Hello Discovery II forum members. I'm brand new to this forum but have been following it for about 2 weeks now. I've been doing as much reading as I could regarding what's required to maintain the Disco in reliable running condition.

I currently have a BMW 850 V12, an X5 V8 (actually fiancee's), and a Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 (all of which I do work on my own).

I am thinking about selling the Jeep and replace it with a Discovery II. Just like you fine members on here, I too have been admiring the Disco for a very long time but never made the move to buy one (mainly because it's slower than other SUVs I have looked at and the many troubles that English cars are known for).

Anyways, I am not a mechanic by trade but have tinkered around enough to feel confident. As long as there's decent write-ups, I can follow the instructions and get through most jobs.

I read that these V8s are not the strongest and tend to overheat easily.
For now, I can only afford a Disco with fairly high miles (90K +) and I am afraid I may do down the path of having to rebuild the heads due to HG failures or even oil pump failures on the 2003 models...?

If per say the HG is replaced on a 4.0 or 4.6 motor with 100K miles, will it be logical to assume the next big job like that will be around the next 100K miles mark (granted proper care/maintenance is done)?

I'm leaning towards an HSE model (4.6) as I have a boat and though the extra HP and torque would certainly come in handy towing it up hills.

How many of you tow boats with your Disco and does it struggle going up the hills? My boat including trailer weighs around 3500lbs.

Best regards,

Chris

 

3500 pound is well under the capacity.

Probably won't have a repeat of the HG problem every 100K. Next items frequently mentioned after 100K are water pump (1 hour and one part), and oil pump (may as well do WP at same time, and timing chain). rebuild drive shafts if not zerk equipped and lubed at each oil change.

Temperature is the enemy, and unlike many other vehicles, Land Rover does the thinking for you. The coolant temp sensor is monitord by the ECM, and some engineer somewhere decided that for a wide range of temps, they would make the gauge read at 9:00. So when it starts creeping above that, owners think it is just a little warm. On other cars, you would have seen this warming, and would realize that you are now at the top edge of the allowable coolant temp. The gauge is really an idiot light with a pointer. A data reading scanner will show you what is really happening.

If you can arrange indy inspection of a vehicle, it will be worth the hour or so of labor before purchase.

You can use sites like www.statewidelist.com to searh all of craigslist for your state, and output all Rovers grouped by city.

Our site has free download of the factory tech manual set, callled the RAVE, below. Also in the techncial section you will find things to look for on purchase of a D1 or D2, plus maintenance items you'll need to do.

 

Does your boat trailer have brakes?

 

So I read others have put in aftermarket temperature reader for higher accuracy. That shouldn't be too hard to do other than getting the right parts together.

Yes, I also see the drive shaft issue is a big deal with these cars and can be very costly if neglected.

As for replacing of the head gaskets, the RAVE manual instructions look quite involved and can be intimidating. I have never attempted to pull motor heads so would this be a job left for a competent mechanic? I have pulled my 850 motor out, dropped the transmission, etc., etc. and the bulk of that work was assisted by a family member who's a shop owner. Am I over ambitiously to think a weekend DIY like myself can tackle this job?

Thanks,

Chris

 

Hi Jafir,

No, the trailer does not have trailer brakes. I'm hoping perhaps my next boat will have that feature.

Chris

 

if you can pull the motor and tranny on your 850, pulling the heads on a LR are not going to be a big deal.
Whats needed a some basic tools, very few of what I would label as specialty tools, a copy on the RAVE and a clean place to work.
The only thing is youre are not going to do it in a weekend if you are sending the the head out to be shaved, you can do it in two days just not back to back, unless you have a machinist on call.

 

Then according to the chart in the owner's manual, 3500 lbs is more than double the towing capacity when using a trailer without brakes.

 

Rated capacity aside, a 3500lb trailer will be very noticible. Now I have not towed with my '04(4.6), I use my '98(4.0). But even with a utility trailer and 4-wheeler, it can be a little taxing on hills. Towing my boat, I do not have trailer brakes either, but I only live a 1/2 mile from the lake. Just plan you're stops REALLY well.

 

Sorry, I did assume that you had trailer brakes and would need a controller, etc. Some states have laws for trailers as low as 1500 pounds needing brakes. Physics lets people get into trouble, you only need about 50 pounds of force to keep a rolling load of 1000 pounds moving on a flat surface, so a lawn mower can move a boat in a parking lot. It's when you have to stop, make an off ramp, head up the hills, and deal with slime covered ramps that you get into trouble. See attached chart, max un-braked weight is 1650 pounds.

 

I'm a tile contractor in CA and use my 2003 to tow a dual axle cargo trailer with electric breaks nearly every day for work. Everything in tile is heavy. We have some significant grades in the Malibu area and she trucks up them with relative ease.

If your trailer is set up properly, the truck will tow beautifully.... the wheel base is long enough to be stable, yet short enough to complement maneuvering in tight spaces. For the most part, I forget the rig is behind me.