Hi guys, picked up a 58 reg D3 SE yesterday, looked tidy and straight and was local so went for it..
anyway I came from an FL2 SE (also 2008), and to me the ride in the D3 is noticeably less smooth, no air suspension warnings , goes up and down fine but yeah tend to feel the road a lot more than I did in the FL2 which just glided along... I'm guessing something will need some attention but if not the air suspension where can I begin looking?
Couple of minor things too, neither heated seat seems to heat up, both light up etc but yeah not feeling heat from either... seen a few threads here about replacing the elements etc, just wondered if I'm possibly missing something else I could try first as neither work!
Should the mirrors fold in on locking/unlocking or is that wishful thinking on my part coming from the FL2. They fold with the button manually inside.
I do miss my start/stop button but otherwise really just prefer the look of the D3, rugged square jaw sort of good looks
Need to get the back windows tinted up too looks way too van-like without IMHO!
If anyone has any advice on any of the above that'd be great thank you
14th Feb 2022 4:12 pm
kajtzu
Member Since: 10 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6767
First, congrats on your new ride.
On the D3, the mirrors do not automatically fold on locking/unlocking. You can fold them manually, though, if they’re electrical.
About your ride… hard to say but “somewhere in suspension” is a good guess usually front lower carrier arms, rear upper carrier arms. If clunking on uneven surfaces maybe ARB bushes, etc. don’t throw the parts cannon at it but diagnose. Could be someone installed polybushes on yours and it’s all “normal” ….
Seats. Check check fuse, check feed to heating element in the seats. Hard to say much else.
Most of us do not miss the start/stop button at all to be honest…….
14th Feb 2022 4:19 pm
chocobo
Member Since: 14 Feb 2022
Location: uk
Posts: 35
Hey thanks for the reply, weirdly I read the seats weren't fused, but if they are, I should definitely check! Though it does light up when you press the buttons 2 lights 1 light no light etc..
Suspension to be honest I'm scared to even take it to be looked at having just bought it, so will probably live in ignorance for now and hope like you say maybe it's just "normal" for some reason or other
Should have posted a pic too I guess! Pretty standard stuff I think though compared to some I've seen on here Weirdly I don't like the body coloured bumpers and front but hey saves on cans of back to black I guess Talking of black the car is a nice dark blue just horrible phone camera making it look black!
Am a bit sad I somehow didn't notice it has no sunroofs, the thought of 3 sunroofs was kind of nice! But oh well less places for water to get in right?
14th Feb 2022 4:24 pm
rrhool
Member Since: 28 Aug 2014
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 4537
It's the best thing about an SE - No sunroof! No leaks! Richard
D3 SE 2007. Triumph 2.5Pi 1973. Ferguson TEA20 1948.
Discovery 2 4.0 ES 2001- Gone
Discovery 1 300Tdi ES '95 - Gone
Range Rover Classic '79 - Gone
14th Feb 2022 4:37 pm
chocobo
Member Since: 14 Feb 2022
Location: uk
Posts: 35
Ah didn't know that was an SE thing to be honest, maybe I'd only been looking at HSE's! But yes as long as everything else is good I will get over the sunroofs, heated seats, start/stop button and mirrors not folding automatically... plenty of other things to go wrong afterall
14th Feb 2022 4:40 pm
Captain Crosscheck
Member Since: 03 Sep 2021
Location: Oslo
Posts: 345
Mine is an HSE without sunroof, which I never thought of when I bought it. However, after a few months on this forum I'm really glad I don't have one. As it's said here, just one more place for leaks
Congrats on your new ride, lovely blue! Hope you'll get many a mile of enjoyable driving from it.
14th Feb 2022 5:00 pm
chocobo
Member Since: 14 Feb 2022
Location: uk
Posts: 35
Thank you so much! I'm feeling much better about no sunroofs already
Look forward to hopefully tapping in to the massive amount of wisdom here when things do crop up! In the mean time I need to find some mats and a dog guard, and should be good to take the dogs for some proper walks
14th Feb 2022 5:03 pm
kajtzu
Member Since: 10 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6767
I also have a HSE w/o sunroof. Different countries had different configs
14th Feb 2022 5:17 pm
Harry365
Member Since: 25 Aug 2018
Location: Lincoln
Posts: 386
Hard to say with your ride comfort. It could also be your tyres. I had some very old (but not worn) tyres on mine when I bought it. The rubber as hard as brick. As said, diagnose before swapping parts or it can get very, unnecessarily expensive.
The arm bushes are quite difficult to visually inspect and some movement is normal if testing with a bar. The anti roll bar bushes are easy to check and easy enough to swap with the exception of the front right needing a bit more work to get to it. I'm not sure what year they changed but the rear bushes could be the old style and need replacing regardless if so.
Lower ball joints also tend to go before the bushes. In my experience, 2 lower ball joints for 1 bush on the front arms.
If you leave it for a while, I'm sure the problem will only get worse and make it easier to diagnose.. that's usually my tactic if I can't figure something out
21st Feb 2022 5:59 pm
nigethecat
Member Since: 11 Sep 2016
Location: Marnoch
Posts: 4252
Do you have a good independent close to you ? Might be worth letting them have a look at the car for an hour and see what they think... could save you loads in the long run !I want to see the sweets before I get into your windowless van... I'm not stupid!
Corris Grey D4 Commercial SE 2016
Zermatt Sliver 2007 D3 SE manual (gone)
Indus Silver D4 HSE 2015 (gone)
Bonatti Grey D3 HSE 2006 (gone)
White D3 S (LHD) 2007 (gone)
Firenze Red D4 HSE 2014 (gone)
Black RRS 3.6TDV8 2008 (gone)
Rusty Green Defender 110 1997 (gone)
Black FL2 HSE 2013 (gone)
21st Feb 2022 6:40 pm
chocobo
Member Since: 14 Feb 2022
Location: uk
Posts: 35
Thanks guys, tyres look like a fairly cheap brand to me, so could well be partly to blame! I am actually taking it in to an indy this friday for the cambelt/possible oil pump (if it wasn't done on last cambelt change, fingers crossed it was!!) Will see what they think if they can give it a quick test drive
22nd Feb 2022 11:36 am
chocobo
Member Since: 14 Feb 2022
Location: uk
Posts: 35
Forgot to say I had the dreaded screaming EPB the other morning, managed to manually release it with the cable, it pulled itself back in and fingers crossed it's been fine ever since definitely seems to like to have issues then thankfully fix them itself it seems
22nd Feb 2022 11:38 am
Geoff at Drym
Member Since: 18 May 2015
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 584
I've got a 2007 SE D3 and the ride was becoming a little harsh along with a small clonk from the suspension.. Checked tyre pressures and they were all 40 psi following fitting of new tyres. Reset pressures to 33psi front and 36psi rear and it made a substantial difference. Also my local indy fitted new anti - roll bar bushes and this improved things even more. Small adjustments but with quite big improvements. She's now on 128,500 miles and has just passed her MOT with no advisories. 2007 Disco3 2.7 tdv6 SE
gvif with reversing camera
V8 brakes with new EPB module and shoes
Later D4 grille
Alive tuning remap
Mazda MX5
Ferguson ted20 tractor
Hyundai Getz 1.4 (wife's )
22nd Feb 2022 12:07 pm
chocobo
Member Since: 14 Feb 2022
Location: uk
Posts: 35
Hey thanks, to be honest if anything I'd say my tyres look a touch down, unless it's just not possible to support nearly 3 tonnes and still look good I will check them out today though in case!
Do you remember what you paid for the bushes? I don't want to give them too many ideas as I am already paying best part of £1k for the cambelt etc but could certainly ask them as they don't sound too hard to check
Congrats on the MOT, the one I bought has no advisories for the last 2 years so either pretty decent or a very lenient MOT tester
22nd Feb 2022 12:13 pm
Geoff at Drym
Member Since: 18 May 2015
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 584
My Indy charged me £17.87 plus VAT for the bushes. He also does a complete check on all levels, tyres, lights etc by way of a pre MOT check. He also replaced the corroded anti-roll bar fixings, so the total labour for everything was £120.00 plus VAT. Apprx. 2 1/2 hours work.
He works out of a well equipped barn in the Cornish countryside and also has the latest diagnostic gear. He is also very clued up regarding EPB. Unjamming is no problem and he does it in no time at all.
Best of luck with your D3, when they're sorted they are definitely a high grin factor. 2007 Disco3 2.7 tdv6 SE
gvif with reversing camera
V8 brakes with new EPB module and shoes
Later D4 grille
Alive tuning remap
Mazda MX5
Ferguson ted20 tractor
Hyundai Getz 1.4 (wife's )
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but otherwise really just prefer the look of the D3, rugged square jaw sort of good looks 
usually front lower carrier arms, rear upper carrier arms. If clunking on uneven surfaces maybe ARB bushes, etc. don’t throw the parts cannon at it but diagnose. Could be someone installed polybushes on yours and it’s all “normal” ….
Weirdly I don't like the body coloured bumpers and front but hey saves on cans of back to black I guess 
