I traded my 00 4R Limited with rear diff-lock for the '00 DII because I just loved the LR - but could care less about the 4R. The Rover is also built twice as strong as the Toy - I've collapsed the frame on my '90 truck just putting on nerf bars.

I like my '03 Toy 4x4 truck, and drive it daily, but I look foreward to driving the '00 DII on weekends like a kid looks foreward to Christmas. Off-road there is not much comparison - the Toy is good, the Rover is great.. The Toy does have fewer rattles though - at least once you got them fixed, the Rover just keeps rattling - but not too bad..it just let's you know it's alive.

I've also had a '99 DII which was the ultimate piece of $#@! - (but so was my '98 Mercedes). I traded that (99 DII) for the 00 4R, but like I said - it had no soul. Happy Rovering - and Toying - to all. I'm not knocking either vehicle. I'm just lucky to have one of each, plus some others I like also..

nanuq

Nice Caddy! I was in a restaurant once that had the snout of a '57 Chebby cut off and turned into a bar like that, with functioning headlights.

I bet they wish they still had the car and not the bar.

nanuq

...here's MY "greatest car of all time"



Auburn 852 Boattail Speedster with Supercharger.

tincup47

I'd certainly put that on my short list also. I also particularly like the Cord 810 and the Duesenburg SSJ models also. One of my favorite stops on one of my roadtrips to Indy was the Auburn-Cord-Duesenburg Museum in Auburn,Indiana. A definite must-see for anyone in the area.

miked03

It seems that every post concerning buying an '03 disco comes down to a choice between a Japanese SUV, usually Toyota, or the Discovery. I believe that comparison should be left for auto press and sites like this one, who depend on consumers who don't know what they want, and are giving props to their paying customers (check out the Toyota ad budget compared to LR).

The first time I saw a D-90 I was awe, and the recent BBC award is only justification. From that moment I knew I had to have one. Today, six years after the last one was shipped to this country, a really nice one will set you back at least 30k, which says alot about the vehicle and the brand. I can't aford that kind of street cred at the moment, so I went with the next best thing, the Discovery. I didn't compare it Toyotas and Nissans, and I didn't post to those brands message boards discounting their vehicles. Instead I went to a few local LR dealers, borrowed one for a day, found the best price, and bought a Disco.

ejohns

purchase another an extended warranty. Just cancelled my extended warranty with Warranty Gold and I'm real skeptical about trusting another company and purchasing another warranty. Have been talking with DirectService Contracts, anyone heard of them? Rates are good but still very skeptical! I own a '99 disco with 60K miles. Recently replaced my sensor. Any comments would be appreciated.

nanuq

I know I've posted this 100 times before, but in my personal experience I've got 6 relatives or coworkers who over the last 3 - 4 years have purchased, between them, somewhere near 10 SUVs. All looking for the durability and reliability I've got in my Disco. The list comprises JCGs, Ford Explorers and Dodge Durangos.

In every case they said I paid too much for my Disco, and bought something cheaper. Now they each have 6 years of payments left and each of their newest crop of SUV cost more than what I paid for my Disco. And mine is paid for.

Each of them have had catastrophic transmission, axle and transfer case failures. One had to be towed over 200 miles home. Another had to be towed "only" 100 miles home. Another lost the front axle at 8k miles and the transmission (the first time) at 32k miles. It spent two weeks in the shop waiting for parts.

So my coworker traded in his Durango with 32k miles, and bought a Sequoia. It set him back nearly $60k. I could have bought nearly three Discos for that... mine was $22k with 9 months on it.

And how much time has mine spent in the shop? Over the last 3 years, precisely zero. Not a hiccup, not a stumble, and I beat the thing offroad at least once a month. The other SUVs died under simple commuting chores.

As for the design "quirks" you'll find these are largely due to the fact Rover has a Eurocentric perspective: the vast majority of Rovers remain overseas and are therefore designed to be easily built RHD or LHD. My Disco is symmetric at the dash and controls so the airbag and gauge assemblies can swap side to side and accomodate NAS spec or Euro spec. The seat controls are in the one logical place: central. As are the climate controls and stereo.

Why are the foot controls so close together? To accomodate a trick called "heel and toeing" where you use the brakes, throttle and clutch altogether to get a beast moving on an incline or in a bad situation. If it makes it quirky onroad, so be it... in Rover's thinking that is less important than keeping the truck at the pinnacle of offroad capability.

Remember, these beasts are built primarily for offroad duties, primarily in Europe. They brought them to North America and did some major quality improvement to meet NAS standards... most of the reliability issues are now anecdotal. There is the odd truck with issues that cannot be fixed, and Rover is very good at trying hard to fix them. I personally don't know of anyone who has a truly bad Rover. Koesler had a bad one, and it was the oddity... his new one is a dream.

As for taking a loss at trade-in, that means nothing to me because I buy my trucks to last. I will not trade it in, I'll drive it until it dies. And I can use it indefinitely, because every part is available to repair it, including a new chassis. It has an unlimited lifespan, and that's why I bought it.

jynewf

Seems like this comparison pops up every few months or so ...

I drive a 2000 4runner Limited with the rear locker. When I was shopping, It was basically between that and the Disco II.

If you're handy with a wrench and go off-roading alot, then the Disco's a fine vehicle. Its got shorter overhangs and wheelbase than the 4runner, and a thicker frame than the toy. However,if you check out various surveys, internet sites, etc., you'll see that reliability on Discos has been spotty. Doesn't mean all rovers are bad, or that toys are perfect. But chances are greater that you'll end up with a problematic rover than a bad toy.

As for testimonials on this site; take them with a grain of salt. Rkoesler has a perfect '00 Disco. I think that's great; more power to him. However, his '99 was a nightmare. So out of two discos, one was perfect, the other not. Looks like a coin toss to me.

As for Nanuq, he's a great poster who loves his disco. Great. However, a few posts back, he mentioned that his ABS went out a year ago (of course, he didn't bother fixing it, so technically he's correct when he says its been three years and he hasn't taken it in). Also, as I recall, his disco went through serious teething problems before it was sorted out (luckily under warranty, though).

As for my 2000 Toy? Not perfect either. O2 sensor went out; and early on, there was a TSB for a faulty fuel gauge. Both under warranty (knock-on wood). Take it off-road up in my in-laws place in VT; still no rattles and tight as a drum.

Oh, and the "appliance" and "personality" thing? My toy has plenty of character; its reliable, durable, absolutely trustworthy. I like those traits, and look for them in my truck, my gun and my dog. I don't b*tch about how "appliance-like" my SIG P226 is because it is reliable and never misfires. And I wouldn't criticize a lab dog that's faithful, reliable, and hunts, just because there are so many others out there...

bthigpen

i have a '00 disco that i bought used about a year ago and absolutely love. unfortunately (for many reasons) i live in jackson, ms and the nearest dealer for service is memphis, N.O. or birmingham.

to make a short story long...my wife was going to memphis recently so i set up the 30k service and some minor warranty work with "bluff city motor cars" there, and the service representative took my info and VIN and reserved a loaner car for me. when my wife got there he told her that loaners are for original owners only so he would not give her a car (even though it was sitting right outside). he was "kind" enough to have a mechanic drop her and our 3 year old son off at a hotel. needless to say i wasn't happy with my family being put in this position, particullarly 3 hours from home. since the rep had all of the pertinent info at had i took this as the classic "bait and switch" method of getting the customer there.

in addition, the dealer performed several things which he presented as "recall work". i have not been able to find a recall notice for this model and his invoice lists the work as "customer requests ck".

so...is this typical or LR customer service? i thought they are having a big push to improve their service reputation. i was planning to buy another disco within a year, but if this is indicative of a company-wide attitude i have my doubts. i could spend a lot less money to be treated like crap somewhere else. i just hate to generalize since this is my first experience with LR service and don't have a single gripe about the truck itself. anyone have any experience with other dealers in this area?

blockislandguy

I have to say that the high qualilty posts on this board (just take a look at Aug 15 forward) makes this the most interesting board on Edmunds. Lots of good tech stuff, spirited exchanges, people caring about the brand, etc. Some of the other SUV boards would put you to sleep with people worrying about intermittent, non-reproducible wind noise around trailer mirrors or interminable discussions about state-by-state variation in lemon laws (what is this, an American Bar Association sub group?).

tincup47

Why are you posting on this board? Did a Discovery owner go to the Toyota or Ford boards and trash a vehicle you own? I often wonder why people have to speak badly of vehicles they don't own. All vehicles have there pluses and minuses and appeal to different people. While whatever you happen to drive may or may not suit you, why do you feel the need to insult the folks who happen to like their vehicles. I certainly cannot understand the rationale of bashing this vehicle or any other vehicle, especially if you have never owned one. You have already made your statement by not purchasing the vehicle, anything else is just acting like a troll. Do not bother to respond to this as this is the last post I will make to you. I will ignore you until you decide you want to contribute something useful to this board.

blockislandguy

Tincup47, I think that one reason why non LR owners post here is that Rovers get people emotionally involved. Who gives a hoot about a Saturn? Or an Explorer. Yet, people know the rep behind Rover, they are interested in the tech aspects (I still recall the ads in US magazines for the Series IIs that showed live PTOs to allow the owner to run a saw mill, etc.), they want more info and they want to read your and Nanuk's posts. Some even want to be convinced that now is the time to jump in, because the pool now has a lifeguard and owning a Rover is going to be fun.

I think that the suspension travel is awesome, the chassis probably indestructable, the 4.6 an outstanding small block V8, and the option packages make sense (even on the base model Disco you can get heated seats AND a heated windshield for I think $500) but the body roll needs work before I want to get onto a turnpike at rush hour (ACE is a big $$$ step in the wrong direction: just make a simple design change like bigger antiroll bars and/or cross linked shocks), and the ownership experience is uncertain.

LRNA could take a big step forward and have a BMW -like certified preowned program with warranty out to 100,000 miles. That would be a huge confidence builder. As it is now, the certified preowns have a minimal increase in the warranty (12k?). Incidentally, with the BMW program a guy can get a LONGER warranty on a used BMW than a new one! That has got to dampen the stories about BMW unreliability and enhance resale. BMW also has a great spiff program for BMWCA members who buy or lease preowned units. I don't think LRNA has anything like this.

So, I think we can agree that there are a lot of bona fide reasons for reading and posting on the Disco board, even if not (yet) a LR owner.

tincup47

I would suggest you contact Land Rover owner care to register your dissatisfaction with the treatment you received. Their phone number is 1-800-637-6837. While Land Rover encourages all of their retailers to provide the highest level of customer service, the dealers are independent businesses and unless there is a breach of the Franchise agreement there isn't a lot they can do to punish them. That being said, if there are enough complaints and the CSI of the dealership drops to an unacceptable level, then there can be steps taken that can ultimately lead to the loss of the franchise.

tidester

Disco ownership is not a prerequisite to posting in this discussion. I will also note that it is sound advice to avoid feeding trolls! :-)

tidester, host

tincup47

I agree that posters need not own a Land Rover or even appreciate them fully to post here. I also know all too well that Land Rover does not meet Toyota levels of reliability. I just have a problem with people who join a group to trash the vehicle. You certainly can not like a vehicle, I certainly don't like all vehicles myself. I just don't travel groups pointing out all of the other vehicle's faults and can't understand the mindset of those who do. I joined these boards because I love cars, the auto business, and to try to help out people who own the products I represent.
 The Discovery is an older design that is nearing the end of it's production in it's present form. The current design has it's roots going back to 1987 when the Discovery I was launched. It was updated in 99 and 03, but it is still the same basic design. I'm sure the new Discovery will be improved to perform better on and off road and have a more contemporary user friendly interior. Quality will continue to improve as it has since I joined the company.
 People tend to forget that Land Rover has always been a very small division of whatever company owned it (in 2002 Land Rover sold about 160,000 vehicles worldwide). Budgetary constraints have always been a reality and have led to lack of new designs until Ford purchased them. There has also been a certain lack of appreciation to the needs of the North American market. When you sell to over 160 different countries it is hard to focus on any one market. As North America is now 25% of total worldwide Land Rover sales and Land Rover is an important part of Fords future profitability there will be more focus on meeting the needs of this market.

deanders

I didn't come on here with the intent to "trash" the Discovery, I have been in the market for a new SUV type vehicle and have been looking at LR, Toyota 4Runner, Grand Cherokee Laredo, Explorer and a couple of other choices. When I went to some of the Jeep boards they were full of people trashing the reliability and other aspects of the Jeep, and I am sure they were not all owners. The Toyota board was a little more mellow, although Toyota people seem to think their vehicles are the best you can buy, they really pump the reliability, resale aspects, and some of the new off-road/safety related features. It seems that no matter what board you go to there are a mix of positive & negative posts by owners, former owners and non-owners. It appears from reading all the posts that no matter what vehicle is chosen you are going to find "the good, the bad and the ugly". Sure makes it hard to come up with a decision. tincup47 made some great points in his No. 3184 post above, thank you for putting things into perspective.

disco99

I tested my disco at 55-65mph over some decent bumps on the road with my hands off the wheel-the car has a tendency to go slightly left afterwards--is that an alignment problem or maybe the steering damper needs to be replaced? all insights are welcomed..
thanks in advance--

by the way so far all my friends who have taken some shots at my disco seem to be perfectly happy with their minivans,durangos and exp...)god, bless them. atlanticbritish.com has a great tee shirt that reads "I'D RATHER PUSH A LAND ROVER THAN DRIVE A JEEP"--god,bless us.

disco99

I had a similar post to yours recently-I've looked into directservicecontracts.com for my 99 disco II with 58k-their administrator is royal administration-I find it hard to believe that $1400 would cover 3yrs/36k on a disco--they were very kind ofcourse over the phone-I even spoke to someone at lyndon property and casualty who reassured me that they'd pay for the claims if dsc.com were to go bankrupt-their payment plan requires only $300 down-but just like you I'm still waiting for anyone who's had any claims paid by these guys-
By the way their contract states that once the administrator approves the repairs, you'll have to keep your receipt so you can get reimbursed-
I was originally told they'd pay all claims with a corporate credit card-there is no mention of that in the contract-If I buy one which I still may-I'd probably pay $600 more to go with LR--or I'll save the money as NANUQ suggested and wait for the inevitable ones(ABS PUMP, FUEL PUMP,etc)
good luck

tincup47

I certainly apologize if I misunderstood your posts. You are certainly right that it is hard to get a concensus of opinions on these boards as far as what vehicle to choose. I've always gotten a vehicle that I liked (instead of what other people like), and have seldom been disappointed. As long as you feel comfortable with the vehicle and it meets your desires and needs it is very hard to go wrong today as vehicles have never been as safe or more reliable. There is always the chance of getting a lemon from any manufacturer and if you listen to a lot of people on these boards you would think that all Domestic, British, to a lesser degree any European vehicle are rattle traps that break down daily. Check the boards for the number one selling SUV for the last 11 years, the Explorer. It is presented as a problem filled piece of junk, but the reality is the vast majority of owners love them and a lot buy them again and again. There is no question that the Japanese vehicles are very competent and high quality, but the rest of the industry is very close and it is rare to get a bad vehicle regardless of the brand anymore. The vast majority of Land Rover owners have very good experiences with their vehicles and we have a lot of repeat buyers.

nanuq

Interesting points about improving onroad handling of the Disco... and good suggestions for a vehicle that wasn't focused on offroad ability. But unfortunately, the improvement of onroad manners would seriously limit offroad ability. Thicker antiroll bars particularly will limit the suspension's ability to track terrain.

To tackle this, LR made ACE available... an active cornering enhancement tool. Offroad it's not supposed to have any effect, in fact it's supposed to be better offroad than a truck with simple antiroll bars. But onroad it can detect cornering loads and increase the offside resistance to body roll. It sounds great, but I haven't tried it.

A really simple solution is to get thicker antiroll bars with removeable clevis pins at the attachment points. Pull the pins and you're limber and offroad capable... just don't forget to put 'em back in when you get back on hardtop!

nanuq

Good catch! And good memory.

Yes my ABS did "go out" to the point that the light on the dash illuminated. You can imagine my horror as only three corners of my 4-wheel independent ABS activated. It was a tough fix too, I crawled under the mysteriously quiet corner of the truck and pushed the ABS sensor back upright again, pushed it in as far as I figured it was safe, and called it good. Now she operates as new. No worries. I wish any of the other cars I've ever owned (including 13 Hondas) were as trouble-free and easy to repair. And as durable.

nanuq

If you're going over bumps at the dreaded 55-57mph range and not oscillating then either you've got a dandy steering damper or your shim stacks are tight on top of your swivel balls. Is this a LATE '99 or an early one? Do you have swivels or do you have the Range Rover style axles with exposed double cardon joints? If the latter, then I suspect you have a Bilstein damper? They're notorious for pulling back a wee bit too hard on return. If the former, I suspect your shim stacks are a mite thin... it doesn't want to return to center very well after a bump and you've got a little too much tension on your trunion bushes at the top.

Neither one is a serious problem, and a replacement steering damper is eaaaassy to install. And pretty darn cheap.

If you do have swivels and you tear her down to refit the shim stacks, be CAREFUL not to get crud inside the balls. You might want to flush them and refill with clean 90w when you're done.

deanders

tincup47, no apology needed. In fact, I was out of line in some of my remarks about the Discovery, and I have deleted those posts as they were really unfair.

/// "There is always the chance of getting a lemon from any manufacturer and if you listen to a lot of people on these boards you would think that all Domestic, British, to a lesser degree any European vehicle are rattle traps that break down daily" ///

After spending the evening reading a lot of different posts on the various boards I could not agree more. I noticed a lot of references to consumer guide magazines and things like JDPowers surveys, as if they are the "set-in-stone" references to go by. Toyota, Honda, Acura etc. seem to be favored as if they will never will visit the repair shop. Like you said, they break down too. Maybe not as often but they have their share of annoyances. I read several posts from people with Japanese cars using the Lemon law because of problems, no one is immune.

The competition in the car world is pretty tough these days. I think you will see, and already have seen, great improvements in reliability across most makes and models. Improved assembly line QC, advancments in technology and productivity along with other measures is helping a lot.

/// "I've always gotten a vehicle that I liked (instead of what other people like), and have seldom been disappointed" ///

Great advice to follow. Too many buyers "jump on the bandwagon" and get something they may not be entirely happy with but which is popular for one reason or another. I say narrow your main criteria down to 3 or 4 vehicles and then take some nice long test drives. Preferably without a salesman present. I go to lots when they are very busy for this reason - the sales guys don't want to leave the lot for 20-30 minutes and miss potential sales. This allows my wife and I to really concentrate on the vehicle ride and features without someone yapping from the back seat telling us what we probably already know about the vehicle.

rkoesler

I really hate to hear that some LR owners have to put up with crappy dealer treatment - those guys should be tarred & feathered, and run out of town..

I can honestly say that my LR owning experience has been wonderful with incredible dealership support. I've owned numerous "Benzes, BMW's, Toy's, Fords, Chevy's, Honda's, and others brands (but not Lexus), and find the LR experience to be the absolute best ever. I go there just to hang out and watch LR videos. I also tour the shop each time and talk to all the techs and watch them work on interesting problems. I get offers to try out various vehicles, and they always provide a new Disco or Rangie when I come for my free service appointments, and it's nice to always have a nice, washed, and detailed vehicle - all courtesy of the dealer.

I've always dreaded to go to the car dealer, and never realized it could be a fun experience until I found Land Rover Tulsa. If you don't receive the "LR special treatment" you deserve, start calling LRNA, and let everyone you see know how crappy your dealer experience is/was. Happiness with Rovers to all!!

bthigpen

thanks for the advice. i'll certainly follow it. it's good to hear my experience is not the norm. i also think that the fact that my truck has not required a dealer visit until this point speaks to the reliability of the LR that seems to be in question by some of the posters.

nanuq

Land Rover Anchorage has consistently treated me like royalty, and I didn't even buy the truck at their lot. I had severe teething pains when I first bought the truck and they were patient and went the distance with me, even sending invitations to the catered Christmas party every year, with toys for the kids (young AND old). I got to know the mechanics well, and they are gentlemen and honest as the day is long.

Now that my truck is fixed, it has STAYED fixed. Nothing I can do to it (other than hit that blasted root and knock my ABS sensor) has hurt it in any way. I think the lads at the shop are happy about that too.

Hoisting a tall one for Kent, Lyle and Wallace... gentlemen all!

disco99

my disco is late 99--I read a similar post from a 99 discoII owner where his steering damper was shot at 60k--I know the the bilsteins are great-but are there any good performing value picks out there(Monroe?)that are comparable --

Meanwhile my search for a disco I with less than 50k is ongoing-I'm trying to buy one from an original owner who pampered his disco like we all do--
thanks for the good word as usual

miked03

It is unfortunate to hear that some LR owners have a negative experience with either the sales or service end of the Land Rover business. It seems that most who do, are in a situation where the dealer is far from their home.

As a former owner of Japanese makes, I never felt any personal service (take a number!) and the sales process left a bad taste.

In my case, I have 5 Land Rover centers within 1 hour of my house. This helped me get a good deal on my '03, although prices are much more attractive now than a year ago when I bought. While on the subject of price, one of the sales guys indicated that they are selling the '03 SD for under $32k (I paid about $33.5k) and I was recently mailed an offer, as a current owner, to buy a 2nd '03 SD for less than $30k.

cwdavis4

I am getting ready to add skid plates to my '03 Disco and was wondering if anyone has any comments on the quality of Land Rover parts (good or bad quality)? My other option would be to go with an aftermarket company.

rkoesler

"cwdavis4" I had "Land Rover" logo/brand skid plates installed on my DII at the time of purchase. I believe they are made by "Southdown" but carry the LR logo, and are made of 1/4 inch alloy which is super strong. They are expensive - mine set me back $1200 - ouch...but they do work. I've taken some very hard hits on rocks and they have held the vehicle out of harms way. In comparison, the "skid plates" on my '03 Toyota 4x4 truck are nothing more than tin plates that you can bend with your hands.

I've also added OME springs & shocks plus a TJM winch bumper with Ramsey REP 9000 winch. I now have an additional 2" of ground clearance, but have lost some wheel travel due to the stiffer springs - my RTI (ramp travel index) has gone from 730 (stock) down to 590. And the vehicle rides a good bit stiffer.

Happy off-roading to all....

nanuq

...laugh at yourself. *grin*

Over the weekend there was an ad in the paper for Land Rover Anchorage. It said "Your Land Rover Anchorage Centre is at 63 23 08" N / 111 56 09" W. Or for the less experienced traveler, 6th and Gambell St."

That didn't seem right so I looked it up and that lat/long is close to Yellowknife Canada! What a hoot! Right now I'm sitting at 61 13 62" N / 149 46 87" W. Much mo' beddah.

blockislandguy

Nanuk, as they say in Maine, that was Wicked Good.

Incidentally, a recent post of yours indicates that off road ability (suspension travel?) would be lost with the installation of larger antiroll bars. I'm a guy who cares less about max wheel travel and more about lane change manuvers. Does a guy like me just call IPD or ADDCO and ask for the largest rear bar they have and a slightly larger than OEM front bar (too large a front bar might cause more understeer?)?.

Re: Tranny coolers. Tincup, one of the better off road magazines (maybe Four wheeler and...) has a piece this month on tranny coolers. It says that the ones built INTO the radiator don't work too well because 1) after some towing the coolant that is supposed to cool the tranny fluid is itself super hot and 2) the radiator over time will silt up on the bottom portion which is supposed to cool the tranny cooler mounted below. They had some convincing arguments for installing an auxilliary cooler in front of the radiator or even on a frame rail.

Any news yet on what the 2005 will look like? The word I keep hearing is the 2006 will be based on a variant of the Explorer platform. Tincup?

tincup47

What you pointed out about trans coolers in the radiator is why Land Rover does not utilize that style. They have seperate free standing coolers. The 2006 Discovery will not be based on the Explorer or any current Ford from what I have heard. I haven't gotten any details though. Future product plans are kept very confidential. Letting your competition know what you going to be doing this far in advance is not good business strategy.

nanuq

...I would suspect Ford would start adding design points from the Discovery to its Explorer platform. Why not? They own the design now and it's obviously superior.

About antisway bars, I don't know where you'll find them aftermarket. I've never seen them. You can look at OME (Old Man Emu) for stiffer springs and shocks, that's the way many people go. But as RKoesler said that also limits your suspension travel with a light load offroad.

I don't think you'll have any more or less understeer with a stiffer front antisway bar; these are solid axle beasts and you'll always have the same footprint on the road with perpendicular wheel/axle combos. I guess under hard cornering you may roll the tires over a little with excessive weight transfer side to side and that could contribute more understeer... I just don't know, as I don't push her that hard.

I used to autocross a Sunbeam Tiger and I had a 7/8" front antisway bar and severe static camber dialed in. MAN would it corner, but hitting bumps on the road would nearly lift the opposite front tire. Woohooooooo!!

brandmar

Would a LR extended warranty cover valves if they needed to be replaced? I haven't received my paperwork yet and wondered if they would be covered if I had a problem in the future while still covered under the warranty? I believe the 2000 DII may still have that problem? The vehicle was certified but I don't know if that's something that is checked for certification or not. Thanks in advance.

nanuq

I wouldn't even think twice about valves on a Disco Series II. The problem appeared in '96 with the advent of the GEMS system and it was pretty obvious they had an EXPENSIVE problem on their hands. By the '97 or '98 model year you rarely hear of it happening. Just us '96-ers are the lucky ones!

Consider that Discos are notorious for having a real sensitivity to poor oil maintenance by starting to get "tappety" in the valvetrain. If you hear one that ticks, it hasn't had good engine maintenance. Other than that, you'll do well with a DII.

brandmar

Thanks for the reply. It makes me rest a little easier.

disco99

I guess you haven't heard....my pregnant has fallen in love with my disco-so naturally I'm stuck with her 98 sebring jxi convt-
I look pathetic in that sebring--
I GUESS NANUQ HAS ME SOLD ON THE DI-

#noname

Roger that on the reasoning for the loss of the '99!

Check my profile, any interest? I hate to see you spend any more time in that Sebring than necessary.

disco99

hey bob,
You mentioned a "tapetty valvetrain" in your last post due to bad oil maintenance-My disco's engine has a little ticking-diesel engine sound to it especially when hot--I'm now using 5w30 synths with a Mobil1 filter(changed every 3k)-I've read a few posts where they claimed that "tapetty" sound was due to a bad exhaust manifold..any thoughts and recommendations would be appreciated-
thank you
jude

stever

There's a weird glitch this morning that's causing some names not to show up, and therefore no profiles for a few people.

Just as well, since we frown on buying and selling on Town Hall, even in profiles.

Steve, Host

disco99

Tappety sound was due to bad exhaust manifold gasket.
thanks

dwpc

We're considering a new Disco. First, do all Discos now have a center locking differential? Second, how does the Disco air conditioning stand up to southwestern (Phoenix) heat? Third, is ACE worth the extra $$ ? Fourth, we'd appreciate opinions on whether we could expect enough discount this late in the model year to make buying an 03 a good deal vs. waiting a few weeks for an 04? Your advise will be appreciated.

nanuq

The tappety sound will come from the valve covers if it's from the tappets (lifters). It will sound the same on both sides as you walk around with the hood up, engine running. If it's an exhaust gasket leak it's probably where the exhaust pipe meets the manifold down by the axle. Mine got loose repeatedly and I'd have to get up under there every week or two and tighten them up. It's an easy job but it gets old. If that is your problem then it will get a LOT worse, fast. It won't stay the way it is. Either it will get burnt thru from the leak or the nuts will get looser and it gets really audible from the driver seat. I bet it's the tappets. I recommend going to 10-30w oil, just to maintain a little thicker film when it's good and hot. Synthetic is really good stuff... see if you can find a 10-30w synth, else go with the 10-30w petroleum based oil and see if it hushes up a little. If you're changing it every 3k miles then the petroleum based oil should work just fine for you. I only use synthetic in the winter when it's REALLY cold, then I still have the film thickness even when it's a 5-50w oil.

Disco Series I used to have locking center diffs. When the DII came along they still had locking diffs originally but there was no lever to actuate it from inside the cabin. Now the Disco SIIs have ETC... electronic traction control. They transmit power by halting the spinning wheel, sending power across the open diff to the opposite wheel, which has the traction. It works good, 95% of the time. I have the locking diffs and I can lock everything up tight before I get to an ugly situation, and sometimes it saves my biscuits where ETC would not... but that may be once a year. If you have a DII with ETC you'll be nearly unstoppable.

jeepcherokee

Tincup/Nanug,

Been looking for a clean 2000 or later DII for several months now. I just drove an '01 SE with about 35K miles. Going through the maintenance records I saw where it had a rear main seal replaced (I forget at what mileage), then around 30K, a new short block was installed due to a porous block. Is this a common problem? The VIN is SALTY12411A715594. Thanks to you both for all of the great advice and info on this board.

wasko

DWPC,

I believe that all cuurent models in the Disco lineup have CDL. They added that in sometime after I bought my '01 DII

Air conditioning is a bit anemic IMO (compared to other SUVs in this class). I live in Seattle and it does well here when I need it occasionally, but I'd defer to those who live in warmer climates for the best answer.

As far as discounts, with car sales as slow as they've been, I would think dealers would be willing to work with you.

Thanks, wasko

wasko

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=6224 seems to be a computer-generated touch up while http://www.imakenews.com/autospies/e_article000154843.cfm looks like a pretty nice vehicle, judging by the front shot view.

The first pic looks like they dipped too deep into the Explorer bin. The second pic looks like a very nice vehicle!

Let's hope that Ford does the right thing here

Tincup, when is the new Disco due in the US? Is it 2004 or 2005?

Thanks, wasko

wasko

All,

Rover is asking $2700 for a 10yr/100k warranty for my '01 DII. Does anyone know if there is room to negotiate on these?

Also, what are the merits of Rover vs. 3rd party warranties?

Thanks, wasko

disco99

I did switch from 5w30 to 10w30 synths about a month ago. on my next change,I'm thinking of adding 1qt of petro 10w40 to my mix---I'll also have them check my my exh man gasket.

On a different note I recently tried the new shell "better mileage" gas and so far I'm on pace to get 21-23mpg-not kidding-before that I was getting about 14-15mpg-93 is aound $2.09 right now on long island-you know what I mean.. I'd suggest we all give it a try to see if it lasts after the first tank---