Car viewing

i am going to look at a td4 se tomorrow it's advertised at £3250 looks in really nice condition but I know looks can be deceiving on pictures, it has done 126000k miles does this seem a fair price? What should I look out for? Will I be buying trouble at this milage? It is a 2005 model manual.

Many thanks for any advice given.

Mileage isn't an issue. It's maintenance that is really important. However some items wear as mileage increases. These should have been replaced. If not, you'll spend your cash changing them.
I paid £2K for my 05 TD4 SE auto with 111000 on the clock. Mine also has the winter pack and full leather. So £ 3250 sounds expensive by comparison.

Thanks for that, this has winter pack on, it does look immaculate from the pictures also leather and parking sensors and 3 months warranty.

Have you looked a the MOT history to see how it fared?

Cheers

No I haven't I will do now thanks.

All mot were pass except last one it says due to faulty rear number plate light, and also front headlamp settings too high.

Winter pack includes the heated front screen and Fuel Burning Heater (FBH).
Rear PDC is standard on the SE as is heated Alcantara (faux suede) seats. It should have a 6 CD multi-changer stereo. If you are lucky, it might have the Harmon Kardon speakers, but most don't.

Landytd4 said:

All mot were pass except last one it says due to faulty rear number plate light, and also front headlamp settings too high.

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Why would they headlights suddenly go high and fail the MOT?

At that mileage, you want to see evidence that the VCU has been changed. Mine is almost dead with 20K less miles.
Also make sure all tyres are the same, size, make and model. Also the least worn tyres MUST be on the back.

This is what it says.

• Reason(s) for failure
  Headlamp aim aimed so that it dazzles other road users bulb insecure (1.8.A.1a)
  Headlamp aim too high both aims (1.8)
  Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Landytd4 said:

This is what it says.

• Reason(s) for failure
  Headlamp aim aimed so that it dazzles other road users bulb insecure (1.8.A.1a)
  Headlamp aim too high both aims (1.8)
  Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

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Might have had a bump causing the light issue so worth checking inner wings etc for signs of damage.
Agree with Nodge tho, if no reciept for new VCU then factor a new one (£300 ish inc bearings and fitting) into the price.
Also check all the windows work plus all other electrical stuff. They're asking full retail price so it needs to be 100% right.

Make sure the propshaft is still there!

Look underneath. The ones I looked at were rusted to hell.

Alibro said:

Might have had a bump causing the light issue so worth checking inner wings etc for signs of damage.
Agree with Nodge tho, if no reciept for new VCU then factor a new one (£300 ish inc bearings and fitting) into the price.
Also check all the windows work plus all other electrical stuff. They're asking full retail price so it needs to be 100% right.

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That's why I mentioned the lights Ali. Headlights don't just go out of alignment, all on there own. A badly repaired accident could cause that issue. If it's at full retail price, it needs to be in top retail condition.
Then I was looking at the end of 2015. I found loads of tarted up mid condition cars. Once the silicone polish starts to come off, they'd look tatty and old.
Mine 05 SE was just £2000 without any silicone polish. There was a couple of things wrong with it, but nothing much. Because I paid what it was worth, I can avoid worries about knocks, chips and scratches that are inevitable when going off road.

Nodge68 said:

That's why I mentioned the lights Ali. Headlights don't just go out of alignment, all on there own. A badly repaired accident could cause that issue. If it's at full retail price, it needs to be in top retail condition.
Then I was looking at the end of 2015. I found loads of tarted up mid condition cars. Once the silicone polish starts to come off, they'd look tatty and old.
Mine 05 SE was just £2000 without any silicone polish. There was a couple of things wrong with it, but nothing much. Because I paid what it was worth, I can avoid worries about knocks, chips and scratches that are inevitable when going off road.

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I figured that was what you were getting at Nodge. I agree 100% about the silicone polish, the last car I bought from a dealer came with 12 months MOT and the silicone polish but I spent hundreds on it within months sorting all the usual Freelander issues plus the inevitable K series head gasket.
Thankfully I had pushed the seller pretty hard on price cause I expected issues.

I have found another one to look at, only 65000 miles mot checker is all clear apart from last one it says.

• Reason(s) for failure
  Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)
  Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (3.4.1c)
  Electronic stability system warning lamp indicates a fault (3.4.1c)
  Brake fluid warning lamp illuminated (3.6.G.2)
  
  Then passes next day, is the above something to worry about?
  Thanks.
  Car is a 06 5 door adventurer model. Manual.

Nodge68 said:

Winter pack includes the heated front screen and Fuel Burning Heater (FBH).
Rear PDC is standard on the SE as is heated Alcantara (faux suede) seats. It should have a 6 CD multi-changer stereo. If you are lucky, it might have the Harmon Kardon speakers, but most don't.


Why would they headlights suddenly go high and fail the MOT?

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Not sure if it's just my luck or what, but a large percentage of the MOTs I've had done has flagged up the headlight aim. Fiesta, Brava, 306, two Defenders, two Freelanders - it always seems to come up. I don't ever fiddle with the headlights, other than to change a bulb.

In an unguarded moment in the pub, a mechanic suggested to me that if the aim is near some borderline he'll fail it, since it's easy to correct. Something to do with not passing too many vehicles straight through - looks suspicious. Sounds a bit cynical to me but it does chime with my experiences.

OP, you could knock the price down a bit on that one. Check:

1. Prop and bearings - do a figure-8 on tarmac. Not as good as OWUT, I know.
2. Tailgate window and handle - make sure it's not coming off.
3. Spend some time and check every function works - radio, dash lights, windows, demist, etc.
4. Tyres, front brakes, knocks over bumps or while steering, try to slip the clutch.
5. Check exhaust for corrosion.
6. Look for brake lines replaced with copper
7. Leaks on the undertray
8. Remove dipstick with engine running and check for blowby
9. Listen for a noisy fuel pump when key turned to II
10. Check all fluids in engine bay - a sign of care and know-how.

At 126,000 a well-maintained Td4 should be fine, but you are possibly heading towards clutch, fuel pump and VCU territory. If you can knock the price back to budget for these things, find a decent service history, and all checks out above, then you should have a nice vehicle there.

Landytd4 said:

I have found another one to look at, only 65000 miles mot checker is all clear apart from last one it says.

• Reason(s) for failure
  Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault (5.4.2)
  Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault (3.4.1c)
  Electronic stability system warning lamp indicates a fault (3.4.1c)
  Brake fluid warning lamp illuminated (3.6.G.2)
  
  Then passes next day, is the above something to worry about?
  Thanks.
  Car is a 06 5 door adventurer model. Manual.

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SRS = air bags or seat pre-tensioner problems. Often just connection problems.
Brake fluid low is just that. Probably low as opposed to a leak as that would be mentioned anorl.
Sounds like it had the 3 amigo's lit, which is often a simple fix caused by brake switch failure etc.
Check the abs lights etc illuminate on the dash correctly, and go oft, when first powering it, as opposed to the light's being removed to hide faults. They won't have been removed to get it through the mot.

dash lights = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGth0g2FbT8

dash lights = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rxaxrNKRto

I have looked at 5 freelanders over the weekend and none to my liking, does anyone know of any decent ones around the Spalding lincs area?

Thanks.

Landytd4 said:

I have looked at 5 freelanders over the weekend and none to my liking, does anyone know of any decent ones around the Spalding lincs area?

Thanks.

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Were you not keen on the SE?

I couldn't get to that one today, busy with work for couple of days now so will be later in week but looking around it seems too much money for the highish mileage. Ideally like something under 100k