I just replaced the air in the tires with synthetic air, increases the MPG

OP - If I recall correctly, you were selling parts that you recovered from the local junk yard. There were issues that you didn't know what parts fit what years of Disco's. My suggestion is to read more on this forum. There will be up front cost and going forward cost to keep the truck running.

 

 

How can you afford gas for the car? You're broke. You have no business driving this car until you earn your big boy pants. It's just going to end up scrapped after 1-2 years.

If something at the Junkyard has a good running engine in need of a tranny and a few other things you MIGHT be able to pull it off with 6k and mechanical skills. But
If you buy something from a Junkyard you're going on second hand information.

You have to spend mad amounts of time repairing it, or paying someone to repair it. And good luck finding someone QUALIFIED to to repair it. I've gotten screwed and ripped off so many times before finding a "good mechanic" (the words are an oxymoron for most).

I realize you want the car but you will need to have an income stream and/or mechanics skills to get it and more importantly KEEP it running. Anything at the junkyard was owned by someone who could not or would not take care of the car and now it's junk. That's why it's there.

 

The problem with Co-Part is that they don't have test tracks. On the other hand, most of the dealer only auctions such as ABC and Manheim have test tracks and let you drive to your hearts content.

Also, you don't really want a dealer "friend" taking you there. Just show up. Every dealer there will be wearing a badge. Stick out your hand, shake, introduce yourself, and offer a Dealer $100 for allowing you to bid on 1 vehicle.

NOTE: you'll have to pay in cash for the vehicle that same day if you win.

So go early, make your Dealer $100 deal, and test drive the inventory. Each of the large Dealer auctions will have a couple of Disco 2s each week. If you don't find the perfect truck, just go back the next week. No reason to rush into a $ mistake.


With that in mind, go on eBay or Amazon and buy your $4 ELM327. Download the "OBD Car Doctor Free" app for your Android phone. Bring a paper towel and a mirror on a stick (about $7 at every auto parts store). While you are in the auto parts store, buy an engine block coolant exhaust gas test strip.

Prior to each test drive, check underneath the Disco 2 to insure that it isn't rusted out. Large rust repairs are out of your scope of experience/$.

Note if the vehicle has any off road "extras" such as steel bumpers, Lift kit, roof rack, rear ladder, spare jerry can, offroad lights, snorkel, etc.

A truck that doesn't need repainting saves you $.

A truck that already has decent rubber saves you on tire $.

Note the major leaks/areas. It's British. It leaks unless it's empty.

Pop the hood and check the fluids. Is the oil at the proper fill level and clear or light brown? Is it low and dirty black? Smell it. If it smells like rotten eggs there may be a head gasket or cracked block issue. Put your exhaust gas test strip into the coolant. See if it changes color.

Is the coolant topped up? Squeeze the radiator hoses if they are cool-enough to touch safely.

Now install your ELM327 under the cockpit dash on the OBD2 port. Run your app. Start the truck. Connect the app.

How is the idle?

Do the radiator hoses immediately get hard, or can you still squeeze them?

Look underneath. Any new/major leaks?

Close the hood. Go for a test drive. Test the brakes first at 5mph or less...don't want to get burned on your test drive learning that the brakes don't work. Use your emergency brake at 4mph. Same.

Listen/feel for any driveshaft vibrations between 10mph and 20 mph, especially when turning. Shocks OK? Power steering working? Cruise control works?

What coolant temp is your app showing?

Check the "Fuel Status" to verify that the truck is in "Closed Loop" mode while idling.

How did the driver seat do? Not worn out? Interior OK? Test your headlights, blinkers, and radio. Electrics OK? Windows roll up/down? Sunroofs?

Turn on the A/C.

Any leaks from the heater core into the cockpit/floorboard?

No funky clunks or difficulties shifting P to R to D?

Note the mileage and which warning lights are on, in the dash.

Finally, check the error codes (take a screen snap) shown on the app.




If your vehicle looks good after all of the above, then go bid on it. It will have a lane # and a sequence # in grease paint on the windshield so that you know where to go wait for it to come up for bid.

Don't take the "Sucker Bid." That's the first super-high price that the auctioneer will always shout out, looking to catch people who really want the vehicle. After he throws out the Sucker Bid, the auctioneer will drop his asking price once or twice. Now you can bid. Be careful to not bid against yourself. Just because the auctioneer is dancing and pointing at you doesn't mean that you have to raise your own previous bid.

Watch the crowd, not your truck (you already checked it out, it ain't changing). Note who is bidding against you. Don't raise their bid immediately. Wait. Let others bid or let your competition sweat.

Once the auctioneer shouts "Going, Going!" then you can bid again before "Gone." Again, be patient. Tough to do when you *want* a truck!

Good luck!

 

 

Bad bad bad bad idea. As much as i love these truck i cant recommend a college student buy one. Focus on your studies instead of fixing a rover. Buy a domestic for now and get the rover after school and when you have time to fix it/enjoy it. When the truck breaks, and they always do at some point, being a broke college student you wont be able to afford to fix it and it will just sit until you can. And with longer turn around time for parts, you can walk into napa and buy parts like with a domestic instead having to buy online the truck will sit idle for a few days. Wait until after you're done school and get one as a second car.

like the comment before, forget about the 03-04. Get an early D2 like a 99-early01 with the CDL. The 4.6 has a myriad of problems.

 

Thanks for a lot of feedback and suggestions! I really appreciate it.

I am no stranger to repairs and maintenance, as I have been an owner of an abused Ford 500 which was an absolute basket case. Took me a while to sort it out but finally I do have a reliable ride. My labor is about 50/50 myself vs my buddy mechanic. If it's something straightforward, I'd usually do it myself (I have all tools) or just drop it off at my friend's shop if it's tedius and I am in a rush. Being a full-time engineering college student, I don't always have the luxury of being able to spend entire weekend with the car so I've used my mechanic a bit more than I wanted LOL But I get absoltely massive discounts on labor (~25% of any independent shop) so sometimes it is just easier to have my friend do it for me.

It seems that one thing that almost all of you have agreed on is that the choice of the truck is critical. The thing is that I live in a small town in North Texas and I've rarely (if ever) saw a decent D2 for sale that isn't overpriced. I think I will have to get it from a dealer-only auction since it'd be cheaper but the other hand, I'd have to do the inspection on it myself.

There has also been an opinion voiced here that 4.6L is "more delicate" than the 4.0L version. I wonder in what way? Is it more difficult to fix? Parts more expensive?

Thanks a bunch guys!

 

That is tough there is a lot of opinion that the 4.6 was just one step too far, on these engines. But they same engine was used in Ranger Rover classics and they do not seem to get as much negative. But with issues like cracked blocks it would tend to be "more common" in the 4.6 in the Disco as the tooling was getting old and the engine was on it's was out.

BUT the simple issue is it is a 14+ year old truck that needs regular maintenance not fire an forget, and far too many people treated them like a simple Ford /Chev/Nissan/ Toytoa - had an issue and then found out that it was dealer or nobody for most service so they "cheaped it". So lots of iffy poorly looked after trucks out there.

Looked after, and driven correctly they have a pretty long life, there is an 03 around here that is original owner, 250000+ km and runs just fine never had a head gasket or cooling issue. But the owner is a rover nut, drives a series truck himself, does all the maintenance on time and the 03 is the wife/kids truck.

I have seen a metric ton of jeep Cherokees' of the same general age and they are a moving pile of crap, rusty, engines run badly, parts are missing. But they are cheap to buy, parts are plentiful,and the engines are forgiving of bad treatment. The Disco is on the other end expensive, the engine is not forgiving of bad treatment, and parts at least here are hard to find.

 

 

Or the forums. I am a big fan of getting it checked out than flying and driving it home