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Land Rover Discovery and Discovery II

24567…97

Comments

  • nanuqnanuq Member Posts: 765
    I think you'll find lots of people buy a Rover hoping to be able to maintain it themselves. From my point of view it's part of the enjoyment of owning one, you get to know it well enough that within a couple years you've named her.

    A Disco is very simple to maintain and work on, with a couple caveats. You must buy the factory manuals, and they're over $100 a pop (chassis and mechanical, and electrical). Also you'll need BIG tools for chassis/suspension work. Remember this is an alloy engine so use anti-seize compound on the threads when reassembling and be very careful with torque settings. Gaskets and seals are first to go, and they're messy but very straight-forward work. You'll positively LOVE changing the brake pads, you can do it in 5 minutes with your eyes closed. There are lots of little tricks to learn, and over time you'll pick them up here and from the manuals. Also listen in on:

    http://www.wowpages.com/roversnorth/wwwboard/w3bbrr.html

    for lots of good advice. Rememer to change all fluids regularly (another great job that's very enjoyable, done about every 15k miles) and be prepared to know your parts man on a first-name basis. He'll most likely be very pleased to meet you and the more you come back with grease under your fingernails, the more likely you'll get back in the shop to SEE how the guys do it.

    This won't be like owning an "appliance" vehicle and it will be EXTREMELY frustrating at times but also very enjoyable. It's truly a love/hate thing.

    Regards, -Bob
  • palcapalca Member Posts: 1
    I've only owned four cars in my life, but I would have to say my '96 Discover is the worst auto I've bought. I'll just go ahead and list the problems I've had with it.

    1. Passenger side door does not open from the outside anymore (supposedly fixed while under warranty at the dealership which has conviently run out) Not to mention that people have told me that the door feels like it's about to fall off, but I ignored the warnings because it was my new 'baby' at the time.

    2. Makes a 'clunking' sound when I turn the wheel now. I checked the steering fluid, and it's not low. Tired of trying to fix all the problems with this car, gonna trade it in instead.

    3. Once in a while, makes this awful exhaust whistling noise when you step on the gas. This too I have brought in before my warranty ran out but was told by the dealship that it is not a defective part, thus, there is nothing they can do about it. (Design flaw?) I should have sold the car at this point, but I was still ga-ga over Land Rover's 4X4 capabilities.

    4. Last and most importantly, driving along the freeway or up the hill to get to Tahoe, the car will lose power for a few seconds and then regain power. This first occurred about two months after I bought the car and I quickly brought it in. The dealership said they couldn't recreate the problem, thus, they could not fix it. I'm at this site searching for car info because just this past weekend, the car decided to lose power about 25 times in a row while I was driving home from Tahoe; uphill and downhill, so it wasn't because I was putting too much pressure on the engine or anything like that.

    My car now has over 60K miles on it and you may say this has all happened because I did not take care of the car. But on the contrary, the dealership threw in 3 years, 36K miles free maintenance to entice me to buy the car. I brought my car in for every check-up, oil change, and every little thing that I preceived as a potential problem. I even babied the car for the first 5K miles and managed to get 400 miles to the tank out of this gas guzzler driving 55mph everywhere I went. And all these problems I've listed, except the steering noise (which started a month ago), have occurred while under warranty and free maintenance, and were somehow not fixable by Land Rover. I plan on trading in my Discovery rather than selling the car to someone because I cannot in good conscience sell this car to another person just to have it break down on them in a year.

    Who knows, maybe I did get the rare lemon of the batch, but that's a lot of problems for this to be an isolated incident.

    This is the last time I ever buy a car that is KNOWN to be 'high maintenance'. When you bring in your car and there's 10 other Discoveries waiting to be serviced, makes you wonder what's wrong with all the other ones, huh? Good luck to all present Land Rover owners, and I really hope the new Discoverys aren't pieces of crap after you put some miles on it.
  • ngliebengliebe Member Posts: 11
    I'm awfully close to purchasing a 97 with between 35 and 40K on it. I'd like to get five years of light driving out of it. I'm well aware of some very reliable SUV's out there, but they have no romance or style to them. Any advice on the intelligence of my decision to get a Disco vs a Pathfinder or Four-Runner?
    ...and what is the 52k service all about.
    I'm not concerned about gas mileage as my other car does quite well. Should I buy an off-lease vehicle from the LR dealer or try to
    haggle with a private seller? Help.
  • nanuqnanuq Member Posts: 765
    Boy I wish you'd got here before your warranty ran out! I had all these same problems with mine and I know the solutions. Your passenger door needs some WD-40 shot up inside the mechanism weekly. They all do this. Your steering clunk is from either loose bushes, the swivel pins are loose (doubtful) or the track rod/ball joints are loose (doubtful). Get some BIG wrenches and torque the front end panhard rod, drop arms etc. to 100 ft-lb. Check also the rear end, the A-frame aligning the rear axle may be loose as may the trailing arms. Your exhaust whistling, hmmmm. Can it be the gasket between your manifolds and the Y-pipe going to the cats? Mine come loose every month. 5 minutes with a 13mm socket. Loss of power: man, this will hurt... I'd pursue this one with LRNA!! Starting in '96 with the 4.0 engine there is a problem with sticking valves. LRNA has a new design that replaces the sticking valves with "carbon cutting" valve stems. It's a warranty job and it solved my problem. This one is EASILY traceable by the OBDII system by a variety of fault codes. But the stumbling and loss of power are clues. You might also see if the fuel filter is plugged or spark wires are old (open the hood with engine running in a dark garage, look for the light show). Also check fuel pressure at the rail, see if the fuel pump is acting up.

    I had a TON of problems with my '96 and got them all sorted... and have had not ONE problem in 2 years now.

    I hope this helps, Good luck!! -Bob
  • bikenliftbikenlift Member Posts: 1
    My wife and I are debating on whether or not to purchase a 94 w/46,000 miles for $12,500 or a 97 w/35,000 miles for $17,000. The 94 is almost fulling loaded with leather/dual moon roofs and the rest, while the 97, although nice has fewer options. I've read most of the posts in regards to the Discovery's reliability and was wondering if we would get a longer life out of the 97 for the moneys worth. Is the extra money spent going to save us anything in the long run?
  • nanuqnanuq Member Posts: 765
    BUY THE '97!!! :) Absolutely no question. You may easily spend the difference in repairs. Have a long look at the vehicle history by VIN# and see if it's had trouble with sticking valves. This started in '96 and is VERY expensive when the warranty expires. Don't sweat the lack of fruit on the '97, that stuff eventually leaks or breaks anyway. Get a simple model and garnish at a later time. Good luck! -Bob
  • travelman9travelman9 Member Posts: 2
    Get the 97 absolutely, or better yet don't purchase a Landrover unless you want to advertise to people that you have so much money you can afford to own such a poorly engineered vehicle. Why do you think BMW dumped them, even the German engineers couldn't save this one...
  • nanuqnanuq Member Posts: 765
    This gets old after awhile. A couple questions:

    Travelman9, if you're so upset by the apparent lack of engineering, why are you here reading about Rovers? If it's to convince people of poor quality, then specifics are called for. If you had one and hated it and sold it, then I understand. It really is a love/hate thing.

    Now, please provide examples of their poor engineering? Please distinguish between engineering and assembly in your reply.

    Regards, -Bob
  • nanuqnanuq Member Posts: 765
    ...mentioning the sticking valves in the 4.0 engine. I already provided THAT poor design. (grin) Otherwise... let's have it?
  • smkmsmkm Member Posts: 11
    stay away from this vehicle. The 4.0 V8 was design by Buick in the sixties.....then sold to Rover...scary....other than a few manditory emissions updates....it is the same damm motor. It must have been bad if Buick didn't want it.

    Run...run....run....away
  • smkmsmkm Member Posts: 11
    cannot be used in the same sentence with Made in Great Britain......hell these things are even endorse by the Queen....we all know how much she must drive.
  • whitneyjdwhitneyjd Member Posts: 1
    I REALY wanted the Discovery ... after I begged for 3 months, my wife said OK -- "get it, but I don't want to hear any complaints! Consumer Reports says don't buy it -- but you want it, so no complaints!" Well... since I got it, less than a year ago, the problems to-date:

    In for brakes 4 times
    Springs 3 times
    Rear door won't open
    windshield molding came loose
    fog light full of water
    brake light came loose
    problem with radio
    driver's seat "squeaks" like crazy

    And the worst part??? The service department thinks that I'm the one with the problem. The guy in charge told me (and I quote): "Well, you knew you were buying a British car. What did you expect?". I was floored. No wonder the Brits lost an empire -- their transportation kept breaking down! And to make matters worse, I still love the truck! I guess it really is a love / hate thing with Rovers.
  • nanuqnanuq Member Posts: 765
    Specifics please? I'm still waiting. It's easy to say it's a poorly-engineered POS but when it comes time for details they're sadly lacking. Please describe what specifically about the transmission, suspension and engine is poorly engineered?

    smkm: please describe the bottom end of this engine, vs. its original design in the 60s. What has remained the same? Specifics please.
  • nanuqnanuq Member Posts: 765
    You've just about got the Disco "over the hump". Keep going! Mine was the same way, but worse. I spent a TON of time in the shop, but I was evil and relentless... and they eventually fixed all the problems. Last one appeared 8 days after warranty expiration, and ZERO trouble since then, two years ago.

    These are hand-built trucks and if you get a Monday morning vehicle, especially after a long weekend of football and pints, then you're toast. Just keep using that warranty till it's right, then enjoy the truck.

    I bought mine with one year, 12k miles and 2 years of warranty on the clock. Now it's flawless. It hurt to get here, but it was worth it. It really is a love/hate thing.

    Wasko... tell our friend about YOUR troubles... and was it worth it to you??

    Best regards, -Bob
  • smkmsmkm Member Posts: 11
    First of all the Buick 215 V8 was first design in 1956 and then updated for production in 1960. Then GM stopped production in 1963 because of the production costs of producing an all aluminum block as well as ongoing problems with the headgaskets blowing. It was a fine engine design for the time but manufacturing was not up to speed.

    Then the manufacturing rights were sold to Rover Motor Co. in 1967. Rover has continued to use this motor...except for boring it out (overheating risks has increased because of it) and have updated it to fuel injection.

    This engine, because of its elderly design it very unefficient and has been "bandaded" to remain in service. To meet emissions they has made adjustments to the engine computer to allow the engine to run hotter...thusly causing additional problems with overheating. Becuase of the elderly design...it is very typicle to see the tappets and camshafts to start showing significant wear at 60,000 miles. Lost of power and efficency will prevail. The already pure gas mileage will decrease even further.

    Timing Gear chain will typically starts stretching at @30,000 miles....this will obviously cause many problems. Rover has not changed this chain design in over 30 years of service.

    All pre-97 V8 have a 14 bolt head. This will eventually lead to the now legendary head problem. It took Rover 25 years to address this problem...somewhat. The have revised the head design but not the gasket material itself. The typical engine oil today with its detergents....eat the hell out of the gaskets.

    I have to admit I do like the way they look and the way they drive (offroad) but to me they have to be babied to much (to survive the long haul) for a SUV. Now that Ford has purchased Rover...they need to put and engine/transmission combo that truly take this vehicle to the next step as far reliablity.

    Just some thoughts....
  • nanuqnanuq Member Posts: 765
    Wow, I am impressed! Most of the people that complain about Rovers have absolutely no clue, nor first-hand experience. It gets very old reading those posts.

    I have a friend who at last count had 644,000 miles on his '96 Disco. Yes he is a mechanic but he hasn't flat-spotted a cam or lost a head gasket. Of course with the frequent oil and lubes he's put into the truck as preventive maintenance... he could have bought a dinghy 4WD as a daily driver.

    Just thoughts... Regards, -Bob
  • smkmsmkm Member Posts: 11
    friend somehow drives 161,000 miles per year over the last few years.
  • ngliebengliebe Member Posts: 11
    I posted previously but it was not dignified with a response. You guys are scaring the hell out me with these major maintenance issues....I'm about to purchase a '97 Disco with 35k. Is this a stupid move. My neighbor has a 98 and has had NO problems in two years. Newer Pathfinder or Four-Runner are the only others I'm considering. The Disco is just so much more unique. I don't want to waste my money and have my wife get pissed
    because I bought a maintenance nightmare.
    I just can't get passionate about suv's beyond the Disco. I'd like to get five years of light driving out of it. Gas mileage is not a concern
    being that this is my second car and it won't
    get driven everyday. I need advice from anyone
    with experience owning a '97. Most of you posting seem to know an awful lot about these vehicles. Can Somebody help? It sounds like I'm setting myself up to fall.
    Has anybody posting here had a really good
    experience owning a Disco?...and at what
    milestones is the timing chain supposed to be replaced?
  • ppryorppryor Member Posts: 1
    Are you going to take a person seriously who either can't type or spell? It seems to me that the problems incurred by a few of these folks are more dealer related than vehicle. Perhaps that person was not dealing with a Land Rover Centre. So to be different than others I'll disclose my bias. I am a sales guide at Land Rover Guilford, I know customer service. The lack of power the gentleman was speaking about sounds a lot like a vehicle speed sensor (cheap fix) I agree that not all owners have had perfect experiences with their discos, however, there are un-happy consumers of every single vehicle make, model, and year. The majority of consumers also don't realize how small Land Rover is. Like every other vehicle we use parts made by other manufacturers and in order for Rover to compete in the worlds largest market, we rely a great deal on our vendors, and should there be a problem they are far more apparent much quicker than a larger manufacturer, also far more repairable.The most important part of your decision to buy or not to buy is your local Land Rover Centre. If the vehicle is at a non-Land Rover dealer beware. If the vehicle is not a Land Rover Certified Pre-owned find another. If it is a private sale make sure to check carfax and educate your self on titles (lemon,salvage,junk) and individual state requirements. The 97 is a perfectly good vehicle and if it had been maintained should last a good long time. I find it interesting that people cast stones and then hide behind their code names. Why not come out and show your true identity, And when you expound what appears to be fact why not back that up with a source?
  • nanuqnanuq Member Posts: 765
    I couldn't agree more. There is nothing "magic" about these trucks, they are just...trucks. Yes there are some poor examples of build quality but with a solid underlying design and motivated dealer you can fix them and they'll stay fixed. In my case the warranty lasted JUST long enough and now... zero trouble over two years.

    ppryor, you're right... most complaints are due to the dealer.

    smkm, talk to Mike Green at West Coast British.

    Regards to all, -Bob
  • smkmsmkm Member Posts: 11
    You are very right.....a bad service advisor can make any car a bad experience.

    You also make a good point....these trucks are nothing "magical". I just think you need to pay closer attention to these trucks than most....I think the average consumer does not due this.

    If I was not a heavy commuter I might consider one....with gas mileage and maintainance....it doesn't seem to be a wise choice.

    Thanks.....Sean (smkm)
  • klp57klp57 Member Posts: 2
    From what I've read and heard from many Rover experts is the D2 V8 while somewhat inefficient is very durable and should need little or no work on the bottom or top end for 200000 plus miles.
  • brokenarrowbrokenarrow Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1996 Disco. It spent most of its first 2 years in the shop. I laughed about it all the time since my wife wanted it despite the Consumer Reports info. I adopted the truck, and in spite of its shortcoming I find myself enamored with it. It is a very capable off road machine. On road, that damn engine (enough already). When my 3 year bumper to bumper warranty was up the dealer offered me a pitiful amount for it. Since that warranty was the only thing that made that car affordable I seriously thought about it. Then I thought, "hey, they have replaced virtually everything on that car, it is practically new", and therefore I still own my 96 Disco. One thing I have noticed is that they stand behind the product. Just before the warranty expired I developed that sticking valve problem. Not knowing about the KNOWN valve problem I accepted the mechanics advice of using "Techron". Well, almost a year and still there. We shall see if LR stands behind the product. Release the hounds!
  • hlseemanhlseeman Member Posts: 1
    I am not a Discovery owner, LX470 actually, but my friend and traveling companion is. He has been having repeatd electrical problems with his 97 Disco. Dash lights, tail and running light fuses going out. Many visits to dealer resulted in replaced fuses by no real resolution to problem until a new mechanic showed up. He went straight for the glove box, found it to be overstuffed with crap that was pressing against the light socket, forcing a short that repeatedly blew fuses. Case solved. He said he had seen it many times before. As my friend is not a computer person I thought I would pass this on to you all for what it is worth.
  • trc2trc2 Member Posts: 3
    Nanuq and ppryor for rolling up your sleeves and setting the record straight. I am not a hardcore auto guy like some on this post, but my family has had LRs for years. I have a '00 Disco and love it to pieces. We've been through snow, rain, hail, mud- everything Colorado weather can offer. I've been offroad, onroad and gone "up the hill" smoothly at 85 mph every weekend for skiing or biking. I've found my LR Centre to be very helpful, informed and accomodating. The key is to ask questions and treat the vehicle and people with respect. I hope that the ridiculous rantings of certain members don't scare off potential buyers. This is a wonderful truck that keeps you safe, comfortable and is fun to drive!
  • ngliebengliebe Member Posts: 11
    Is the valve issue a problem with all Discos or just the early ones? At what mileage does it occur? I'm still going to buy a '97. Landrover Cincinnati is my local dealer and they seem to have established a good rep. around here for customer service? Is there a maintenance advantage to a '98. (Any known bugs with the '97s)?
  • cypressluvcypressluv Member Posts: 1
    I'm looking for a used SUV. I've been looking at 4Runners and Pathfinders, but just came across a Disco for $13,100 with 84,425 miles at a dealer in Denver. I live in the mountains and have 2 big dogs, so I want a 4WD that can tote all my animals, my gear, me, and friends. Can anyone please help? I'm just not sure if this would be a wise purchase or if I'll just be getting myself in trouble. Would I be smarter to stick with getting a 4Runner or Pathfinder? I'm a bit desperate for a vehicle as my car is currently not working.
  • nanuqnanuq Member Posts: 765
    The sticking valve problem started with MY 1996, and I think it's been redesigned since then, but I am not sure. Better check it out. It seems to happen between 20k and 30k miles. If you're buying the '97 make SURE the dealer will cover the valves if they do stick. It's *EXPENSIVE* to repair. FWIW using Techron etc. won't help, that stuff seems too volatile and it flashes off the hot parts before it can scrub them.

    Good luck! -Bob
  • ngliebengliebe Member Posts: 11
    I'm definitely going to bring this up to the dealer. Is this valve problem a phenomenon with virtually all Disco's from 96 -98, or is it more like a one out of hundred might encounet this? Any idea? Who knows how honest a car dealer can really be with me on the subject. Before I ask them, (the dealer), can anybody give me a rough guesstimate on what it costs to have the dealer put on running boards? Thanks.
  • nanuqnanuq Member Posts: 765
    Boy, I'm sorry I can't help you with this next question... I don't know the occurence rate. Some people advocate driving the living hell out of the truck fairly often, they seem to thrive on a little abuse. I wonder if that keeps the valves happy? I dunno... mine loves it when I drive around in "3" in town, and only save "D" for highway use... 50mph on up.

    My dealer here charges around $65 to $70/hr for labor, figure a couple hours to put on running boards unless there's drilling to do or something nasty like that. It should be a bolt-on thing.

    Good luck! You'll also want to ask exactly how much warranty (time and miles) is left on the '97? It took 2 years to sort my '96 out, and that ended 8 days after my thoroughly used warranty expired. -Bob
  • jyc1jyc1 Member Posts: 1
    Page 24 of the October 2000 issue of CAR magazine (a British publication) reports that Ford is considering stopping production of the Defender and Discovery as independent car lines. According to CAR, Ford is desperate to save money and is considering building both cars on the Ford Explorer platform.

    Pity. Although I would not purchase a Discovery due to its build quality (I'm currently in the market for a 4runner), I have always admired Land Rover vehicles for their off-road prowess and unique design. I fell in love with the look of the Discovery when I studied abroad in England 8 years ago. It was a smart move on Rover's part to start bringing them into the states a few years back.

    I guess Ford is going to do the same thing they did to the new "jaguar." Take a Ford corporate platform, add a Ford transmission and a Duratec V-6 engine out of the Taurus, wrap it with an evocative "jaguar" shape, and fill the rest of the interior with various bits from the Ford corporate parts bin.

    This will certainly save alot of money for Ford and give them a return on their investment that poor, hapless BMW never got. However, this absolutely destroys the integrity of Land Rover and their products. Unlike Jaguars, which by the 1980's were pretty mediocre vehicles to drive and were getting by solely on looks and "Britishness," Land Rovers still stand for something -- off road capability. Will a Discovery built on an Explorer have the same entry/exit angles, wheel articulation and structural integrity? Probably not, although i'm sure any such vehicle will be much more reliable and good looking for all the soccer moms out there.

    As I said before, I'm not in the market for a Disco, and I'm trying to get the last of the 2000 4Runner limiteds while they still have the rear locking diff and not some crappy "traction control" system. But it would be a shame if Ford watered down and corporatized one of the few vehicles that still stands for something. I suggest that Land Rover owners should contact Ford to dissuade them ...

    Just my 2 cents.
  • rapidoxidationrapidoxidation Member Posts: 4
    Okay, I did it---I bought a used 99 Discovery II with 14000 miles. Oxford Blue, leather, cold climate package, no ACE (I drove ACE and non-ACE and really couldn't tell the difference.) What a pleasant vehicle to drive! My previous cars were a 97' vette and 97' Mark VIII so I like something that has entertainment value.
    Incidentally, I was going to buy a 99' ML430 but a bad dealer experience at Mark Motors plus the general "cheapness" of the ML's interior changed my mind.
    I've had no problems other than the one I created when I tried to drive my LR into the garage--its a little taller than I thought. As long as my fiance sits on the rear bumper (she weights about 115lb) it will fit, and it give the neighbors something to watch.
    There are a couple of things that I will find a solution for---1. My 20oz drink won't fit the cupholders. 2. I want a 10disc CD changer, but LR made the connections proprietary (rats!)
  • mburch2mburch2 Member Posts: 1
    I'm currently looking at a 96 disco to buy. I really like the looks of this vehicle and it's an SE7 with 35,xxx miles for $18,000. What should I look for when I test drive it? What else should I visibly check for? I'm really interested in "different" vehicles. I don't really want to buy a Grand Cherokee like everyone else out there, but that's my other choice.
  • nanuqnanuq Member Posts: 765
    MOST IMPORTANT: make absolutely sure there is no problem with sticking valves. Or if there was a problem, make sure it's been corrected. Have the truck's history brought up by VIN at a dealer, that will show its past. This problem began in MY 1996.

    Other things: don't worry a lot about small drips. "If it isn't leaking, it's empty" applies. It should track dead straight over bumps and with crosswind, 70mph should be effortless. Try driving around in "3" in town, see if it feels peppy. It ought to happily rev to 4k RPM with plenty of pickup. Driver over railroad tracks, see if the front end feels tight. Check the swivel balls (both sides under the front end) to see if they're leaking. Look at diffs, have fluids been changed? Check oil drain nut, is it marred from use? How about the transfer case drain? Swivel ball drains? Look at auto trans... same story. See if the cross member under the trans has been removed and replaced for the 35k service? Have a shop check the OBDII for any stored codes... that tells a lot.

    Good luck!! -Bob
  • rapidoxidationrapidoxidation Member Posts: 4
    Over 200 miles on my Discovery. It is getting about 16.5 mpg in Chicago suburb driving. Based on reviews, I had been expecting worse (~12 mpg). I am curious what other Discovery II owners are getting.
  • woodywwwoodyww Member Posts: 1,806
    Well, I'm still out there shopping for a DII, perpetual car shopper that I am. My current dilemma: A somewhat distant but still local dealer has a 2000 DII with ACE, lthr, cold. pckg., & dual SR (no CD) with 2300 miles on it, Kent Green. Due to current incentives from LR price is $35, 425. "Vibes" I get from their salespeople are OK at best.

    A closer LR dealer whom I like better (with a salesman with enough patience to put up with my lengthy car shopping dilemma no less!) doesn't have a 2000 that I want, but says that altho there are no incentives on 2001's, the list price w/the equip. that I want is now around $2500 less than a comparable 2000. With his $520 discount on an '01, price would be around $38,400 with same equip. as the leftover 2000 Kent Green I'm looking at.

    Is it worth it to save $3000 to get the 2000 instead of waiting for an '01? Will a 2001 be worth $3,000 more at trade in time in a few years?
    What would anyone else do? I tend to keep vehicles for a long time if I like them, & put low miles on them.

    Any advice would be appreciated, & thanks again for all the advice I've gotten previously on this site.
  • nightflier1nightflier1 Member Posts: 2
    I just bought a 2000 Disco II and the rear center inertial reel is locked. The belt is so tight it's almost cutting into the leather seat. I pulled the seat backing off and don't see any immediately apparent way of releasing it. Can anyone help me with this? I'd like to take care of it before I go out of town on business so my wife can use the vehicle with the kids, and the dealer can't fit us in before I go. Thank you.
  • nightflier1nightflier1 Member Posts: 2
    For anyone in the Central Florida area interested in Land Rover, I would encourage you to visit Reeves in Tampa. I just bought my Disco II from them and it was by far the best car buying experience I've ever had. No hassles, haggling, pushing; very straight forward with verifyable honesty. The salesman gave us an abundant amount of third party research material on SUVs for comparison shopping and encouraged us to shop around other makes to compare. The follow up has been excellent. If you're even thinking about an SUV they certainly make it easy for you. I went from not even considering Land Rover to purchasing one.
  • wvanswvans Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I recently went thru a similar question of buying cheeper or buying from the dealer who I have come to like and trust. GO FOR THE DEALER! Additionally, wait for the 2001 as it will be 12 months newer and that should be worth the $3K alone, or more. My dealer is LR Center of Cincinnati. They are the largest reason I have been buying LR's since 1989. Great service and there when you need them. Particularly, Randy and Stan also Steve, the salesman. Good Luck
  • woodywwwoodyww Member Posts: 1,806
    Thanks for the feedback! I came to the exact same conclusion about going with a better dealer vs. saving some extra $$$$ today after I visited the dealer I like in Natick, Mass. (LR Metro West) for at least the 4th time & they were great. To call it a non-pressure situation would be an understatement!

    However I'm not sure yet if I agree about the 2001 definitely being worth $3k more than the 2000? The LR salesman today, knowing I tend to keep my vehicles for 8 or 10 years, said probably not. It may come down to how long I can wait, or what I can do with an extra $3,000.

    Just to complicate things further, I'm re-visiting the ACE vs. non-ACE decision again, after driving one of each today, & being firmly in the ACE camp until now. The salesman said the 18" tires are not as good in the snow (makes sense, right?), & pointed out the added noise of the ACE system which I'm starting to notice more. I love the 18" wheels, but $2900 is a lot, plus possible replacement costs for 18" tires......

    Any further comments from anyone, particularly on the ACE question, would be greatly appreciated....Thanks!
  • rapidoxidationrapidoxidation Member Posts: 4
    Over the weekend my fiance and I took my 99' Discovery II offroading. She drove and it performed flawlessly. (I have a heavily modified 87' Cherokee with a Rubicon 4" lift, 31" BFG's, etc.) and there is no way that it would have gone through some of the spots that the Land Rover slogged through.
    I know there are alot of "nay-sayers" about the Land Rover. I don't know if they bought problem, used vehicles or what, but I am very happy with mine.
  • clopesclopes Member Posts: 3
    Hello All,

    I have a question regarding my 1997 Land Rover Discovery. I am experiencing an intermittent loss of power with my disco at highway speeds. I have contacted my local Land Rover service department, and they have not been able to identify the problem. I am hoping that someone else has experienced this problem and knows the solution.

    From the speeds of 45mph and up, my disco will lose power for 2 seconds. It does not lose total power, but power is reduced by approx. 30%. Eventhough they only last 2 seconds, they occur randomly. Sometimes one after the other during a 20 second period. Other times I can go 20 miles without a problem. The rpms stay constant during these sessions. Due to the randomness of the sessions and the fact I do not have any service engine lights on, the dealership does not know how to find the problem.

    If anyone has any information or can suggest a good website for a solution, I would be greatly appreciative.
  • rapidoxidationrapidoxidation Member Posts: 4
    Did your dealer put your vehicle on the computer and check the error codes? When you loose power, do you loose all electrical (horn, radio, etc?) Have someone check the advance on the distributor.
  • clopesclopes Member Posts: 3
    The dealer stated that if I do not have any service lights on then the computer has not identified a problem. They said they could bring it in and go through the car but they will charge me $76/hour.

    I only lose power, nothing else. Everything else (lights, radio, gauges, etc . .) stays status quo.
  • b4chun7b4chun7 Member Posts: 2
    Clopes,

    I own a '96Disco. I also have the same loss of power (deceleration) when traveling at over 55 mph. The episodes are infrequent and do not happen all the time. But when it does the vehicle hesitates regains speed, hesitates, etc.
    I took it to the local dealer who could not find
    a problem after hooking up the computer.
    Since I was due for the 60k mi maintenance, I
    had it done (not cheap) and hope with this overhaul, it would somehow solve the problem. Guess What? 5 days later same thing. I love my Disco but this is frustrating.
    I'm wary of traveling far. So if you find the answer please pass it along. Unfortunately, your not the only one with this problem.
  • rainboyrainboy Member Posts: 2
    Ok, let me tell you the story......
    All Land Rover technicians are not created equal.

    I own a '96 discovery, purchased used at 41000 kms (Canada) in Nov. 1998 with an extended 3yr/120000 kms warranty. Over the past two years I have put 75000 kms on with some severe off-roading included.

    This vehicle has NEVER let me down, it has gone anywhere and everywhere I have wanted to take it. Although it does come with some quirks, and a little noise.

    It's service has been maintained, oil/fluids, and all regular service maintenence.
    At my dealership, it is only 1 of 2 in Vancouver, it is always a two week wait, but a loaner or rental vehicle is always provided.

    As for this problem....it began last December (1999). A periodic, and very occasional loss of power, no loss or surge in rpms, just a momentary hesitation. With a check engine light. Promptly taken in, tested and nothing out of the ordinary in results. Sent home and all seemed fine.

    January 2000, again temporary loss of power, check engine light on again, no surge or drop of rpms and speed was maintained. But a 2 second pause, and a slight whiplash effect. Another test was carried out, blame was placed on oxygen sensor malfunction, and replaced (thank god for an extended warranty) cost approx. $550 cdn. However, same effects felt again periodically a few days later while road tripping down the coast to California. Then all of a sudden fine.

    June 2000, the problem re-occured, more severe and repetitive, check engine light on again. This time dealership suspected that exhessive valve stick was the problem, an expensive replacement and I put it off. A vacation and travel came and went so I barely touched the vehicle for two months.

    August 23, 2000, The problem is incredibly persistent. At initial acceleration, city driving, highway driving, at any speed. Immediately taken in to dealership, again an oxygen sensor malfunction was blamed along with excessive valve stick. I ok'd the work, with only the oxygen sensor malfunction being covered by warranty. Land Rover technicians' "testbook" computer system "crashed" while connected to my engine. Locked my engine in security mode... for 12 days, while second testbook was shipped to the dealership, which arrived broken and unusable. Vehicle unlocked and prepared for my pickup on Sept. 7, 2000. Picked up the morn' of Sept 8, 2000, and ran smoothly for 40kms then the same problem reappeared.

    Setember 11, 2000. Vehicle returned to dealership, vehicle retested by the highly qualified and experienced Land Rover technicians. This time they decided that the problem was related to a hot start switch and replaced it, along with renewing the speedometer transducer. Vehicle picked up on Sept. 15,2000.

    September 19, 2000. Guess who headed back into the dealership.....yes the same problem. This time the fault "codes" were pulled again, and the problem was a thermostatic devise beside the transmission, I don't have the paperwork for this one yet or I could give you the exact name, but I picked up the car on Sept 22, received credit for all work done to date minus insurance deductible, and it is running smooth. Knock on wood!!!!!!

    I beleive that this thermastatic devise was the problem, it is somewhere in the neighbourhood of a $100 part, I'll update this with exact names and numbers on tuesday when I receive all the paperwork. The problem is that this part when failing triggers other symptoms in the vehicle and those parts are traced first. It is only by a systematic detailed analysis that it can be found. .......Now of course this is what we're supposed to be paying these highly qualified technicians for. But is $90/hr what we're getting from them?!?

    So hopefully for anyone else out there with this problem, you will not have to endure days/weeks/months of jerking in your vehicle.
    My problem is not with my LandRover, it has 116000 kms (73000 miles), it looks new, exterior and interior, and I guess now a large percentage of engine parts are new too. Nor is my problem with the LandRover dealership, who has after seeing my face for 6 weeks or so, credited me for all service completed. My problem is with the technicans in the shop working on my vehicle, using their textbook computers as an answer for the "faults", rather than as a diagnostic tool.

    That all being said I have thoroughly enjoyed owning this vehicle, it's comfort, reliability and ability offroad. If I was just doing city driving however, there are alot of "pretty" and functional SUV's out there. But if you are going anywhere into the backcountry and need a powerful and functional 4x4, Land Rover has it all.

    brian

    P.S. I will post again on Tuesday when I have the paperwork on this most recent work. And I have driven my vehicle hard to road test it since the last incident and all seems fine.
  • tag7tag7 Member Posts: 2
    I recently purchased a 1994 Discovery, but do not have the owner's manual. I tried area Land Rover dealers but was told all manuals pre-1997 have been discontinued. I tried Land Rover web site but could not find any numbers to contact the company directly. Any ideas about how I may be able to get ahold of an owner's manual for this vehicle?
  • donelondonelon Member Posts: 2
    Bought a new white 00 Disco II at Aristocrat Motors in Kansas City in April. Just had the 7500 checkup with no reported problems yet. My tail gate latch sticks every now and then, which I see others posting here complain of.

    I am getting ready to go to the middle of now where South Dakota for a duck hunt, pulling trailer, taking dogs, and all that. Looking forward to seeing how it does on the long trip.

    I think Ford buying LR is good. They did wonders for Jaguar. It's a better car, better made, better mechanics. Don't buy into any talk about a Tauras in fancy rapping. LR won't be a fancy Exploder (pun intended). LR will maintain it's quality and most likey get much better quality control. NO matter how die hard a fan you are, you have to admit that the engines specks and performance are crap compared to today's engines. The V6 in my 99 Trooper got better mileage, was more powerful, was quicker, pulled just as much weight, and was quitier. But, the darn charm, good looks, feel, and off road ability make up for this.
  • clopesclopes Member Posts: 3
    Rainboy,

    I look forward to your next posting. I appreciate the detail and hope your experience solves my problem.

    Thanks,

    Clopes
  • oceandwelleroceandweller Member Posts: 58
    Has anyone had problems with scalloped tires? My dealer did not know the cause, I think it's my shocks and my mechanic agreed that could be a possible cause. I'd appreciate any info.
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