Hello
I have been looking at used Range Rovers and have seen all types and condition. I just drove a 3rd owner 1996; it is very clean in and out and seems to have been taken care of. The current owner bought it at 72,000 miles and it now has 82,000. He had a $96 dollar boot replaced on the left front, and said his RR mechanic said everything else with the suspension was ok.

My questions as a newbie are these:
1. The car drove very well, but the "service engine" light was on. He said it just needed the 82,500 service. Is this true?
2. The compressor seemed sort of noisy when we were driving; also after driving it, he removed the cover and the compressor seemed very, very hot to the touch. Are both of these things normal? The current owner said they were.

Other than that the vehicle seemed good; I am interested in it, but wanted to ask someone who knows what they thought. I have driven older cars for years, and am a maintenance freak. I will keep up on all service with the vehicle, just how i am. I know repairs will be needed, and am ok with that. Just want to get an opinion or two on these two things.

Thanks very much in advance.

 

1) My SES light didnt come on at 82,500...granted I've got an '01..so let someone pipe up about their '96.

2) My EAS failed at 82k miles due to compressor overwork triggering the 'thermal switch' in the compressor. By nature of the compressor however, it will get hot, how hot is too hot, I'm not quite sure.

You should take the Rover to a mechanic on your own, and have them check it over, I wouldn't trust the seller's word, but that's just me. Also, did he give you any more information about this "boot". I don't know of any 'boot' that is 100 bucks.

 

Thank you for your insight; I am planning on taking the Rover to my mechanic tomorrow...he works on them regularly and i have a good relationship with him.

Not sure on the $96 boot...the guy who has it doesn't seem very mechanically inclined. I am fairly mechanically inclined, just not familiar yet with Rovers. The compressor was HOT...at least to me it seemed like it was. And it seemed pretty noisy while we were driving the Rover. To me, noisy+ hot=bad compressor, but not sure. The current owner made the noisy compressor seem normal...is that normal? You could definitely hear it when it came on; we didn't have the radio on or anything, but you knew it was on when it was adjusting. Is that normal?

 

Now again, I have an '01, but I would imagine most of the internals stayed the same...but when I first got mine with a working EAS, I don't think I could ever hear it adjusting over the engine noise. Even after I had cracking rear bags and the compressor was over working I still don't recall hearing it.

I don't wanna count the Rover out cause it has a noisy compressor though. Definitely get your mechanic's opinion on the compressor system. Good Luck!

 

eas compressors are loud,there are updated bushings to quiet them down,it still may need a compressor,check for air leaks in the system...note the compressors do get hot when filling

 

Tell me more about these so called updated bushings. I will do anything to quiet down that compressor.

 

Rfactor,
The bushings are basically 3 small rubber pieces, sort of like engine mounts, that are fitted beneath the compressor inside the compartment I believe. I think those parts were the cheapest parts I ever had to buy for my Rover. I bought them from the dealership for like $25 for the kit and I had a hard time getting them installed myself so I had my mechanic do it for a reasonable rate. They quiet down the compressor quite a bit. My compressor became noisy, too. I wouldn't worry about the noise being a sign thatthe compressor is getting bad ...probably more so becoming loose and rattling, which happens over time. FYI ...my compressor crapped out around 85K or 90K miles. I think the new one was $250 or something but fairly easy to install.

The boot is the "air boot" or "air spring". It's the rubber bladder that fills with air to lift the truck. I do remember those costing about $110 each for the fronts and $150 for the rears or something like that. His $96 price sounds right.

Let us know what your mechanic says about this 96'RR you're considering.

Steve

 

Oh, also ...I remember my Service Engine Soon light coming on, too, and on these trucks, it is telling you that you have a scheduled maintenance due, not that the engine has a problem. The Check Engine light is the light that means your engine has a problem. I asked my mechanic about that same SES light and that's what he told me. You could likely just have a dealer or Land Rover mechanic reset that SES light for you for a nominal fee. If you had the Autologic Diagnostic PC, you could do it yourself.

Steve

 

Hey BelAirz, $96 for air boots?.... where did he get those from, Target? I just ordered a pair of air springs for $320 and those were the LOWEST price i could fine themfor(other prices were +$200 each). Get your Mechanic to inspect the truck first - as its common to change both air springs not just one side. Like Wolfpack said,compressors heat up by nature so that sounds normal and they also are loud if the bushings are old or the unit is loose. Ifyour getting it for under $8,000 then go for it after your mechanic checks it out.

Rfactor, i just replaced my rear springs & compressor bushings, and what a difference in the sound. Before that, she moaned like a bangee,now i can actually hear the engine. Like Pads Fan said, theyre three bushing that are under the compressor.