Hi everyone,

New to the forum as I recently purchased an '03 D2 and am excited to be a first time LR owner. Of course it came with a few quirks that I'd like to get sorted. Was hoping I could provide a bit of an explanation on what I've observed and get some advice from the experts on this forum. Please note that I am not a "car guy" but have always coveted the old school SUV aesthetic in general and in particular Land Rovers. I mention this as I might not be familiar with all the terminology you use or inner workings of the vehicle so I'll ask in advance for your patience if I seem to be needing kindergarten-level explanations. What might be considered common knowledge, I could surprise you with my ignorance That said, I'll try to describe found issues below and hopefully some kind souls are willing to provide insight.

1. Front passenger door lock does not lock / unlock with key FOB or interior control switch. You can lock it manually by pushing it down, but can not manually unlock it by pulling it back up (immediately springs back to locked position). The only way to unlock it that I've found is to use the interior door handle which unlocks it. All other door locks are functional with both FOB and interior switch.

2. Wipers are inconsistent with functionality and only work reliably in single wipe mode. Pushing the wiper lever down consistently operates the single wipe function. Depending on the position of the wiper setting *****, a single wipe will result in either:

a. a full wipe at normal speed, or;

b. a fast speed wipe where the wipers stop at whatever position they are in when I release the single wipe lever. Could be half way across the windshield, so I have to time my lever release to try and make them land back at the bottom of their swing.

Wipers do not come on when you turn them on regularly. This is the case for intermittent, normal, and fast speed. After a while, they did eventually start working this morning at normal speed but this was maybe 5-10 minutes after I had actually turned them on when they finally kicked in. So it seems like the wiper mechanism works fine but commands are not being consistently transmitted from the controls.

4. I would like to do the conversion to D1 arms so if someone can point me toward a good, economical source for a kit and recommend good wipers for ice and snow that will hug an LR windshield properly (I've read some posts about curved blades like Bosch Icons that leave an un-wiped gap) I would appreciate it.

5. The rear wiper arm is missing altogether (previous owner removed it for some reason) but the piece that the arm connects to operates when you turn the rear wiper on. So I think it's just a matter or sourcing a replacement arm & blade.I believe the washer fluid hose is still hanging back there too. Is there a go-to source that all you insiders prefer for items like this?

6. Previous owner removed sunroof fuse(s) because he said were opening randomly from time to time without any input on the buttons. Would be nice to have this functionality back but I wouldn't have the first clue where to begin.

7. The headlight covers are pretty fogged over with wear. Is the Meguiar's Heavy Duty Headlight Restoration Kit a decent product to restore clarity?

8. I live in Alberta, Canada and our winters can get pretty extreme (-35 to 40C). Would love to install an aftermarket remote start since I don't have room in the garage for the D2 but given the finicky electronics in these older LRs, I wanted to get some insight as to whether I should just stay away from that altogether.

9. 'Check Engine Soon' light comes on randomly. You might drive a few days without it, then a few days with. I'm told by the previous owner that it's a faulty O2 sensor. Is this something to not bother worrying about? If I want to get rid of it, is it an expensive fix? Similar issue with the 'three amigos'.

10. The upper left light that illuminates the RPM and engine temp area of the dash is out. Same with the bulb that illuminates the driver's side red & blue temperature up / down toggle. Are these complicated / expensive fixes?

11. Recommendation for all weather floor mats?

12. Back seat cup holder that is supposed to come out when you push in the front is stuck.

I'm sure I'm forgetting some things and will encounter more but these are the key issues I'd like to address sooner than later so they aren't nagging at me and I can just enjoy without these small annoyances.

Thank you to all who take the time to read and respond!

Jeff

 

Welcome!

The good news is you can get the answers to most of your questions by using Google or the search function here.

Get yourself a code reader, either and Ultragauge or an OBDII dongle and phone app. You need to read the codes to find out what is going on with the check engine light. Start there, the rest of the issues are secondary.

Good Luck!!

 

Thanks for the reply Dave. Agreed that most items are 'nice to haves' relative to the engine, with the exception of the wipers which I consider to be a safety thing. Would like to get those sorted ASAP.

 

The wiper stalk failure is a known issue, luckily it has been widely discussed. Often removing and cleaning the stalk fixes it. Old lubricants turn to goo over time.

Also you will want a copy of the RAVE manual. Downloadable for free, I don't have the link off hand but again search here and you will be rewarded. It has step by step instructions for nearly every possible repair.

 

If you're getting the Three Amigos, a generic OBDII reader won't help you. You need a reader that can read WABCO ABS modules. ICarsoft makes a reasonably priced one. You're going to want to get on this; the Amigos will disable the traction control, so in bad conditions you can find yourself stuck spinning one tire with three open diffs.

O2 sensors are easy to replace; make sure you replace both when you do it. But frankly, the prior owner sounds like he did a pretty slapdash job, and I wouldn't trust anything he told you. Get a code reader and verify for yourself before you start replacing anything.

 

Jason, thank you for the reply. I wouldn't have the first clue which reader to purchase from ICarsoft - any guidance there?

 

IMHO... Skip the iCarsoft tester and get a Foxwell NT-520 diagnostic tester for the Land Rover.
Foxwell NT520 Pro Multi-System Scanner with Special Functions Updated Version of NT510

I had the iCarsoft CR Plus, didn’t like it, sold it to buy the Foxwell. I’m glad I did.

 

Their website will tell you what's compatible. I have an i930, but I don't believe they sell that anymore. You can also, as Juke noted, get a Foxwell, but I believe it's slightly more expensive.

That said, if you plan on being a Land Rover "guy," and you get the cheap reader, you're probably going to spend a significant amount of time wishing you had sprung for a Hawkeye or Nanocom. The Nanocom is a good choice because people who buy Disco 2s generally have a habit of poor decision making and will often end up with other Land Rovers, and the Nanocom can be adapted to work with all of them.

 

You can get most anything on Ebay or Amazon. Countless videos on Youtube, too. You will spend HOURS watching videos.

 

Atlantic British sells D1 wiper retrofit kits (and o2 sensors, amongst lots of others), so if you want something brand new that’s the place to start, they even have a video on how to do the replacement (very easy, just need a screwdriver and a ratchet).

I would also recommend checking scrap yards, that’s where I found my D1 wiper blades for a mere 10 bucks!