Hi Mate,
I've been told that the uprated rail was fitted from (I
think) 2001 onward - but I don't think that the MLS was ever fitted at the factory - though I could be wrong.
How good are you at reading? From your writing I would guess pretty good, which means you can read a Hayne's Manual, which means you can get to know your car and tackle HGF if it ever happens to you
! If anything I've learned here is actually true, you should be ok as long as you do frequent coolant checks and the MLS HG has been done on the car. Biggest cause of HGF on these cars now seems to be coolant leaks - people int checking their levels enough and you need to catch leaks early to avoid it. The K series is no more vulnerable to cooking than other engines.
I was nattering in the pub with another member here, and he was telling me why the old FL's without the PRT and with the chocolate HG used to just $hit them out for the hell of it due to things like thernal shock when the old thermo opened. With the PRT, MLS and uprated rail you are better protected against HGF - and I reckon as long as you keep an eye out for leaks you'll be ok. Other, more experienced K series enthusiasts (yes they do exist) can confirm this.
Incidentally, I am about to replace my HG next week when my parts arrive, the last owner drove it to death with a leaky coolant feed pipe and cooked the engine a few times - so now it leaks exhaust into the coolant causing air locks. Also, myself and this mate who's a mobile mechanic (goes on here as Diesel Do) are going to fit the
Davies Craig Electric Water Pump and Controller to my freelander - which we reckon will totally eliminate the HGF problem barring failure due to loss of coolant (so new hoses all round when I do the work). If it works, I'll be reccomending it here.
Best of luck with the viewing - some greats threads on what to look out for! Arm yourself with knowlege and haggle!
Will.
Edit: Mine is also a 2004 model, they are friggin sweet.
