Buying Tips?

It's been a while since I've been car hunting so was looking for some tips and advice; what to look for, questions to ask, etc.

I'm looking at Freelander TD4's, years 2001 to 2003. One that appeals is a 2003 Kalahari spec with 110k miles, bit more mileage than I'd like but a very tidy car.

Thanks!

Hi chipfork..

And :welcome2:

To start with, your buying the best engined model and avoiding the fragile petrol ones..


There is plenty to check for, and different people go into varying depths of checking.. but the biggest ones are:

Check the VCU is working properly - theres plenty of tips on here how to do this if you do a topic search

Check that the propshaft hasnt been removed making it 2 wheel drive - especially if youve been told its been done "for better MPG innit mayyte?" that usually means the above VCU is fooked and been taken off!

A full service history is nice - but doesnt mean that it aint got problems. However, the TD4 engine is a very good one, and pretty reliable.. So as long as it sounds good, and the oil and coolant are where they should be (and the colour they should be!!), chances are its fine.

Check there are no lights staying on after start up.. especially the Yellow and Green HDC lights, the traction control light, or worse case all 3.. Thatll need work which could be a cheap fix, but could be expensive and time consuming

A good sign of previous ownership is 4 matching tyres with identical tread patterns and all the same size.. The VCU has very small tolerances for slip (5mm i believe) and LR recommend you change all 4 at once.. Obviously with the way money is at the moment, not everyones got £500 quid in november for tyres, so you can have diffrent ones on the front to the back, but make sure the two tyres on each axle are the same make and size, and always put the newest tyres on the rear to avoid premature wear to your VCU


Check all electric windows and boot glass work.. Check central locking locks and unlocks ALL doors - as freelanders have weak solonoids.. over time, if you lock the car, all the buttons will go down, but when you unlock some may not pop back up - forcing you to use the key to unlock (very 80's!) or to reach accross and open the door from inside (again, no big deal really, but can get frustrating if youve got kids always travelling with you)

If its a model with a sunroof, check it for leaks.

Check all gears engage smoothly

Aside from that, what you see is what you get! Its a good little truck, brilliand on fuel, tows no problems, and is quite refined around town for a 2 ton slab of box shaped metal - i wouldnt be without mine!!

Finally, some VERY clued up people on here, who can give you top advice and can save you a fortune!! Theres plenty of banter (which you must take with a pinch of salt) especially off those pig shagging tratter boys that call us gaylander owners.. (They are just jelous that our floors dont rot rust out from underneath us)

Let us all know how you get on.

Hi outstanding advice from newcyboots , goodluck

Hi - great advice..........
Re VCU put it in reverse and go backwards with a really tight lock.....if it feels really tight like you have the handbrake 3/4 on - then VCU is probably too tight.... you should notice just a small amount of resistance....

IRD check for oil leaks and get truck hot and see if IRD is noisey...

Finally startup ..... this truck should strart first click from stone cold. If there are clouds of smoke - especially blue there are issues some do smoke on start up and are perfect otherwise. If it fails to start walk away!!!!

Thanks newcyboots, fantastic!

I'm not quite a Freelander newbie, we owned an 02 1.8 petrol model which served us well. Had it 3 years before the first head gasket went

I had a look at 2003 TD4 today. We both like the combination and spec, it's a Kalahari station wagon. It's done 110k which is above average but is in a pretty tidy condition. Very tempted, I've not looked at any other cars so would like a reference point before diving in.

Had a quick test drive and seemed pretty tight, pulled well, a lot better than what I remember of the 1.8 petrol. Gearbox seems good, smooth but not loose. Not sure I checked the VCU properly, didn't really pick up on the resistance but then didn't really have to space to take it back in a tight lock.

Starts fine, no smoke, sounds good too. The car had been sat, I checked the engine and it was stone cold. Noticed the coolant was a little below min level but colour ok, is that anything to worry about?

Don't believe the propshaft has been removed, listed as a 4x4.

Has a full service history, last one was 4k miles ago, last few werent main dealers though. One owner from new, unfortunately they haven't kept bills for any work so don't know when brakes, etc have been done.

Has 4 matching tyres all with good tread, I'd guess they've been put on fairly recently.

Checked all the lights and nothing stopping on. Checked the electric windows, central locking and boot glass, all fine. Checked the sunroof, the rubber is a little green round the edges but no obvious signs of leaks. Only thing I did note was that holding the button once it's at the end stop causes it to clunk away as if it's spinning on a ratchet, don't know if that's normal but works fine.

Very tempted as there's not many around, only thing that's got me thinking is the mileage. Is 110k a drop in the ocean for one of these?
Did my very best at haggling on the price and the best I can get is a £100 off the sticker price or the third-party 3 month warranty at their price, £100, i.e. they'll throw it in. Tempted as it says it covers all 4x4 parts and seems pretty comprehensive.

Trying to find a similar car I can look at tomorrow for a comparison but would welcome any thoughts.

Thanks!

110k is fine if it's been looked after - TD4 is a robust engine

Excellent advice you've received - I agree completely - nothing more to add really.

Except :welcome2: back to Landyland.

Still worth getting under the car and making sure the prop is in place

Good on ya chipfork,

110K is nothin on that engine.. Its easily good for 250k.. No jokes

Like you say, youve done the landy thing before, so that stands you in good stead!!

Nice to have you back in the landyfold

Mantamad is spot on.. theres no harm in taking a quick inspection of the propshaft to make sure its there.. but by the way it drives/feels in your description, it sound like a good un!!

Nice spec by the way.. love the kalahari and zambezi editions they did around that time, they truly are spot on... The comfort and toys of high end saloon/hatch, mixed with the practicality, economy and good looks of a freelander, and near bullet proof BMW engine

Good on ya pal.. even if its only £100 quid off the stocker price, who cares?? If you like it, get it.. and long may you enjoy it!!

And remember, problems or not.. stick around on here.. top advice, lovely people, and a wealth of info your hippo

Even the banter off the tratter boys is all in jest.. cos they may take the **** out of freelanders, but none of em wouldnt help you out if you needed it!!

Post some pics to show us all your new toy after youve picked it up

Thanks everyone, the advice has been extremely useful. I'm looking to get a deposit down on the car in question today and then pick it up next week, pictures will follow.

Only minor concerns were the electric sunroof; holding the button once it's at the end stop causes it to clunk away as if it's spinning on a ratchet, don't know if that's normal but works fine?

Also the coolant level sitting below minimum, is that usual after 4k miles since the last service? The colour looked fine, certainly nothing like the 1.8 we had once the head gasket went ;-)

Tempted by the 3 month warranty instead of the £100 cash saving. The cover seems pretty comprehensive and importantly covers ALL the 4x4 components which seems like a good cover to have over the winter period when the car is potentially worked quite hard.

I'll certainly be sticking around the forum for advice and banter.

I wouldnt worry too much mate.

My sunroof makes a clunk when it gets to the fully open position, but no noises afterwards though.. To be honest, i dont really like sunroofs on the station wagon model.. Wgatever make and model of car you own, if its got a sunroof, it will fail eventually..

I hardly ever use my sunroof to be honest.. As long as it doesnt leak, im happy Id rather use the aircon on a warm day (remember them??)


I wouldnt worry about the coolant either.. Keep a close eye on it though... If you do go ahead and purchase, bring it to the salesmans attention.. Tell him you want it topped up to max before leaving, and say that if you see any drop in the level between the date of purchase and the end of your 3 month warranty, youll be bringing it back for checks..

Im not too clued up on cooling systems, but loads of peeps on here are and may want to add some extra advice on it..

Mine was loosing about a cupfull of coolant every 2 months, but it turned out to be a hairline fracture in my expansion tank cap!! So when the engine was under high load towing, the steam was making it through the cap!! A visit to ebay and £6 later, problem solved and coolant now doesnt move!

Good luck!

The coolant level should be OK, but I'd check it with the engine fully up to temp.

There are 8.5 litres in there so the expansion moves the level up quite a bit.

I fill mine so that when hot the level is mid-way between the marks.

When cold it's right on the minimum level.

If I put in more it's just thrown out and it's back to the mid-way position in a day or two.

It finds it's own level and stays there - I don't keep needlessly topping it up to max.

Buy it and enjoy, mate.

Deal done, I pick the car up next week

I've said I'll take the third-party comprehensive warranty instead of the £100 off, a bit of piece of mind over the 'warranty' you get from the dealer.

Thanks again everyone for all the help and advice, much appreciated! I'll obviously sticking around for maintenance tips and help and of course a bit of banter too.