How much a year do you spend on DII repairs, and separately, on gas?

[BlackAndBlack]

Just curious as to what your repairs/maintenance tally is annually ... especially if you have a 2004 Discovery.

(Would help to know if you do any of those yourself to save, or take it to a 3rd party LR mechanic, or to LR dealer for the repairs and service.)

Also, how much are you finding that you spend on gas per year, say last year or in the last 12 months? (And for how many miles a year?)

Anyone decided to buy/lease newer because of the cost of repairs on the Discovery? (Not that they'd cover an LR4 exactly, but if you are trying to justify newer, they may help at least rationalize the decision.)

 

[ubuntu]

My 2015 Jeep costs way less to run than my 2003 Disco for sure. I blew my wife's shoe and dress budget on LR parts, she's pissed. I do everything that I can myself, specialist work goes to a machine shop. I've done a complete rebuild on my engine, replaced the brake servo and master cylinder, rebuild the ABS unit (3 amigos), brake rotors, brake lines, drive shafts, rebuild the PAS pump, swapped in a 2004 transfer case and the CDL shifter and a shitload of other crap - mostly stuff broken by other shade tree mechanics. I'm too scared to add up the numbers, it's better that no one knows.

 

[best4x4]

Only time I ever took my LR to a dealership was for "Free" service campaigns, or warranty work. Really all the misc repairs I've done myself. The one time I took my 97 RR in to have the EAS calibrated 2 inches taller (had aftermarket taller bags), a guy opened my hood to check the EAS valve block and pump, and some how in doing so he broke off the nipple on the radiator for the overflow jug. Got a 600.00 free radiator out of the deal and didn't have to pay for the 1hr shop time (EAS recalibration), coolant flush, radiator, or labor.

I never had my previous rovers give me anything large to repair, but what did need repairing I did all by myself. Gas on a LR is something you just accept in owning one, but it's on par with my H3's usage really except for being 93 octane vs 87.

All my LR's treated me far better than my both my 05 Wranglers.... Jeep means "Just empty every pocket" and on both those 05's that was no lie.

 

[riceybean]

If you are not prepared to do regular and sometimes unplanned maintenance you should consider getting a small car as well. I am very glad I have a "commuter" car that I can use for running to get parts. Gas mileage should be the least of your worries, that's not what a Rover is for.

I get about 240 per tank, mixed driving, fwiw.

 

[bacook]

I just bought an '04 Disco with the understanding that it will be a codependent relationship. I wanted the Disco after owning and giving up two RRCs in the past because I could not afford to keep them properly running (note that I live in a smog county). This time, I anticipate 11MPG with a lift and larger tires, 3K mile oil changes, lots of plastic bits and window regulators failing, and maybe even a new short block that I'll install myself. I expect to do all of this even though this 77K mile truck had a replacement engine 7K miles ago and I just put in another 4K in upgrades and fixes. Running costs are as much as you can, or are willing to pay.
Keeping it great will be expensive. Keeping it alive until you give up and part it out like so many others will be less.

 

[kennith]

I don't even look at the pump. There's no point.

I did notice it once, though. When fuel was high, I tripped the $75 limit twice during one of the "run the tank dry" events I pull every now and again to prevent buildup.

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[ptschram]

My wife drives a DII-2001, IIRC (year does NOT matter to me). It's at about 135K.

It came to us with a whole in the side of the transmission.

I have replaced the transmission with one from Marty, a Tom Woods driveshaft, the radiator, both rear hubs, front shocks (that Dennis Altman did for me, bless his heart) two batteries, a sunroof that was busted out by a neighbor and his snowblower (he could have his driveway plowed for 20 years for what that cost him), a coupla sets of brakes and two sets of tires.

It has been far more reliable and far less expensive to operate than my 2012 Freightshaker tool truck-and gets better gas mileage.

Theyre all gonna need a front driveshaft and hubs and eventually a radiator./ Otherwise, they can be damn reliable if you keep an eye on coolant level. I check my wife's coolant level EVERY day.

 

[JohnB]

Don't have an 04 but my 99 D2 has over 200K and all I have had to do in the last 4 years is oil changes and Trans fluid change; brake pads. Wife puts about 10-20K on it a year.
I did have a coil pack go out but had a used one to replace.
When I purchased it with 97K I did have to replace camshaft and replace head gaskets. Since I did that myself the parts cost was under $1000
Will drive it until the motor blows or trans quits. Then will decide to wreck it or fix.
I feel very good every time my wife leaves or comes back because it is such a safe and reliable nice handling SUV.


Edit had to replace an air bag with a new Arnott unit. $125 which with wife driving home snapped a level sensor. Had a used one and switched the arm so as not having to recalibrate that system

 

[slangel]

I also don't have an 04, but a 2000 that I have had since newish. It had single digit mileage on it when I bought it. I haven't had to do a ton of work on it, just the usual suspects and maintenance. When I had a rack and a winch on I got 9-10mpg, took both off but still have the weight of the RTE bumper and skid, along with a lift and larger tires I get about 16mpg.....on the freeway. Oh and I have 157k miles on it.

 

[jsonova99]

Mine has 99K, it's a third car these days, so only put about 1200 miles a year on it, got a discount on my insurance because of the mileage driven which saved some money. Otherwise, basic maintenance and upkeep. The premium fuel is a pain, but I can't complain based on the miles i put on it.

Has a GBR front driveshaft, fourth set of brakes, one MAF replaced. Needs a driver side heated seat replacement (I'm anal and like everything the truck has to work no matter how superficial it might be). Still on second set of tires (BFG AT with about 60k - 70k on them) good tread still, but are starting to crack probably due to age (~12 years old now).

I've had the truck for 15 years now, although a northeastern truck, I've had a second vehicle since 2001 that I cared less about so this has only seen 1 or 2 winters (first 2) on the road when salt present (plus 7 years in Florida before moving back up to VA) the undercarriage is really clean. She leaks as bad as any of them, a little coolant that I think is coming from one of the heads (and has been for a few years now), but she runs at a constant 188.6 degrees according to the Scangauge (upgraded to 180 deg thermostat last coolant service) and still runs very quiet, no knocks, ticks, or vibrations, so based on what we use it for, a head gasket job is not high on my to do list at this point. Based on some of the stories on this site, I think I got one of the better ones. Trying to straighten out the few odds and ends she needs so I can focus on my '67.

 

[Buddy]

I don't even look at the pump. There's no point.

I did notice it once, though. When fuel was high, I tripped the $75 limit twice during one of the "run the tank dry" events I pull every now and again to prevent buildup.

Cheers,

Kennith

You must have an oversized tank in your DII or you were in Europe when this happened. The highest I have ever seen gas in NC is $5/ gallon so tripping the $75 twice would be 30 gallons.

 

[kennith]

You must have an oversized tank in your DII or you were in Europe when this happened. The highest I have ever seen gas in NC is $5/ gallon so tripping the $75 twice would be 30 gallons.

Wasn't in NC at the time, but I've put more than the listed capacity in the car before. It does seem to be bigger than it's supposed to be, but then again, this particular DII has a lot of little things that don't seem right.

When I bought it, it was in the back covered in dust because it was considered defective, and on it's way back for some reason. They figured it ran like shit compared to the others.

I walked in to buy a DII that day; one that wasn't silver, and didn't have a gray interior. Then I saw this thing in the back of the lot, all kinds of dirty and alone, with low tire pressure on top of it all. Silver, with a damned gray interior.

Asked for the key, fired it up, and said I wanted it. They said it wasn't right. I said I didn't care, and I wanted that specific vehicle.

I asked them to roll it in the showroom so I could at least drive a new car out of one once in my life.

It's been running lumpy and rough the entire time I've owned it, but it's also the fastest 4.0 DII with no proper engine modifications I've ever driven, and until that hose burst (my fault, I should have replaced it), it's never had a genuine problem aside from the Amigos.

Fuel mileage has always been lower than Rover average, as well, but it will certainly move.

I took it to the fuel cutoff once, at 120mph. I was kind of hoping it would hit 130, but that wouldn't have happened anyway. 120 was all she had, with or without the cutoff.

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[Nomar]

I had to look this up on my phone.
I drove an '04 D2 for a while.
I was also tracking the mpg in one of those apps at every fillup.
From Dec.2012 through Nov. 2013- approx 6300 miles, avg 15.0mpg, $1,635(lowest gas price then was $3.299 and highest was $3.899)
My best mpg was a road trip 17.5mpg; lowest in town was 10.7mpg

I always used premium ethanol-free juice.


.

 

[Devildog01]

I had to look this up on my phone.
I drove an '04 D2 for a while.
I was also tracking the mpg in one of those apps at every fillup.
From Dec.2012 through Nov. 2013- approx 6300 miles, avg 15.0mpg, $1,635(lowest gas price then was $3.299 and highest was $3.899)
My best mpg was a road trip 17.5mpg; lowest in town was 10.7mpg

I always used premium ethanol-free juice.


.

Buzz Aldrin would be proud of you.

 

[p m]

exactly $0.00 on D2 maintenance. Gas is a different thing altogether...

 

[Blue]

A gentleman doesn't tally his maintenance and repair bills.

That being said, I'd make sure you have a couple spare thousand on hand for maintenance & repairs if you're like me and take it to an independent shop for all services.

Gas money per year depends on how many miles you rack up. I get about 11-12 mpg in my 2004.

 

[barnescole]

Wife's 04 disco has 120k now. I did head gaskets after we bought it at 67k miles at a cost of about 700. Replaced purge valve at 100k. It's been far more reliable and less costly repair-wise than either of my last 2 chevy suburbans.