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I tried the Rain-X additive for the squirter and it's no good at all... sort of builds up a goo on the headlights. Just use the wipe-and-buff stuff.
Best regards, -Bob
Odiopus
In either case you'll be replacing the headlight itself... I doubt you'd be able to replace a plastic cover and achieve an adequate seal to keep moisture out.
Just for grins, how much does a replacement glass headlight cost in the Lower 48 states? I paid about $110 for one headlight here in Alaska, a year ago.
Regards, -Bob
If anyone has any experiences with these tires please let me know what you think. Thanks.
http://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/blizzfaqs.html
Regards, -Bob
It sounds like a good deal on a good car. I'd go for it.
Maintenance? Get a copy of the service history and either let them keep doing the work or you take it over from there. I change ALL my fluids every year (and engine oil every 3k). Brake pads last me ~15k miles. Simple work to replace them. You might need to have the throttle body and plenum cleaned, unless they did it at the 75k service... I'm not sure if that's called for.
It's about time for wheel bearings, power steering pump, alternator, ABS pump to wear out. Chances are it would really benefit from a long hard road trip too... get it up to temperature for an hour of good hard driving. There is likely condensation moisture in the swivel balls and diffs that could stand some cooking out. Give the transmission and engine a good workout. My '96 thrives on regular, hard use. Drive it over some RR tracks at 55mph and see if it shimmys after the bumps? Might be time for a new steering damper, or adjustment on the shim stack at the swivel pins. STAND on the brakes and see if the ABS activates? Look at the base of the rear doors, aft lower corners. Any rust? That's a trouble spot. Also around the alpine windows.
Good luck!
Some one Please Respond.
I don't believe there is a miminum grade for it to work.
Try this before worrying that it is broken.
I am a former Wrangler owner. I brought it brand new custom ordered in 1997. It was my first car. I started driving at 31. (Native New Yorker.)The car was great in the summer, but I had so many problems with it I almost gave up on car ownership. It had two catalytic converters go, the muffler, the transmission, the transmission lines, a mysterious check engine light that confounded two dealerships, a fender bender that cost $1200 in damage, it was towed twice and the custom system was stolen out of it. Now I want a Disco. 1999-2002. Base model is fine. I am concerned about reliability. I have no mechanical interest or aptitude, and the farthest off-road I plan to go is to the gravel lot when I park at basketball games. So why do I want it? Remember I drove a Wrangler. The Disco is the nicest truck I can get for the least money without feeling like a soccer mom. I'm single, and current only cart around teenage nieces and nephews, and assorted grown friends. I admit to also loving the steering wheel radio control, I have almost killed myself plenty of times changing CD's and adjusting volume. I was going to get a Maxima for that reason. I was way too cool with the Wrangler dealership repair shop. If I do get a Disco, out of the years indicated, which is the best of the base models? Should I get mileage as low as less than 10,000 or more than 40,000? I get the sense on this board that it takes time to "break in" the Rovers to see if you have a good one or not. I want to buy on the web, and most sellers will let me take the car to the local LR dealership to have it checked out. Is there anything specific I should look for and if I run the VIN, can I be sure that that's an accurate indicator of previous problems? Thank you so much for your time excuse the long post. My friends who own Rovers love them, but I can't live in the shop like I did with the Wrangler! Responses would be appreciated...you can even email me directly at auntietonya@hotmail.com
Additionally, what is the best tire to use for replacement (I do 99% highway driving and want quiet tires).
The HP's are just lousy tires.
Try the Pirelli Scorpion S/T. They['re a direct fit for both the 16" & 18" rims.
I'll be sure to post quickly when I see Santa lifting off. I understand the weather will be clear tonight, so watch for him right at the spot of midnight.
God Jul og Godt Nytt Ar!
Merry Christmas to All, and a Happy New Year!!!!
Was Santa good to everyone? He was pretty doggone generous with me, but he forgot to slip that '63 Hummingbird beneath the tree (rubbing hands together) so it looks like I'll have to jog his memory with the checkbook.
Last winter a poor unfortunate soul slid in beneath the aft end of my Disco in her spanking new Camry, and took out the entire front end of her car. Parts all over the intersection. It took one teeny little flake of black paint off the underside of my rear bumper beside the hitch.
Tough trucks.
Thank you,
Shawn
By the way in response to "Rovers are Tough" post, I just wanted to add that my Disco has survived a lot of fender benders with zero to minimal damage. In one incident a 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe backed up to my rear driver side. Not a single scratch on the Disco, but the Hyundai's bumper was completely smashed in and the tail light was crushed. In another incident a 2002 Honda Accord did the same thing but at a higher speed and the damage was unreal. The Honda's bumper literally almost come off. The Disco suffered a crack on the lens of the tail light. If you really want a reliable vehicle that will perform safely in all types of weather, I would go with the Disco. I saw a Nissan Xterra drive out of control on a rainy day. The guy drove over a puddle of water on the highway and the truck freaked out. I don't think I will ever be able to go back to a 2 wheel drive vehicle.
Odiopus
I'd say you'd want to start inspecting them 'real hard' at around 22-30k on the pads, depending on how you drive. 14k sounds low to me unless you drive it like a drag racer They do squeak occasionally due to brake dust buildup.
I'm at 23k right now and still have 35% left on my original pads. I'll get them changed at my next oil change, just to be safe.
If yours are squeaking a bit, I suggest (on an empty stretch of road) getting her up to 20-25mph and slamming on the brakes. Do the same in reverse (a little slower of course!) and you should dislodge any built-up dust.
I did this often on my DI and it worked like a charm.
Happy new year to all! May 2003 be full of fond Rovering memories and few service visits for everyone!
Thx, wasko
money or cost me money...my friend is a Ford retiree, and he offered me use of the “Z” plan,
which he says will allow me to purchase any vehicle under Ford’s banner at “3% over DEALER
COST”...( if I am not mistaken, A-plan if for Ford employees/retirees, X-plan if for their
immediate family members, Z-plan is for non-relations...correct me if I am wrong)...here’s the
bottom line questions...1) if “dealer cost” is defined as Edmund’s invoice cost, and if Z-plan is
3% over that, there are already dealers out there who will sell a car at Edmund’s invoice, and Z-
plan would cost me money rather than save me money...if “dealer cost” is defined as including all
other holdbacks, etc., then Z-plan would be a great deal...does anyone familiar with Ford plans
know how “dealer cost” is defined?...2) Also, my friend said that since he was a salaried
employee, as opposed to an hourly (unionized) employee, his plan will also allow the discount on
Jaguar and Land Rover...so, while I could consider Mountaineer or Aviator under the Ford/LM
brands, does anyone know the discount on Land Rover Discovery, since Edmunds has no listing
other than MSRP?...3) do employee discount plans only cover new cars, or does it cover used,
too, since I would, in the future, consider a 2 or 3 year old Jaguar XJ8L???...thanks for any
helpful information...
Bob
Also, since installing my OME heavy duty front, and medium/heavy duty rear springs and long-travel shocks, my Ramp Travel Index (RTI) has dropped from 730 to 590. Wheel articulation on the stock vehicle was much better, but the vehicle had 2.5 inches less ground clearance under the frame. Everything is a trade-off.
Happy Rovers to all!!
I can say for what I have seen and felt while test driving this seems to be the vehicle for us. It's like we have test driven every SUV out there and we always come back to the Land Rover Discovery II. I guess bottom line I want to feel good about what we are doing. THANK YOU OUT THERE....
Rovers are MUCH more reliable than they used to be. With Bosch electronics and simpler / tougher drive components than the earlier Discos, you have a truck that can easily go ten years. Mine is six years old now and still literally drives and works like a new truck, with 77k miles. Everything is tight, there are no clunks or rattles or loose parts anywhere. She always starts and runs like a scalded cat. I never try to maintain good mileage, and never really pay attention to how I'm driving, and I get around 11mpg in town and perhaps 15mpg on the highway.
I prefer the DI (Disco Series I) over the DII because it has shorter overhangs and the greenhouse feels much more spacious and "open". It has no feeling of claustrophobia, which I often feel in the DII. It has plenty of power, feeling just like the DII (to me). It also has a manual lock for the center diff. On the other hand, the DII has electronic traction control and that is perfectly adequate for 95% of owners. If you're going offroad, avoid the 18" wheels and ACE option.
You'll find the Disco is really not that much more expensive to maintain than other SUVs, except parts can be VERY expensive, and hard to find aftermarket. It used to be the quality control for parts was sketchy, but it's improving too. Service is pricey, but some things (like the auto trans service) is done once and then never again. It is extremely easy to change fluids on the Disco, and gratifying to do yourself. The hardest part will be finding a good place to recycle the used lubes.
As for brakes, most people go about 40k miles before needing new pads. I go about 17k miles. It is a VERY simple job to change them, and actually quite fun to do... and it gives you the chance to bleed and replenish your brake fluid frequently. Aftermarket pads are readily available and inexpensive. I've used Wagner and Lockheed and I prefer the Wagners. If you have the truck elevated on one side with wheels off, you could probably change the pads on a wheel in 15 minutes, including bleeding them. And then you rotate your tires and you're done!
It used to be a love/hate thing with Rovers, with aggravations that you accepted or dealt with... which were more than offset by the way the truck treated you the rest of the time. Now, the quality control has improved to where they are truly competitive for reliability standards, and in my opinion far more durable than anything else you'll find out there for comparable price. The MB Gelandewagen compares for durability but it's twice the money. For a visible demonstration, crawl beneath another SUV and look at its fasteners and the size of its components... then crawl beneath the Rover and compare. You'll be amazed.
Okay, enough blather. I hope this helps. Best regards, -Bob
Let me preface my message with this: I have dreamed of owning a Disco since college when I had seen a Land Rover Safari program with Discos trekking through the Amazon. I was totally pumped when I was in a position where I could actually own one. I test drove a bunch of other SUVs to be certain that it was as good as I thought it was and found that I truly liked the Land Rover better.
Four months into owning the car I had a fender bender that was my fault. I had applied light, quick pressure to the breaks and the anti-locks kicked on and I rolled, very slowly, into another car. I felt like the accident shouldn't have happened - I had never had anti-locks switch on so quickly - but I figured I had screwed up somehow. I asked the dealer about it in passing on my next service, and they assured me it was just me getting used to the car. Two months later I received the recall notification on the ABS. Who knows.... What I do know is I didn't have my truck for over 3 weeks because the body shop could not get the parts.
Most recently, my wife was driving the truck when the engine made a horrible noise. She pulled over, turned the car off and called me. I told her to start it so I could hear the noise. When she restarted the car there was no noise, but the service engine light was on. She drove it a short distance home while I called the dealership.
The first sign of trouble was the feedback that I couldn't get my car in for 6 business days because the were backed up - even if it was warranty work and even though they said don't drive it anywhere.
After some discussion about that response, they had me tow it in and they would get to it when they could. 3 business days later they were able to look at it. That is when I was informed that the 7th piston had seized. I would probably need a new engine, but the service manager would have to approve the order and he was on vacation till after Christmas. Oh, and by the way, we just had another Disco in here with the exact same problem and the car was in for over a month because the engine was back ordered.
At that point I had to ask for a loaner, which drew a deep sigh and a "let me check what's available". I am now driving a freelander, which is a fine car, but I still don't like it.
As the saga drew out over the holidays there has been a lot of finger pointing between the Land Rover dealer, which is a "Land Rover Center", and Land Rover Corporate.
Bottom line:
- My truck won't be available until February.
- They are not fixing what my service manager said they were going to do at first.
- He mentioned that they will be remanufacturing parts - not a big confidence builder.
- Owner care at corporate has not called me back when they said they would.
I had always wanted this truck. I have had some awesome driving experiences on and off road with it. I recommended this truck to a friend who has had two and swears by them.
If I could get a out of owning this truck without loosing money I would. Just thought I should pass it along.
Tincup, can you give us some indication of frequency of occurrence of this seized piston problem? I've never heard of it on any Rover. I wonder if that dealership is using poor filters, or poor oil? Do the trucks come from the factory "dry"? Is the oil replaced before the truck goes out the door?
My 00 DII is the absolute best, most reliable, and trouble free vehicle I've ever owned ((out of 28 or so (some I only kept for 1 to 2 days, and that includes a number of Mercedes', BMW's, Toyotas' etc.)). And best of all - I still look foreward to driving it every day. I'm in LOVE !!!
My gas mileage has varied from 12 mpg offroad in Colorado to 24 mpg (believe it or not) on the flats of Kansas, with an average of 16 in everyday driving. Maintenance is no more than for my Toy 4x4 truck (and is free during the warranty period for my vehicle). My brakes are good with @ 40% life left at 30,000 miles. Dealership experience has been superb with a loaner Disco always at hand when needed.
Go for it !! Happy Rovering.
How about the Portlad OR or Boise ID dealers?
Any luck at buying a new LR at less than MSRP from any of them?
BTW, is there a search mode for this forum? I can't find it if it exists. Thanks.
There's a keyword search and an Advanced Search tool on the left sidebar.
Steve, Host
Gord'n Perrot G&S Service SEA
(206) 361-7002
On another note, it seems Ford is trying to boost profits by cross selling Jags and LR's together under one roof. I really don't see the point. I can't picture the LR group selling XK8's or the Jag group in safari shorts.
http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/ocr/article.do?id=19713§ion=BUSINESS&year=2003&month=1&day=9
<snip>
In the U.S., Ford wants dealers to combine outlets for Jaguar and Land Rover. Jaguar has about 150 U.S. retailers and Land Rover has about 140, with 44 percent of dealers already operating combined dealerships. Ford seeks to raise that to 65 percent by 2004.
"By putting Jaguar and Land Rover together, it improves a dealer's profitability," said Mike O'Driscoll, president of Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover of North America. Ford wants dealers to invest profits in features such as valet services and customer lounges to attract buyers.
We are long time readers, and first time posters. We are considering a Discovery SE purchase at Land Rover East in Denver. Has anyone here had experience with this dealer that they wish to share with us? Our own pre-sale experience has been extremely positive. I seek knowledge of their service operation.
Additionally, would the "2004 Discovery," whatever it is to be, be worth waiting for, as our Land Rover purchase will have to be at least a 10 year affair?
Expected uses for the Disco include trips into the Colorado, Wyoming and Montana back country, as well as occasional cross country trips to Florida, New Jersey and Maine. (I hate to fly).
Thanks for your help, and for the many informative posts on this message board.
Also, anyone know if ham radio gear would muck up the electronics?
regards,pewee
Odiopus
Thanks for the info. Land Rover of Denver - South and Land Rover of Denver - East are about equidistant from my house. Been to both, and both seem to be nice and above board. I lean toward Denver East because of a particular Sales Rep who has been working with us.
Thanks again,
Pewee