Amazing stuff thanks guys,yep iam happy to do it myself..i do the service on my berlingo work van...and keep reciepts from where i got the bits.
On the bongo you need to take to a bongo garage as its got some quirks that need someone who knows their stuff..
Thanks for the replys chaps,if i get one i will join club...but may even join before anyway saying that
well it will be the best tenner you ever spent; apart from the questionable social benefits of corresponding with a bunch of raving loonies, I don't think theres an owner on here that hasn't saved that tenner and then some! Good luck with your search.
Since you seem to be looking for a newish truck, don't fret too much about rust.....it ought to be clean underneath at the age bracket your looking in.
Put it in 4WD and make sure there are no funny noises (its OK to do it on a dry road so long as you are in a straight line, transmission windup can feel like theres something wrong when its actually quite normal, 4WD is meant for slippery conditions only for obvious reasons)....there should be no more noise than in 2WD although you might 'feel' a bit more going on, but you'll know what I mean when you do it.
Make sure it ticks over fine at around 750rpm with no fluffing or hiccuping, no funny coloured smoke or excessive white smoke, should pull fine - its not the worlds fastest, but shouldn't be desperately slow either...and take it almost to the rev line, if theres a problem with the MAF it can start to run rough at higher revs or under load.
Gear change should be fine, again its not the snickiest, but no need to ram it in either. Clutch I'm sure you know how to check.
FSH is pretty essential and should be a no-brainer on a newish truck....without it don't bother. Intervals are 6000 because of the turbo, with majors every 18000, so if its been neglected and you can see because of a lack of SH, then it could be a moneypit.
Look for any signs of overheating as this can lead to head gasket or even head cracking problems on what is otherwise a pretty bulletproof engine. When warm, it should run with the temp needle at 12 o clock exactly. Lower means stat problem probably, higher then its overheating for some reason and probably has been for a while....not good.
Water pump often starts to leak after a while, not always clear its that because it drips down on to the skid plate and the water actually drips on to the ground further back.....its not a big deal to replace if you are relatively capable.
Can't think of much else obvious to check but I'm sure theres plenty I've forgotten.:thumb2
Oh theres one, if you find the front end feels a bit vague or wooly, get on the deck and see if the front anti-rollbar drop links are properly engaged into the lower suspension wishbones or indeed into their ball joint....after a while the rubbers can go and/or the ball joint pops apart....links are only £15 a side from Milners and again its a dead easy job.
