Greetings everyone, this is my first post here. I just yesterday purchased a '97 Range Rover 4.6 HSE off of eBay. I've had varying luck with cars on eBay, but this one had a 50-picture ad and I am going to have a friend pick the thing up for me in Chicago and have him look over it and test drive it before handing over the cash. I've had some experience working on these trucks, as when I was a Jaguar mechanic we did have some Range Rovers come in fairly regularly. I always found them to be real joys to drive and seemed to be fairly reliable to me. The truck only has a few ticks under 61,000 miles on it, so it's really virtually new. I'll make sure to take pictures of it when I take delivery.

My question is first off what specifics should my friend be looking for when he picks it up? Obviously the basics in terms of running and driving well, make sure the air suspension and 4x4 are functioning properly, etc. Any other help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

FordCrusherGT,

I strongly recommend your friend get this vehicle up in the air on a lift to look it over BEFORE making the deal. Thinks to look for (especially in Chicago-- a "Salt on the road" state) include:

Check the power steering hoses, the trans cooler hoses, the water pump (for coolant stains coming out of the weep hole), the steering box, and the front main seal for leaks. If the front Panhard bar is coated with oil have them isolate the source. Have someone in the vehicle on the lift --and have them run it up in gear to about 40 mph ,and then EASE off the throttle-- listening for any clatter out of the front and rear differentials during coast-down. The original shocks are probably done and will need replacement (use Bilsteins if you end up buying it), Have him listen for whether the EAS pump stops running when the vehicle achieves normal ride height. Make sure the ride height is equal front to rear and side-to-side. Inspect the air bags for cracks at the perches, as 70K miles is about when they start to leak. AND-- make sure the person putting it on the lift knows the procedure for lifting and lowering a Range Rover-- so you don't pop a airbag off the perch that doesn't re-seat properly. In other words---find a qualified Land Rover shop to get this checked out. It shouldn't cost you any more than one hour of labor (here--about $125) to get this done, and you could save yourself a lot of grief.

They are complex vehicles that need attention paid to any system that is marginal. AND--- I stress the importance of getting complete service records with the vehicle. Many people sell them when the deferred maintenence results in heavy repairs needed---and they decide to dump it rather than lay out the cash. I grew up in the Chicago area, and the winters there are brutal on a vehicle.

Read my "tech info sections" on the web-site

Hope this helps, and best of luck

Mike McLaughlin
www.eurotekapg.com

Catering to the do-it-yourself Land Rover owner/enthusiast----Our mission is to keep you on the road by better management of Land Rover running costs

 

Thanks for the quick reply, Geoman. I'll see about taking it to a Land Rover tech, but since my buddy and I are both trained mechanics (I'm on Jaguars and he's on Fords), I'll have him check for the items that you mentioned. Like I said, I've worked on these things before and am experienced with Jaguars (older and newer) so I do have some familiarity with them.

You mention the proper procedure for lifting and lowering a Range Rover... could you enlighten me some on that? Since I do all my own work and have shop/lift access I will need to know this for myself. Thanks again!

 

Ted-

When lifting the Range Rover you may hear one or more loud "pops" as the air springs come unseated from the lower perch (this is okay, and normally happens on bags nearing the end of their service life). When you are lowering the vehicle--bring it down slowly and stop just when the wheels first contact the ground. Then open the drivers door and start the engine. Leave the door open while the EAS pump airs up the system. Verify this by looking at all four air bags to make sure they are seated correctly and inflated. If everything is okay--continue to lower the car with the lift and you are done. If one or more is not seated the pump will just run and run (not good for the pump), so then shut the vehicle off, raise the vehicle just enough to let the airbag come almost straight & unloaded, pull down with both hands to get the bottom of the airbag sitting against the top of the lower perch, and re-start the vehicle as before and keep the drivers door open. If everything is kosher, then fully lower the vehicle, and then using the dash control--- select both the full up and full down position to make sure the air bags are all seated correctly through normal operating range.

Also--for future reference, if you ever have a road-side flat and call a road-service guy out, make sure they don't lift the vehicle with their "industrial strength" jack too high and un-seat a air spring. We have seen a number of vehicles come in with EAS lights on (or the vehicle on the bump stops--in the limp home mode), the customers thinking that they had a major problem-- when it was simply a situation of one airbag not being fully seated after the roadside tire change.

Anyway---best of luck in your Chicago deal,

Mike McLaughlin
www.eurotekapg.com

 

Thanks for that heads up, Mike. I figured it probably wasn't anything too confusing, but that definitely helps. One of the first things I'll do when I get it is take it to my friend's shop to put it on a lift and look at everything myself as I won't actually be taking delivery on the car personally (which bugs me a bit, but oh well).

I'll be sure to post pictures and all when I get the thing. I'm very much looking forward to owning this truck! Of course, since my fiancee will be driving it that means I won't get to drive it often enough...