discovery td5's

[ocatoro]

..... talk to me

running costs, servicing, usability, reliability, "feel", etc
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CBT - 17/09/12 * Theory - 23/10/12 * Mod1 - 05/03/13 * Mod2 - 25/03/13 * BOSH!
Current - None but shed project H100 (first bike )
Past - ER5, '93 ZZR600, '92 CB400 SF, ZZR600 (again), yellow Monster 620, Blackbird - black Monster 620ie - '96 ZZR600

[Tungtvann]

Costs more to run than a mini.

[karoshi]

I had a 300tdi Range Rover (same chassis and running gear as a td5 disco with the previous factory engine) and have test driven a td5 XS Discovery, so:

28mpg - you may get 30 on a long granny run with the td5 but don't bank on it

durability is very good but servicing costs are a little more than a regular car.. e.g. if you get an automatic one you'll need 11 Litres of ATF at each major service

On road, Discoverys feel like a very tall / top heavy car, on the plus side you get a very good road view and incredibly good brakes (provided they're adequately serviced) with double lines to the front calipers.

The td5 might have the same air suspension as was available on the p38 and soft-dash range rovers.. most people will tell you horror stories about the expense of AS failure but to be honest a new air system in total isn't that much more expensive than 4x springs & shocks.. however if your air suspension fails it means an AA/RAC low loader to get the car to a garage - broken springs or shocks can be driven around.

The TD5 XS trim level is a very nice place to sit, with half-leather seats, nice dash and a lot of space.. the one I test-drove was Kinversand Orange, I still think it's the best colour:

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wwktl5a2F7U/S7oYXJNlmlI/AAAAAAAAAA4/LEXdTVlmfMA/s1600/DSC00592.JPG


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Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it. - Elwood P. Dowd

[karoshi]

Also, try to get one without a sunroof(s), they all leak and rust out the B pillars, check for rusty boot floors and badly fitting doors.
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Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it. - Elwood P. Dowd

[dransy]

Defender crew cab ftw
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Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles

[ocatoro]

[karoshi]

the Discovery from late 1995 to 2002 is the same "mk2" car, they started with the 300tdi engine and went on to the td5

The 1987-1994 model is the older original mk1 body shape with the 200tdi engine (and really ugly choice of beige or blue velour interior)

On the Range Rovers that had it, you can rip out the air system for springs & shocks yourself, but if you buy someone else's diy conversion you run the risk that they never bothered to remove the sensors or properly take it out of the ECU system, which can lead the dashboard lighting up like blackpool, or the car shutting into limp mode due to a faulty / false sensor reading.. plus you end up with a load of dead buttons on the dashboard.

The air system itself is actually very good suspension if it's running well and properly serviced, they handle a lot better on road with it than springs&shocks because it's an active / speed sensing system.

While you're checking electrics it's worth looking out for the how the dash-lights react, when you switch the car on you should get lights on for Traction Control, ABS and the "Serious" light (red "SRS" light for the airbag system), these should go out as you start to drive, if they dont it means cash required.. worst is the "SRS" light, if that doesn't go out it means your airbags are disabled until a Dealer overhauls the system and replaces whatever sensors or bags need to be replaced = serious cash.. or taking the bulb out.

That's the main thing to check really, mechanically Discos are very strong, but they have a metric arseload of overly complex electrical system built by Brummies
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Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it. - Elwood P. Dowd

[karoshi]

forgot two things:

Firstly, of the two I prefer the 300tdi engine, it has less power but feels like it develops it's power lower down.. it depends on what you'll be doing but the 300tdi is happier to stumble around at tickover (offroad bonus), the td5 revs higher and accelerates better.

With the 300tdi it's well worth getting an EGR blanking system (check ebay, they cost about £20), and some after market Samco style silicone air hoses (ebay again), and if you have the money an Allard Turbosport replacement inter cooler (https://www.allardturbosport.co.uk/index.php?page=LandRover200-300-Tdi-Intercooler-Kit)

You can get EGR kits for the td5 also, I put one on my 300tdi and it made a pretty noticeable improvement.

Second, don't know if the Discoverys have this but my 300tdi range rover had a stupid American market electrical system that forces the dipped headlights to come on when you put the side lights on This is fine until the system starts to fail, symptom is that you switch your headlights on and get a loud clattering relay noise and strobe effect headlights until it melts the lamp wiring.. fix by ripping the wire out of the massive heatsinc ballast resistor in engine bay.
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Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it. - Elwood P. Dowd

[ocatoro]

ah ok, so would the doors with the "nice handles", and the bigger bumpers etc fit on say a pre facelift 97/98 car to bring it up to more modern looking spec?

that explains a lot of what i've seen. like 99 reg cars with old handles and lambs poo beige interiors and the like. and oddly older cars like 98 ones with the higher level rear lights and updated interior....

bizarre concoction of variation between 98 and 2000 from what i've seen.

it is very odd the difference between the older ones and facelift. it's like "old disco"... "prestige, beefy rangerover substitute". the newer just exudes a different aura of shine and what i call "poshness"
____________________
CBT - 17/09/12 * Theory - 23/10/12 * Mod1 - 05/03/13 * Mod2 - 25/03/13 * BOSH!
Current - None but shed project H100 (first bike )
Past - ER5, '93 ZZR600, '92 CB400 SF, ZZR600 (again), yellow Monster 620, Blackbird - black Monster 620ie - '96 ZZR600

[karoshi]

I think there are some transferable parts between the models, I've even seen people fitting new american style Range Rover / Discovery headlamps into the older ones..

Some examples:

Mk1 200tdi discovery:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1991-LAND-ROVER-DISCOVERY-DIESEL-200-TDi-/190765843831?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2c6a87c577

Mk2 300tdi:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1998-LAND-ROVER-DISCOVERY-ES-Premium-TDI-New-Engine-Winter-Pack-NO-RESERVE-/150967574066?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item23265e5e32

Mk2 TD5:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Discovery-2-5Td5-7-st-1999-Td5-XS-7-seat-/110979579570?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item19d6e5feb2

The 300tdi and the TD5 are the same body shape but they updated the bumpers, front grille, wheel arches & rear lights for the TD5 model years.

The earlier 200tdi mk1 model is pretty much the same shell as the mk2 but really looks dated in comparison, plus as you've seen people swap the grilles and bumpers and such over to update their cars.

I know what you mean about 'poshness', to be honest I've always preferred the older Range Rovers to Discos myself.. the mk1 Disco was made off the Range Rover chassis but with a body shell and interior designed to halve the cost of the final product and introduce a 'budget' car to compete against Mitsi Shoguns, Vauxhall Fronteras and Nissan Patrols
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Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it. - Elwood P. Dowd

[ocatoro]

i'm sure a iread somewhrere that 85% of the panels were different and the carwas made longer and wider in body and track. so most of the bits shouldn't fit mk1. or even the inbetween models really.

unless they just changed the bumpers, front wings, doors and bonnet. that'd be about 85% wouldn't it.

the groove down the side looks thicker on td5 models. and there's no little nick off the end of the indicator on the wing as with the previous lights, so i don't think you could even fit the lights without changing the wings, and then the groove wouldn't match etc... (unless the groove is the same, and it's just my perception, then it'd be fine, but i don't think it is)
____________________
CBT - 17/09/12 * Theory - 23/10/12 * Mod1 - 05/03/13 * Mod2 - 25/03/13 * BOSH!
Current - None but shed project H100 (first bike )
Past - ER5, '93 ZZR600, '92 CB400 SF, ZZR600 (again), yellow Monster 620, Blackbird - black Monster 620ie - '96 ZZR600

[ocatoro]

so much conflicting info out there

https://www.buyacar.co.uk/cars/land_rover/land_rover_discovery/review_land_rover_discovery_series_ii_1998-2004_1460.jhtml

https://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/carfamilytree?ReadForm&make=Land%20Rover&model=Discovery

https://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/facts-and-figures/land-rover/discovery/
____________________
CBT - 17/09/12 * Theory - 23/10/12 * Mod1 - 05/03/13 * Mod2 - 25/03/13 * BOSH!
Current - None but shed project H100 (first bike )
Past - ER5, '93 ZZR600, '92 CB400 SF, ZZR600 (again), yellow Monster 620, Blackbird - black Monster 620ie - '96 ZZR600

[pooley_99]

Check that the prop shaft is there! Seriously, get your head underneath and eyeball it, the transfer box packs up and instead of replacing it at cost, some sneaky twats just drop the prop and leave it in front wheel drive!
Also head gaskets, very common to go on these so check for overheating or any other signs, even better if you get a higher mileage one with history that's been done previously.
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CBR 900RR Fireblade

[Cunnington]

I had an old 300tdi - I got it with 180,000 miles on it and had it for 3 years. As has been mentioned, it is a big lump, high 20s to the gallon, with a high centre of gravity making handling a bit wallowy. It was very capable off road and an excellent towing vehicle. I used it as my site vehicle when I was working on a railway project. The feeling of unstopability when I "had" to go straight up or down a railway embankment made me wonder if I should be getting paid for it. I went for that model because it had a traditional injector pump and no ABS or other electrical tomfoolery to go wrong.

I recall a conversation with a landrover nut who advised me that later models didn't have a diff lock, which was achieved by not providing the lever between the transfer box and the passenger cabin on earlier models, whilst later models had a modified transfer box. I don't know if it is relevant to you, but if you want to go off road, it is extremely useful.

Far more comfortable than any defender I've had the misfortune to drive, and as they are not commercial vehicles, you are not restricted to 50mph on NSL single carriageways.

All in all, not the cheapest vehicle I've run, but I'm very glad I had the experience.
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'82 C50, '81 CB100, '84 GS125, '95 NTV650, '00 Bandit 600, '06 SV650, '56 Z1000, '89 NTV600
The Shaggy D.A. wrote: "You are invisible. Those who can see you are trying to kill you."

[Humptybackedf...]

owned and run a TD5 XS for the last 6 years, gets a 120k heavy duty service every couple of years, all fluids, air, oil and fuel filters, 300 quid, that includes a good greasing at my local Landrover place.
Use it as a truck 90% of the time, gets all sorts of shite thrown in the back, ferried a lathe up from Southampton, 110 mph, easy vehicle to drive long distance, comfey. Dunno whats wrong with the one that only got 30mpg on a run, mine returns 45-50mpg on a run, parts are a damn site cheaper than most french /german stuff,,,your choice really,,

https://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p38/greasemonkey_bucket/Chavrover005.jpghttps://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p38/greasemonkey_bucket/Chavrover006.jpg
,,,and yer can sling a chook-chaser in the back,,,
https://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p38/greasemonkey_bucket/P1010100.jpg
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as ye sow,,,,

[delvey91]

Had the TD5 and a later TDV6. TD5 is alot better on the fuel, the manual i had was always in the high 30s and even 40 plus on a run. Best i ever managed in the tdv6 was 35! and most of the time it was stuck around 26
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2016 Honda Africa Twin
2006 KTM 200 EXC