4.6 on LPG-a safe bet?

Hi, i am new to the forums so i will do a brief intro before asking just a couple of questions.
I have owned two Landies before going on to Hilux trucks, and though i love the reliability of the pick up i frequently need more than two seats and more interior space.
A 4.6 Autobiography with lpg recently caught my eye on ebay (despite the fact i normally only have diesels)-just £2300 on a classified listing for an S reg vehicle, it even had brand new tyres on expensive alloys..and looked like fantastic value.
Only real criticisms were lack of history and what the guy claimed was sticky tappet rattle, until revved.
what I'd like to know is:
1 are these as good as they sound for the money, or likely to be money pits, with lack of history-I've heard horror stories of cracked blocks and eye watering engine repair costs?
2 Is a pre 2001 vehicle with lpg liable for the 400 pound plus annual tax?
3 Is the equivalent of 30mpg realistic on lpg
4 does anyone reckon I could insure one of these for under £300 on a classic policy, 3k max milage annually-I'm 40 years old.
A lot of questions I suppose, but would really appreciate some advice before I make any rash moves.
Thanks

i pais £170 full comp + protecetd ncb with swift cover for a 2000 4.6 lpg vogue.. mine gives me equivelant to 24-30ish mpg round town. also no to the tax bill i pay £185

get engine checked re sticky tappet and as many others will tel you CHECK THE COOLANT !

Check the engine noise as this engine has a habit of overheating and going bang

check coolant!!! read any of my posts regarding checking coolant, now go check the coolant!

Cavey_P38 said:

Check the engine noise as this engine has a habit of overheating and going bang

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Thanks people, I get the message here-I'm assuming coolant levels are not what they should be when this occurs, and if you correct that there is not a serious problem necessarily, but there could be otherwise.
Otherwise the general gist is that a 4.6 is an ok buy if you are careful?
Sadly the vehicle in question sold fairly quickly, not surprising really on an S plate at that price, but I will keep my eye open for others

robp38 said:

i pais £170 full comp + protecetd ncb with swift cover for a 2000 4.6 lpg vogue.. mine gives me equivelant to 24-30ish mpg round town. also no to the tax bill i pay £185

get engine checked re sticky tappet and as many others will tel you CHECK THE COOLANT !

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Is the standard road tax only applicable with a Government approved and checked lpg set-up, or do you know if that is normal with any 4.6 Rangy of that age that has had a kit bolted on it?Thanks

buy a diesel....

I bought a 2001 4.6 Vogue with LPG nearly 2 months ago.....I am getting anywhere between 15-20 mpg when running on LPG but at 54.9p per litre it is the equivilent of 30-40 mpg on unleaded prices.
I have replaced the Ignition coil , leads & plugs, and this weekend just changed the oil and filter......and so far apart from the F****g annoying electrical problems that are prone with this car, where the alarm goes off for no apparent reason, or the indicators lights come on and drain your battery ( something to do with the damp weather I am told........) I seems to have bought a good car, no problem with the Air suspension etc.... My insurance was just over £600, 40 year old in Coventry, traveling around 25k per year but I have just swapped from a company car with no real no claims bonus for over 12 years. REALLY nice cars to drive if you get a good un....

Flarris said:

Hi, i am new to the forums so i will do a brief intro before asking just a couple of questions.
I have owned two Landies before going on to Hilux trucks, and though i love the reliability of the pick up i frequently need more than two seats and more interior space.
A 4.6 Autobiography with lpg recently caught my eye on ebay (despite the fact i normally only have diesels)-just £2300 on a classified listing for an S reg vehicle, it even had brand new tyres on expensive alloys..and looked like fantastic value.
Only real criticisms were lack of history and what the guy claimed was sticky tappet rattle, until revved.
what I'd like to know is:
1 are these as good as they sound for the money, or likely to be money pits, with lack of history-I've heard horror stories of cracked blocks and eye watering engine repair costs?
2 Is a pre 2001 vehicle with lpg liable for the 400 pound plus annual tax?
3 Is the equivalent of 30mpg realistic on lpg
4 does anyone reckon I could insure one of these for under £300 on a classic policy, 3k max milage annually-I'm 40 years old.
A lot of questions I suppose, but would really appreciate some advice before I make any rash moves.
Thanks

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I reckon a realistic mpg lpg equivalent figure of around 20-30 miles maybe a bit more on a run, 40 seems very optimistic

Flarris said:

Hi, i am new to the forums so i will do a brief intro before asking just a couple of questions.
I have owned two Landies before going on to Hilux trucks, and though i love the reliability of the pick up i frequently need more than two seats and more interior space.
A 4.6 Autobiography with lpg recently caught my eye on ebay (despite the fact i normally only have diesels)-just £2300 on a classified listing for an S reg vehicle, it even had brand new tyres on expensive alloys..and looked like fantastic value.
Only real criticisms were lack of history and what the guy claimed was sticky tappet rattle, until revved.
what I'd like to know is:
1 are these as good as they sound for the money, or likely to be money pits, with lack of history-I've heard horror stories of cracked blocks and eye watering engine repair costs?
2 Is a pre 2001 vehicle with lpg liable for the 400 pound plus annual tax?
3 Is the equivalent of 30mpg realistic on lpg
4 does anyone reckon I could insure one of these for under £300 on a classic policy, 3k max milage annually-I'm 40 years old.
A lot of questions I suppose, but would really appreciate some advice before I make any rash moves.
Thanks

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Diesels are more reliable:welcome2:

Flarris said:

Hi, i am new to the forums so i will do a brief intro before asking just a couple of questions.
I have owned two Landies before going on to Hilux trucks, and though i love the reliability of the pick up i frequently need more than two seats and more interior space.
A 4.6 Autobiography with lpg recently caught my eye on ebay (despite the fact i normally only have diesels)-just £2300 on a classified listing for an S reg vehicle, it even had brand new tyres on expensive alloys..and looked like fantastic value.
Only real criticisms were lack of history and what the guy claimed was sticky tappet rattle, until revved.
what I'd like to know is:
1 are these as good as they sound for the money, or likely to be money pits, with lack of history-I've heard horror stories of cracked blocks and eye watering engine repair costs?
2 Is a pre 2001 vehicle with lpg liable for the 400 pound plus annual tax?
3 Is the equivalent of 30mpg realistic on lpg
4 does anyone reckon I could insure one of these for under £300 on a classic policy, 3k max milage annually-I'm 40 years old.
A lot of questions I suppose, but would really appreciate some advice before I make any rash moves.
Thanks

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That was a very good price!

You'll get all sorts of people on here telling you that lpg wrecks the engines. You'll have to make your own mind up about that, but my 4.6 had an lpg conversion at 60000 miles and it's still going strong at 120000 so it's obviously not done mine any harm. It'd be worth checking that it's a decent setup and that it's been installed properly (and working properly).

The fact is that the engines can be a bit iffy regardless of whether they're on lpg or not. They suffer from head gasket problems, cracked block problems and slipped liner problems (which might be what the 'sticky tappet' really is). Have a read on here and rangerovers.net for more background - you really need to know what to look for before buying one. Having said that, a new engine isn't hideously expensive (compared to some cars!). A bargaining point perhaps.

Pre 2001 is just the normal road tax. Lpg makes no difference to pre 2001 vehicles. I think you only get a discount on later ones if you remove/massively reduce the petrol tank as well.

Depending on your NCB, you should be able to insure it very cheaply on a standard policy. I'm about that age and mine's about £150 fully comp with no excess etc.

Another thing to check on any one that you're interested in is the electrics. They have a lot of toys and if they go wrong (which they do) they can be a pain to sort out. Cruise control, heater (make sure there's no book symbol showing and no red stains on the drivers side transmission tunnel in the footwell) and that it works properly, heated seats, heated windscreens, mirrors all can have problems (and solutions!).

And DO check the air suspension.

Don't let all that put you off though. When they're good, they're very good. Most problems can be sorted fairly easily and there's lot's of knowledge and assistance available on here.

Good luck!

Guy

kooky_guy said:

That was a very good price!

You'll get all sorts of people on here telling you that lpg wrecks the engines. You'll have to make your own mind up about that, but my 4.6 had an lpg conversion at 60000 miles and it's still going strong at 120000 so it's obviously not done mine any harm. It'd be worth checking that it's a decent setup and that it's been installed properly (and working properly).

The fact is that the engines can be a bit iffy regardless of whether they're on lpg or not. They suffer from head gasket problems, cracked block problems and slipped liner problems (which might be what the 'sticky tappet' really is). Have a read on here and rangerovers.net for more background - you really need to know what to look for before buying one. Having said that, a new engine isn't hideously expensive (compared to some cars!). A bargaining point perhaps.

Pre 2001 is just the normal road tax. Lpg makes no difference to pre 2001 vehicles. I think you only get a discount on later ones if you remove/massively reduce the petrol tank as well.

Depending on your NCB, you should be able to insure it very cheaply on a standard policy. I'm about that age and mine's about £150 fully comp with no excess etc.

Another thing to check on any one that you're interested in is the electrics. They have a lot of toys and if they go wrong (which they do) they can be a pain to sort out. Cruise control, heater (make sure there's no book symbol showing and no red stains on the drivers side transmission tunnel in the footwell) and that it works properly, heated seats, heated windscreens, mirrors all can have problems (and solutions!).

And DO check the air suspension.

Don't let all that put you off though. When they're good, they're very good. Most problems can be sorted fairly easily and there's lot's of knowledge and assistance available on here.

Good luck!

Guy

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Thanks to all for advice, does sound like although the S plate car mentioned has sold quickly, could have been expensive to sort out..I have considered a diesel but the prices are generally stronger and I don't mind admitting that burbling around in a hefty V8 (never owned one) does have a certain appeal.will take a look at Range Rover sites for more help before committing myself

Flarris said:

Thanks to all for advice, does sound like although the S plate car mentioned has sold quickly, could have been expensive to sort out..I have considered a diesel but the prices are generally stronger and I don't mind admitting that burbling around in a hefty V8 (never owned one) does have a certain appeal.will take a look at Range Rover sites for more help before committing myself

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There are plenty out there so go see and try a few!

I've not driven one, but from I understand the diesels are somewhat pedestrian and they're not entirely free of problems either - depends what you want from it really.

Guy

4.6 power and refinement expensive to run, diesels less power and refinement and cheaper to run get one remapped and they shift well, lpg i dunno cos ive never had one but ive got a 3.9 disco on lpg and thats great.. if i were to have anuther 4.6 fer meself and i came across a good un wi lpg id be happy

My I have had my 1997 4.6 HSE on a multi point LPG system for over four years.... had absolutely no problems whatsoever....(Touch wood).... Just make sure it is serviced and safety checked each year (about £60).

It has the tank where the spare wheel was....takes about 74 Ltrs @ 50p per ltr & for that I get 240 miles, I am very happy with it.

I also have a Defender Hybrid witha 3.5 R/R auto under it......also on LPG - Runs awsome! no problems to report (this one is a single point injection system)

Pays for itself & doesnt sound like a tranny van:lalala:

R6NGC said:

My I have had my 1997 4.6 HSE on a multi point LPG system for over four years.... had absolutely no problems whatsoever....(Touch wood).... Just make sure it is serviced and safety checked each year (about £60).

It has the tank where the spare wheel was....takes about 74 Ltrs @ 50p per ltr & for that I get 240 miles, I am very happy with it.

I also have a Defender Hybrid witha 3.5 R/R auto under it......also on LPG - Runs awsome! no problems to report (this one is a single point injection system)

Pays for itself & doesnt sound like a tranny van:lalala:

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thats impressive 30 mpg out a 4.6

R6NGC said:

Pays for itself & doesnt sound like a tranny van:lalala:

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The engine in my Mk6 Tranny is much quieter and smoother than the BMW lump It's also got a lot more low down torque BMW are obviously not diesel experts

Yes, Mine had already been converted before I bought it in 2005. (Multi point injection with 95 ltr doughnut tank) just make sure that you have quality spark plugs and 8mm leads. LPG is back down to 65p per ltr localy......happy days.

Get one with a good quality multipoint injection system. Mine does the equivalent of 30mpg on LPG, very smooth, switches over from lpg - petrol smoothly & a V8 soundtrack!
Like everyone here will tell you, look after the lpg system & you should have no problems. Take a look at a few, take the plunge with your head, not your heart & enjoy!

Does nobody ever look at the thread date before posting?