I am new here and hope to become an owner of a Discovery. I have been looking at 2000 to 2002 Discos with 50 to 70,000 miles on them. I was an automotive technician on Nissans and Infinitis for many years and have never owned a Rover. Any advise on what to watch for, signs of issues, transmission problems? Have read some of you are having head gasket issues, is this very common? Electrical issues, window motors, etc? Powertrain management codes?

I would like to see 150+ miles out of one of these, is this easily possible with good maintenance?

Thanks in advance for your help,
David

 

Hey David,

Yes, head gasket issues are fairly common. If you're buying a truck that's has documented head gasket work,you want to try to find out the details of the failure if at all possible. Overheating (due to head gasket failure or other issues) can lead to bigger issues on those motors (liners dropping, cracking, etc.). Those issues usually spell a new block. So, if you know that the gaskets have been done, try to get as much info as you can. If they haven't been done, as an ex-tech, I don't expect you'd have any trouble doing that job yourself if eventually required. These trucks are fairly primitive from a mechanical standpoint so working on them is fairly easy......even for non-tech.

Besides the obvious things that you'd know to look for on any vehicle, you may want to take a close look at.....

1) driveshafts and u-joints - specifically the front. If it has grease fittings, it's been upgraded or is aftermarket. If it doesn't, it's original/OEM and could be on the edge of letting go in a potentially violent way.

2) exhaust - check the condition of the y-pipe that contains the cats (flanges that mount to manifolds, cats, etc.). Because this is all one unit, with both cats, it'll set you back a few bucks if you have to replace it.

3) cooling system - because of reason mentioned above (overheating), you need to make sure that there's no cooling issues. Check for for the smell of coolant once the truck is warmed up and, if you have the chance to drive it a couple of times over the course of a couple of days, make note of the coolant level to make sure it's not going down. The coolant in a 2000+ should be a clean, orange'ish color.

I'm sure others will have suggestions for other areas of concern. Again, these things are pretty easy to work on so these things may not be deal-breakers......just ways to make sure you don't pay more than you should.

Best of luck. Maybe we'll hear from you again once you find a deal.

 

BogdenZ, thanks for the help. I will keep notes on these issues with me for reference while shopping. I like the off-road ability of these, kind of reminds me of a mountain goat. I just don't want one turining into a money pit! Your suggestions will be very valuable in my search, thanks again.

 

Added to the last list of suggestions, would be what your plans are for this truck, are you planning on alot of 4wheeling? If so, you should buy a 2000 or early production 2001 so you can take advantage of the old style t/case that is lockable when a linkage is added back to the t/case, makes for lots of extra traction and gives you the ability to install lockers if you really want to go play.
I know you didn't include the 2003, but if one jumps up at you, stay away from it, they were known for oil pump failures and seized engines.
Mike

 

Mike, I like the way the 2002 looks. I think its wider slightly and the front end looks less boxy. You are right, the locking manual shifting transfer case is a must for me though. Thanks for mentioning it. Did the Disco 2 come with the manual transfer case? Must be why you suggested the 99, right?

Any issues with the auto transmissions? They make me nervous, sure they are spendy and usually not repairable just replace them.

 

A couple of thoughts for you, there is nothing wrong with Rover's ZF trannys, keep them serviced and they will last along time, and they can be rebuilt if need be, but as with most trannys it is usually better to get a reman less cost and usually built better.
Yes, I do have a 99 D2 but don't remember siggesting you buy one. I am trying to give you a little feed back between the 2000 and 2002 you mentioned. The 2002 isn't any wider then the others although the lights give them a different look.
So you want to buy a Disco that will have the CDL which limits you to a 99, 2000 and early 2001's based on their vin numbers.
Mike