I am looking to buy this... Land rover freelander td4..., 2.0 diesel engine..., Automatic gearbox..., FRESH MOT expires 15th MAY 2023, Only 3 previous owners..., Service history..., Clean bodywork ..
What sort of issues should I be looking for when viewing please??
Welcome aboard, hope you find a nice example, apart from the usual "used car checks" like seeing the engine starting from cold, checking the oil and water filler caps for signs of mayo/creaminess, test drive, no unwanted sounds such as squeeks rattles or bangs, pulls up straight on braking and also doesnt pull left or right in normal driving etcetera etcetera so on and so forth... The freelander has a couple of unique extra checks that need to be done, and these are so important that to be honest with you, I'd do them first, and if they don't stack up I wouldn't waste my time on the other car checks.
First off, before you do anything, look under the car, check for the propshaft running from front to back, if that's not there, run! Don't walk away, run away! Do not entertain any stories of "removed the prop to safe fuel", just
walk away, simples.
Next one is tyres, these need to be exactly matched tyres, with all four wheels being same brand model and size, mismatched tyres will cause "transmission wind up" which can be kind of ameliorated by removing the prop putting the car into front wheel drive mode, many unscrupulous sellers say they've "removed the prop to save fuel", where as really it's been done to mask badly damaged components in the 4wd system. Again, if you see mismatched tyres walk away.
On a test drive, in a TD4, check for flat spots or general lethargy, could be an issue with airflow meter, or turbo control system, keep an eye on the drivers side wing mirror, look for black smoke when running, again, indicating fuelling problem. in the engine bay, check the hoses, particularly the one near the front of the vehicle on drivers side, these tend to sag and rub on a near by screw putting a hole in them, losing boost pressure etc...
Other than that it should all be basic car savvy used car checks. Best of luck, hope you find a nice example.
