Disco w/ ACE?

|| -Do you think ACE is worth it? The main reason why || i think i need ace is the wifey... She doesn't like || the idea of tall car and i've convinced her that ace || solves the problem, whatever it is...

I reckoned my Disco cornered OK without it, but all the mags reckon that it's brilliant and well worth having.

|| Should i generally avoid discos that are used for || towing?

Generally, no - they are built for it. The worst that can happen will be that the rear springs, shocks and bushes will need replacing. Not a massive job, and covered if you negotiate a suitable discount for a vehicle that's obviously sagging.

|| || -How many miles the td5 unit is good for?

Good service history? Loads. Neglected? Less than a lot.

|| -Is there any difference in terms of longevity and || reliability between manual and automatic transmission?

A well-maintained and sensibly driven auto will probably outlast a manual, but in the real world there probably isn't much difference.

|| I would like to have automatic but since i've always || had manual in my cars it really doesn't bother me that || much.

Many people, myself included, wouldn't wish to go back to a manual having had an auto.

HTH

On or around Sun, 11 Jan 2004 08:43:36 GMT, "-ss-" enlightened us thusly:

ACE is incredible, by all accounts. There's not a lot wrong with the standard setup, mind. It rolls like a bastard if you're pressing on, but at moderate speeds it's fine.

Have a look underneath, the ACE has cunning stuff attached where you'd expect to find an anti-roll bar. big lever with hydraulic actuators, and also pipework and a special hydraulic pump, though I know not how you spot that on the engine it must be visible if you know what yer looking for.

It's very difficult to actually tip one over in normal use, even without ACE. The only thing ACE does is make the body stay flat on the road, which improves comfort if you intend driving hard on the road.

not if it's been properly maintained. Unless it was a 5-ton trailer, I suppose, or regularly dunked in the ocean. Auto box is good if you want one, otherwise so is the manual 'box.

lots, probably. good service history is important on these though.

if you want an auto, go for it - I assume they're still using the ZF 4HP22 or a variant thereof, 's a good box. If you don't know that the oil and filter have been changed (24000 mile interval, ISTR) it's a good idea to get it done.

So, 80000 miles isn't that much for td5?

Thanks for the tip. I think i'm going to do / have a reputable garage do the full service for the disco as soon as i drive it home.

BR, Samppa

Ok, i'll propably have to test drive both.

Thanks, i think i'll go for the automatic then.

BR, Samppa

You could insist that the seller lets you put it through the service before you buy it. If the garage turns up loads of work you can walk away - the seller has a newly serviced car to sell and you've lost a couple of hundred quid that you would have spent anyway. It's a win-win really.

1) Identified by Hydraulic rams just forward and inboard of front wheels: split PAS fluid/ACE fluid tank in engine compartment - from memory 2) Definitely - goes round roundabout a treat! I test drove one with and one without. I have to admit coming from a 200tdi either were very good but driving a non-ACE recently really showed up the difference. I have to say mine also has SLS so 'tis possible this is a contributory factor 3) Auto/Man - down to personal preference I guess - I felt more in control with manual - my merc is auto which I wouldn't change - but for towing/offroad felt more comfortable with manual. However, having got into HDC and getting leg/ankle ache from the clutch would certainly consider auto in future 4) No. Built to take it 5) I shall have to wait and see! 6) I always think ...auto no clutch to wear but auto... if anything does go wrong its usually V Expensive

HTH Ian

On or around Tue, 13 Jan 2004 18:28:26 +0000, Ian enlightened us thusly:

The word on SLS is that it ain't worth it unless you have heavy trailers to play with often. Doesn't, apparently, add much to the ride comfort or anything.

I just returned a the '99 Automatic w/ 45000 miles from test drive. It seemed to have SLS that was not mentioned in the ad... But i think it cornered really well, so maybe i need to test drive the ACE version, too. I

Now i'm convinced that auto is the way to go... Only difficult thing was to get used not to use "clutch foot" in any situation.

But there was one problem with the car... Brakes. It occasionally felt like the ABS was kicking in while braking "normally" (one situation 20 mph, 25 meters to traffic light => disco just wouldn't stop, so i had to run the red light). Weather here was quite bad yesterday (-1 c, snowing) but i really feel that disco should have stopped easily... Same thing happened to my wife, she was trying to turn right, applied the brake but after initial slow down the car jus rolled on... She barely missed 2 traffic signs on the intersection. Could this be the ABS fault discos were recalled in

2002? Or is the ABS system just shot?

BR, Samppa

On or around Wed, 14 Jan 2004 10:24:11 GMT, "-ss-" enlightened us thusly:

you have to remember that you're trying to stop a couple of tons of metal, and if the road's slippery, it won't, ABS or no.

if you get a chance, try it in the dry and stand on the anchors, should damn-nigh put you through the windscreen, so wear the seatbelts...

I was thinking that too... But when i intentionally tried to get the disco to slide, i didn't succeed. I even tried in worse conditions (icy road, little dry snow over the ice) and didn't get the disco to just slide.

I know... I actually did that couple of times when trying to get used to automatic transmission. ("Clutch foot" on the brake ain't such a good idea.)

The reason why i was thinking ABS sensor/ECU failure was becouse the "slide" didn't happen frequently. Most of the time the brakes functioned just fine (the weather was the same all the time).

BR, Samppa

Arrrr but, the hissing you get when you remove one's overample frame from the driver's seat is well worth the money :) But I do think it a little silly that when parked sideways on a steep hill (with the near/passenger side uphill of the off/drivers) and you leave it for a few minutes, when you come back the nearside is down on the stops and the offside needs a ruddy step ladder to clamber into the thing. Really should be warning in the handbook - or perhaps I should just lose 4 stone.

Ian

On or around Thu, 15 Jan 2004 10:29:17 GMT, "-ss-" enlightened us thusly:

could well be a fault. I was juts throwing that observation in, 'cos these days a lot of people seem to assume that ABS can do the impossible; judging by the way some of 'em drive, at least.

The only ABS-equipped vehicle I have, the system has been broken for about 3 years. I've not gotten around to fixing it, so it just has ordinary brakes, and I've yet to run into something for the lack of ABS. When it was working, I think it cut in about 3 times that I didn't deliberately provoke it, and each time I'd doubtless have stopped anyway.

But a 7 seater will have Air suspension on the back and therefore you don't get the saggy back end, even when towing

Mark

||| Generally, no - they are built for it. The worst that can happen ||| will be that the rear springs, shocks and bushes will need ||| replacing. Not a massive job, and covered if you negotiate a ||| suitable discount for a vehicle that's obviously sagging. || || But a 7 seater will have Air suspension on the back and therefore || you don't get the saggy back end, even when towing || || Mark

You leave my saggy back end out of this.

You're right, though. ;-)

On or around Sat, 17 Jan 2004 17:44:35 -0000, "Richard Brookman" enlightened us thusly:

I've read that on-road at least, the SLS isn't worth a lot in the handling stakes. handy though in that I believe you can lower the suspension, reverse under the trailer hitch, and then raise it again.

|| || I've read that on-road at least, the SLS isn't worth a lot in the || handling stakes. handy though in that I believe you can lower the || suspension, reverse under the trailer hitch, and then raise it again. ||

Except that it is almost always easier and quicker to jump the hitch onto the towball by hand. I thought I would use this a lot when I had the Disco to hitch up the caravan, but I only bothered with it once. Took too long to manoeuvre the car under the hitch with the accuracy needed (and then having to jump out to check every time). Useful if you run out of adjustment with the jockey wheel and need to drop or raise the car to give yourself a bit of extra, I suppose. I would have preferred to have the standard coils, but I was told that SLS is a legal requirement for the 7-seater to keep the headlights in adjustment.

I would agree that in a normal road situation the SLS doesn't add much, if anything, to the handling. It did tow well, however, in that you could pile on as much noseweight as you wanted and the car rode as level as if the trailer wasn't there.

On or around Sun, 18 Jan 2004 17:48:24 -0000, "Richard Brookman" enlightened us thusly:

ours ain't got it...

mind, the gas discharge lights are supposed to be fitted with self-levelling, presumably either of the car or the lights.