HOPE IV"E DONE RIGHT

Hi all,
I have today rejoined the Land Rover brigade by buying a 2005 Freelander TD4 HSE Auto.
My only concern is the mileage 161000.
Is this acceptable for a well maintained TD4. It"s passed the last 3 MOT with just one advisory and that was for a worn near side front tyre, the front two tyres have now been replaced with new, but come to think of it, it does have a tendancy to pull slightly to the left, so could it be the new tyres?
It"s nice to be back after 3 years driving a Toyota Rav.

When did the Freelander have the last service. It would be a good idea to have a good full service to pick up any nicknacks.

Take the the NEW tyres off the front and swap with the rears ASAP
Causes transmission problems
LR recommend tyres be replaced in full sets. If tyres are replaced in pairs, newer tyres need to be on the rear.

I changed from the Freelander auto to a RAV as my Wife wouldn't drive the Freelander. What I did find was how rubbish the petrol Rav's fuel consumption was compared to the TD4, 20 mpg compared to 35 mpg.

is it pulling to the left when you brake or just when driving?

pardec said:

Take the the NEW tyres off the front and swap with the rears ASAP
Causes transmission problems
LR recommend tyres be replaced in full sets. If tyres are replaced in pairs, newer tyres need to be on the rear.

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This ^^^^ is extremely important. Additionally the new tyres should be the same make, type and size as the other pair.
Unless it's been made 2wd in which case is doesn't matter what tyres go where.

+1

Hi all,
It"s only pulling to the left(nearside) when driving.
I"ve only had a short test drive doing all the advised things like turning on full lock and reversing etc and there are no knocking noises so everything sounds ok underneath. I don"t pick the car up until Tuesday as it is being MOT"ed Tuesday am. Looking forward to it.
Nobody has commented on the high mileage, is 160000 miles ok?
cheers

Mileage is irrelevant provided the worn out components are replaced as and when needed.
What's more important is that the servicing has been carried out when needed. At those miles the gearbox should have had 2 fluid changes as should the IRD oil. The VCU would likely have been replaced. If not, it's not far from it. I would be concerned about the new, possibly different tyres on the front.
Have you checked that the propshaft are in place?

mudinuri said:

Hi all,
It"s only pulling to the left(nearside) when driving.

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That's good. The ones to worry about are the ones that pull when they are stationary.

mudinuri said:

I"ve only had a short test drive doing all the advised things like turning on full lock and reversing etc and there are no knocking noises so everything sounds ok underneath.

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This is obviously a good sign. Do check that it has the prop shaft connecting the 2 axles though - they've often been removed, as said making it 2WD. If all you want is a 100% road car then 2WD is fine (with 2WD safety in bad weather) but you should haggle the price down and there would be niggling thoughts as to whether previous faults were fixed properly. You'll need to tell your insurance co. its 2WD. Even if it has the props, the only real way of telling if its still 4WD is to lift a back wheel and try to turn it.

Having said its a good sign, often when the transmissions 'go' there's not much noticable difference leading up to it - just a bang, oh f**k. This can happen to any Freelander though if the VCU & tyres aren't checked/looked after. Take absolute note of what has been said above - all 4 tyres must be the exact same make/model/size with the newest on the back. When you pic up the car do a "1 wheel up" test to determine if the VCU is servicable - any doubts - change it.

mudinuri said:

Nobody has commented on the high mileage, is 160000 miles ok? cheers

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The TD4s have been known to do 500K kms - so your motor's only 1/2 way there. They've also been known to die a lot earlier - generally though they are pretty tough and should last lots more than 161K miles - so long as they've been services and looked after. You are though much more likely to have some expensive maintenance - eg injectors are very expensive and your motor's done the sort of mileage where they are often replaced.

Thanks for that,
Yes it is still a 4x4 and the dealer tells me that he has had all 4 injectors replaced at a cost of nearly £800.
cheers

Check the VCU by doing the one wheel up test as soon as you get it home, or preferably before you buy it. I bought a Freelander last week with 115k on it and the VCU was very bad. Took around 3 minutes for the test.
The last one I bought had 120k and took 2 minutes to do it so mileage is definitely not the only cause of bad VCU. Incorrect tyre fitting and/or tyre pressure will kill it too.