Advice on buying a Range Rover

Hi folks.I've joined the forum today and hope someone will be kind enough to volunteer some info. I am presently babysitting a 4.6hse 1999 model range rover running on lpg while my mate is on holiday......and I'm smitten. I've always promised myself an up to date one if I have a lottery win!
Basically I'm looking to find out the kind of stuff I should be looking for if I was to buy one. I'd like to know what the obvious faults are with these vehicles.I have read a few articles saying you're better of buying Japanese, but I'm afraid the Japanese ones just don't do it for me visually.

I'd be looking for one of a similar age, either 4.0 or 4.6 petrol no older than 2001(P38?) to beat the emissions based tax thingy.
I had a quick look on the web and see that there are major issues with the head gaskets failing and new engines being fitted under warranty. Am I better to pay a bit extra and look for one with documented engine change by Land Rover or could someone tell me if this goes what kind of bill I'd be looking at!
I appreciate and am not naive enough to know these beasts can't be run on a shoestring budget, but would like to know if there is a sort of checklist I can make up if I'm seriously looking at one.
If I bought one, I would have to run it on lpg, so any advice on that would be appreciated.
I would imagine that this type of question has been asked before on the forum so please accept my apologies if there is a link or so within the forum that I should have clicked on giving me the answers.
Oh ,just one more thing...4.0 or 4.6 ?Speed isn't my thing particularly. Is there any difference in economy. Is the 4.0 as badly affected with the head gasket issue?
Does anyone know a garage in the Paisley/Glasgow area that can service these vehicles competently at a reasonable price/have good knowledge of them.
Many thanks in advance.Alan.

write up a checklist of all the normal things you look for in a car, then copy/paste the list underneath as you will need to look twice at least!

pay particular attention to the message centre on the dash as this will list the various bits that have failed and require attention.

check the body for obvious rust and dents etc. now check all the electrical stuff and recheck!! everything should work fine if not its money you will be spending!

ANY noises whilst driving need to be addressed!

check the hevac for full function, if the aircon doesnt blowcold then the evapourator(the rad thing at the front of car) could have a hole in it, its an easy fix but expect to replace it(at least for haggling, in reality you can use that liquid metal stuff if its just pitted on the top drivers side corner, common fault)

the lpg system on a '99 should be multipoint and as such should have been regularly serviced etc.

the engine, check for the obvious stuff, then again(are you getting the picture yet, good cos you will need to check again!!) check the hose at the top of rad before and after a good run, how does it feel? i would have a check of yr mates, you'll get the feel for what is ok or not.

there is no way to tell if the HG or liners are about to go so really its a judgement call, there are ways to tell if its gone, even if its just a little bit gone, search this forum and you will find loads of posts.

there are other things to check but i just can't remember em all, if you manage to write a list, post it and we can all add the bits that we feel are missing!

i know its a lot to read but reading this post and searching the forum is free! a new block(short) will cost around £1500 +vat then you have to have it fitted and rebuilt etc so take yr time!

did i mention to check things twice or three times?? if not then do!

I have a '99 4.6 Vogue SE, bought it nearly 5 years ago, impeccable pedigree / one owner etc. Its been scrupulously maintained ever since, but I've still spent a small fortune on it (and it hasn't ended yet!).

I avoided the temptation to LPG conversion - heard of many unhappy folk, and a lot of blown heads, and, worse, cracked blocks...the 4.6 was particularly prone, I was advised, to react to temperature rises, (badly) and LPG conversions apparently tend to run hotter than the petrol engine. Probably, a whole load of people will post to say they have a great LPG conversion and it has saved them ££££ over the years and never had a problem, but for better or worse, I took the advice not to convert. I was led to believe that the 4 litre engine converted better to gas and was more "robust" then the 4.6, although it was a more sluggish beast.

The advice before I bought was to check the provenance as carefully as possible - there were loads of "dogs" popping up on ebay at that time, many of them afflicted with the porous block problem and dodgy electrics etc. At the time of buying, the P38s were only just into the independent market and off main dealer used floors, so sourcing a really good one was perhaps easier then than now.

The electrics I was warned were crucial - ensure they are 100% unless you enjoy expensive repairs, and I mean really expensive - as well as the EAS system. Any faults on the dash should be viewed dubiously when you come to buy.

Just to give you an idea: even though my RR has been really well maintained, it has had, since purchase in 2004:

1. New condensor
2. Complete EAS overhaul: new boots, new compressor, new height sensors.
3. New aircon heater blower motors (not the notorious three blend motors - they need doing at present!!)
4. Thermostat replaced.
5. Heads both completely redone / skimmed etc after a slight leak noted at the back of one of the heads.
6. Two sets of tyres
7. Four replacement windscreens (Autoglass had no less than 4 goes at replacing a damaged screen - three were pronounced faulty after only half of the heated screen worked after installation - luckily the replacement screens from them have a lifetime guarantee)
8. Exhaust partly replaced - manifold, back box.
9. Two battery changes (victim of mysterious battery drain - discovered it was local wireless doorbell)

Despite six monthly oil changes and constant loving attention, the old bat (that's the car, not me!!) now wants:

1. Blend motors replaced.
2. New window / sunroof switch pack
3. Changing RF receiver so mysterious key fob "blocks" and battery drain disappear forever.

2 and 3 are in hand, 1 leaves me in despair as its too big a job for me to attempt on my own, and I can't afford a main dealers bill for around 8 hours labour or more, plus the approx £200 for the blend motors - luckily, the aircon is stuck on warm, but I guess a hot summer won't be that nice!!

My independent, who looked after all our vehicles for the past decade, has unfortunately shut up shop, so I am stuck without a local Landie specialist whom I can trust not to rip me off - when car dealers and workshops see a woman come in in a big car on her own looking for a quote or a repair, they all seem to get pound signs in the eyes and a gleeful expression before doing the age old suck-air-through-teeth act and the "ooh-arrr missus" routine before coming out with nonsense that usually makes me laugh and leave quickly

The other thing to be very sure of, is to get the security codes and sun roof manual tool with the car, as they can be a right b$%* to find when you really really need them.

The key fobs need regular refurbing (well mine do anyway) but that's quite cheap via the kits widely available on ebay.

The one thing I'm sorry I didn't do sooner was to buy a Faultmate / Rovacomm type unit - it would have saved me loads if I'd bought one from the outset, and prevented a lot of bulls"£$Ting from main stealers wanting to "diagnose" something which turned out to be a 10p fuse, charge £250 for it and keep the car for 2 days.....

I'm buying one now, as electrical faults will inevitably become more complex in a 10 year old very complex vehicle, as the weather gets to it more and more over the years.

I hope these musings have given any wannabe P38 owner some insight into the ongoing maintenance and expense of running one of these, however well looked after they may be. :blabla::blabla:

thanks for the reply. I'll give it some thought as to whether to look for one, but your list of maintenance/faults supplied is a real eye opener. I'm not mechanically minded so would rely on a garage to do the needful.Thanks again for your post......There's a guy selling one 10 miles from me its an autobiography 4.6 with cream leather interior/red carpeting and looks immaculate.........I won't go to see it though as once you drive it and sit inside the deal would be done........oh well......

thanks for your reply.I'll give it some thought a to whether I'm prepared for the outlay involved.cheers.

The Emissions based Tax thingy has been scrapped - well, the boundaries have been moved somewhat - it now covers cars built since 2006......

rangiegal said:

Despite six monthly oil changes and constant loving attention, the old bat (that's the car, not me!!) now wants:

1. Blend motors replaced.
2. New window / sunroof switch pack
3. Changing RF receiver so mysterious key fob "blocks" and battery drain disappear forever.

2 and 3 are in hand, 1 leaves me in despair as its too big a job for me to attempt on my own, and I can't afford a main dealers bill for around 8 hours labour or more, plus the approx £200 for the blend motors - luckily, the aircon is stuck on warm, but I guess a hot summer won't be that nice!!

Click to expand...

There was a guy on ebay advertising to do them for 300 quid inc the parts and I heard good things about his work, not sure if he's still on there. Do the servicing yourself, no more difficult than any other car... in fact easier, 'cos you've got loads of room underneath (changing plugs is a bitch on the newer ones though)