It seems sort of odd that you are fixated on a jack handle or roof rails for a truck that sounds like it needs 1000's of dollars in repairs.

 

yup. i paid 2 grand for my truck w/ 119k and i after looking around the forums i feel like i didnt even that great of a steal that i thought i did.

 

I paid $700 for my current '96 daily driver. It came with an OME/Bilstein lift, 235/85/16 Toyo tires, and RTE steering(which I sold and converted to stock for a profit).
In the last year and a half I've:
Put in a good used water pump I had on hand.
Installed new panhard rod bushings.
New rear brake rotors/pads.
Put air in the tires and gas in the tank.


Go ahead and buy that truck for $400, knowing that all it may ever be is a parts truck.

 

If you buy it I have those jack handles and the bows with the bag will make you a good deal

 

Ok, I admit I am an **** old fart who likes to have things as the factory intended and I figure that nice jack is not so handy without the handles; in the photos on ebay those red handles look sturdy and well designed for reaching underneath.

Ok two, It sounds like bargains are out there for some folks, but looking around here there are Discoveries with bad transmissions or which don't start for $1500-$1700 or drivers for $3500 and up, so $700 and a little work didn't seem too bad a deal. At least it won't go to the crusher and be sent to China to be made into more Chinese crap that will last only about as long as it takes to haul it home from the store and which we have to buy because we hardly make anything in this country anymore.

I agreed to buy it and Bro-in-law delivered it today, and between the time I looked at it and the delivery someone crushed/broke the hood release handle with vice grips so now it needs vice grips permanently and the battery was totally dead, but after I put in a spare battery, vacuumed it out, fixed a split vacuum line and disconnected sparkplug wire, it started OK and the 10 misfire codes went away leaving only a P1187 upstream O2 sensor heater (open or shorted?) code. It ticks a litttle and the AC is weak, but I drove it around the block and nothing seemed too bad.

The front sun roof is lifted half an inch at the back and the switch just clicks on open or close (sounds like a turn signal), the tach and speedo don't move, the ABS light is on, the passenger mirror glass is gone, and the radio says "code", but everything else seemed to work once I figured out which way the child locks and rear window and rear sunroof inhibit switches have to be set.

I figure tomorrow I'll wash it, change the oil, check the trans fluid, and take it for a longer drive to see what the reported trans slipping is all about. So far it seems to be a possible driver. Oh yes, the wipers wipe, but the washers didn't spray.

The at-rest battery draw is 0.021 amps; does that sound right or might it be too high? And is there a way to manually close the sun roof? (My 80s Jag XJ6s come with a tiny little crank handle to turn the sun roof motor in an emergency) There was a spare sun roof motor in the back, but I don't know yet if it is good or not; any advice on how to test it?

Ok, now to re-read the owners manual I down loaded more carefully to see if I can memorize what all the switches do and whether there is a standard code for the radio.

 

Well good luck. Sounds like there's enough things going on to make you a regular on here.

 

Glad you picked it up! Your gonna have fun bringing it back.

Sunroof can be closed using an allen key in the gearbox's center. You'll have to remove the headliner to see why it's hanging up, get to the motor proper and to make sure nothing is broken. Test the spare motor on the current circuit or just put 12V to it.

Unless you can get the original code for the radio it's easier to install an aftermarket...

.021A sounds about right.

Download the "Rave". It's the LR service manual. Paul Grant and Will Tillery can help you with used parts (side mirror). Use the search function to find past threads on any issue and go through the "Tech" Section at the top of the D1 forum.

 

We could use some new blood.....getting stale around here.

 

THERE IS A SMALL cover on the ceiling console pop it of and you can turn the motor with allen key to try to get it closed


the radio code is specific to the vehicles radio, look in the owners manual, think I saw some say they can sometimes be found under the rubber mat on dash not sure what years though


tach runs off alternator, if it is dead tach is dead , tach wire could be off also check wires at rear of alt


ih scouts probly knows the draw on the batt


you mentioned possible replaced transfer case?
look under on drivers side where transfer case and transmission come together, vehicle speed sensor may be unplugged, or wires messed up or vss needs replace or rebuild, rebuild is easy and in the tech section


do yourself a favor and check all u joints and fluids in transfer case and rears before driving a lot


80/90 wt


engine is 15w40 diesel oil


my valve tap was a bad rocker cost $12 to fix

 

Thanks for the Great tips!

I'll try closing the sunroof in the morning; I had wondered about that little rectangular cover in the console.

I unfortunately don't have the owners manual for the radio code but I do have the name and address of the third to last owner on the title (last two didn't register it) and I'll try to contact her; she bought it 2 years ago this month. The seller to Bro-in-law said Speedy-lube left the plug out of the transfer case and had to replace it for her, so she might remember if the tach and speedo stopped working then. I'll still check the transfer case for the VSS connection; my code reader is reading RPM from the OBD so I assume the alternator wire should be OK.

And thanks for the oil spec; that was the next thing I was going to look up, and I just happened to buy 2 gallons of 15W-40 diesel oil last week for my Terramite T5C (baby back hoe); not for its engine (that's straight 30w) but for the hydraulic system.

I'll check the other fluids too before doing much driving; I had thought to just use it around the property, but if all goes well It might become my tow vehicle for the Jags when I need to take them to our British Car Club's shop (those inboard rear brakes are always giving me fits) So far the Disco seems pretty user friendly for routine service; haven't gotten into the electronics yet, though - that and the ABS could be another story. But then I just read in the downloaded owners manual you have to hit 7 MPH for the ABS light to go out so maybe I didn't notice. As a good friend says, "yeah, yeah, it could happen".

Forgot to mention that the inside mirror is missing, too (there is a connector but no mirror). Is that strictly a D1 item or would a D2 mirror work?