Disco 2 - first 6 months update

BMWJNKY

Member
Nice info you have here. I'm looking to get my 3rd D2 when my Land Cruiser sells. I don't know what it is about them but they keep drawing me back. My 80 series will outperform a D2 in every way off road but lately I've only gotten to the trails about 4 times in 2016 and want something with more comfort on road. Hearing your stories is almost on par with the combined repairs my first 2 needed other than a radiator and radio. The clock bulb is annoying but I found if you use plastic membership cards they fit better than credit cards because they are usually thinner and make removal easier if it goes out again. Also if yours doesn't have heated seat almost all the pieces are already installed other than the switches. All you have to do is get the 2 switches for seat heaters from the recycler or new if you want and the switch plate that has the cutouts for them. I did this on my second D2 and it took about 5 min total time.
 

Longtallsally

Adventurer
Yeah, that "small access hole" is what resulted in my extendable screwdriver... I must have done it right, -6f this morning and she runs like a champ. good luck!

Yeah I found the hole yesterday, but it was 0F even this morning (-16F with the wind chill) and although the garage is staying over freezing, I honestly don't feel like dealing with it.

I'm going nuts to get to drive it (stupid CANBUS keeps turning off the heated seats in the Jeep) but have a trainload of little things to sort out (including the clock light). I've got all the parts to do it, but it's just too daggon cold and I don't feel like it. The best part is that I'm really staying in a tight budget. It will sound like a lot, but I'll have between $1-1.5k into it to make everything good and that includes a bunch of cosmetic fixes and moderately pricey things like the radiator and 3 amigos fixes. It will even get me a new bluetooth head unit. That will put me at $7k total and it will have darn near brand new tires brakes, cooling system, head gaskets, front cover, $1100 roof rack, and a bunch of other things. All told, I think I'm at a plenty acceptable investment for a 4th car.
 

Maddmatt

Explorer
8? Months update

Just to keep this thread current, so I can keep track of my obsession all in one place:

New Tires: BFG ATs in stock size 255/55/18: $968. I know I said the tires were fine, but we had an ice storm, and the rover had to fully engage traction control to get up my 20 foot long, barely sloping driveway into the garage. The same driveway that the Xterra walked up in 2-wheel drive. So the tires had to go. With my wife and one daughter, soon to be two daughters, driving this vehicle, in a place that can go from 70 degrees to 12" of snow on the ground in 24 hours - I don't mess around with tires. The BFGs have been great to me on many trucks - although I do find the Goodyear Duratracs to be amazing in the snow. Unfortunately they don't make them in this size - my local Discount has been really good to me over the years (and me to them) and they brought in the Duratracs in the next size up and test fit - but they rubbed considerably. So I went with the BFGs - looks pretty good...
Rover Tires.jpg

Then - I almost thought I had a major issue yesterday - stopped to get a coffee, and when I came out there was obvious coolant dripping from the engine - scary moment but it turns out that the lower radiator hose had come loose. Totally my fault, must have forgotten to check when I put the new radiator, and this hose, in a couple months ago. 10 minutes, $12 worth of coolant and feeling pretty lucky. Since I put that radiator in, I've driven through deep snow, up to ski areas, through city traffic..... basically 1,000+ miles of driving, that hose could have popped off anywhere. Very lucky it happened at the coffee shop 1 mile from my house.

Next issue: Very slow brake fluid leak. I'm feeling like its coming from the junction between the master cylinder and the brake fluid reservoir. Probably take it to a shop for this one, after doing some on-line investigation I'm thinking I'll never get the brakes bled properly when I'm done. Will update after that is complete.
 
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Howski

Well-known member
The brake leak at the MC and reservoir is a common problem. The o rings go bad, causing the leak. All of the typical Rover vendors sell a rebuild kit and there's videos available online. It's not too tough of a process if you have another set of hands to help you bleed
 

Maddmatt

Explorer
1 year update - Closing the loop.

So with old trucks, you win some, you lose some. I've definitely won in the past- this Discovery experiment will be remembered as my loss.

I've owned a lot of old trucks - I once bought a 3rd generation 4runner with 169k on the clock, drove it for another 110k doing nothing but oil and tires, and still got something on the trade-in 8 years later. That was a win. I bought a used Subaru Outback for $13k, drove it 4 years, and sold it for $10k cash, to a mechanic, who pointed out to me that it was going to need new front axles, but it would be easier for him to fix than me - that was a win.

I've never seen a car fall apart as fast, or as completely as this Rover. Which is killing me, as I love to drive it. There is zero rust, zero scratches, zero tears in the upholstery - the engine pulls strong with none of the dreaded slipped-liner ticking.... absolutely one of my favorite cars to drive, and we've put over 12k miles on it in the last year. But we have reached the point in the journey where the work is over my head, and beyond my checkbook.

A year ago, this was a truck with no visible leaks - today we are leaking coolant from all 4 corners of the head gaskets, from the timing cover, leaking oil from the timing cover, and leaking steering fluid from the power steering pump.

So that's about $7k to get it back on the road - which I might actually consider, but the 3-amigos came back this week, after many months of silence (thought I fixed that) - and it's $7k into an engine that already has 140k miles on it.

I wish I hadn't put new tires on it - would love to have that money back about now.

So I'm thinking this pristine body and interior Discovery II is headed for the crusher. For $7k I can get a much more reliable SUV for the kids to drive, and not have the 3 amigos, or whatever else the next punishment will be, hanging over my head. Sometimes you have to know when you're beat.

Anybody interested in a beautiful Discovery II body and interior let me know, I'll give you a great deal.....
-Matt
 

Longtallsally

Adventurer
Oh man I feel so bad for you. You were an inspiration to me when I saw what you were able to accomplish.

Sadly, I'm in the same boat, as the young kids and the purchase of an old Class A motorhome will take up my tinkering and spare time. I've got a couple more small issues to sort out (yep, the Amigos came to me as well- but I know what it is since I got a proper code reader) and I've been battling the P1117 or 1118 code for months, but I'm kinda done.

HOWEVER, I truly can't complain: never left me stranded, AC (both units) worked perfectly through 2 months of at or around 100F temps outside, and we've hauled a slew of stuff on the rack and inside. It's got the typical small oil drip, but thanks to running a phone app to make absolutely certain the temps are kept in check, it is still a very healthy motor.

But when a rock got kicked up and created a 12" smashed spot in the windshield (sadly very common here in UT for whatever reason- the Jeep has a crack too) I kinda was done. I've missed driving the Jeep, and the Disco is too scary to have sit in rush hour traffic with the temp concerns (I've never done it and wouldn't). So I'll put a few hundred more into it to finish sorting the stuff that needs sorting and then take a couple thousand dollar bath on it.

I knew that would happen going in and I'm really glad I engaged in the exercise, but like you I guess I got worn down over time.
 

MLu

Adventurer
I've had a lot of small and big and borderline disastrous things go wrong with my disco, but the engine itself has proven to be *knock on virtual wood* pretty much problem free. You do get used to the various little drips, it's how you know there's still oil in it. When it stops dripping is when you have a problem. [EDIT: come to think of it, I almost gave up on mine about a year in after a bunch of expensive fixes, but the burn rate has since been put on a low simmer]

Anyway, in your situation I probably would be doing the same. (Or maybe keep it and throw a TD5 in it if I had the time, resources and inclination...) It's not the kind of vehicle I'd be comfortable letting my kid drive. Mainly since he's three months old, but also as a first vehicle it not only requires the ability to fix things with duct tape and bailing wire, basic electrical skills and other troubleshooting abilities... actually, come to think of it, it's the perfect first vehicle. You can't go fast, and you just need to tell them that the frame is steel, body is aluminium, roll it and you're toast.
 
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Maddmatt

Explorer
I appreciate the moral support - spent yesterday afternoon looking at replacement vehicles, no shortage of seemingly reliable, safe SUV's out there for what the repair bill on this one will be, but I sure didn't like any of them as much as I like the Rover.

Honestly, if the ECU would communicate with a code reader, I would seriously be considering bitting the bullet and doing this repair - but even after all this work I won't have any way to monitor things.... with my luck I would be on the way home from getting the new heads put on, and the transmission will seize - just because it feels like it... probably is time to quit throwing good money after bad
 

eloist

Adventurer
You should look at LR3's if you're willing to consider another Rover.

Ours has had a few issues here and there, but nothing crazy.
It's an amazing vehicle.
 

kcabpilot

Observer
A couple of wild guesses here but it sounds as if it's a possibility that the "Audi mechanic" may have reused the head bolts when he did the gaskets which is something you can't do since they are torque to yield type bolts.

When you did the 3 Amigos fix did you do the PCB bypass or did you just replace the switches? The problem is most often a broken trace in the embedded circuit card which is very easily bypassed with a couple of wires.

I said this earlier but remain convinced that your OBD2 comm problem is almost certainly a bad connection to the plug. There are 4 or 5 wires from ECU to connector.

It's a shame you have to throw in the towel after getting this far invested but it's your call. If you were closer I'd be interested in the truck but there are a bunch of big mountains between us. Good luck with whatever path you take.
 

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