buying advice please

Hi all
Looking to pick your collective brains please
Off to look at /pick up an '04 plate td4 hse freelander from simmonites at Bradford on Saturday not really had any experience with freelanders mainly been discos and defenders. I know these have possible issues with drive train anything else I should look for ?
Also has any body had any dealings with simmonites ?

As I had help looking for mine a couple of weeks ago, I will impart what I can remember...

Check central locking
Check for play in prop
Reverse it around on full lock and if it feels like the handbrake is on there is a problem with the VCU (viscous coupling unit)
Check electric windows, inc rear
Check hill descent (if you can)
Check for water in the rear storage compartment
Check that both rear tyres are the same tread pattern, or it can destroy the VCU

That is all that I can remember at the moment, there is probably more.

vanman92uk said:

View attachment 61338
Hi all
I know these have possible issues with drive train anything else I should look for ?

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look here

Cheers for the replys.
We've been told its had a new diff so am a bit wary as hes not Saïd anything about vcu or ird

vanman92uk said:

We've been told its had a new diff so am a bit wary as hes not Saïd anything about vcu or ird

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Yeh, I'd be a bit wary about that. May be genuine faulty diff or caused by other things. When he says diif - he may be refering to the IRD - as it is the front diff. If it is, might be worth jacking the rear and seeing if a rear wheel turns - it may have been replaced with a 2WD IRD.

To expand on the tyre warning - make sure all 4 tyres are the same not just the rears. If they're different, factor in changing them even if they're brand new (and any possible damage its caused).

As far as I know it's the rear diff that's been changed /worked on hence the concern as it seems main reasons for rear diff fault would be ird/vcu

What's the reasoning in having all 4 tyres the same ? I understand having same tyres on each axle

vanman92uk said:

What's the reasoning in having all 4 tyres the same ? I understand having same tyres on each axle

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Read the stickies in this section

make sure it has all the props and the vcu.



and a long warranty.

Make sure the rear tyres are the newest aka deepest tread... Facelift models have a better gearbox ratios which took some stress off the VCU. My VCU had done 140,000miles when I changed it and that was only done as I felt it was prudent to

Skynet said:

Make sure the rear tyres are the newest aka deepest tread... Facelift models have a better gearbox ratios which took some stress off the VCU. My VCU had done 140,000miles when I changed it and that was only done as I felt it was prudent to

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This ones done 120k am kind of hoping it's had vcu done previously as it's had a rear diff at some point which simmonites fitted but they didn't know if vcu had been done but said they would check

Pray to your Diety, cross fingers and get a second mortgage.

The Mad Hat Man said:

Pray to your Diety, cross fingers and get a second mortgage.

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Lol yeah I was just thinking I'd try and get a 12 month warranty out of them but that could work too lol

At the prices Simmonites charge I'd expect to get a warranty anyway!!

Off top of my head not sure if it's 3 or 6 months warranty it comes with but going to try for 12 months