MikeV8SE said:

I would say look for one with as few owners as possible, and try to make sure the current owner has had it for a few years.

If a car has had a lot of owners it can be indicative that it's a pain in the arse, and everyone keeps passing it on! If people have held onto it for a few years, chances are its a good one and any problems they have had have been sorted along the way.

Click to expand...

I agree, previous owner of mine had it for over 5 years. First owner
just over 2 year and his son a few months, totla 3 previous owners.
I was more interested in getting a good car than any particular colour, as long as it was diesel, had a leather interior and was year 2000 or newer.

kooky_guy said:

Yup, I'd agree completely with this. Probly the best advice so far!

Click to expand...

Who'd have thought it?!

Seriously though, I'd take a car with higher mileage but fewer owners and with a good history than a lower mileage car with more owners and patchy history any day of the week!

When I was looking for mine I was torn between a DSE and an HSE V8.

A few things sealed it for me:
Gone right off BMW 2.5d engines, heard a lot of horror stories. Same engine in the 525d and Omega diesel too. Overheating, not starting, 25 mpg........ plus missus 5 series diesel started messing about at only 2 years old.
Why worry about mpg in the V8 when the diesel only just manages 25mpg?
So much more power in the V8.
When I heard the V8 start I thought I must have this and NOW!

Then I saw one for sale at an LR main dealer, 1996, 4.6 HSE. Made in UK but for South Africa and sent out there from new, spent half its life there (so real African mileage in there somewhere). Full LR service history, 1 owner from new, he shipped it back to the UK, kept running it here for the other half of its life then traded in for a new one. SA spec included low compression V8, uprated cooling system etc....

I had a few issues, no more than any other, would have been worse off if I had not got it from LR with a limited warranty.

Love the beast, such fun to drive. Hope you find a good one, they are out there but expect problems with anything at all even new........

thanks for all your help last year guys, i ended up buying a grand cherokee as it was cheap and nearby, after a year of constant issues, (electrical nightmare and i've replaced all four calipers, discs pads etc...) a nice 2001 4.6 vogue in black with cream leather has popped up nearby with 66K on, going to have a look tomorrow, can't wait!

what should i be looking for initially?

surfer4life said:

thanks for all your help last year guys, i ended up buying a grand cherokee as it was cheap and nearby, after a year of constant issues, (electrical nightmare and i've replaced all four calipers, discs pads etc...) a nice 2001 4.6 vogue in black with cream leather has popped up nearby with 66K on, going to have a look tomorrow, can't wait!

what should i be looking for initially?

Click to expand...

Check mileage vs MOT history @ 66k for 11 years?
Air Springs and EAS work in every sense
Brakes are solid not spongy and pump doesnt run on forever
good battery
no rad/coolant leaks
dry drivers footwell
dry sunroof
head gasket symptoms
Alternator charges well 14.4v
exhaust system doesn't blow
trailer electrics work
seat electrics (positioning) work
all lights function as they should
TC works
ABS works
door locks with remote
remote works
brakes dont judder when slowing from 50+
The vehicle doesnt shake at 60 -70mph
suspension knocks in corners
wheels jumping on full lock
Spigot rings if L322 wheels
tyres
spare tyre if different size
water in the spare tyre well
tail gate corrosion
tail gate seals
peek inside filler cap and check the oil and rocker covers
oil leaks from cooler pipes
A/C works as it should
Fuseboard - smell for burning
fuses
spare fuses
spare relays
odd tyre wear
new RF receiver for keyfob that's not affected by wirless doorbells routers etc
bearings
corroded side steps you'll put your foot through


to name but a few

It sounds like a good age/mileage mix. Its 10 years old so air bags should have been replaced. Check that they have as if not this will be one of the first things you need to do.
Check for any signs of coolant loss. Little leaks or Mayo in filler cap. New water pump, radiator etc. Ask if it has ever overheated - you never know what you will hear.

Being a '01 you have no worries about RF issues and none of the usual battery drain causes.
Check the battery for correct size or bigger. Other than that just check that everything electrical works as advertised (electric seats, heated seats, cruise control, central locking etc, etc.)
Budget for full fluid change all round (engine, gearbox, transfer box, front and rear diff's).
Fingers crossed you find a diamond.

WOW! Nice one guys!

i'd like to print that out to take with me but i'm afraid i might run out of ink

wammers said:

"Put springs on". Wash your mouth out, go sit on the naughty step. Don't dare move or else.

Click to expand...

Love it Wammers Move and I'll have no choice but to..........

surfer4life said:

thanks for all your help last year guys, i ended up buying a grand cherokee as it was cheap and nearby, after a year of constant issues, (electrical nightmare and i've replaced all four calipers, discs pads etc...) a nice 2001 4.6 vogue in black with cream leather has popped up nearby with 66K on, going to have a look tomorrow, can't wait!

what should i be looking for initially?

Click to expand...

I was considering a Jeep when I got my P38. What put me off was driving through Germany into France and seeing a wheel that had come of a Cherokee, it was on the side of the motorway with its axle buried in the tarmac.

The final moment of re-assurance came the weekend I got the P38, I was sitting at traffic lights and a Grand Cherokee was sitting next to me and at eye level I could easily see over its roof. Nice self satisfying content feeling......

Well done, sounds like it could be a nice one you have on the way.....

Seriously the jeep grand cherokee is the worse car i have ever bought, it's a newer shape 99 limited in black with black leather, 90K with FSH and a gas conversion and i paid £1800 for it. It's an electrical nightmare, the battery was draining when i first bought it so i took the fuse out for the stereo and it seemed to cure it enough as long as you drive it every two days, the brakes where sticking and overheating when you drove it for more than 3 miles, so i had to uprate the calipers to newer ones, i have spent a fortune on it, loads of other stuff is wrong aswell. It's a shame because all said and done its nice inside and drives nice and is supposidly capable off road.

Just waiting for this guy on ebay to get back to me with his contact details so i can look at the rangey, i've printed that list out, just hope he doesnt get ****ed at me when i meticulously go through it one by one

I'll add my purchase checklist:

Range Rover P38 DHSE Checklist

Electrics
• Both keys present and working; deadlock, relock, memory
• Electric Seats (memory settings if fitted)
• Heated Seat Elements (should fully heat within 3 minutes)
• Heated front and rear windscreen
• Message Centre (150 different reports)
o Speed Warning system, trip functions
• Dashboard Panel Lighting (dimming) and interior lighting
• Horn
• Clock
• Power windows, sunroof and mirrors
• All external Lighting systems, including reverse light on low range
o Lighting delay
o Hazards
• Washers and Wipers (3 settings, including variable intermittent). With wipers on, engage reverse – rear wiper should activate
• Air Suspension
o All 4 settings work independently (Park, no brakes, doors shut)
o Vehicle is level
o Inhibit switch
o Vehicle should raise from ‘access’ to ‘off road’ in 30 seconds
• Cruise Control
• Audio System
o CD player
o Radio/Cassette
o Tone Controls
• Climate Control System
o Confirm full temperature range.
o Full aircon vs full heat on opposite sides
o All fan speeds and fan flow positions functional


Transmission
• Full High-Range
• Full Low- Range (flashing lights and sound upon selection)
• Smooth changes in both transfer settings
• Sport Mode (High-Range)
• Manual Mode (Low-Range)
• Kickdown




Mechanical Systems
• Fuel cap release
• Bonnet release
• ABS (Light for system should remain on upon ignition, and off after 5 metres of driving
• Traction Control (This cannot be tested except off road, but if ABS is fully functional it should be working)


Age Testing
• No rust. Range Rover is mostly Al-27 (Most likely place for rust is below lower tailgate)
• Air Springs (some coarseness is normal)
• Coolant fully contained; no leaks
• Coolant clean, any unusual material could indicate Head Gasket failure (Most common fault of BMW M51)
• Off road damage beneath (Land Rovers are tough, so anything visible could have been serious)
• No smoke or steam on hot or cold starts
• Exhaust in good condition; Catalytic converters should not rattle

Just replaced two front air bags £ 64 each quicker and easyer than any coil spring . I would never get a petrol tho more to go wrong than a diesel.

If only I had of had this checklist...........

Just got off the phone to him and to be honest he sounds clueless, i'd rather buy off someone who knows what they are talking about any day.
It's already been put on springs last year, he doesnt know how many owners its had, doesnt know the service history, sunroof fault on the dash and esc or esp fault, i think he means EAS, which sounds right if he's had springs put on.

All in all i'm really dissapointed after speaking to him, just hope he's under selling it when i go to look at it tomorrow!

defender300td1 said:

Just replaced two front air bags £ 64 each quicker and easyer than any coil spring . I would never get a petrol tho more to go wrong than a diesel.

Click to expand...

Dont talk bollocks they all breakdown at some piont. Mine new engine 18 months ago and just afore chrisy a new auto box non cheap to replace. All this on amotor that as just turned 80k miles and as been service twice a year irrespective of the lack of mileage covered. Bazz.

It's possible he just hasn't set his sunroof: fully open and close both lengthways and vertically.
If on coils the message centre flashes up "EAS manual".

BAZZ said:

Dont talk bollocks they all breakdown at some piont. Mine new engine 18 months ago and just afore chrisy a new auto box non cheap to replace. All this on amotor that as just turned 80k miles and as been service twice a year irrespective of the lack of mileage covered. Bazz.

Click to expand...

Dont talk bollocks petrols are worse :smokin:

Petrols rock!

Unless you are getting the newer TDV8, then they still rock, but harder to justify. So I am told.

One on coils needs converting to air springs.

jt_armstrong said:

Being a '01 you have no worries about RF issues and none of the usual battery drain causes.

Click to expand...

I thought the final RF receiver which actually fixes the drain problem was produced when the P38 was out of production?

StuckAgainSteve said:

I thought the final RF receiver which actually fixes the drain problem was produced when the P38 was out of production?

Click to expand...

Discussed in another thread yesterday, yep that does seem to be the case.

Stu