| Author |
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sunny sandbek (Appleomyi)
| | Posted on Friday, June 28, 2002 - 12:05 pm: | 
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we found a '98 LE disco with 112k miles ... (have always wanted one), it's in great condition at a great price. questions is, how long can we expect it to last? it will be our first, so we have no experience to go from and lots of practical questions(gas mileage, comfort, typical problems, et cetera); and it's tough to navigate all the tripe on generic car boards to get a good reasonable answer. so glad we found this one ... thanks so much! |
Blue (Bluegill)
| | Posted on Friday, June 28, 2002 - 12:16 pm: |
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might want to run the vehicle's vin # to learn the warranty / service history of the Disco. If you're nice, the dealer may do it for you for free. That will give you an idea of the history of the Disco (i.e. any recurring problems? any high-dollar items recently replaced  , etc).
I'd also pay about $50 for a "used vehicle inspection" at a reputable, certified mechanic's shop. They'll drive it and nose around looking for telltale problem signs. Maybe try a Rover dealer for this, too, although it could be pricey.
112k miles may sound like a lot, but it's really not. I'll bet it's highway miles (that's 28k miles per year, probably a commuter or guy who travelled for work). That reminds me, does the difflock engage (the small 4WD high/low shifter on the center hump)? If this is a highway-only Disco, the linkage for the difflock may be seized - it's really not a big deal, YOU can un-sieze it, but use that to your advantage when bargaining for price. |
sunny sandbek (Appleomyi)
| | Posted on Friday, June 28, 2002 - 12:25 pm: |
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checked with carfax ... it has a clean history. we're used to volvo reliability, they're such tanks, and just don't know what to expect from rovers. I'll ask about the difflock.
thanks .... |
Evan
| | Posted on Friday, June 28, 2002 - 12:45 pm: |
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You might want to do more than ask about the diff lock. If possible be familar with how it works and try it yourself. If you are buying this from the owner that put all the highway mileage on it they might not even know what you are talking about.
I kind of ran into that problem. I was told everything was fine, but that was just because the owner could move the lever into low range, the diff lock portion was seized up so tight it took me two days and a total overhaul to fix it.
Like Blue said this isn't that big of a deal to fix if you have even a slight bit of mechanical knowledge, but certainly use it to your advantage when negotiating price.
My 98 LSE has nearly 100,000 on the clock and the only sign of the mileage is the start of an exhaust manifold leak.
E |
Eric
| | Posted on Saturday, June 29, 2002 - 04:38 pm: |
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Check your local Caterpillar dealer, they should have an oil analysis lab. A small baby food size jar of oil is all they need. You can take samples from any lubricated component, engine, axle, tansfer case, transmission etc.
Caterpillar owners have major expense to change oil in a tractor that holds 50 or 60 quarts. And the applications are tough. So they use samples to determine the best strategies for maintenance issues.
Land rovers are not Caterpillars, but in some ways they are. These labs have trace element charts for Land Rovers, Land Cruisers, Isuzus, Mercedes and most major trucks you would find at a remote job site any where in the world
I would suggest a sample from the engine... it is the best indicator of how the overall vehicle was maintained. Take the sample, Year make and model, mileage, and mileage since the last oil change to the lab.
For $20 bucks and in about four hours, you will know for sure what is going on inside that motor.
They look for trace elements in the oil that would indicate abnormal wear such as the metal main bearing backings are made of, or the metal the cam followers are made of etc.
Most sellers will offer to pay for the analysis if they know they have maintained the truck and they are asking top dollar.
I have done this on many occasions and have walked away from what seemed to be a super deal because the owners would not allow an analysis of an oil sample.
The other thing to do is call a reputable engine exchange company like "American Engine" or some other chain and ask for a quote on replacing a worn engine - I'm guessing it is 2500-3000 dollars which is not bad for such a great vehicle.
For comparison a Toyota Landcruiser, and other exotics are about 6500. The buick 215 used in the Land Rover is prevalent and makes this risk reasonable.
Eric |
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