wanted a Disco found a Range Rover

[Mrmerlin]

I found a 99 HSE 4.6 99K miles its in pretty nice condition with the following issues
Leaking rear bags and the EAS lit on the dash , pump motor is not able to be run from dash switches, though the owner said it pumped up when he started it.
The HVAC display has the book i symbol indicating a need for repair some of the vent selections wont function.
Heated seats dont seem to get warm but the lights come on,.
Tried AC but it didnt seem to work but i was cold outside, I did run the heater first to warm up the cabin
Oil leaking from front timing cover housing oil was 3 qts low, no metal detected after filling and dripping some onto a black piece of cardboard.
Coolant is a bit low, no leaks detected inside cabin, and block tester stays blue when inserted into the coolant tank
Both elex key fobs missing.
worn tires and a brand new spare .
All wiper blades need to be replaced including headlight wipers
A few other warning on the dash display indicating a problem with the DS front window not setting and a tag light out.
Lots of dog hairs in the aft cargo carpets.
Peeling rubber molding on the RF door seal
Transfer would not go into low range till after about 6 tries then it seemed to work properly
Rear axle seals at the wheels appear to both be leaking
Asking Price in the 5K range, any thoughts.

 

[midessa7]

disco or RR

I bought a 2000DII with 74,000mi in 2008 with no problems at all, now that being said, I don't know what your mechanical abilities are or your financial status/situation is. Being that it's a Land Rover and finding parts is not hard, you just seem to have to order everything and wait or you just start stock piling parts that typically start to go wrong before they go wrong. Now don't get me wrong I love my DII and plan on keeping it for as long as I can, but I payed 6K for it with nothing wrong at all. You're listing a vehicle with quite a few issues. I guess what I'm saying is how will you use this truck(daily driver or just off road) it sounds like it will be out of comission for a while before you can really do anything fun with it. If I were you I would be patiant and find the right one that you really want. I'd look up some other Land Rover forums to see who is selling what. I know there is way more out there.

midessa7
2000DII 102,000mi no amigos

P.S. Or offer him 2k and see if he takes it. Take the other 3K and do all the repairs.

GOOD LUCK

 

[spikemd]

Sounds like too many issues at that price. There are plenty of Range Rovers (99-02) out there for cheap. This one is not cheap enough. I wouldn't offer more than 2K either and even then I would run. Way too much to fix at the outset.

I was in a similar boat as you looking originally at Discos but there realizing the Range Rovers are about the same price. I found a nice, clean 2001 Range Rover with 88K miles without many issues (throttle body gasket leaking coolant) for $7200. The previous owner already had shocks/air springs replaced, HVAC unit replaced, seat heaters replaced, and had records of most maintenance.

Be patient and find the right Rover for you. Test drive a bunch and find one with maintenance records. Find a nice one because if they can't even keep the truck clean inside, I am sure they neglected the mechanicals.

"Once a rat, always a rat..."

Be patient...

Be sure to check out rangerovers.net for common problems and fixes.

 

[iveco4x4]

A p38 rangie with that many problems....... run away run away and live to buy another day, you need a full service history on those bad boys

I prefer discos anyway, the bodyshape is better for load carrying and 7 seat options etc.

 

[david despain]

go for it

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24127

dont be afraid of it.
BUT thats way too much moneys. since we dont know the condition of it, rust, paint, interior, etc. i would say maybe he should pay you to haul it off for him!
is it a GEMS or bosch motor?

 

[ScottK]

EAS - Yank it for coils and sell the EAS parts on eBay to recover some of those costs.
HVAC - If you are lucky, it's just a burnt #7 relay. If you aren't, then it's bad blend motors. (Though people have found good shortcuts to replacing those. The original repair time estimates were around 10 hours for that job.)
AC - Most commonly this is the compressor that isn't engaging. Not difficult to troubleshoot. If it's not the compressor, then it could be the evaporator...which requires you to pull the entire dash out. Ask my how I know.
Oil and coolant levels - Could be something, could be nothing.
Front Window not setting - open window completely, then leave finger on button for an extra second or two. Then close window completely and leave finger on button for extra second or two. If this doesn't set the window, then walk away from the truck...it could be a BeCM problem.

Of all the problems you listed, the transfer case one would concern me. But for that price, the truck isn't worth it. I would strongly suggest sticking with a Disco. P38's are nice, but you have to be hyper-aware when driving them.

 

[Mrmerlin]

This is a Bosch motor, a good leak on the timing cover seems to be where the oil leak is.
The exterior is Desert sand and in good condition only 2 very small dents.
Interior is charcoal, pretty clean except for the rear where all of the dog hair is.
The transfer would not shift to the lo range it took about 6 tries to get the lever to move , once this was done it then shifted smoothly, my guess is that it wasnt ever used , so a sticky cable linkage.
I am a Porsche mechanic so fixing complex things doesnt scare me but after talking to the dealer to get things reset that the worry some part.

 

[JSQ]

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35473

 

[RoverMack]

I am a Porsche mechanic so fixing complex things doesnt scare me but after talking to the dealer to get things reset that the worry some part.

Good luck, its not that the P38 is complex mechanically, its that some one of "issues" can be a real pain to fix and then just when you fix the window regulators the door actuators, sunroof, heater O rings or blend motors fail!
If only the potential electric issues are a simple fix and computer reset.
After owning several 911's both air and water cooled, not only were they cheaper to maintain but after fixing them when they did need work there was not the constant nagging doubts about what would need attention next week.

Price is high, and thats money you will need sooner or later for $ parts.

I do like my P38, owned for over 12yrs. For the first time ever in 145k miles it nearly left me stranded over the weekend, fortunately in a Trader Joe's car park and not Death Valley. No electrical power to anything, turned out to be only a slightly loose battery cable on the Odyssey 2150. No big deal, but on a P38 you are thinking BECM's, fusebox, and security systems disabling the ignition.(I carry the ETM and voltmeter even for a trip to the grocery store).

 

[JSQ]

Good luck, its not that the P38 is complex mechanically, its that some one of "issues" can be a real pain to fix and then just when you fix the window regulators the door actuators, sunroof, heater O rings or blend motors fail!
If only the potential electric issues are a simple fix and computer reset.
After owning several 911's both air and water cooled, not only were they cheaper to maintain but after fixing them when they did need work there was not the constant nagging doubts about what would need attention next week.

This is spot on.
I love the Piece38, but it's not a matter of "fixing it up" or "correcting it's issues". Even when you keep it tip top it can just let you down without warning. It's just the nature of the animal.
I also agree that there's no comparison to a Porsche. My Boxster is still the most reliable car I've ever owned. It has well over 100,000 miles an it's needed virtually nothing at all. Certainly, rebuilding the dual distributors on an air-cooled 993 is a complicated task compared to other designs, but once you've done it you know that it's good for a long while. The same can't be said of Piece38 repairs.

There seems to be some bug going around on ExPo where people, delirious with fever, forget all of the basic principles of selecting transport for vehicle-DEPENDENT exploration and somehow convince themselves that the 1995-2002 Rangie isn't subject to them. I can't wait to read the trip reports when somebody here tries to fourwheel one to Belize. It's going to be a good read.

 

[GregH]

Certainly, rebuilding the dual distributors on an air-cooled 993 is a complicated task compared to other designs, but once you've done it you know that it's good for a long while.

Rebuilding the distributors is not that complicated.

It's when that crappy little belt breaks that it gets expensive and complicated...

 

[midessa7]

Disco or RR

What about this one, don't know where you live though.

http://scranton.craigslist.org/cto/1546167128.html

Or maybe this one on Discoweb.

Interested in selling my DII.

2000 DII, 75000 with leather interior, heated seats, headliner starting to droop at one corner.
Current condition is good however it has a tempermental "limp mode" condition, and I am not sure what is causing it. Sometimes it drives all day fine, sometimes it jumps into limp mode after driving a couple of miles.

other stuff included with the truck
2 spares 245/75-16 BFG AT's on rover rims
2 spare 16" rims
1 set of sliders, not mounted, I wanted to refinish first
3 spare used hubs
1 spare used transmission ecu
1 spare used transmission
4 spare used calipers
1 set Old Man HD springs
1 MAF
misc, rav cd, plugs and probably a filter yet

all in all it's a great truck, it has never left me stranded or disapointed.
feel free to PM with detailed questions or with a address to have photos sent to.
$4750.00

Good luck, theres plenty out there
midessa7

 

[JSQ]

Rebuilding the distributors is not that complicated.

It's when that crappy little belt breaks that it gets expensive and complicated...

Oh how you love to be contrarian, Greg.

So is rebuilding a dual distributor more or less complicated than rebuilding a single distributor?
(be careful, it may be a trick question)

I guess this guy should buy a Piece38.

 

[nater]

This is spot on.


There seems to be some bug going around on ExPo where people, delirious with fever, forget all of the basic principles of selecting transport for vehicle-DEPENDENT exploration and somehow convince themselves that the 1995-2002 Rangie isn't subject to them. I can't wait to read the trip reports when somebody here tries to fourwheel one to Belize. It's going to be a good read.

See Top Gear Boliva challenge... :sombrero: Just kidding, I agree whole heartedly...

 

[JSQ]

I dug that Top Gear in Bolivia.
And I have to say I would have picked the RRC as well. Not because it's the best tool for the job, but because it's the one I know.
If the Sami, the FJ45 and the RRC were all sitting new on a lot and I had to drive across Bolivia there's no way I'd pick the Rangie. And even used, with time to look over them and drive them I'd probably take the Sami.
But sight unseen and knowing it's going to be **************** I'll go with the Rover. I know what's wrong with it and I know how to limp it. I'm lost in Land Cruiser land. I wouldn't know where to begin. At least with the Rangie I know I can gangster it into working.

But we're not talking about blasted Classics in the Bolivian classifieds.
We're talking about having the time and opportunity to pick amongst anything you can get in North America. The Piece38 shouldn't even be on the list.