Hi guys,
Long time LR fan looking at buying my first, a '99 Disco II w/83,000 miles. Got a couple questions and I could use a hand before I plunk down cash.

1. Read up and down about premium fuel - I'm a very good mechanic (restoring antique 4x4s a specialty) but is there a quick sitting-on-the-car-lot way to tell if the previous owners have been running premium and the valves are not carboned up? Has anyone ever tried running Seafoam through the motor to clear carbon? It worked wonders for a few of my older rigs.

2. Is the air suspension problematic?

3. While we're at it, what else about these rigs is problematic? Do you have an FAQ on this?

4. How do you check the tranny fluid? Went to sniff it on the lot today and couldn't find the dipstick. Again, is this another trouble point?

5. Does anyone have a picture of what the gas door latch is supposed to look like? I'm fairly sure this one's busted b/fc you need to close it with a credit card, but I don't know what it's supposed to look like. Searching turns up photos of a latch part that's obviously missing but I don't see how it fits into what's left over on the truck.

6. On the right (pass.) side of the trans hump there is a ball stud and a cut-off 4 or 5 wire harness. What was here? The wiring could have been from a nav system or CD player or something, but the ball stud worries me that it wasn't.

Thanks a lot, more questions to follow.

Darel

 

I will try to tackle a couple of these questions for you.

1. I don't know how you would tell by just looking at the vehicle what kind of fuel the previous owner used. You can probably tell when you drive it if it is sluggish and really powerless. Seafoam works great. I've run it through in the fuel tank and have read of others sucking it in with a vacuum hose to clean the intake side. I believe using the vacuum hose coming off the PCV on the valve cover works great. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

2. Air suspension tends to develop leaks in the airbags or the pump fails. I can't remember the name of the company at the moment but there are replacement airbags with lifetime warranty for a lot less than OEM replacements. Or the rear can be converted to coil and eliminate the air suspension problems.

3. Overall, if maintained, these are reliable vehicles. But they tend to be maintenance intensive.

Really have no idea on the other stuff. Reading back over this I guess that it really isn't much help. I don't know a lot about the DIIs but just passing on the little bit of vague information I have learned from reading on this forum. Basically just regurgitating what others have said.

 

No there is no way to tell if the PO used the correct gas or not.
Yes the SLS is problematic, but not as much as the 3 amigos, do a search for them
No there is no dipstick for the tranny, only a fill/check plug on the side.
The cd changer is under the pss seat.
The wimdpw regulators are a problem, so are the power door lock actuators.
On DII's head gaskets around 90k.
The front driveshaft must be rebuilt.
I cant think of anything else right now.