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I'll give you the general attitude of Americans about diesels. We don't like them. In the gas cruch of the early 80's, our then crappy car manufactorers decided they would convert regular engines to diesels and drop them in all the big cars. This was done quickly. End result, they were very crappy. They stunk, were very loud, made big clouds of smoke, had absolutely no power, and of course always broke down. This turned most people's opinions against diesels as a whole.
The only exceptions are the pickup trucks. Detroit and the big three all make great diesel truck engines.
So, in the end, very few experienced the great diesels from Mercedes and some other European car makers and only had bad ones from the American car makers. Therefore, there really isn't a strong market.
But, it shouldn't be long. Our gas prices are going through the roof now (under US standards), and so many people have SUVs. Sooner or later they'll get sick of the prices, Like ME!
I would seriously consider a diesel Disco II. Doesn't sound like there are any shortcomings.
To continue the gas thread: I live in the Bay Area where a gallon of 87 went over $2.00 this week.
Now, Discovery manual says "use 90 or higher" and the folks at the dealership (unofficially of course) - use whatever as long as it does not ping. I tried Shell 87 once and it ran fine.
So the question is - would I be ruining anything if I use 89 or 87? Anybody has good/bad experience?
Thanks!
Any other people out there using 87 without any problems?
Diesel Discovery's are not in the cards for the US market as sales are not deemed sufficient to require the retailers to incur the additional costs in training and equipt to service them. The majority of Land Rover retailers are stand alone facilities that do not have huge volumes to support the additional expense. With the launch of Freelander in Dec. and the new Range Rover next may, LRNA and the retailers are pretty much maxed out in getting new product in place.
Thanks in advance.
Sundancer1
Yesterday, while my wife was driving, the car while in motion, bucked as a manual transmission would when you start it w/o the clutch down. At the same time the Traction Control, Anti-Lock Brakes and Hill Descent Control lights all came on. She was able to pull over and shut off the car. However, after shutting off the car, she said the car sounded as if it were still running. Eventually the car shut off completely. The car was flatbedded to our dealer and the dealer (not a service technician)told us that it was probably a faulty computer code which caused the Disco's brain-fart. He said that what they will do is run a diagnostic to find and correct/eliminate those codes.
Has anyone else experienced this issue and what was the outcome?
In my SI it used to do similar things... big hesitation, lots of dash lights, POP thru the stereo... lots of WEIRD electrical things.
I traced it to the electrical box under my hood, offside at the engine midpoint. Yours may be located somewhere else. It's the main fuse box with the BIG links... 100 amps etc. I removed each one, and completely disassembled the box, cleaning all contacts thoroughly. I reassembled and all gremlins are exorcized.
My thinking is, all computerized circuits depend on clean uninterrupted power... any poor connection here will feed all subsequent circuits with poor power and you'll have weirdness.
Good luck! Don't accept a simple "we didn't find any codes."
-Bob
Regards, -Bob
Like you lucky owners have experienced at one point or another, I've too have recently caught the fever. However, reading the reports from consumer-reports, Road and Track and this very helpful message board, my dreams of driving this beast seems more like a burden.
so... are there any convincing arguments either way on the 2001 discover SE or SD series could you please share them with me. I am concerned about safety. Has anyone heard anything about the 2001 and these "break" problems. The year seems better than most but I expect time will tell.
A little love folks?Thank you in advance,
Andrea
The thing about Rovers is... they're hand built trucks and if you get a bad one then sometimes it's spectacularly bad. Some seem to be flawless, others have teething problems that CAN be fixed under warranty if you're persistent. I mean REALLY persistent to the point of giving your service manager a nervous tic. I did that. I wanted to KILL my truck the first couple years but the last problem was solved just as the warranty expired and she's been absolutely flawless for almost 3 years. Not one hiccup.
And now I'm knocking on wood... Lord Lucas lurks where we least expect him...
Seriously, it's a love/hate thing and it always will be, until Ford engineers the character out of them. That will be a sad day. Ask yourself if you want a relationship with a vehicle that has a few surprises, or do you want to drive an appliance? My toaster never surprises me, but I'll gladly throw it away for another. My truck always surprises me (pleasant surprises now!) and I'll keep her till I'm too old to run the transfer case lever. Relationships take attention but they give rewards too. It's a love/hate thing.
As for safety... take a look:
http://www.landroverclub.net//Club/HTML/Main_Wrecks.htm
Regards, -Bob
Steve
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Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
If I could trouble you again for your experienced advice, I'm trying to save some money on this 2001 lease but also find the ACE system and formitable feature I seem to think I need(only available in the LE series). I will be traveling on mountain Highways and feel the stablization feature might be important. Any thoughts?
-Andrea
As for the brakes failing? I could see the ABS failure but not the emergency brake too... that's a cable brake actuating a HUGE drum on the driveline, working on all 4 wheels at once. Unless the cable broke....????? I just don't see it.
I'm sorry I'm not much help with this!!!! -Bob
ps: if you would like more detailed questions (and not to take up more bandwidth for these other poor readers - grin) you can write at nanuq'at'bigfoot'dot'com <---that's so the spambots don't get my address. Best regards!
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/99010.htm
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/summary_midsuv.htm
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
At last inspection, I had around 50% on the rear brake pads. Rears were originals - had 'em on for 75k if you can believe that, but they started squeaking a tad. As soon as I noticed this, I took her in. What a suprise!
Rears still had 20-30% left on them, but front left was metal on metal (I could have sworn the squeaking was coming from the rear!), and the right front was about 10%. So, it's new pads all around and new rotors on the front for me. If anyone else finds themselves in this situation, give Atlantic British or British Pacific a call - you'll spend about 1/2 the price of Rover Genuine parts (I hope they last as long). Even with overnight shipping, I still came out $200 less.
While it was in for the brakes, I sprung for a '50 point buyer's inspection'. Must say with 76,000 miles that she's wearing very well! Nothing real major - had to replace a couple of hoses and front valve covers are leaking a bit (I brought home the gaskets to repair the valve covers myself but it looks like a bit more work than I really want to get into so I'll take it back for that).
For the engine, they did compression checks and everything looked good there - should be able to get quite a few more miles out of her with continued maintenance.
I've been contemplating trading her in later this summer for a DII, but after they detailed her and cleaned her up (I've neglected her interior a bit lately), I fell it love all over again! IF (and it's a big if) I do trade her in now, it will be a tough decision.
Happy Rovering to all!
wasko
I've been lurking around this board for a while. It's great that there is a place where a person can find useful information.
I am totally in love with the Land Rover Discovery. I've been gun-shy because of the reliability issues but I think I'm ready to take the plunge.
A couple of questions:
- I don't know whether to go new or look for a used 1999 or 2000.
- If I go new, should I lease or buy? I generally only keep cars two years or a little longer.
- If I do buy used, how do I determine how late in the year the car was manufactured? I've read that the later in the model year, the better. Also, I've seen posts, that with the IN, people can tell what day it was manufactured. Is this really important? And how does it work?
- Has anyone had any good/bad experiences with the Land Rover dealers in MA. I live very close to Land Rover Metro West and that's probably the dealership I would go to.
Thanks in advance for your help!
I'm at 19,000 miles with my '00 DII with NO problems. Brake pads are at 70%. Mileage still between 16.5 and 19.0 (highway only, at 65 mph). No leaks, no nothing (except tire cupping on front, inside edges - rotate every 10K in cross pattern). Have not heard of any brake problems, and have not missed my 99 DII with ACE at all. Of course, I drive my SUV using common sense - I know it's not a sports car ! ACE is great if you drive more aggressively than me. It's almost like driving a BMW.
Anyone going to the National LR Rally in Ouray, Co. in August (2nd. thru 5th.)? I am, and it sure is a lot of off-road fun with spectacular scenery.
I you buy a used DII, my suggestion is to go '00 or '01 - much more reliable than first year truck, or get a late 99 DI, or 98, or 97, even 96.
Lease if you can, because value goes to hell fast. (My 00 cost $43,000 new - now it's worth @ $ 26,000). Happy Rovering to all!
Any input is helpful
My question is about the rear air conditioning option. If I purchase the rear air conditioning option, what do I get for my $700.00? Do I simply get a fancy fan housing in the rear or is there an actual evaporator for the rear section and one evaporator up front?
Thank you
Steve
Glasgow Sunday Mail Review
Steve
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Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Thanks!
I read your entry re: octane requirements. I thought the reason LR wants the 90 or 92 octane was something to do with how the gas atomizes because the higher octane atomizes at a different rate than lower octane? Correct me if I'm wrong, which I very well could be, because I'm alternating between 89 and 92 octane every other tank, and as you know, gas prices are enough to piss off the pope.
Anyway, if I stick to the 89 octane until prices come down, will it "memorize" those specs like you mentioned, or is it close enough to 90 to be alright?
Thanks for your advice.
Kim
I have read in this forum that it is wise to purchase the vehicle from the dealer which will be used for service. Does anyone have any personal experience good or bad with either Land Rover Glen Cove, NY or Land Rover Woodbridge, New Jersey?
Thanks
Steve
Let us assume you live with a wonderful woman. Being the average woman, she annoys the @#$!* out of you once in awhile, but you love her dearly. After being together awhile you have come to adore some of her quirks; others you just sigh and live with. You can't IMAGINE being with a predictable, boring woman... it's the little (not BIG) surprises that you love about her. She catches you off guard once in awhile with a nice surprise. Sometimes you get scared by what she does but over the years it's the sum of all these things that endear her to you, and you wouldn't part with her for the world.
Pretty close? Now substitute the word "Rover" for "woman" and read it again.
There's your difference between a Rover and about anything else. Take the good with the bad, wear out a set of tools doing maintenance and enjoy many long years together.
Regards, -Bob
Thanks in advance,
cmc123
I think my brakes ('96 Series I) "settle" a bit when I start it too, I'll have to check. I doubt there should be any clicking, from the pump or otherwise. The only click I hear is from the brake light activator switch.
When I start mine from cold, I am treated to the trademark "Enormous Sucking Sound". Various opinions exist, some say it's the engine running fast to preheat the cats... others say it's the A/C supplemental cooling fans. It's not a particularly fast idle, but WOW does she roar when cold! After a few hundred yards it stops and then she purrs as expected. Sound familiar?
FWIW my base idle is about 750rpm as well.
Regards, -Bob
FYI: According to our dealer, the Ford influence shouldn't be apparent until '06 or so... Until then, enjoy!
Tincup47, would you be so kind to provide feedback for my posting? It's posting #491.
My wife and I like many others were skiddish about the purchase of a rover. We looked at everything from ML down to Mit. Yes folks, everything !!! But there was something about that "rover" that kept bring us back. This is truly a unique vehicle. I have not had any problems with the truck, but I will keep you posted as to my adventure.
For those of you living in the S.F.bay area, there are 6 dealerships to choose from. All of which have good service, however my purchase was from Marin LR... great people.
To those of you who are out there reading this site and many others..."GO FOR IT". As for the engine.. there is plenty of go. This is a "truck" people, not a race car. 0-60 is not a factor... As for the fuel mileage.. the mileage does not compare to my "Honda". Yes, I said Honda, but we all knew that from the start.
Take care and I'll talk to you later..
First off my passenger door will not lock with the keyless entry system. I have to manually lock it. This has been a reaccuring problem since i bought the vechile 7 years ago, and the warranty on the work has expired since the last time they corrected the problem. In the past they used to re-ajust this and that to get it to work. Now they are telling me it will cost about $300 to replace a little box in the passenger door that has failed. A little to costly for me to do, along with the other repairs. The other problem is with the sunroofs. Apperantly the tracks are bad and need replacing. Another $275 repair. The front sunroof sticks when you try to open it so you have to push it a little to get it open, and then pull it a little to close it. They are also telling me that the rear sunroof needs the same repair so tack another 275 on. Also there is the problem of the ac controls not lighting up. I changed the bulb and that didn't work, and the service department told me that it was the electrical box that housed the light that was bad and it cost 350. Now the light is not too important, but would be nice to have.
The two big problems are the gas tank which has a hair line fracture in it. Something i would of never thought could be possible on a land rover since they are supposed to be built to last. So i'm in the process of trying to work something out with land rover north america, but for the most part they have been avoiding me.
The last problem i'm having is an electrical one. The car likes to die on me while in motion, and also doesn't want to start sometimes. Now the dealership can't figure out the problem, they changed the battery, the alternator, and battery cables, and a lot more. All at a high cost which did nothing to fix the problem. I think the total was somewhere around 1100 or more. So in the end over the past month and onward i'm looking at spending multiple thousands of dollars on a vechile to repair many resurfacing problems since day one of the purchase.
So what i'm seeking are people with some of the same problems, and hearing what they did to fix them. Also i have more to share if anyone needs to know anything.
Also if anyone has had to deal with land rover north america what their experience was.
Sorry for the long post.
A few other observations as a fairly recent owner of a series 2 (but having owned 2 earlier Discoveries, an original 200 series and the revised 300 series). Undoubtedly the car is a huge leap forward in every respect. I have never had any problem with any of my Discoveries other than one gear box modification on the 300. You guys all seem to worry too much about reliability. My advice is always to avoid new models for at least 12 months after launch. Land Rover have never had the resources to properly test their vehicles pre launch so they debug them later. Having said that they are usually excellent at honouring any warranty problems. The Series 2 has now been pretty fully debugged and should give many years of very enjoyable motoring, getting you places and through conditions that would be impossible in most other vehicles.
My question is about dealer service. I'm moving to Spokane in several months, but I need to buy a car now (my current car is a loaner). Will this affect the service I receive in Spokane because the car wasn't purchased there? Are the concerns expressed on this board in this regard just perceived or actual problems in the service? Why is it better to buy the vehicle where you expect to receive afterservice?( more so than any other manufacturer/dealer?)
Secondly, does any one have any experience with the dealer in Spokane?
Lastly, does LR vehicles have to be serviced for routine oil changes, tire rotations, etc at a LR dealer or should an average competent local mechanic be able to take care of these more basic services?
Thanks in advance for your input.