"Lofty" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:
[email protected]...
<snip>
>
> But I am in a real quandry. My local friendly garage (by that I mean they
> are locally known to be 'good honest sorts') has a T reg 3dr in beautiful
> condition with only 30k on the clock. Right colour, and priced at £5k.
>
> After reading all the negatives about the petrol engines, I was heading
for
> a diesel, but a similar vehicle with a diesel engine is going to cost me a
> grand and a half more.
> I have calculated that if I put the extra money aside for the increased
fuel
> costs, it will see me though 5 years.
>
> It's very tempting, but flies in the face of everything I have been told
> since I asked my first question.
Please don't.
At 30k, the petrol engine is _incredibly_ likely to be within 10k of a head
gasket failure (honestly, even my local LR dealer tells me that almost all
1.8s have had the head gaskets go by 50k). Depending on the damage done when
it goes, and who you get to repair it, it will cost between £500 (head
skimmed and refitted by an independant) and £6k (LR dealer declaring the
engine scrap and fitting a replacement) to have it sorted. Having had it
sorted, you can expect to be within 40k of it going again.
Here's a potted history of our 1.8 (a not atypical one, at that):
36k Head gasket failure, 2 weeks in the workshop, repaired under warranty
(2 years old).
I have to say that the engine always felt rougher afterwards, but
I've no idea what they changed.
48k Catalytic convertor breaks up. A decent contribution from LR as it
was just out of warranty.
78k CCU controlling the 'ancillary' electrics packs up rendering rear
door inoperative
£450 to have a replacement CCU fitted by my local independant LR
repairer
78.5k Head gasket failure. LR offer 50% contribution toward cost of
replacing cylinder head.
Total quoted was £3000, or which we'd have to pay £1500.
Took it to my local independant (after paying £440 to get it back
from dealer) who
skimmed head and refitted for £500.
78.8k IRD (Intermediate Reduction Drive) showing signs of failure.
Estimated cost to repair, £1000.
Got rid of it right sharpish.
Trade-in value at 79k, 4 1/2 years old (V-plate): £4500.
I said ours was atypical: our next door neighbour had a '98 1.8 which threw
a head gasket requiring a replacement engine, shortly followed by IRD
failure. They own a Mazda 323, now.
The £1500 price difference between a petrol and a diesel _might_ just pay
for the head gasket to be repaired. Once. Note that LR almost certainly
won't contribute because of it was out-of-warranty when you bought it.
An out-of-warranty Freelander is a bit of a liability. An out-of-warranty
1.8 is the stuff sleepless nights are made of.
Honestly, steer clear.
--
Smorgo (Steve Morgan)
Hello: '01 VFR 800 FI, '86 V8 110
Goodbye: '01 NT650V
E-Mail address is spam-trapped. Use my first name at wormpurple dot com
