Buying Low Milage O3 Discovery
#11
10-12-2007, 05:31 PM
Camel Trophy
#12
10-12-2007, 06:30 PM
#13
10-13-2007, 06:33 AM
RE: Buying Low Milage O3 Discovery
Hi Fonzie, I'm one of the few '03 regulars because I bought a Disco II fixer upper. It sounds like you are catching that rover at a good time. Right now the discos are going for prettylow because of the gas mileage, I paid 12 for mine with 60k.
I use mine to get me and my bikes/fishing gear/camping gear/ etc etc where I want to be. The Disco is fantastic for that. The inside is great, and there are nice bike racks to be bought. If the disco you are buying does not have a trailer hitch, that will run you about 250 new,and a nice bike rack is around 200 new from Atlantic British.
If your Disco is a Discovery HSE, then you have air suspension. If it says SE, or anything else, no air suspension. You may have ACE, active cornering control, which is pretty nice. You can tell if you have ACE because there is a pump just to the right of the air compressor. Empty space and no pump, no ace.
If you can't tell it is an HSE, then look at the rear suspension bar that runs from the wheel forward about a foot on the truck. There is a little notch built in to the top of it. If it has air suspension, there will be a sensor for it there. There will also be some controls in the truck.
Mine has neither, and gets around just fine. I appreciate not having it, because that would be one more thing I have to work on. Repairing this truck after some years of neglect has taken enough out of me. It is doing very nicely right now though, and I'm about to go replace all of my U-joints in the front drive shaft. I would have that done as soon as possible if you buy that truck, or at least replace the u-joints that are not greasable. 17 bucks a piece, drive shaft company can do it for about 100 dollars.
Don't let some speedy lube place change your oil either. Make sure your truck has had its services. After you buy it, I would reservice the entire thing, and then you are good to go until 60k. It will give you peace of mind as well. Come talk to us after you buy. Talk to some folks on here before you do anything, and they will steer you in the right direction. Good luck!
I use mine to get me and my bikes/fishing gear/camping gear/ etc etc where I want to be. The Disco is fantastic for that. The inside is great, and there are nice bike racks to be bought. If the disco you are buying does not have a trailer hitch, that will run you about 250 new,and a nice bike rack is around 200 new from Atlantic British.
If your Disco is a Discovery HSE, then you have air suspension. If it says SE, or anything else, no air suspension. You may have ACE, active cornering control, which is pretty nice. You can tell if you have ACE because there is a pump just to the right of the air compressor. Empty space and no pump, no ace.
If you can't tell it is an HSE, then look at the rear suspension bar that runs from the wheel forward about a foot on the truck. There is a little notch built in to the top of it. If it has air suspension, there will be a sensor for it there. There will also be some controls in the truck.
Mine has neither, and gets around just fine. I appreciate not having it, because that would be one more thing I have to work on. Repairing this truck after some years of neglect has taken enough out of me. It is doing very nicely right now though, and I'm about to go replace all of my U-joints in the front drive shaft. I would have that done as soon as possible if you buy that truck, or at least replace the u-joints that are not greasable. 17 bucks a piece, drive shaft company can do it for about 100 dollars.
Don't let some speedy lube place change your oil either. Make sure your truck has had its services. After you buy it, I would reservice the entire thing, and then you are good to go until 60k. It will give you peace of mind as well. Come talk to us after you buy. Talk to some folks on here before you do anything, and they will steer you in the right direction. Good luck!
#14
10-13-2007, 09:57 AM
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RE: Buying Low Milage O3 Discovery
Hey, thanks Fuller. I'm going to look at it today. Based on what I know about the vehicle so far I'm expecting to see a "mint" low milage truck. IfI see any red flags like worn u-joints!! at 33K miles, I won'tbuy it. What's the deal with the front u-joints anyway? Is it common for them to fail that early? I seriously doubt this rig has ever left the tarmac. Are you saying to replace the front u-joints with the re-greaseable type, even if the sealed ones seem ok?
Any recommendations on a repair manual? I like the Haynes manuals. I know they are not proffesional quality but they are a reasonable price and great for basic DIY maintenance. I would have an Independant rover specialist take care of any major repairs.
Any recommendations on a repair manual? I like the Haynes manuals. I know they are not proffesional quality but they are a reasonable price and great for basic DIY maintenance. I would have an Independant rover specialist take care of any major repairs.
#15
10-13-2007, 10:15 AM
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RE: Buying Low Milage O3 Discovery
ORIGINAL: okdiscoguy
unless you are mechanical, I would...Head gasket tend to go and they will run about 2K
unless you are mechanical, I would...Head gasket tend to go and they will run about 2K
With the proper preventative maintenance, is the dreaded leaking head gasket avoidable? Or is it just a matter of time when they all blow sooner or later? I imagine that if I habitualy check the temperature gauge, do the scheduled maintenance to the cooling system and regularly inspect the water pump weep hole for initial leaking, then I shouldn't experience a blown head gasket...right? What about the thermo fan, are they reliable, or would it be better to replace with an electric fan?
#16
10-13-2007, 05:06 PM
Camel Trophy
RE: Buying Low Milage O3 Discovery
No real good setup for an electric replacement on the fan yet. The head gaskets can go no matter how well you take care of them. Or they can last forever abused. No real indicators.
Go to rover-renovations.com and search for the Rave CD. They will send you one free. It has all you need. Replace the front U-joints no matter what they look like.
Go to rover-renovations.com and search for the Rave CD. They will send you one free. It has all you need. Replace the front U-joints no matter what they look like.
#17
10-14-2007, 03:17 AM
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RE: Buying Low Milage O3 Discovery
Well I bought the beast! I say "beast" because that's what it feels like compared tomy 2000 Grand Cherokee. Drives and feels like a truck. bucks and pitches on anythingless than perfectly smooth blacktop. Brakes are not very confidence inspiring either, but they are adequate. Power was also disapointing...I guess it's just a heavy beast. I certainly won't be driving it in the same spirited manner that I drive my Jeep. The Jeep is much more refined and car-like, and surprisingly the 4.0L inline 6cyl has more get up and go than theRover's4.6L V8.
On the positive side, it appears to be a solid problem free specimen. I gave it a thorough bumper to bumper inspection, took it for a 1hr test drive alone, so I didn't have the salesman looking over my shoulder. Found a large vacant parking lot and just went over the whole vehicle armed with the knowledge I had learned on this forum. Visually inspecting and testing every component that I could without actually dissasembling anything. Drove it around in circles in hi and lo, left then right. Even simulated emergency stops. Couldn't find a thing wrong with it...everything works as it should.
[IMG]local://upfiles/8144/8203439BE75B4D7D993DF5EB95478806.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/8144/E3586DEE21A643C4950CFFDD3C8E5CB0.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/8144/347310A6D0F94E4B946483348BAB1BDC.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/8144/A455CC8139E1425888DB963FBB065AC2.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/8144/FE002FDE7092494594B37D8F286DECBF.jpg[/IMG]
On the positive side, it appears to be a solid problem free specimen. I gave it a thorough bumper to bumper inspection, took it for a 1hr test drive alone, so I didn't have the salesman looking over my shoulder. Found a large vacant parking lot and just went over the whole vehicle armed with the knowledge I had learned on this forum. Visually inspecting and testing every component that I could without actually dissasembling anything. Drove it around in circles in hi and lo, left then right. Even simulated emergency stops. Couldn't find a thing wrong with it...everything works as it should.
[IMG]local://upfiles/8144/8203439BE75B4D7D993DF5EB95478806.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/8144/E3586DEE21A643C4950CFFDD3C8E5CB0.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/8144/347310A6D0F94E4B946483348BAB1BDC.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/8144/A455CC8139E1425888DB963FBB065AC2.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/8144/FE002FDE7092494594B37D8F286DECBF.jpg[/IMG]
#18
10-14-2007, 03:36 AM
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RE: Buying Low Milage O3 Discovery
ORIGINAL: okdiscoguy
No real good setup for an electric replacement on the fan yet. The head gaskets can go no matter how well you take care of them. Or they can last forever abused. No real indicators.
Go to rover-renovations.com and search for the Rave CD. They will send you one free. It has all you need. Replace the front U-joints no matter what they look like.
No real good setup for an electric replacement on the fan yet. The head gaskets can go no matter how well you take care of them. Or they can last forever abused. No real indicators.
Go to rover-renovations.com and search for the Rave CD. They will send you one free. It has all you need. Replace the front U-joints no matter what they look like.
Did a search at rover-renovations.com, but couldn't find any reference to the Rave CD...what is it?
#19
10-14-2007, 06:17 AM
Mudding
#20
10-14-2007, 09:03 AM
Camel Trophy
RE: Buying Low Milage O3 Discovery
holy crap. They stopped. It had the workshop manual on it. Everything you need for maintanance. EDIT- I found this....you can download it, big file, bit it's free... http://green-oval.com/joomla/index.p...&Itemid=29
The U-joints in the front shaft are not serviceable and are located by the cats. You don't have to replace them right away, but you will have to replace the tranny at $7000 when the shaft brakes and slaps it out of there. You are looking at about $200 to have the rear joint re-built.
By the way, nice looking ride!
The U-joints in the front shaft are not serviceable and are located by the cats. You don't have to replace them right away, but you will have to replace the tranny at $7000 when the shaft brakes and slaps it out of there. You are looking at about $200 to have the rear joint re-built.
By the way, nice looking ride!