newbie wanting advice

[richards tdi]

Hi all. I am currently driving an 07 plate citroen c4 grand picasso, and am looking to replace it with something that offers the kids as much room as the citroen. so did some looking and settled on the terrano. i went to look at a 54 plate at the weekend the kids loved it, the wife liked it. i liked it but it wasnt the right one. I've done a bit of looking around and carnt seem to find a definative list of common problems. things to look out for when buying second hand. So what should i be looking for? Any advice would be gratefully received.

[stinka]

54 plate wont have much wrong with it, if anything.

check for usual crash damage on chassis, inner wings, any dodgy welds etc.

Rot on sills, poke them with a key or sommit

check to see if rear diff lsd is worn as 54 plate will have c200 rear axle

[richards tdi]

thanks for the reply. at the risk of sounding like i dont have a clue what i am talking about. what is the best to test the rear diff for wear?. and is there any key areas to look for rust, i read that they were prone to rust around rear seat belt mounts and that they were twin skinned so repairing was alot of work?

[stinka]

Yeh, rear seat belt mounts, front of rear arches, sills, top of front wheel arches on wings, inside back of front wheel arches, bottom inside of fuel filler area

Diff test would involve placing a jack under a rear shock to jack one rear wheel up, car in neutral, hand brake off on level ground so it doesn't roll off. Wheel shouldn't turn as diff should lock it

[firebobby]

What does it drive like, does it vibrate or shudder, does the gearbox feel good (goes into gear nice, no whining or clunking, does the low range work OK) rust should not be an issue, have a look under it and see what the general condition is.
How many miles has it done and what service history does it have.
What are they asking for it price wise.
What model/spec is it
Is it the 2.7 or 3.0 engine

[richards tdi]

thanks for the replys . It was a 2004 se 2.7, 7 seater, 80,000 on the clock he was asking £4700 for it. didnt take it for a test drive. underneath seemed quite clean no signs of any oil leaks engine revved freely and responsivley, and without any smoke. bodywork on top was a bit of a let down, tyres were all wearing evenly. how accurate is the mpg figure, nearly everywhere i have looked it has said 28 ish, is this right?

[Kamsin]

Always check the 4x4 wheel drive system. Although its not hard to fix, you can get some cash knocked of if it dont work. Make sure it goes in to low box as well.
Then its just normal car stuff to check as stated above. When you get it swap all the oils, Engine, gearbox, transfer box and both Axels, it will pay you in later life.
Part of owning one of them is fixing stuff on them, it gives us something to laugh at you for when it goes wrong too.
But in all honestly mine is a 97 plate and the bits iv had to fix to keep it running have cost peanuts really. The bits i have fixed just to make it better off road, well thats another story!
Anyway, welcome on board. :thumbs

[richards tdi]

Thanks for the information guys. I have a Really good idea on what im looking for now. Ill keep you informed. u might have just saved me a potential fortune.thanks again.

[Kamsin]

Thanks for the information guys. I have a Really good idea on what im looking for now. Ill keep you informed. u might have just saved me a potential fortune.thanks again.

To check the 4x4 drive, lay on the floor and try to turn the front prop, if it turns then the problem is in the wheels, easy fix, if it wont turn then problem in box, Stear clear.

This is only if it wont go into 4 wheel drive.

Also if you put it on full lock and it makes a right grating sound, dont worry about it. It sounds like the front of the truck is about to come off. All you need is 4 blobs of grease to fix. And trust me, it really will sound very bad, but another good way of getting some cash knocked off.

[stinka]

4700 is expensive for an '04

I had agreed a deal on an immaculate '04 1 owner low mileage car at 3400 just after Xmas, ended up buying my '02 for £2200, but still

[firebobby]

Yeah, I agree with Stinka, that does seem a bit high if you say the body is a bit rough, there are plenty about, so have a look at a few, the SE+ or the SVE are the top spec if you want all the toys:)

[richards tdi]

Yeah got to admit I am a lover of toys in cars. Time to start looking again. Thanks again guys.

[richards tdi]

hi again people. been a hell of a couple of months and have only just got around to replacing my citroen. done a bit of looking and the 3.0 seems a more econo mical option then the 2.7 . is there any drawbacks to the 3.0? is it a weaker engine? is it a matter of choice? advice would be gratefully received