Discovery 3?? Good or Bad??

[mowingjamie]

Hi, long time since i used this forum! Glad to be back! just need to get it on my phone now..

 

In need of a tow vehicle as my merc sprinter van isnt up to the job and has been a complete money pit. on its 3rd turbo now and still in limp mode. no one knows how to fix it!

 

Got about £4000 to spend, open to any suggestions too! would need to comfortably tow my ifor 12x6 tipper to 3.5t with rubble. Defently manual transmittion. Seen a few discovery 3s on marketplace for about 4k with about 90,000 miles on them 2007 age. Any good or stay clear? I do love the disco3s but never owned one and worry a little about running costs, not fuel costs as will be high towing its arse off anyway.

 

Cheers, Jamie.

[Jwoodgardenmaintenance]

9 minutes ago, mowingjamie said:

Hi, long time since i used this forum! Glad to be back! just need to get it on my phone now..

 

In need of a tow vehicle as my merc sprinter van isnt up to the job and has been a complete money pit. on its 3rd turbo now and still in limp mode. no one knows how to fix it!

 

Got about £4000 to spend, open to any suggestions too! would need to comfortably tow my ifor 12x6 tipper to 3.5t with rubble. Defently manual transmittion. Seen a few discovery 3s on marketplace for about 4k with about 90,000 miles on them 2007 age. Any good or stay clear? I do love the disco3s but never owned one and worry a little about running costs, not fuel costs as will be high towing its arse off anyway.

 

Cheers, Jamie.

Don't know if it's any help but my pal has a merc sprinter pickup on a 07 plate kept doing that so he removed the cat and put a streight through exhaust pipe on it changed the airflow sensor and the turbo actuator plugged it in and it hasn't been into limp mode since and this was a month ago and in heavy daily use so seems fixed? Just a idea 

 

Jack 

[mowingjamie]

11 minutes ago, Jwoodgardenmaintenance said:

Don't know if it's any help but my pal has a merc sprinter pickup on a 07 plate kept doing that so he removed the cat and put a streight through exhaust pipe on it changed the airflow sensor and the turbo actuator plugged it in and it hasn't been into limp mode since and this was a month ago and in heavy daily use so seems fixed? Just a idea 

 

Jack 

Will the van pass mot like that? I will try anything!! Cheers 

[Jwoodgardenmaintenance]

2 minutes ago, mowingjamie said:

Will the van pass mot like that? I will try anything!! Cheers 

His did just make sure before the test you take it for a good run outt and put your foot down hard on accelerator just to clear any carbon out and put some fuel cleaner through it and all should be OK 

 

Jack 

[topchippyles]

32 minutes ago, mowingjamie said:

Hi, long time since i used this forum! Glad to be back! just need to get it on my phone now..

 

In need of a tow vehicle as my merc sprinter van isnt up to the job and has been a complete money pit. on its 3rd turbo now and still in limp mode. no one knows how to fix it!

 

Got about £4000 to spend, open to any suggestions too! would need to comfortably tow my ifor 12x6 tipper to 3.5t with rubble. Defently manual transmittion. Seen a few discovery 3s on marketplace for about 4k with about 90,000 miles on them 2007 age. Any good or stay clear? I do love the disco3s but never owned one and worry a little about running costs, not fuel costs as will be high towing its arse off anyway.

 

Cheers, Jamie.

Jamie if its just for towing a shogun 2.5 tdi will do the job 

[htb]

IIRC at around 120K miles its due timing belt change at back of engine , I am led to believe its body off job. There may be ways around this job now. Other than that great when they are going. Heavy on brakes, but to be expected as lot of weight to stop.

[HuntingHicap]

They tow a dream but if they are not scrupulously maintained and not thrashed are expensive to run. For that money a TD5 Discovery 2, tows well, you can pick up for around a grand, and have money spare to fix it.  Basically a Defender with comfier seats.

[Ian C]

His did just make sure before the test you take it for a good run outt and put your foot down hard on accelerator just to clear any carbon out and put some fuel cleaner through it and all should be OK   

Jack 

 

Just be wary, it’s not just a smoke test anymore fir diesels and if it looks like it has been altered in any way they will fail it

 

Steer clear of old D3 they had the 2.7 v6 and had crank issues along with many electrical gremlins, all Discos out of warranty have the potential to be money pits but a good late D2 is a much better bet. Consider a land cruiser or shogun as well .

 

[HuntingHicap]

2 minutes ago, Ian C said:

Just be wary, it’s not just a smoke test anymore fir diesels and if it looks like it has been altered in any way they will fail it

 

Steer clear of old D3 they had the 2.7 v6 and had crank issues along with many electrical gremlins, all Discos out of warranty have the potential to be money pits!

All Land Rovers are money pits! I have a td5 dcpu, love it, before that had a 300tdi 11 hcpu for 10 years. If you can't spanner and weld, don't buy  a land rover. They are a disease. But I love em! ?

[Jwoodgardenmaintenance]

2 hours ago, mowingjamie said:

Will the van pass mot like that? I will try anything!! Cheers 

Buy a de cat pipe and do the fix and see if it works if it does keep hold of your cat and if it does fail it's test take the decat off and bolt the cat back in so it passes test then swap it over again then sell it ? my mate has spent a fortune on his now but it's a 5.5 tonne down rated to 3.5  and any problem it can have its had while he's owned it and he's only had it 6 month if it wasnt for the hiab and high sided alloy body it'd of been gone but worth it's weight in gold 

 

Jack