VM advice please!!

Hi all. I am going to have a look at an MOTless VM diesel Rangie with a mate of mine and was wondering if anyone can offer any advice regarding this engine as I have never had any dealings with them (or of range rovers for that matter!!) I seem to recall the VM engines suffering from specific problems but I cant remember what they are or how to spot/rectify them!! What sort of perfodmance and economy can be expected? Also, are there any specific areas we should look at ie sills, structure etc?
Thanks in advance!

Ps It apparently overheats when towing. Are there any causes for this besides maybe crudded up rad/cooling system?

I own an RR fitted with a VM 2.5 turbo and from my experience the engine is likely to be the last of your problems as I have found mine to be very reliable, others may not agree with this of course.

It does not have the pulling power of the 300Tdi, especially below 2000 rpm when the turbo cuts in and it takes off like a rocket. I like to keep mine between 1500 and 2500 rpm with the ocasional excursion to 3000. My RR has completed 187K so is treated with respect.

Overheating
From what I have read this is likely to be a radiator or blocked hose problem. The bottom hose on the rad is a swine to get to and so they are not flushed as often as they should be.

MOT
You have not said why it does not have an MOT but if its anything like my RR it may be the inner wings, sills or body mounts that have rotted away.

Body & Chassis
On a Range Rover the body is in two layers. There is a steel inner structure on which all the external panels are attached. To check the body mounts you need to look under the vehicle and while you are about it lift the carpets as they can hide rotten floor panels.

All parts of the body can be repaired and parts are quite cheap but be prepared to spend a lot of time on it. If required the chassis can also be repaired but it all adds to the cost unless you can weld yourself.

VM Engine
Just briefly the majority of problems I have heard, not experienced, with this engine is overheating, heads cracking, and head casket failure. All of which are preventable. When I bought my RR in June 2005 I checked it over repaired two cracked heads and replaced the head and manifold caskets. I tightened the heads down as detailed in the Workshop manual and thus far its been OK. Its not a perfect engine but runs well.

Economy
I get 30 to 32 mpg on a run and 26-28 around the town.

As you a new to range Rovers it may pay you to get an experienced engineer to have a look at the vehicle for you, I relied on the workshop manual plus a few engineers who were prepared to help.

If you need any further information can you detail
a) Date on which the vehicle was registered.
b)the size of the VM engine, it will be a 2.4 or 2.5,
c) mileage

Best of luck

Mike

Thanks for the comprehensive reply,Mike.
I believe the PO didnt bother with the MOT as he replaced the vehicle due to the overheating. I am familiar with most landies but have never had any dealings with Range rovers. It sounds as though most of the trouble spots are the same as the Disco's though so I should be ok and the guy who I am going to view it with is about as experienced as I am.
I think a good morning needs to be utilised to give the Rangie a thorough going over.
I am not yet sure of the age of the vehicle but could anyone tell me when the changeover from 2.4 to 2.5 took place to give us an idea of what to expect? Is there a vast difference in performance between the two engines?
Thanks again!