and the seller says "minor oil leaks monitored by land rover dealer".
It's a 1997 300tdi 110 wagon, quite a few extras. Full service history at a rover dealer, roadworthy cert, even the phone numbers of the previous owners, and will have a full service before sale.
so when I go, what areas should I be looking at in regards to these oil leaks to diagnose the severity of them, or do you think that it'll become a major problem anytime in the future? It's done 220 000km, most on highways. How long do you think this'll last before i need to rebuild it? I dont want to have to pay for a dud.. and I dont know heaps about these (im coming from a hilux).
thanks guys
Keith.
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so im looking at buying a defender, tips?
Moderator: Micka
It would be worth your while to have a search on www.aulro.com. So much knowledge on everything landrover its not funny. I've also seeen many threads detailing what to look for when buying used so should find some info that helps. I've found it a very useful site.
Outers is good for the hardcore mods like bamboo suspension arms and sika flex springs. (or toyota 3rd member conversions, patrol/yota axle swaps etc).
Outers is good for the hardcore mods like bamboo suspension arms and sika flex springs. (or toyota 3rd member conversions, patrol/yota axle swaps etc).
-Scott- wrote:Isn't it a bit early in the day to be pissed?
I'd be checking if the rover dealer is a reputable one.
Defenders are fairly hardy trucks. Couple of things I can think of would be rust in the bottom of the doors, rust in the fire wall. rust around the rear crossmember on the chassis. And rust anywhere aluminium meets steel.
check the sealing around the vents under the windscreen. You can ususally expect wet feet driving a defender in the rain.
Slop in the driveline which is usually the axles and flanges, but can be a problem with the transfer case. look to see if anything has been replaced in it's history.
The gearboxes are very car like so should be quite smooth and quick to shift up and down through all gears. There are lemon boxes, but most would have been replaced under warranty.
the 300tdi is not a quiet motor. but it should be fairly smooth right up to redline and smoke free.
The timing belts are changed every 80,000 from memory, and it's no easy job. If it's due for a timing belt use this as a bargaining tool. The job could proably cost 500 bucks alone.
Electrics: the wiring in the fenders for the headlights and blinkers can be dodgy. These have probably been fixed already, but check. Alternators don't like mud and could be on the blink.
And as for oil leaks it will be hard to tell how bad one is without having the truck for a few days. It's not a problem if you keep the oil topped up, but it can be a pain in the arse. The hardest seal to replace is probably the engine rear main, and the gearbox front seal which both require pulling the gearbox (a little more complicated than some other trucks). Other seals are easy and even cheap if you diy.
All in all these defenders are a bit hit and miss when buying new. There are some that are just lemons from the beginning. But since this truck has made it to 200,000 it's likely a good one.
Defenders are fairly hardy trucks. Couple of things I can think of would be rust in the bottom of the doors, rust in the fire wall. rust around the rear crossmember on the chassis. And rust anywhere aluminium meets steel.
check the sealing around the vents under the windscreen. You can ususally expect wet feet driving a defender in the rain.
Slop in the driveline which is usually the axles and flanges, but can be a problem with the transfer case. look to see if anything has been replaced in it's history.
The gearboxes are very car like so should be quite smooth and quick to shift up and down through all gears. There are lemon boxes, but most would have been replaced under warranty.
the 300tdi is not a quiet motor. but it should be fairly smooth right up to redline and smoke free.
The timing belts are changed every 80,000 from memory, and it's no easy job. If it's due for a timing belt use this as a bargaining tool. The job could proably cost 500 bucks alone.
Electrics: the wiring in the fenders for the headlights and blinkers can be dodgy. These have probably been fixed already, but check. Alternators don't like mud and could be on the blink.
And as for oil leaks it will be hard to tell how bad one is without having the truck for a few days. It's not a problem if you keep the oil topped up, but it can be a pain in the arse. The hardest seal to replace is probably the engine rear main, and the gearbox front seal which both require pulling the gearbox (a little more complicated than some other trucks). Other seals are easy and even cheap if you diy.
All in all these defenders are a bit hit and miss when buying new. There are some that are just lemons from the beginning. But since this truck has made it to 200,000 it's likely a good one.
I might also add that defenders/landrover in general are really a home mechanics truck. paying someone, especially a dealer to do work on them can be very expensive. It's also hard finding people who will actually work on them. Things are layed out a little different to pretty much anything else, and that pisses some folks off. It can also mean getting the work done properly may be an issue.
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