New to Landrover ownership

Hicap phill said:

Quick check the rear prop is still connected

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GrumpyGel said:

First things first (assuming it starts, runs and looks ok!)...

Thanks for a very comprehensive and helpful reply. That gives me a great deal of food for thought. I believe the car has only had one previous owner before the current seller which is a good sign, but only a test drive will indicate how the vehicles been cared for.
I’ll let you know how I get on!

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/tests-new-freelander-1-owners-should-do-on-their-car.312863/

You don't say if its manual or auto. The manual gearboxes appear to have a long life - but not the clutches, they generally have a relatively short life and are not cheap to replace, would be worth seeing when it was last replaced and you could expect 80k on it. I'm not sure what to make of the auto, my impression was that they were good long lasting boxes, but there are niggly problems with them and some faults that do require a rebuild - obviously everything could come under that banner, would be interesting to see what people's thoughts are.

The TD4 is a common rail engine and most of its problems relate to that, failing lift pump, failing fuel pressure sensor due to corrosion, failing fuel pressure regulator due to worn out O rings. Not excessively expensive to fix but can be difficult to diagnose - even with all the info and help on here.

The Freelander 'chassis' is a pretty reliable little truck. My '99 L Series diesel has been boringly reliable in my 10 years of ownership. There are niggles such as water ingress to the boot and leaking heater matrixes, failing window regulators etc, but on the whole, they're good.

The 'big thing' though is the transmission. You need identical tyres pumped to the same pressures and you need a VCU that has not gone overly tight. If you keep on top of checking these (and a TPMS is a great add on for a Freelander) then it should be good for a long life - if something goes wrong there though, wind up will trash the transmission - particularly the IRD (front diff with PTO for back axle) and rear diff. They aren't cheap to replace. It is difficult to know what condition the transmission is in when buying, you can check tyres, but what were they like 6 months ago? A One Wheel Up Test (see that link) is possible to perform on a test drive, if you're prepared but usually not practical. The real test is what condition the IRD is in - the best way to do that is a change of oil - see if it comes out looking like 'old oil' or whether it has ground down metal particles suspended in it - a sure sign of current or historic abuse.

What ever, the sensible thing to do buying a Freelander is to budget for any tyre replacements needed and £300 for a recon VCU and support bearings. Once you get it, do an oil change on the IRD, and cross your fingers there's little metallic content in there.

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Scipio Africanus said:

Additional photos...

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GrumpyGel said:

First things first (assuming it starts, runs and looks ok!)...

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/tests-new-freelander-1-owners-should-do-on-their-car.312863/

You don't say if its manual or auto. The manual gearboxes appear to have a long life - but not the clutches, they generally have a relatively short life and are not cheap to replace, would be worth seeing when it was last replaced and you could expect 80k on it. I'm not sure what to make of the auto, my impression was that they were good long lasting boxes, but there are niggly problems with them and some faults that do require a rebuild - obviously everything could come under that banner, would be interesting to see what people's thoughts are.

The TD4 is a common rail engine and most of its problems relate to that, failing lift pump, failing fuel pressure sensor due to corrosion, failing fuel pressure regulator due to worn out O rings. Not excessively expensive to fix but can be difficult to diagnose - even with all the info and help on here.

The Freelander 'chassis' is a pretty reliable little truck. My '99 L Series diesel has been boringly reliable in my 10 years of ownership. There are niggles such as water ingress to the boot and leaking heater matrixes, failing window regulators etc, but on the whole, they're good.

The 'big thing' though is the transmission. You need identical tyres pumped to the same pressures and you need a VCU that has not gone overly tight. If you keep on top of checking these (and a TPMS is a great add on for a Freelander) then it should be good for a long life - if something goes wrong there though, wind up will trash the transmission - particularly the IRD (front diff with PTO for back axle) and rear diff. They aren't cheap to replace. It is difficult to know what condition the transmission is in when buying, you can check tyres, but what were they like 6 months ago? A One Wheel Up Test (see that link) is possible to perform on a test drive, if you're prepared but usually not practical. The real test is what condition the IRD is in - the best way to do that is a change of oil - see if it comes out looking like 'old oil' or whether it has ground down metal particles suspended in it - a sure sign of current or historic abuse.

What ever, the sensible thing to do buying a Freelander is to budget for any tyre replacements needed and £300 for a recon VCU and support bearings. Once you get it, do an oil change on the IRD, and cross your fingers there's little metallic content in there.

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Nodge68 said:

Before you start looking at the vehicle:
Make sure it has 2 keys and fobs. Replacements are expensive, so any missing keys or fobs can be negotiated off the price.

Tyres:
Make sure it's got 4 identical tyres. It looks like the tyres front to back are different, which will trash the AWD system in time.
Have 4 matching tyres fitted asap.

AWD system:
Make sure the propshafts are fitted. If not, then assume the IRD (the Freelander's transfer box) is goosed, as that's normally why the props are removed (it's not for fuel economy, which is the normal reason given). Also check for clunks and bangs from the underside when changing gear, as that can often be rear diff mounts failed.

Engine:
Make sure the engine starts quickly and runs smoothly from cold. Mine starts on the button, even if it's not been started for weeks. Look at the engine for oil leaks and lack of maintenance, as these engines are from BMW, so regular maintenance is needed. The crankcase vent/separator is often neglected even though it costs a couple of quid. This then causes pressure in the crankcase, causing oil leaks from the dipstick and cam cover.

The high pressure fuel pump can leak too, so make sure that's dry.


Gearbox:
If it's a manual, make sure the clutch is light to operate, and the biting point is about 1/2 up the pedal movement. If it's near the floor, then suspect an issue with the hydraulics which will need rectification. Also if a clutch hasn't been done in the last 60K miles, budget for a replacement soon.

If it's an automatic, make sure it changes gears smoothly, you should hardly feel the changes going up the box, although down changes can be felt on occasion on the TD4. Check to see when the fluid was last changed, and have it done as a matter of urgency if it's not been done.

Make sure stuff works:
It's an SE, so make sure everything that makes it an SE is working. It'll have heated front seats, which should warm up and not be to damaged, as correct SE replacements are hard to find.
Make sure the power fold mirrors work too, replacements are expensive.
It could also have a heated front screen (can't do without mine), so if it does, make sure that works too.
Make sure the AC is working, check for the AC clutch clicking in and out, which is audible from the front of the engine.

Dashboard:
Make sure there are no warning lights on the dash, once the engine is running, but make sure all the warning lights come on then go out. It's not unheard of for lights to be covered up or broken to hide issues, rather than fix them.

General condition:
Make sure all windows work up and down (including the tail door window) and doors all lock and unlock on command.

Make sure the under boot floor cubby box is dry, as they often fill with water from a couple of places.

Make sure the vehicle looks like it's been looked after.

It seem a reasonable price, as long as it's not got many issues.
For reference, I paid £2K for my 05 TD4 SE auto 3 years ago, with 99K on the clock.

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Beneagles said:

Have you had a look at the mot history?
Makes interesting reading.

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Beneagles said:

Full service history - and yet brake advisories not dealt with?
Low mileage for the last 2 years - illness? death? tarted up to sell by another family member? Might well take a lower offer just to clear the estate.
At that price it could be a bargain. At that age it could be a money-pit
Got a coin handy???

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Scipio Africanus said:

Sorry I forgot it’s manual not auto.

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