Off to see an '03....
 

Hi there, new member. Hoping to be a regular user.

I'm a Uk guy living in New York, and am after something to replace the aging Jeep I have. I'm off to see a couple of 03 D2's this week. Be nice to get a bit of the UK back in my life over here, other than tea bags and salad cream!!

Im fully aware of the upkeep of this vehicle. In fact I relish it. The '96 Grand Cherokee im replacing has had me underneath it most weekends. It sounds like both cars are similar in their accessibility.

So, im armed with the Vin numbers to look for with regards to the oil pump thing. I know Im looking for certain things when I look at it. But I still have a couple of questions.

Can anyone tell me/post a photo which lights should be illuminated on the dash at the turn of the ignition key? I want to make sure the seller hasnt removed any warning bulbs, hiding issues.

Even if it has a Vin number of doom, am I to assume i'm pretty safe with a high mileage vehicle. Im looking at 2 vehicles, one with 104k the other with 130k. That issue would surely have come and gone by then, right?

Am I allowed to post links to the adverts for the cars im going to see? Would be great to get other peoples opinions.

Ok. Ive had a great couple of days reading around this forum. Looks like I might be close to taking the plunge.

Thanks for any replies.

Chris.

If it is running fine without codes you should make sure the head gaskets have been done on any truck you buy.

Know going in if you so choose that any 03/04 petrol Disco without the HG's being done will need them soon regardless of low miles. Not cheap unless you can DIY.

Most 03/4 Discos in the "vin range" have been sorted by this point...

Great heads up about the head gaskets. I'm guessing you mean since birth.. Should be fairly easy to spot, the actual gasket, sealer, right? Or if they guy has the service record. The first one, tomorrow has service history to 100k I think.

Any idea about which bulbs to look for on ignition?

Am I right I assume if there are 'any' thrown codes, it is accompanied by a light?

Thanks.

Go to harbor freight and buy a cheap CAN OBDII scanner($40)

You will need a basic scanner at least once you own the car and you should always have one when buying a car.

Detailed service records will always tell you what kind of owner they are. No records? Shave off 1-2k immediately for the catch up service you need to perform and the fact that the vehicle is worth less due to neglect.

Bring some dirty clothes, cardboard to lay on, a flashlight, and some time.

Get under the car and inspect at length. Drive the car for at least 20 minutes, preferably 40 to make sure it doesn't overheat.

I always bring an ultragauge when buying a car as you can see the real time temps. Over 210 and the car is not healthy. 190s and your good.

Never be in a hurry to buy a car. Chances are they need to sell it more than you need to buy it. I'm always amazed at the fact that a better deal is around the corner. Personally I would look at no less than 10 cars before buying, the worst thing that will happen is you will be that much more knowledgable.

I'm always amazed when sellers have dirty oil in their motor, a can of recently purchased r134a refill in the back, small air freshener laying around, those silicate moisture traps, and all the forensic signs of a bad car and negligent owner.

Take your time, be observant, and never buy on the first viewing.

If they have the service records it would be great as I doubt you will be able to tell just by looking if the head gaskets have been done.

Find a generic OBD code list online and print it out to take with you. Take a cheapo parts store code reader with you, then you can check the codes and look them up on the spot (unless the seller has cleared them).
OBD port for connecting your scanner code reader is below the dash on the driver side all the way down right next to the transmission tunnel.

Also,If you have a smart phone you can post the codes to the forum while you are looking at the truck and see if anybody comments or gives you any feedback while you wait. Check for codes after you test drive.

Another thing...if you test drive them, try to test drive for as long as you can so maybe if they have reset erased the codes any may pop back up if you drive it long enough. If it sets a code the CEL will come on and then when you finish the test drive you can check the codes with a scan tool/reader. also by driving longer you can see if it's going to run hot. The in dash temp gauge is crap and you can almost melt the block before it will move off dead center. Use your nose after test driving to see if you get a scent of coolant/antifreeze. If you do smell coolant, take off running, jump into your car and haul a**, never look back...unless the car is $500 to $750.

also get a look at the water/coolant level in the expansion tank before you test drive, then after 30 minutes of driving or so when you park it check the level again....see if it went down any. If it is lower, it went somewhere and not good!

and when you first crank it and before you start driving look back out of your door to see if you see any steam or white smoke is coming from the exhaust.

and check the oil before you start it up to see if it looks milky like any water might be mixed in with the oil.

after your test drive leave the engine running for a few minutes and visually inspect under the hood and on the concrete below the truck mostly for coolant(orange or green) but also for transmission fluid (red or burnt red) and oil (well, you know what oil looks like...or what it should look like). You are mainly checking for leaking coolant (which would be a very bad thing to see) and leaking oil or fluid (bad but, unless dripping alot, not as bad as coolant).
Leaking coolant could mean the truck will need a $1500 head gasket job and the truck even if excellent cosmetically is only worth about $500 to $1,000 tops.

good luck and trust no one! :)

+1 on taking the OBDII scanner.

As for the heads, take a close look beneath the valve covers... Not inside them, just beneath them on the exterior, that is the side of your head.

If the aluminium on the side of the heads looks like it hasn't been touched in 100k miles, then it probably hasn't.

If they still look like bright clean metal then they've not only been changed, but someone likely did it right by taking them to a machine shop.

I have around 25k on my head gasket change, heads were machined and went on all shiny and new looking, and they still look that way.

Beforehand, not so good looking.

On the west coast HG cost is more like $2400 for a full job that includes machining the heads, wires, plugs, hoses, stat, etc.

Thanks for the fantastic replies. Im getting the hint about checking the codes.

Great tips on looking for the HG.

So, here is the listing. 2003 Land Rover Discovery 2 SE7 Vienna Green, Dual AC, No dents Seems the guy is throwing in one of the best code readers/scanners there is. Bearmach (Hawkeye).

He also says the 'heads' were done at 70k. With a full engine rebuild under original warranty.

The cosmetic stuff, door, headliner, im not bothered about. Great write ups here about doing the headliner! Want to heck there isnt a more serious issue why the door doesn't close well.

Can I trust his code reader?

Sounds familiar - I'm a Brit, with a 2003 D2 and a 1996 ZJ but living in Abu Dhabi!

I bought the Discovery about 4 months ago and in its early life it had a replacement engine fitted under warranty - but the recorded engine number doesn't match the 4.6L engine that it has now.

2003s aren't supposed to have a locking centre differential - but mine does, although the VIN confirms it as a 2003 model. I don't know why it has one but I suppose it may be worth your while to check, too.

In terms of working on them, the Discovery is a bit bigger, everything is a bit heavier and other than that they have a lot in common.

Service the cooling system as soon as you get it! New thermostat especially.

Just from experience, don't think if it's got over 70k miles and hasn't blown up that the oil pump is OK. At 82k, mine was exhibiting the low oil pressure 'flicker' at hot idle and reading only 5 or 6 psi...even though it was like 40 to 45 psi at start up. The outer gerotor on the oil pump was broke in three places, the rod bearings were toast and the main bearings were worn below spec, probably to running it with the low oil pressure and a cheap grade of "quickie lube" 10W-30 oil by the PO.


Also, on the '03s (at least the NAS ones), they're always worth less than the '04s due to not having the CDL...even if you don't use it!