Hi all,

I have a 2003 Discovery with 141k miles. I am getting nervous that my engine is getting old. It doesn’t make any unusual ticking sounds, does not lose any fluids, and runs fantastic and feels like it has a lot of life left in it. Is it unusual to have this kind of mileage with no major engine repairs? I also should add that I am on the original head gaskets. I change my oil every 3k miles and I am very meticulous with maintenance.

My question is, should I just keep up with what I have been doing or should I start thinking about rebuilding the engine before it decides to give out? I have seen many high mileage examples of these cars but rarely have they not been taken apart.

 

243k on my 02 Kalahari & she's only been apart for 1 HG job which I just did myself. Runs smooth & does not act like an engine with 243k on it. It was dealer serviced before I got it & I've used Rotella 15/40w oil since 200k (when I bought it with all service records). When I dug thru them I was expecting a HG job or 2 but nope just normal stuff like hoses, a radiator, and brakes.

When well kept they can last a long time!

 

208k with just some minor work/mods( valve cover gaskets, Marvel engine oil flush, inline thermostat, radiator/fan mods, replaced t-case, etc). The previous owner was about to scrap it because Land Rovers are expensive to have serviced at shops.

 

I would go by the motto if it ain't broke don't fix it, I don't know much at all about these trucks but if it's running completely fine without problems I'd leave it alone and let it do its thing

 

I have one with 216k with original HG. The key is maintenance, which your previous owner was excellent at. Make sure it runs cool (inline thermostat, newish cooling system components), has the PCV mod (previous owner probably had the valve cover baffle replaced regularly),

 

I changed HG on my D1's (145k and 181k), but did not really need to. If you worry about it, just check compression regularly. That gives you insight to condition of rings, valve trains, and HGs, and the plugs will tell there own stories. Or, if you like to work on engines, go ahead and change it.

 

Might be worth sending some oil out for testing, it would give you some idea of the bearing wear or other potential items?
Blackstone is generally considered one of the better ones.
https://www.blackstone-labs.com/

 

So, I had the opinion that the more modern, say 90's on, Land Rovers were not the most reliable cars. And the stats do seem to support that. And while I can find lots of nit's to pick with my 2001 Disco 2, I would say overall she is on par quality wise with most other similar cars of her vintage.

I work hard to ensure when I find information that contradicts my opinions I first assume my opinions might need adjusting. I have taken a hard look at the people I know that have had Rovers, and excepting this crowd, they are not good on cars. I have a family member who blew an engine in an LR3 or LR4. But same family member has blown engines in two Toyota 4-runners, a Subaru and at least one Ford. One of the Toyotas was older, but the other three cars were only a year or two old. I have since found out that they read the service intervals as x-miles or once a year, and assumed that you could pick which one. They were running 15-20K miles (or more) between oil changes.

And lots of the folks I know who have owned Rovers have a similar mindset. Service intervals to them are rough suggestions, and odd noises are something you get around to in weeks or month, not seconds or minutes.

I am pretty sure a properly serviced Disco 2 would go a very long time with use that does not include abuse. 140K would phase me if I knew the service records were accurate and indicated proper intervals.

 

I'm on my second Disco. Both my Discos had all the usual horror stories and I attribute them to poor maintenance by the previous owners.

If it were me I'd go through the cooling system and replace the hoses and thermostat. I'd also replace the water pump for good measure along with the viscous fan clutch. It'd also be good to replace the coolant reservoir cap. When the cap gets old it doesn't hold quite as much pressure as it should which can lower the coolant's boiling point. It's also time to change the transmission fluid and filter, the fluid in the diffs as well as the transfer case fluid (if you haven't already). Don't forget the fuel filter too.

Redrover75 mentioned sending oil out for analysis. I've done it a few times and the results give good peace of mind for the $30 or so it costs. I used Blackstone Labs. They're very nice and happy to answer any questions you might have.

 

Great news on the 141k with no issues. Have the timing chain and oil pump been replaced? Thinking that should be done before something happens. Those are wear items IMO. Others thoughts??

All the best with keeping your 03 running great!