Specs, fluids & service · 1998–2004
Land Rover Discovery Series II specs, fluids and service intervals
The numbers you need in the garage, on one page: spec sheet, capacities and service intervals, wheels and tires, and the parts to order. Sourced from owners, specialists and the factory; tags marked confirm in manual haven't been checked against a factory source yet.
Spec sheet
| PRODUCTION | 1998–2004 |
|---|---|
| MODEL CODE | L318 |
| PLANT | Solihull, UK (kits in Jordan and Malaysia) |
| BODY | 5-door, 5 or 7 seats |
| WHEELBASE | 100 in (2,540 mm) |
| LENGTH | 185.2 in (4,705 mm) |
| CHASSIS | Steel ladder frame |
| SUSPENSION | Coils, beam axles; optional SLS and ACE |
| 4WD | Permanent, LT230, lockable centre diff |
| ENGINES | Td5 2.5 I5 · 4.0 V8 · 4.6 V8 (US 2003–04) |
| WHEELS | 5x120, M14x1.5 nuts |
| US MODEL YEARS | 1999–2004, V8 automatic only |
By year
| YEARS | PLATFORM | ENGINE | OUTPUT | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–2002 | L318, pre-facelift | Td5 2.5 I5 (10P) | 136 hp; 221 lb-ft manual, 232 lb-ft auto | Early oil-pump bolt and head-stud fixes; no CDL lever. |
| 1998–2002 | L318, pre-facelift | 4.0 Thor V8 | 188 hp / 250 lb-ft (final 4.0 spec) | From the P38; 1999–2002 MY in the US. |
| 2002–2004 | Td5 Euro 3 | Td5 2.5 I5 (15P) | 136 hp | EGR and revised low-speed throttle response. |
| 2002–2004 | L318 facelift (D2a) | 4.0 V8 (UK and others) | 188 hp / 250 lb-ft | Pocketed headlamps; CDL lever back as an option. |
| 2003–2004 MY | US facelift | 4.6 V8, 4-speed auto | 218 hp / 300 lb-ft (final 4.6 spec) | S, SE and HSE, plus seven-seat S7, SE7 and HSE7. |
| 2003–2004 | UK run-out | Td5 or 4.0 V8 | — | Pursuit, Landmark and ES Premium 'Definitive Editions'. |
Fluids, capacities & service intervals
Most Discovery 2s have had years of cheap ownership, so assume nothing has been done. Change every fluid, and on a Td5 pull the ECU plugs to look for oil and decide whether to drop the sump for the oil-pump bolt. On a V8, refresh the cooling system before anything else. Do it on axle stands so you can inspect the rear chassis at the same time.
| ITEM | SPEC / CAPACITY | INTERVAL | NOTES & PARTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine oil & filters (Td5) | 5W-30 fully synthetic (as used by the dealer, per discovery2.co.uk) · 7.2 L · spin-on filter plus centrifugal rotor filter | Now; then per service schedule confirm in manual | Change both filters. The rotor filter sits next to the turbo under a lid held by two 10 mm bolts (10 Nm); sump plug 17 mm, 23 Nm with a new washer.LPX100590 spin-on oil filter, Td5 · LR Direct ↗ERR6299 centrifugal rotor filter, Td5 · LR Direct ↗ |
| Engine oil & filter (V8) | confirm in manual | Now | A service kit covers oil, air and fuel filters in one order.DA6010P service kit, 4.0 V8, Discovery 2 · LR Direct ↗ |
| Fuel filter (Td5) | Spin-on filter with water sensor, under the right rear wheel arch | Now | Transfer the water sensor hand-tight (it's plastic), make sure only one seal sits on the housing, pre-fill with diesel, then follow the purge procedure: ignition on for 3 minutes, then crank with the throttle floored.ESR4686 fuel filter, Td5 · LR Direct ↗ |
| Air filter | Paper element | Replace now | LR027408 air cleaner element, Td5 · LR Direct ↗ |
| Glow plugs (Td5) / spark plugs (V8) | Td5 glow plugs · V8 double-platinum plugs | Test glow plugs now; replace V8 plugs and leads | ERR6066 glow plug, Td5 · LR Direct ↗NLP100320 spark plug, 4.0/4.6 V8, Discovery 2 and P38 · LR Direct ↗ |
| Timing (Td5) | Duplex timing chain, no belt | No routine replacement | Wikipedia notes the camshaft is driven by a duplex chain, so there's no belt interval. The serious Td5 timing-gear risk is the oil-pump sprocket bolt below. |
| Oil-pump bolt (Td5) | Superseded pre-thread-locked M6 bolt, 25 Nm | Once, if there's no record | Sump off with the front crossmember removed; fit a new sump gasket. Check the power-steering pipe that chafes on the sump.FT106257M oil-pump bolt, Td5 · LR Direct ↗LVF500040 sump gasket, Td5 · LR Direct ↗ |
| Auxiliary belt | Poly-V belt; part depends on A/C and ACE | Inspect now; replace if cracked or noisy | Listen for squealing idlers and the A/C clutch bearing. Early ACE trucks had an idler-pulley recall (NHTSA 00V142).PQS101510 auxiliary belt, Td5 with A/C and ACE · LR Direct ↗PQS101500 auxiliary belt, Td5 with A/C, non-ACE · LR Direct ↗ |
| Coolant, hoses & thermostat | Antifreeze type confirm in manual | Flush now | On a V8, replace the thermostat, hoses and viscous coupling as a set unless there are receipts; owners treat cooling as the V8's life insurance.PEM100990 thermostat housing complete, Td5/V8 · LR Direct ↗ERR4996 viscous fan coupling, 4.0/4.6 V8 · LR Direct ↗ |
| Automatic gearbox | ATF confirm in manual · about 4–5 L drains from the pan | Drain, new filter and gasket now; second drain a few hundred miles later | Pan drain plug 15 Nm, pan bolts 8 Nm, fill plug 30 Nm. Fill through the side plug with the engine running until a 2 mm bead runs out. A 2000 NHTSA recall (00V377) covered water getting into the ATF through the breather. |
| Transfer box (LT230) | 75W-90 gear oil (Texaco Multi-Gear 75W/90R per the manual) · 2.0 L refill, 2.3 L dry | Drain and refill now | Undo the fill plug first. Drain plug 30 Nm, fill plug 25 Nm; you'll need a pump. Check the output seals while you're there.STC4379 output shaft seal kit, LT230, Discovery 2 · LR Direct ↗ |
| Front & rear axles | Same 75W-90 as the transfer box · about 3.5 L for both axles | Drain and refill now; sooner after deep wading | The fill plugs are plastic (21 mm) and break: crack them before draining. Drain plug 64 Nm, fill plug 10 Nm.Differential oil level plug set (Lucky8) · Lucky8 ↗ |
| Power steering & ACE fluid | Land Rover PAS fluid STC50519 (shared reservoir, separate halves) | Change now | Steering: bleed through the nipple into a container while topping up. ACE: drain at the valve block and change the high-pressure filter (72,000-mile item), cap 35 Nm.STC50519 power steering / ACE fluid · LR Direct ↗RVJ100010 ACE filter and plug · LR Direct ↗ |
| Brake fluid | confirm in manual for grade | Flush now | Old fluid is one cause of the ABS 'three amigos'.Land Rover brake fluid · LR Direct ↗ |
| Propshafts & suspension bushes | Grease the UJs that have nipples; inspect the front double-cardan joint, the rear rubber coupling, Watts linkage and ball joints | Every service | The front shaft's double-cardan joint has non-greasable UJs from the factory and can damage the transfer box when it fails.TVF100010GB rear propshaft coupling kit, Ds1/Ds2/P38 · LR Direct ↗RGX100960K Watts linkage bush kit, Discovery 2 · LR Direct ↗FTC3570 upper front ball joint, Discovery 2 / P38 · LR Direct ↗ |
Capability
| Towing | 7,716 lb (3,500 kg) braked 750 kg unbraked; 2001 Td5 manual, Australian spec |
|---|---|
| Payload | 1,510 lb (685 kg) 2001 Td5 manual, Australian spec; GVM 2,750 kg |
| Fuel tank | 95 L (25.1 US gal) |
| Curb weight | 4,543–4,895 lb (2,061–2,220 kg) range across versions |
| Fuel economy | EPA 12 city / 16 hwy / 13 combined 2002 4.0 V8 auto; 2003 4.6: 11 / 14 / 12 |
| Dimensions | 185.2 in long, 74.4 in wide, 76.4 in tall 100-in wheelbase |
Wheels & tires
| Factory tire | 215/75R16 (7Jx16) · 235/70R16 (7Jx16) · 255/65R16 (8Jx16) · 255/60R17 (8Jx17) · 255/55R18 (8Jx18) |
|---|---|
| Bolt pattern | 5x120 |
| Center bore | 70.1 mm |
| Lug thread | M14x1.5 |
| Biggest tire · Stock | 245/75R16 |
| Biggest tire · 2 in | 265/75R16 |
| Biggest tire · 3 in | 285/75R16 |
Open the Land Rover Discovery Series II in the tire fitment tool →
Common Land Rover Discovery Series II repairs
- Td5 injector harness replacementDIFFICULTY 2 / 5
- Td5 oil pump bolt (preventive)DIFFICULTY 3 / 5
- Td5 fuel pressure regulatorDIFFICULTY 2 / 5
- SLS air springs, or convert to coilsDIFFICULTY 2 / 5
- ACE leaks: pipes, filter or deleteDIFFICULTY 3 / 5
- Three amigos: ABS sensors and hubsDIFFICULTY 2 / 5
- V8 head gaskets and cooling refreshDIFFICULTY 4 / 5
- Rear chassis and crossmember repairDIFFICULTY 4 / 5
Always confirm torque figures, fluids and capacities against the factory service manual for your VIN. See the disclaimer; some parts links are affiliate links.