DISCO4.COM - View topic - Purchasing pre loved D3

Preacher

Member Since: 15 Aug 2009
Location: NE Victoria
Posts: 141

2005 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto Bonatti Grey

Purchasing pre loved D3

Hi guys

I have been lurking between the dark side and here for quite a while. I did my homework on the RRS site and popped over here to get more info on quite a lot of items.

I have decided to go the D3 way mainly because of the interior room (for the grandkids)and the accessories available for the D3 especially tyers.

My son also wants to go this way - so we are looking for 2 off D3 TD2.7 SE or HSE

Doing my homework on the RRS TDV8 I learned that certain years were better than others (not that any year was bad only that some were better) and that certain accessories (for an offroad tourer) were important and some not so important.

I guess I'm asking you guys simply - with all things equal;

What year between 05 - 08 would be preferable to buy

Is there an optimum mileage to purchase at with respect to warranty and things starting to go wrong.

Is there anything in particular (I will get a LR specialist to look it over before purchase) I should look out for in my search.

What LR accessories (for an offroad tourer) are important and not so important.

I'm fairly well convinced on the following.

An e-diff if at all possible

A computer re-map

ARB bar

Iron man 12000lbs winch

Twin rear wheel carrier

Long Ranger 115 litre sub-tank

Traxide/Optima yellow duel battery system

Cargo barrier

Mitchell Bros Tow Hitch

Safari Snorkel

17" steel wheels with Goodrich mud terrains

Sensor rod adaptation

Rhino roof rails

Using the D3 compressor adaption for tyre inflation.

Thank you for your help - you guys have been there, we're just starting off - and hoping to not make too many mistakes.

dj

15th Feb 2010 10:08 am

Dan W

Member Since: 21 Jun 2008
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 355

2012 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 SE Auto Ipanema Sand

with that list of accessories you really have been doing some lurking!

Your wish list is pretty much the wish list of anyone who takes their D3 into the wild.

I can't speak from personal experience but the ones who seem to have had the most trouble are the very early releases (MY05), but there are plenty of people around who haven't had a problem with the early ones. I'd hazard a guess and say most of those would probably be up over the km's you'd be looking for anyway.

I'd be looking for one that still had some factory warranty left, and either way if you take a look at the service history you will pretty quickly be able to spot a problem car as there will either be lots of fixes, and/or lots of trips to the stealer to investigate issues.

There are some good D3's around now as plenty of punters go for a swap to D4 - personally I'll wait to be sure D4 MY10 wasn't a D3 MY05 2012 MY13 SDV6 SE D4 Ipanema Sand with Almond leather
2012 TDI Passat - they reckon the DSG is crap, I reckon it's awesome
2010 MY11 Mitsubishi Challenger - Gone (it was a "Challenging Year")
2007 MY08 TDV6 SE - gone

15th Feb 2010 10:30 am

WayneD

Member Since: 11 Sep 2007
Location: Sydney Darwin ,Singapore, USA, UK and now country NSW
Posts: 531

2007 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto Zermatt Silver

You could also add to your list rear wheel carrier as the spare is a pain in the

to get out especially if you have a set of drawers of the rear loaded. Take the road less traveled. Dual battery system.ORS drawers,LR cargo Barrier.ARB Bull bar,side protection bars,Mickey Thompson ATR's 17" rims, Rear wheel carrier, radiator guard TPMS Mitchell Bros Tow Hitch LR RAI Steel Rims , GME UHF, Off Road GPS, Llams (yet to be fitted)

15th Feb 2010 10:32 am

DingMark

Member Since: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Perth Oz or Erbil, Iraq
Posts: 388

2010 Discovery 4 3.0 TDV6 HSE Auto Ipanema Sand

Having had a brilliant '05 V8 (until stolen) I suspect that the biggest thing to watch is that maintenance has been done to the standard of a commercial aircraft (the D3 is nearing a Boeing's complexity and capability after all

) . One thing to put into your "wish-list" equation is weight. I had much of what you are looking for but (a) the V8 was quite a bit lighter and (b) mine didn't come with about 80kg of rear seats. You may find you've fully kitted it out but can't put anyone on the seats without being overloaded. The OEM road tyres seem to suffer if running on anything semi-rough and at max weight. I found on softer dune sand, having a winch with cable (not rope) and the ARB bar made it much more likely for the front to sink.

On the winch, you might want a cheaper and lighter 9000# model, but use a pulley to double the load capacity. The front recovery point makes an excellent spot for the end hook. Once the tricks are learned (eg stability control "OFF" on sand) the winch will be used solely to recover Hilux's

, so why spend extra to get him unstuck faster? Jim Dowell - D4 HSE TDi, 12,000 hydraulic winch & hidden winch mount, MTRs, TyreDog, Traxide 2 x aux battery system, fixed air compressor, Dolium roof rack, MitchHitch.
RIP 2005 D3 HSE V8 5 seater gold (stolen and torched)

15th Feb 2010 1:16 pm

WayneD

Member Since: 11 Sep 2007
Location: Sydney Darwin ,Singapore, USA, UK and now country NSW
Posts: 531

Jim interesting point about the winch.
I carry a hand winch and have used it once as only needed to move about a metre. I wonder on reflection whether a winch is a worthwhile purchase, given that you also need to have a bull bar or cradle in the case of the hidden D3 winch. I know peace of mind when travelling alone, but how many times does that happen when you are in recovery type terrain. Take the road less traveled. Dual battery system.ORS drawers,LR cargo Barrier.ARB Bull bar,side protection bars,Mickey Thompson ATR's 17" rims, Rear wheel carrier, radiator guard TPMS Mitchell Bros Tow Hitch LR RAI Steel Rims , GME UHF, Off Road GPS, Llams (yet to be fitted)

15th Feb 2010 10:13 pm

TDV6

Member Since: 23 Apr 2006
Location: Queensland or there abouts
Posts: 96

2005 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Auto Maya Gold

DJ. check to see that the front lower ball joints are the newer larger type fitted to latter D3's, yes its a warranty job if there's any left, also that the aircon is not farting, another warranty job if it is, other than that you have the lot covered. Try and get the steel rims with an offset of 43 to 53mm to keep the insurance co's happy.

Ryall

16th Feb 2010 12:00 am

StornowaySA

Member Since: 23 Sep 2007
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 406

2010 Discovery 4 3.0 TDV6 HSE Auto Stornoway Grey

Agree with DingMark, next time I will forgo the ARB bar and settle on a hidden winch to save weight. Weight does seem to be one of the few issues that lets the car down (mainly on the beach). Hmm, sounds familiar actually....

MY2010 D4 HSE 3.0, e-diff, 19inch MTR's; LLAMS Height adjustor, LR f & r light guards, LR side steps, LR bright finish side door mouldings; LR/Mantec G4 front bash plate, LR G4 Winch kit, Warn 9500lb Winch; GOE compressor guard, Uniden UHF, LR bright finish roof rails, LR G4 driving light kit, LR G4 ladder, 4 x extra rear compartment 12V sockets, Traxide dual battery system and Optima Yellowtop battery, ORS drawer system / fridge slide, LED rear compartment lighting.

16th Feb 2010 3:05 am

DingMark

Member Since: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Perth Oz or Erbil, Iraq
Posts: 388

To contrast what I said about front end weight, I understand that my soon-to-be-delivered D4 won't take an auxilliary battery under the bonnet, so it'll have to go somewhere in the back. If I again go down the path of aux fuel tank, spare tyre mounted on back bumper, battery and heeavy fridge in the back the D4 may need an ARB bar just to keep the front end on the ground

(Just kidding, as the 3.0 diesel engine is around 100kg heavier than the new 5.0 V8 so I suspect the conpacted graphite block holds the front firmly down) Jim Dowell - D4 HSE TDi, 12,000 hydraulic winch & hidden winch mount, MTRs, TyreDog, Traxide 2 x aux battery system, fixed air compressor, Dolium roof rack, MitchHitch.
RIP 2005 D3 HSE V8 5 seater gold (stolen and torched)

16th Feb 2010 5:39 am

MattJ73

Member Since: 16 Feb 2010
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 18

2005 Discovery 3 4.4 V8 HSE Auto Bonatti Grey

Re: Purchasing pre loved D3

Preacher wrote:
Hi guys

I have been lurking between the dark side and here for quite a while. I did my homework on the RRS site and popped over here to get more info on quite a lot of items.

I have decided to go the D3 way mainly because of the interior room (for the grandkids)and the accessories available for the D3 especially tyers.

My son also wants to go this way - so we are looking for 2 off D3 TD2.7 SE or HSE

Doing my homework on the RRS TDV8 I learned that certain years were better than others (not that any year was bad only that some were better) and that certain accessories (for an offroad tourer) were important and some not so important.

I guess I'm asking you guys simply - with all things equal;

What year between 05 - 08 would be preferable to buy

Is there an optimum mileage to purchase at with respect to warranty and things starting to go wrong.

Is there anything in particular (I will get a LR specialist to look it over before purchase) I should look out for in my search.

What LR accessories (for an offroad tourer) are important and not so important.

I'm fairly well convinced on the following.

An e-diff if at all possible

A computer re-map

ARB bar

Iron man 12000lbs winch

Twin rear wheel carrier

Long Ranger 115 litre sub-tank

Traxide/Optima yellow duel battery system

Cargo barrier

Mitchell Bros Tow Hitch

Safari Snorkel

17" steel wheels with Goodrich mud terrains

Sensor rod adaptation

Rhino roof rails

Using the D3 compressor adaption for tyre inflation.

Thank you for your help - you guys have been there, we're just starting off - and hoping to not make too many mistakes.

dj

DJ,

The heavier your car is, the lighter my car can be!

Reading and learning, thanks guys!!

mj.

17th Feb 2010 1:16 am

Preacher

Member Since: 15 Aug 2009
Location: NE Victoria
Posts: 141

BlackAdelaide wrote:
Agree with DingMark, next time I will forgo the ARB bar and settle on a hidden winch to save weight. Weight does seem to be one of the few issues that lets the car down (mainly on the beach). Hmm, sounds familiar actually....

mark
which of your accessories (if you had your time over again) would you add on and which wouldn't you. Have you taken any off over your time with your D3 - thanks for the insight

preacher

5th Mar 2010 12:26 pm

StornowaySA

Member Since: 23 Sep 2007
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 406

I think I'd stick with the Landrover A bar (winch compatible) but not the Warn via LR - buy a winch separately as I think they charge $5000 from factory! I'd definitely get the ARB under bonnet compressor, the GOE under body bashplates (if no ARB bar then you need the front guard), full length rack is very useful, Traxide plus Optima Yellow etc is a must, long range tank to be honest I probably dont need most of the time (if you have a camper trailert with room for jerry cans that is); rear wheel carrier - I'd do again as getting the standard spare out is a pain; UHF, yes; remap, yes: hmm, most things I guess!!! MY2010 D4 HSE 3.0, e-diff, 19inch MTR's; LLAMS Height adjustor, LR f & r light guards, LR side steps, LR bright finish side door mouldings; LR/Mantec G4 front bash plate, LR G4 Winch kit, Warn 9500lb Winch; GOE compressor guard, Uniden UHF, LR bright finish roof rails, LR G4 driving light kit, LR G4 ladder, 4 x extra rear compartment 12V sockets, Traxide dual battery system and Optima Yellowtop battery, ORS drawer system / fridge slide, LED rear compartment lighting.

11th Mar 2010 1:53 am

jpi3418

Member Since: 01 Jun 2006
Location: Brisbane, Queensland
Posts: 54

2014 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Nara Bronze

For what it's worth, I have a MY06 Disco3 TdV6 HSE for sale, having just taken delivery of my Disco4. It was built in October 2005, and I bought it in April 2006. It's done 62k mostly town and hwy kms, with very little off-roading. It doesn't have the eDiff unfortunately as at the time that was a special order item only, however in the limited off-roading I've done it was never an issue. It's got a full main dealer service history, plus 24 months left on the extended warranty, which I bought when the original manufacturer's warranty expired. The tyres are Cooper Discoverer with 30k left on the warranty. The control arms and the farty aircon have all been replaced/upgraded, plus the main suspension compressor, so I guess it's had everything done that typically fails. It's Buckingham Blue with beige leather interior and is the standard HSE spec. Would make an ideal base for speccing up the ultimate expedition vehicle. Let me know if you're interested, it's in Brisbane.
Cheers
John 2005 D3 TdV6 HSE Buckingham Blue
2010 D4 3.0 TdV6 SE Stornoway Grey
2014 D4.5 SDV6 HSE Nara Bronze

11th Mar 2010 3:20 am

DingMark

Member Since: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Perth Oz or Erbil, Iraq
Posts: 388

Preacher,

I suppose I am having to do it all over again, as after a 5 month wait, I will be finally receving my D4 at end-May. Unavoidably being an engineer, I've a spreadsheet doing a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis for the accessories for what I used the old D3 for and what I plan to use the D4 for: Roughly the list is:

An e-diff if at all possible YES (why I had to custom order with a 5 month wait)

A computer re-map NO (we'll see how the 3.0 powers things but I think probably not worth the cost as 0-100 time is about the same as was the V8)

ARB bar NO (last time someone head-on collided with me and I got the roo bar + winch for free. Maybe will get the same opportunity, but would rather not. With the extra weight of the 3.0,I'm trying to keep the front as light as possible. I also won't be getting the LR A-Frame as it's soft as a baby's bum and would prevent removing the grill to get to the hidden winch).

Iron man 12000lbs winch NOT QUITE (My US-based sister ordered a 12000 kg hydraulic winch which she will have to disassemble into luggage-sizes parcels for me to pickup next month on a business trip. Since the D4 can only readily take an aux battery in the rear, I don't want to hook up a winch to the main battery and risk an electrical problem. Also getting rope, not wire, to keep the weight down. Using an Uncle Ray hidden winch mount for it all - again to keep weight down).

Twin rear wheel carrier NO (I found that in town I took the rear carrier off and carried the tyre in the back, so my wife could park it without having the spare smashing a bonnet

. Instead I"m getting a 2.2m long roof rack with a ladder to carry any needed tyres - I still have 8 at home

- on bush trips)

Long Ranger 115 litre sub-tank YES (With the WA distances, it maks sense even with the more economical diesel. I also plan to make up a white rubber flap which will be rivited to the fuel filler compartment and labelled "DIESEL ONLY", as having the aux tank removes the misfuelling device and SWMBO might one day buy fuel)

Traxide/Optima yellow duel battery system YES (But plan to put the battery in the rear only on trips when it will be needed for a fridge and/or might need it for a jump start. On local soft sand runs, keeping the battery out will lighten things a bit)

Cargo barrier NOT YET (Mainly because when I'm carrying a bunch of stuff it will be in a very robust trailer. Otherwise I have a large plastic bin which just fits in the back and straps to the tie-downs)

Mitchell Bros Tow Hitch NOT YET (The new D4 hitch is higher so I'll see how it works)

Safari Snorkel NO-GOING WITH LR RAI (I've heard that it can be removed very easily sotheLR one is used only when needed. I'll use black sealant and plug all the gaps to make it a snorkel like I did on my old D3 RAI).

17" steel wheels with Goodrich mud terrains NO (no option on the 3.0 D3 and I have my old MTRs which are very expensive but amazingly good despite the low profile)

Sensor rod adaptation POSSIBLY (They are so cheap that I consideed it, but for nowI'll be getting a full set of bottom plates [radiator, transmission, rock sliders, and air compressor] so bottom dragging isn't a damage issue. When I finally get to do a "big trip" out bush, I plan to get a Faultmate MSV2 and satphone to be able to fix computer problems. A side benefit is that the MSV-2 can reportedly change the normal height default values).

Rhino roof rails SORTA YES (Getting a WindCheeta brand as it will just fit in my parking space)

Using the D3 compressor adaption for tyre inflation NO NEVER (Anything tied into the electronics and computer scares me. It might be the cause of a beach stranding).

I plan to get the brightest driving lights I can which fit in front to minimise risk of animal hits at night (since don't have roo bar). Also on the list is a hydraulic jack, wood block which wedges underneath allowing extended height to be triggered at will. I hope to be able to remove the last row of seats for big trips to save weight + get more room for bits and bobs. Jim Dowell - D4 HSE TDi, 12,000 hydraulic winch & hidden winch mount, MTRs, TyreDog, Traxide 2 x aux battery system, fixed air compressor, Dolium roof rack, MitchHitch.
RIP 2005 D3 HSE V8 5 seater gold (stolen and torched)

11th Mar 2010 9:17 am

Preacher

Member Since: 15 Aug 2009
Location: NE Victoria
Posts: 141

[quote="DingMark"

When I finally get to do a "big trip" out bush, I plan to get a Faultmate MSV2 and satphone to be able to fix computer problems. A side benefit is that the MSV-2 can reportedly change the normal height default values).

er Please explain what the Faultmate MSV2 is and how it works

dj

18th Mar 2010 1:07 pm

Breeze91

Member Since: 20 Mar 2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 4

jp tell us more about your beast if it is still for sale. Send me a pm if you like, I can't send one because I need three posts.

Another lurker looking for a Diesel HSE in Oz

20th Mar 2010 5:33 am