Hello Everyone:

I am new to the forum and thinking about purchasing a pretty mint condition Land Rover. Its a 2002 Discovery II SE. Has 140K miles on it. Before I buy it I would like to get some expertise on what the common issues are and what to look out for. I did some research in regards to a few issues pertaining to headgaskets and ignition spark plug wires.

I do not much about the Land Rovers, but I come from a background of knowledge on mostly Japanese Vehicles. Mainly Toyota, Honda's and Subarus.

Any help is appreciated it.

Thanks in advance,
Cal

 

Hi Cal, welcome. Would suggest using the search feature. This topic has been covered extensively.

 

What do you need to know about Discos?!

The Good:
FANTASTIC off-road 4x4. Hill Descent is gold. Water fording up to mid-way on the transmission is no problem. Limited slip and traction control work ok. Center Differential lock is available, or can be simulated: https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...ff-lock-85208/

Fantastic AC. Nice seats and decent interiors. Lots of cup-holders!

Everything bolts/unbolts simply. Plus there is plenty of room to maneuver tools, e.g. I just replaced all of the rod bearings in the bottom end of my 4.6 Disco motor without even lifting the truck (just dropped the oil pan and unbolted the rod caps). If you can turn a wrench, there is already an online tutorial for how to fix everything Disco-related.

The 4.0 and 4.6 motors are not Interference motors so a broken timing chain won't blow the rest of your motor.

The Land Rover 5.0 motor is a bolt-in replacement/upgrade (about $6,400 new/rebuilt online).

Your Disco has a 2" trailer hitch receiver built-in, plus a trailer wiring plug connection hidden behind the right rear taillight.

There are multiple aftermarket scanners and programmers that can monitor your Disco's sensors in realtime and change how your Disco is programmed. Hawkeye. Foxwell. TestBook (OEM). Lynx. All plug into your OBD2 port beneath the steering wheel. Some scanners are bluetooth compatible and have an app for your smartphone.


The different:
Discos with navigation need a code for the radio or else they can go into anti-theft mode if your battery dies.
Discos with a dead battery may not be able to naturally shift out of Park (there's a workaround underneath the shift lever, though: https://landroverforums.com/forum/ge...-switch-84870/ ).

Disco fanatics call the Neutral Safety Switch their xyz switch. This is one of the few parts that isn't always available on the cheap, even used (you can open it up and repair it, though).

There's only 1 key-entry location on Discos...your driver door.
You have to press in your ignition key for it to turn to remove it while in Park.

FM antenna is on the driver-side back window.
AM antenna is on the passenger-side back passenger window.

Air intake for the motor is through the driver's front upper fender-well.
Oddball OEM coolant sucks, but is easily replaced.

Rear driveshaft uses a rubber gasket to dampen vibrations...that wears fairly rapidly. Some Disco owners carry a spare in the vehicle as it is easily replaced on the fly.

AC head unit is just held in by press-release side-tabs.

Oil on your crank position sensor, water in your xyz switch, a low battery voltage, or a failed transmission ecu (cheap to replace with used units), or even a blown fuse to your BCU can all cause your Disco to go into 3rd-gear-only limp-home mode (noted on your dash by the flashing M and S lights illuminated).

The cheap/easy/robust fix for the "3 Amigos" ABS warning light problem is known as "Option B" from the GM Hummer forums (same ABS in Hummers & Discos).

Radically higher air pressure for your rear two tires.

2003-2004 High beam headlights are the lower bulbs, aimed up...your Low Beam headlights are higher up on your Disco, aimed down.


The Bad:
Weak engine blocks. Overheating can easily crack a 4.6 or even 4.0 block.
Cylinder sleeves can slip.

Front driveshaft tends to fail only a few hundred miles after lifting an otherwise stock Disco 2" or more (aftermarket workarounds). A greasable front driveshaft from the aftermarket is recommended.

Neutral Safety Switch (oops, xyz switch) wiring can move, breaking the watertight seal...best to not let water into there.

Heater core tends to clog or fail.

Coolant thermostat opens too hot (aftermarket versions open at 82C instead of 88C). Most older Discos run hot, but you don't want these motors to overheat.
Low oil pressure tends to wear motor bearings (and vice versa).

You have to crawl underneath, open bolts, and poke a straw into your front axle differential, center transfer case, automatic transmission, and rear axle differential to check/fill their fluid levels (often neglected by prior owners).

Ignition switch and driver door lock cylinders are long-worn by this point in time.

 

Thanks for the responses, especially you No Doubt. That is very thorough. I will check it through immensely now that I know what I am looking for.

Thanks again,
Cal

 

This could fit under "The Different" section above:

* the side marker lights don't illuminate with the headlights or parking lights, but only light up with their respective-side blinkers.

* a "Hawkeye" OBD2 tool can program the BCU to show that there is no alarm on your Rover.

Likewise, your local Rover dealership has a "Testbook" tool that can do the same.

There are two other ways, probably more, to turn off the "disable" status while still keeping your alarm system, if your Rover has been immobilized by your car alarm.

Each Rover has an "EKA" code that can be entered by turning the key in the driver's door.

Many North American Rovers use the same "EKA" code of 1515 if you have to guess at it (might be in your Owner's Manual if you don't want to guess, or a phone call to Rover with your VIN might elicit your EKA).

1 way is to turn your key in the driver's door to the left/unlock position and hold it for 5 seconds. If you get a beep or the red alarm light inside does something different, then you can enter your EKA.

Turn your key in the driver's door lock to the unlock/left position then back to the center upright position time to enter a 1.

Now turn that key to the LOCK/Right position, then back to the center upright position 5 times to enter a 5.

Turn your key in the driver's door lock to the unlock/left position then back to the center upright position time to enter a 1.

Now turn that key to the LOCK/Right position, then back to the center upright position 5 times to enter a 5.

You've now entered "1515" into your BCU. Hopefully, that's your code to disarm your alarm.

Finally, turn your key 1 time to the unlock, a double bleep will indicate that the code has been entered correctly. A single bleep indicates that the code has been entered incorrectly.

Then, before opening the door, wait 5 minutes for the alarm and immobiliser to be de-activated. During the 5 minute wait for the alarm and immobiliser to be de-activated, the alarm indicator LED in the instrument pack continues to flash (one flash every 2 seconds). DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR OR ATTEMPT TO ENTER THE CAR until the full delay period has elapsed.

When the 5 minute wait has elapsed, the alarm indicator LED stops flashing. Immediately open the door, insert the key in the ignition switch and turn the switch to position II. Do this and if the EKA code is correct your Rover will run normally from now until you accidentally set off your alarm again someday.

Well, if those instructions are correct. And if "1515" is your code. And if your BCU actually behaves the way the manual says it will, etc.

Otherwise, back to the Hawkeye or Testbook tool for you!




...and speaking of door locks, here's how to repair/replace them: https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...e2/#post617503

 

Cal,

The main thing you need to realize is that you are considering purchasing a 15 year old vehicle. You need to acquire copies of the maintenance records for that vehicle so you will know what was maintained and what was not. Regular oil changes by the previous owner are the bare minimum. If not much more than that has been done then you are looking at a lot of issues coming your way.

Assuming not much maintenance done to it (and they mostly never do anything more than the oil and fix something when it breaks) then everything that can wear out in a vehicle is something you will be facing soon. Battery, starter, alternator. Every rubber hose and gasket you can think of. The cooling system, the shocks and the list goes on.

Take a good look at Disco Mike's high mileage sticky on the first page of this forum. And then read the comments to his post, there are a lot of good nuggets in the comments of other owners in that thread. That's a bare minimum of things that you need to do within the first few months of ownership unless you have paperwork showing that the po did it recently.

Not saying any of this to discourage you cause Disco ownership really is the sh*t when they are running right. You just need to know going in that there will be work involved.

I bought mine with 165,000 on it and I've done a ton of work to it. But I expected to have to do all of it, up to and including the head gaskets (which I had the joy of doing two weeks ago). Every day I couldn't drive it really sucked cause they really are fun to drive.

Just go into this eyes wide open and look around some. The best advice I ever read on this forum said to NOT buy the first one you see. I know you are looking at "the one" but you are here for advice so you get to hear mine.

I looked at 16 of them in four states over a four week period of time before I bought mine. In looking at more than one I got familiar with them and after the first four or five I could zero in on things that I had read about here in the forum. You are reading your @ss off on this forum right? 1000 others before you have asked the same question about buying their first Disco and there is gold in the answers that members have provided. Anyway, you get a feel for whether a vehicle is good, bad or ugly after you look at a few of them.

And what you are looking for is the most mechanically sound one you can find. With records to back it up.

If you don't have a OBD code reader then buy one and run the codes on each Rover you look at. There are some clueless people out there and also some shady ones. The trick is to know what you are getting in to.

Then when you find "the one" take it to an independent LR shop (or a dealership if you can't find an indy) and have them do a pre purchase inspection. Cost you about $200 and it will be the absolute best money you have spent in a while. Then you will have a good idea of where you stand with your soon to be new best girl.

One last thing, you do like to work on vehicles right? Cause if you don't then go look at something else. Unless you are a trust fund baby. It's a luxury vehicle from a luxury brand and getting work done on them by other mechanics ranges from really expensive to holy f*ck expensive!!

And when you buy one and have questions come back here and search and read and post. Best group of guys and girls and knowledge about your new best girl on the entire planet by far!

 

Another for "The Different" section:
Switching your A/C display between Celsius and Fahrenheit:
With the climate control turned on, push and hold the recirculation button in and then while holding that recirc button in, push and hold the climate control "Off" button in for ~~ 3 seconds, then the display will flip to saying "C" on the left and "F" on the right...keep holding down those two buttons and the screen will then flip.

Now you can release the buttons. You are done. If your display was in Celsius, then now it is flipped to Fahrenheit. Also the opposite. Vice versa.



Likewise for your A/C is the stock auxiliary electric cooling fan in front of your radiator (behind front grill). It comes on at cold start in the morning for about 30 seconds (a bit like turning on all warning lights in your dash pod prior to starting the motor...as a test) and then should shut off and not turn on again unless your engine coolant exceeds 212F. It also turns on with the a/c on if it's above 83f outside.




Discos have front fog lights that can come on when your parking lights are on. With your front fog lights on, you can turn on your rear trail lights (red, mounted in rear bumper).

 

No Doubt, I can't comment on the V8 as I only owned one for a year or so and I now run a TD5. But the remainder of your summation is perfectly true and can agree.

 

"The Land Rover 5.0 motor is a bolt-in replacement/upgrade (about $6,400 new/rebuilt online)."

What's this now? -Haven't heard about this one yet..

 

Land Rover Engines


and








How I rebuilt mine: https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...e3/#post630082

Multiple options for preventing/fixing "slipped cylinder sleeves" https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...e4/#post657703



and... some products that I'm having good luck using in this Disco 2 (Turbo Maxx in Diffs, TC, and engine oil; Cool Down in radiator):