New Owner - A Few Issues and Some Questions
#1
10-14-2008, 11:52 PM
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New Owner - A Few Issues and Some Questions
I made the jump from my 1995 Passat GLS (2.0 I4 with 4 speed auto - wouldn't win a race against a petrified snail, but it was damn frugal on gas) to a 2002 Discovery SE. Finding a decent Discovery wasn't an easy task, but hopefully the one I bought turns out to be a winner. I didn't get any service records with this one, unfortunately, but the CarFax report I ran showed that this truck was serviced at a qualified Land Rover dealer in Chicago pretty often. Taking a 20 mpg hit in mileage isn't exactly the greatest decision considering gas prices (thankfully they're dropping for now...), but I'm excited to finally have 4WD and ABS at my disposal in the upcoming Wisconsin winter. Hopefully I'll be able do a bit of off-roading in Wisconsin as well.
Anyways, I had a few questions and a couple of issues I'd like to take care of:
Center Diff Lock - I read here that the later Disco IIs were available with a center diff lock. Was this an optional feature or was it standard? How can I tell if I have it (from the looks of it, I don't). If indeed I do not have this option, is it entirely out of the question to attempt to retrofit it to my truck?
Tires - I've got the 18" wheels. They look great, but they really aren't all that practical in my opinion. If I come across a set of 16" Disco wheels, I may pick 'em up, but in the mean time, I'll stick with the 18" set. The stock tire size is a 255/55/18, but in the interest of fuel cost and tire cost, is there narrower tire I can select? I need to get a set of tires before winter hits, as my truck is currently fitted with Toyo summer tires (I have no idea why, but that's what it came with).
Is there a company that makes aftermarket wheels for the Disco II? I looked on TireRack, but the only compatible wheel they show is in the wrong direction - a 19" wheel.
Wiper Blades - I already made the mistake of buying the Rain-X blades at Wal-Mart. The guide showed that only the Rain-X would fit - how the hell did the came up with that? I ordered a set of blades from Expedition Exchange, but they can't come soon enough. Is there any chance my local Rover dealer may carry a non-oem replacement blade?
Spark Plugs - Any recommended brand? Plugs to avoid? Anyone had experience with those new PulseStar plugs (they look like a gimmick to me, but if they work, I'd consider installing them).
Maintenance - I've got the owner's manual, however; does anyone recommend a service manual here? Any tips on what I should go ahead and service right away (preventative maintenance)?
And finally...
Rear Air Suspension - I've attempted to read up on it a bit here, but I have a sporadic issue with mine. I didn't realize the truck had it when I bought it, but the suspension is showing its ugly face now. Occasionally, more sporadic than anything, the rear the of truck will drop all the way down - sometimes more on the right side. I was outside attempting to change the wiper blades when it happened tonight. The engine had been shut down for about 20 minutes when suddenly the right rear air spring seemed to deflate - it was fully dropped within 30 seconds I'd say. When I had the truck parked at work during the day, it was fine for the whole day. It was fine over night last night as well (temperature dropped 30 degrees too...). Is this just a consequence of having the air suspension, or should I start diagnosing the issue soon and resolve it? I'll most likely be doing a lot of towing next summer, so the idea of having a load leveling suspension is nice, but if it's gonna be maintenance nightmare, I wouldn't be adverse to a coil setup.
Anyways, I had a few questions and a couple of issues I'd like to take care of:
Center Diff Lock - I read here that the later Disco IIs were available with a center diff lock. Was this an optional feature or was it standard? How can I tell if I have it (from the looks of it, I don't). If indeed I do not have this option, is it entirely out of the question to attempt to retrofit it to my truck?
Tires - I've got the 18" wheels. They look great, but they really aren't all that practical in my opinion. If I come across a set of 16" Disco wheels, I may pick 'em up, but in the mean time, I'll stick with the 18" set. The stock tire size is a 255/55/18, but in the interest of fuel cost and tire cost, is there narrower tire I can select? I need to get a set of tires before winter hits, as my truck is currently fitted with Toyo summer tires (I have no idea why, but that's what it came with).
Is there a company that makes aftermarket wheels for the Disco II? I looked on TireRack, but the only compatible wheel they show is in the wrong direction - a 19" wheel.
Wiper Blades - I already made the mistake of buying the Rain-X blades at Wal-Mart. The guide showed that only the Rain-X would fit - how the hell did the came up with that? I ordered a set of blades from Expedition Exchange, but they can't come soon enough. Is there any chance my local Rover dealer may carry a non-oem replacement blade?
Spark Plugs - Any recommended brand? Plugs to avoid? Anyone had experience with those new PulseStar plugs (they look like a gimmick to me, but if they work, I'd consider installing them).
Maintenance - I've got the owner's manual, however; does anyone recommend a service manual here? Any tips on what I should go ahead and service right away (preventative maintenance)?
And finally...
Rear Air Suspension - I've attempted to read up on it a bit here, but I have a sporadic issue with mine. I didn't realize the truck had it when I bought it, but the suspension is showing its ugly face now. Occasionally, more sporadic than anything, the rear the of truck will drop all the way down - sometimes more on the right side. I was outside attempting to change the wiper blades when it happened tonight. The engine had been shut down for about 20 minutes when suddenly the right rear air spring seemed to deflate - it was fully dropped within 30 seconds I'd say. When I had the truck parked at work during the day, it was fine for the whole day. It was fine over night last night as well (temperature dropped 30 degrees too...). Is this just a consequence of having the air suspension, or should I start diagnosing the issue soon and resolve it? I'll most likely be doing a lot of towing next summer, so the idea of having a load leveling suspension is nice, but if it's gonna be maintenance nightmare, I wouldn't be adverse to a coil setup.
#2
10-15-2008, 01:05 AM
RE: New Owner - A Few Issues and Some Questions
I'm going to pick and choose what to respond to as I'm fairly new to this as well. If I were you I'd keep the 18's, especially if they're hurricanes. But, if you really have to get rid of them you could post in the Classified section. You may even be able to find a local member that will be willing to trade or work a deal, heck, I would! I havent seen many aftermarket rims available. Search the site for "parts suppliers" and there are some great lists.
As for the wiper blades, I just bought some refill inserts and trimmed them to the appropriate size, pretty easy to do and they have hung in there. For Spark Plugs DiscoMike recommends Bosch Platium Plus 4's, which I use as well. Do another search for "60K Service", there is PRICELESS information in there, actually it's not priceless, it's very expensive if you DON'T do it! And by the way the RAVE CD is the bible of shop books. I found a website where you can download it free:http://www.landroverresource.com/. It'll work for Mac and PC (And keep a back up!). Hope all this helps!
As for the wiper blades, I just bought some refill inserts and trimmed them to the appropriate size, pretty easy to do and they have hung in there. For Spark Plugs DiscoMike recommends Bosch Platium Plus 4's, which I use as well. Do another search for "60K Service", there is PRICELESS information in there, actually it's not priceless, it's very expensive if you DON'T do it! And by the way the RAVE CD is the bible of shop books. I found a website where you can download it free:http://www.landroverresource.com/. It'll work for Mac and PC (And keep a back up!). Hope all this helps!
#3
10-15-2008, 07:13 AM
Mudding
RE: New Owner - A Few Issues and Some Questions
My best advice for you is to use the search feature here, using the keywords such as spark plugs, wiper blades, CDL, maintenance list etc. You will find an enormous amount of information in a short amount of time. Also search for RAVE, a cd in pdf format of the factory service manual - this will give you most of everything you will need to repair your Landy (along with occasional help from many fine experts here).
#4
10-15-2008, 10:34 AM
Recovery Vehicle
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RE: New Owner - A Few Issues and Some Questions
ORIGINAL: LambChop
I made the jump from my 1995 Passat GLS (2.0 I4 with 4 speed auto - wouldn't win a race against a petrified snail, but it was damn frugal on gas) to a 2002 Discovery SE. Finding a decent Discovery wasn't an easy task, but hopefully the one I bought turns out to be a winner. I didn't get any service records with this one, unfortunately, but the CarFax report I ran showed that this truck was serviced at a qualified Land Rover dealer in Chicago pretty often. Taking a 20 mpg hit in mileage isn't exactly the greatest decision considering gas prices (thankfully they're dropping for now...), but I'm excited to finally have 4WD and ABS at my disposal in the upcoming Wisconsin winter. Hopefully I'll be able do a bit of off-roading in Wisconsin as well.
Anyways, I had a few questions and a couple of issues I'd like to take care of:
Center Diff Lock - I read here that the later Disco IIs were available with a center diff lock. Was this an optional feature or was it standard? How can I tell if I have it (from the looks of it, I don't). If indeed I do not have this option, is it entirely out of the question to attempt to retrofit it to my truck?
Tires - I've got the 18" wheels. They look great, but they really aren't all that practical in my opinion. If I come across a set of 16" Disco wheels, I may pick 'em up, but in the mean time, I'll stick with the 18" set. The stock tire size is a 255/55/18, but in the interest of fuel cost and tire cost, is there narrower tire I can select? I need to get a set of tires before winter hits, as my truck is currently fitted with Toyo summer tires (I have no idea why, but that's what it came with).
Is there a company that makes aftermarket wheels for the Disco II? I looked on TireRack, but the only compatible wheel they show is in the wrong direction - a 19" wheel.
Wiper Blades - I already made the mistake of buying the Rain-X blades at Wal-Mart. The guide showed that only the Rain-X would fit - how the hell did the came up with that? I ordered a set of blades from Expedition Exchange, but they can't come soon enough. Is there any chance my local Rover dealer may carry a non-oem replacement blade?
Spark Plugs - Any recommended brand? Plugs to avoid? Anyone had experience with those new PulseStar plugs (they look like a gimmick to me, but if they work, I'd consider installing them).
Maintenance - I've got the owner's manual, however; does anyone recommend a service manual here? Any tips on what I should go ahead and service right away (preventative maintenance)?
And finally...
Rear Air Suspension - I've attempted to read up on it a bit here, but I have a sporadic issue with mine. I didn't realize the truck had it when I bought it, but the suspension is showing its ugly face now. Occasionally, more sporadic than anything, the rear the of truck will drop all the way down - sometimes more on the right side. I was outside attempting to change the wiper blades when it happened tonight. The engine had been shut down for about 20 minutes when suddenly the right rear air spring seemed to deflate - it was fully dropped within 30 seconds I'd say. When I had the truck parked at work during the day, it was fine for the whole day. It was fine over night last night as well (temperature dropped 30 degrees too...). Is this just a consequence of having the air suspension, or should I start diagnosing the issue soon and resolve it? I'll most likely be doing a lot of towing next summer, so the idea of having a load leveling suspension is nice, but if it's gonna be maintenance nightmare, I wouldn't be adverse to a coil setup.
I made the jump from my 1995 Passat GLS (2.0 I4 with 4 speed auto - wouldn't win a race against a petrified snail, but it was damn frugal on gas) to a 2002 Discovery SE. Finding a decent Discovery wasn't an easy task, but hopefully the one I bought turns out to be a winner. I didn't get any service records with this one, unfortunately, but the CarFax report I ran showed that this truck was serviced at a qualified Land Rover dealer in Chicago pretty often. Taking a 20 mpg hit in mileage isn't exactly the greatest decision considering gas prices (thankfully they're dropping for now...), but I'm excited to finally have 4WD and ABS at my disposal in the upcoming Wisconsin winter. Hopefully I'll be able do a bit of off-roading in Wisconsin as well.
Anyways, I had a few questions and a couple of issues I'd like to take care of:
Center Diff Lock - I read here that the later Disco IIs were available with a center diff lock. Was this an optional feature or was it standard? How can I tell if I have it (from the looks of it, I don't). If indeed I do not have this option, is it entirely out of the question to attempt to retrofit it to my truck?
Tires - I've got the 18" wheels. They look great, but they really aren't all that practical in my opinion. If I come across a set of 16" Disco wheels, I may pick 'em up, but in the mean time, I'll stick with the 18" set. The stock tire size is a 255/55/18, but in the interest of fuel cost and tire cost, is there narrower tire I can select? I need to get a set of tires before winter hits, as my truck is currently fitted with Toyo summer tires (I have no idea why, but that's what it came with).
Is there a company that makes aftermarket wheels for the Disco II? I looked on TireRack, but the only compatible wheel they show is in the wrong direction - a 19" wheel.
Wiper Blades - I already made the mistake of buying the Rain-X blades at Wal-Mart. The guide showed that only the Rain-X would fit - how the hell did the came up with that? I ordered a set of blades from Expedition Exchange, but they can't come soon enough. Is there any chance my local Rover dealer may carry a non-oem replacement blade?
Spark Plugs - Any recommended brand? Plugs to avoid? Anyone had experience with those new PulseStar plugs (they look like a gimmick to me, but if they work, I'd consider installing them).
Maintenance - I've got the owner's manual, however; does anyone recommend a service manual here? Any tips on what I should go ahead and service right away (preventative maintenance)?
And finally...
Rear Air Suspension - I've attempted to read up on it a bit here, but I have a sporadic issue with mine. I didn't realize the truck had it when I bought it, but the suspension is showing its ugly face now. Occasionally, more sporadic than anything, the rear the of truck will drop all the way down - sometimes more on the right side. I was outside attempting to change the wiper blades when it happened tonight. The engine had been shut down for about 20 minutes when suddenly the right rear air spring seemed to deflate - it was fully dropped within 30 seconds I'd say. When I had the truck parked at work during the day, it was fine for the whole day. It was fine over night last night as well (temperature dropped 30 degrees too...). Is this just a consequence of having the air suspension, or should I start diagnosing the issue soon and resolve it? I'll most likely be doing a lot of towing next summer, so the idea of having a load leveling suspension is nice, but if it's gonna be maintenance nightmare, I wouldn't be adverse to a coil setup.
You should switch to the 16" wheels. Maybe try to find someone on CL that will do an even trade 18" for 16". You get more sidewall on the 16's, better and cheaper tire selection. You'll have a hard time finding after market wheels with the D2's bolt pattern, 5 on 120mm (4.72").
Blades at the dealer are expensive. I'm assuming you got the SilBlades from EE. I have not used them but will try them out when the time comes.
Spark plugs and wires, go with Bosch Platinum +2 or +4, or the stock Champion's. And use 8mm Magnecor wires.
Download the RAVE it has the owner's manual and workshop book you can read on your pc. You should look into getting a printed version for the truck too. Do the 60K service, and expect a few other repairs to pop up. If you keep up on the preventative maintenence you'll have a great running truck.
You can do a switchover to coils. After inflating the airbags, spray them with soapy water. Any leaks will cause bubbles to appear and can help to determine what is wrong with the system. If you want to keep the bags I'd get 3 of them from Arnott. Keep the other one in the truck. It's pretty easy to swap out a bag on the trail than to ride home on the bumpstops. DiscoMike has airbags and swears by them.
#5
10-15-2008, 10:55 AM
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RE: New Owner - A Few Issues and Some Questions
I've been using the search feature, but it doesn't always work so well. For example, were I to search for "wiper blades", your post below would pop up, and that's exactly what happens during most of my searches - I get responses that say "search for these terms...". Don't take it the wrong way, I'm not trying to be critical, just looking for the easy way out on finding information 
.
I'll check out the RAVE CD though. I prefer the PDFs, then I can just print out the information I need.
I just realized I have an owner's manual to a '95 Discovery. I need to find one for an '02- any recommended place to find one?
.I'll check out the RAVE CD though. I prefer the PDFs, then I can just print out the information I need.
I just realized I have an owner's manual to a '95 Discovery. I need to find one for an '02- any recommended place to find one?
ORIGINAL: 2000 Disco 2 SD7
My best advice for you is to use the search feature here, using the keywords such as spark plugs, wiper blades, CDL, maintenance list etc. You will find an enormous amount of information in a short amount of time. Also search for RAVE, a cd in pdf format of the factory service manual - this will give you most of everything you will need to repair your Landy (along with occasional help from many fine experts here).
My best advice for you is to use the search feature here, using the keywords such as spark plugs, wiper blades, CDL, maintenance list etc. You will find an enormous amount of information in a short amount of time. Also search for RAVE, a cd in pdf format of the factory service manual - this will give you most of everything you will need to repair your Landy (along with occasional help from many fine experts here).
#8
10-15-2008, 01:25 PM
RE: New Owner - A Few Issues and Some Questions
You can usually get on owners manual off of eBay. And the only advice I can give on the use of search is keep trying it. You will get used to it and it will be easier to find what you're looking for. As much as I would love it, you're not going to be able to type in a term and then have a diagram with an arrow pointing to what you want. That is what the RAVE is for, and you can search that too...
That website I sent you to in an earlier post has the RAVE in .pdf.
That website I sent you to in an earlier post has the RAVE in .pdf.
#9
10-15-2008, 01:54 PM
Recovery Vehicle
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#10
10-15-2008, 05:25 PM
Rock Crawling
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RE: New Owner - A Few Issues and Some Questions
Going to a smaller tire won't really affect your MPG very much. Unless you plan on some difficult off roading (like we have in Colorado) I would stick with the 18 inch wheels and run General Grabber AT2 tires in the 255/60r18 size. This size is an inch taller (1/2 inch more ground clearance) and should not noticeably affect your MPG.
Cheers,
Pete
) I would stick with the 18 inch wheels and run General Grabber AT2 tires in the 255/60r18 size. This size is an inch taller (1/2 inch more ground clearance) and should not noticeably affect your MPG. Cheers,
Pete