[ad1988]

hi everyone,

iv recently found a 1996 range rover HSE for sale for 9000 AUD.

i absolutely adore range rovers and this is the first time i have ever looked to buy one, unfortunately i dont know a great deal about what to look for.

at 9k it seems to be an "affordable" price to get a half decent RR - however it has 230,000 km on the clock.

i test drove it today and it drove fine, started first time, quiet as a mouse and it felt like i was floating down the road. there was a slight creaking coming from the rear and a faint sound of what could be described as water sloshing around. could that be possible? or was it fuel in the tank? i could barely hear it but my friend who was in the back seat picked up on it.

it has brand new air suspension installed, brand new tyres. slight cosmetic damage (worn leather inside by the drivers seat) and a few scratches on the outside (looked like it was from bushes or something like that). all the interior seat electrics etc worked fine.

but the truth is i dont really have the first idea where to start in identifying problems.

is a 230,000km HSE likely to have alot of problems? what kind of stuff should i look for the next time i view it? what should i look for in the service book?

any help would be greatly appreciated, id love a RR for my first motor and would be heartbroken to spend $9,000 on something that will break after 2 months.

 

[triplb25]

I don't know... That sees awfully high... ($7,821.00 USD) for a 96' (with that amount of mileage)... I am not sure how well Rovers hold their value in your part of the world, but here that would sell for around $4800 USD (5,531.36 AUD), maybe less maybe more depending on actual condition and location...

 

[ad1988]

here in perth, australia second hand cars hold their value to a ridiculous extent.. you could pay $4000 aud for a crappy '88 suzuki swift. according to redbook, the average price for this car is between $10,200 and $12,800 so if thats anything to go by, an asking price of $9000 is actually below the average value for australia!

 

[triplb25]

WOW! That is nuts! I need to mover over there. My 1999 books @ $10,500 (USD), with 78,000 miles on it; and I'd be lucky to get $8000!

Then I would say that it may be worth it. If the "sloshing" noise was only able to b heard in the back, probably the gas...

The scratches are nothing to worry about, the paint on these seems to be very "thin". I find a new scratch or two every other day, even when it has done nothing but sit i my driveway...

As far as what to look for, make sure the EAS works in all modes, check for any significant leaks on and around the engine (valve covers, gaskets, etc), and the transmisson and gearbox areas. All in all it's kind of a crapshoot. Never know what you are going to get... I have been learning that no matter how good the condition is, they still require quite a bit of maintenance and tlc... They are what they are though, and once you have one you'll love it.

 

[ad1988]

thanks for the reply! i think the reason for the high value of second hand cars is the importation restrictions.

i am a british citizen who has moved here and if i wanted to import a car to australia then i would have to meet a few criteria, one of them being you HAVE to own the car in the country your bringing it from for a year or longer - so i couldn't buy a car online in the USA and then ship it over, i actually have to have been in the US, driving and using the car for a year before i brought it.

secondly, they have to be absolutely polished to practically factory standard, no dirt or grime or mud ANYWHERE - there is severe paranoia here when it comes to organisms being brought in and damaging agriculture.

and i dont know how accurate this is but fuel is lower grade apparently, and a few engine tweaks are required for a motor to function properly here.

i am guessing these are the factors which influence the price of a second hand car!

i will check all of the stuff out which you mentioned next time i see the car. i know it is a gamble but i cant help but fall in love with the car.. as the guy said when i viewed it.. "its just a range rover thing"

 

[JeremyD]

First thing to remember about buying a range rover is that they are like women you need to give them tlc and attention to get the best out of them, if you want a car you can leave in the garage for a month without opening the bonnet forget about it these cars need their fluids, air suspension system and tyres checked every week or so they also need a lot of fuel compared to most cars.

Don’t get me wrong if you are prepared to put a little effort in you will LOVE you car. Most of the range rovers on here are approaching if not passed the 200 000km mark and according to the service manual a major service was in order I’m talking about a complete fluid change (front and rear diffs , power steering , brake fluid etc etc) if that was done and done correctly you should be ok

Watch out for: ABS pump - has it ever been changed if so how long ago
Head gasket - if it has never been redone or never overheated it should be fine for the next 200 000km
Air suspension - you say the system is new (check the air spring, have the o-rings been changed in the valve block, has the EAS compressor been overhauled)
Error messages on dash - when you turn the key on are there any error message? If so what
Transfer box - does it change into low range ok?
Wheel bearings - have they been changed and are they ok?
Roof lining - yours should have been replaced if it hasn’t it is basically the only P38 which hasn’t.
AC system - the trinarry pressure switch usually goes but it’s not a big deal to fix has this cars been done?
Viscous Coupling - they usually go around 200 000km has yours been changed as they are expensive to buy and fit
Under bonnet fuse box - notorious for corrosion and being burnt what does your look like?

I’m sure the other guys on here could probably add some more tips, I’m not trying to scare you but you must realise an AFFORDABLE car doesn’t mean its affordable to maintain.

Post a couple of photos so we can see what she looks like

 

[Tim (Scotland)]

233000km is only 144k miles, its high but not that high.

In addition to what's been said before

Check out what's been replaced in the air suspension system. Obviously all four air springs, but have the compressor and valve block been rebuilt or replaced. A rebuild kit for the two is less than $100 from Dennis but the parts and labour would be at least a couple of grand at the dealer. This could be a handy negotiating point.
I'd raise the car up and down through all its settings a few times, it should do this quickly without complaint.

The creaking noise could be shocks or a bush, doesn't sound major.
Take it to a large empty car park and drive it round on full lock in all directions (left, right, backwards and forwards), that should show up any driveline issues.

I'd also cycle the air con from hot to cold a few times. If the book symbol doesn't appear it should be ok.

The water-sloshing sound might be water in the spare wheel well. If you find water there then you either need to attend to the sunroof drains or reshape the tailgate seal.

I'd be looking for any signs of overheating in the service history.
A receipt for a rad or stat or hose set is a bad sign. However a receipt for a full HGF job with at least 10k trouble free miles in between then and now might not be too bad.

If you can't find a receipt for an alternator you'll probably need to budget for one soon.

Good luck.

 

[TheBoss]

Bring an OBD II scanner with you and check for codes - if you don't have one, borrow or buy one - you'll need it!

Drive a good 60 to 70 km with it in a good long road test - just in case the seller has reset any codes to fool you, they will come back up.

 

[p38arover]

I don't know... That sees awfully high... ($7,821.00 USD) for a 96' (with that amount of mileage)... I am not sure how well Rovers hold their value in your part of the world, but here that would sell for around $4800 USD (5,531.36 AUD), maybe less maybe more depending on actual condition and location...

You can't compare our very high prices on cars with the very low prices in the USA.

 

[p38arover]

Bring an OBD II scanner with you and check for codes - if you don't have one, borrow or buy one - you'll need it!

Drive a good 60 to 70 km with it in a good long road test - just in case the seller has reset any codes to fool you, they will come back up.

An OBD scanner will tell you practically nothing useful. The '96 model in Australia doesn't have O2 sensors so you won't error messages from there.

You'd need a scan from Testbook or something similar.

 

[vinniman]

AD.

This truck is spot on mileage wise for a 1996 model HSE ! It's worth AUD$7,457 right now and get the P38 Rangie checked over by a specialist LR garage dude ?

Cheerio,


Vinniman
'88 Highline
Perth, W.A.