He forgot one major red flag. You know the thing has been flogged when it's got a 4in lift and 35's and the ad says "Mrs only used it to do the shopping and drop the kids at school, never been off road" 🤣
YEP!! dead give away also is if it had P plates lol, so many of them here in tassie flog the crap out of them and the bloody tracks, making it almost impossible to pass them in 33's
Recently was looking for a car and saw the exact same ahah so many people too proud of themselves flogging the shit out of the car they're tryna sell you
@@Zvalgryn I had an interesting read of the extended warranty pamphlet when one of my relatives was in the showroom to buy a Fiesta. It supposedly covered stuff like engine internals, brake calipers and rotors, suspension components....you know, the stuff that's absolutely critical to a driveable/safe car. They would only uphold the warranty if you got the repair done at THAT dealership, which was on the other side of the city. Well obviously driving across town is impossible if the crankshaft has broken or the brakes are gone, you'd need a tow truck which would cost $XXX for a one-way trip. If it breaks again after repairing, it's back onto the tow truck again. Doesn't matter if you're buying an extended warranty for $100 and getting a 10 year/Unlimited Km warranty, it's still a total waste of money.
@@pieterdeklerk914 😁 found two weeks ago a very pretty 73... ...I was thinking that bumper and lights remember me, of one that I've seen on Instagram... ...Bingo! There it is, laying on its lid...
As a 4x4 mechanic my number 1 tip is get the car inspected by a specialist of whatever brand you are looking at. 100 - 200 bucks upfront can save you thousands👍
@@man.i.literally.failed6772 An inspection is just that. A couple of hundred $$ won't get you a full teardown. No mechanic has X ray vision. Sorry to be the one to point this out to you 😆
I bought a 1999 GU Patrol TD42 with 500,000k's on the clock. 5 years later and I haven't spent a cent. What a change from owning a Land Rover, I always had a list of things to fix.
Mine is a good news story - bought a used and well looked after 2010 Hilux 4WD with excellent duco condition and internally looked after. The seller had good credibility and was very transparent about the vehicle’s history with all the service books. The price was very good for this popular vehicle and from visual and driving inspection I was confident of a good purchase. I’ve owned it for eight months now and ‘Heidi’ the Hilux is going in for a logbook service. Sleeping well at night with plans to go for an Alum canopy, dual battery etc setup next. Do your research and don’t be afraid to walk away if something doesn’t feel right - avoid car dealers like Covid. Good luck John in SA.
I have an 80s diesel hilux, it was my first car. 15 years later I still have it. It has high kms, rust, replaced and repainted areas from crashes, etc, etc, etc. But still is sought after and running strong. Its silly how much its now worth!
I'm on a disability pension, about 6 years ago I got roped into a used car place that had a 2004 Kia Sorento V6 petrol for sale. Drove it off the lot with a bad feeling and a few concerns but a "what else can I do on my budget?" attitude and the willingness to do my best to fix what needed fixing, replace what I couldn't fix and do what I always do. Get by. It's a body on frame wagon with a proper part time four wheel drive system with low range. Most people overlook them because it's an old kia, people spend more money fitting and decking out their front barwork than the whole buy price. But holy crap. the three years I got out of it before a cooling issue I'd been chasing around the engine for a year finally blew it up, the places it got me to. I live in the rainforest in the steep hills out the back of Cairns, my driveway will give a 4WD as hard a life as you'd find in the Glasshouse Mountains. Imagine coffs harbor, but with clay instead of that granite scree, and a sheer drop into a creek on one side. Now add 2 meters of rain a year, most of it in 6 months. Then consider the cape, the daintree, gem country, that's my back yard. The old Kia did alright offroad but man did I buy a lemon. The petrol version is garbage, but I heard there was a 2.5L turbo diesel version. We didn't get it in Australia until 2005/6 and that put them out of my budget when I went looking for a replacement vehicle that can get me home in the wet. But that lemon had certainly made me respect the capabilities of arguably the most under rated 4x4 platform on the Australian market. Then one day, about two weeks after I got sick of saving up to fix the Sorento again, I'm looking on Gumtree. I see what seems to be a typo. A 2004 Sorento diesel with a 4 speed auto box. Can't be. We only got the 5 speed auto. But it's in my buy range. It looks clean as. I've got the money and some, because it's about 1500 under my budget. And it's registered. And it's It's 1700km away. It needs a roadworthy anyway so I arrange a popular auto club mechanic to go and do a vehicle inspection. It passes with flying colors and the mechanic tells me to let him know if I don't end up buying it. I'm on a train from Cairns to Brisbane the next morning, I have to see this thing and find out if it is a 2004 or if that's a typo. The day after that I'm sore and sorry from the cramped train trip, wrestling my gear with my mobility aid to get to a taxi, out to take a test drive. My day is sucking pretty hard and in my mind I'm thinking "too much doesn't add up, this is going to be a waste of time." Turns out the seller has imported the European version and it is a blue plated personal import, the odo is in miles, but it's a legit one owner, dealer serviced, town driven example of a rock solid kia/hyundia 2.5L turbo D4CB Crdi. Probably doesn't mean much to most people but it's a very popular light truck & van engine in Asia with a reputation for reliability. Keep the oil clean, change the filters on or ahead of time, don't flog it and you'll get decades of service out of it. The owner had never been four wheel driving, didn't know how and was scared to. He was going to Singapore for work and didn't want the expense of owning a car there, nor did he want to leave it to sit in storage. So he was selling it. Had three days before he flew out, hence his low asking price. Genuine lucky break on my part. I don't get many of those. I had the roadowrthy done on the spot and handed him the cash. Haven't looked back, not even on the 1700km road trip home where I got 1090km on one stretch from the 80L tank without the fuel warning light coming on. Add to the fuel economy and SUV sizing the very capable four wheel drive system I was already familiar with and some 80/20 AT tires and it's made a perfect daily driver for me. Put in a catch can, drained the intercooler, added a 30 micron first stage fuel filter all to extend the engine life as best as possible. I drive conservatively, but I go to place like Blencoe Falls, Koombaloomba Dam, The Misty Mountains, around Tully Gorge, The Daintree, up around the Walsh River, or the Herbet, along the mazes of logging tracks and service roads and station access routes all over north Queensland doing my photography, videography and audio recordings and car camping out of my little mountain goat. For me, a car that can get me into the bush is about as important as people being able to hike into where they love. It's the difference between me watching a video of someone else going there, or waking up there and having a day, by myself, without depending on someone else to get me there or get me home or look after me while I'm there. I've got some ideas about suspension upgrades, removing the back seats, customing up some drawers and a bed and turning it into a mini camper but for now I'm happy as, I scored a used 4WD bargain I never would have dreamed of scoring. All up, including the train ticket, mechanical inspection, mobile RWC and the fuel coming home, it cost me $3100. Hasn't skipped a beat or hesitated to get through anything I've pointed it at and it's let me wake up in and film & record in paradise more times than is fair for a bloke to hope for. Can't ask for better than that.
@@audioadventurer6892 , we went to Jakem's farm (4by park in S.A.). Towing the Camper trailer into the campsite. The owner was like "what's that car, a Kia?, I'm surprised it made it in here!"
Its all hit and miss. My patrol I was told will be a lemon. Had minor issues. Turned out to be cheap to sort and didn't have any problems till I started to thrash it. I've bought cars I've had mechanics check over and give the okay that die a month later. I've got a mate that bought a car not a scratch on it. No leaks nothing. And that's been problems since day one. Second hand is really luck of the draw. Alot of stuff can be hidden with additives.
Thats to nasty. My TD5 110 has been bulletproof, its gone everywhere in stock form, its pulled 4t+ for 100s of Ks in hot and cold, over rough and smooth (don't mention that to the gentlemen with the blue flashing lights), its had way to much thrown in the back, its taken me everywhere i could ever want to go and its never broken down and has eaten 100 series and G Wagens off road. I may have to go to the dark side one day as the new defender is just wrong but until then my indestructable 110 will get me there
@@chubbymunster57 don't get me wrong, I have massive respect for the defender. I consider any car that is repairable using a sticking plaster and some bailing twine to be properly engineered. Add to that their incredible capability and you have a winner. However if we are honest the defender has a few, um, foibles... For example the fact that if you are taller than 3 feet you cannot turn right and if we are fair ladies of old where not known for their reliability...
Another tip, always take a magnet with you to look at a vehicle. If a magnet won't stick to the under side of the body and the chassis, there is either rust (may stick to rust but significantly less than good solid metal) that was covered or a repair using body filler.
We recently went to check out a second hand 4x4. It seemed like a bargain, because the whole thing was in great condition like new. Lucky you told us to check every gear, because in low range, this vechile would go along for about 10metres the clunk and haunt to a stop.
Not often I make a comment -- This was a great, informative, and (truly) concise video summarizing all of the best/major components to consider while buying a new vehicle. Along with the excellent content produced weekly, this was simply an amazing asset for vehicle buyers to take note as they build out their 4WD. Thanks again for the content gentlemen and the continued material -- absolutely appreciated!
When buying a used car check the dashboard lights before you buy. Firstly get on the net and find pictures of the exact model car of the dashboard lights, there are plenty of pictures, but it must be the model you are interested in, take a screenshot of the page and print it out. If you are searching on your phone store the photo of the dash, so you can access it when you look at the car. Sit in the driver's seat, then turn the ignition on, don't start the motor, now look at the dash lights on the car, then look at your picture, if the number of lights don't correspond, this means there are missing lights on the dash, it may be that the sensor has been disconnected or the part is defective. This especially means the check engine light or other safety critical lights.
I'm on a Mitsubishi Triton forum & with the newer diesels there's a warning light that looks like a "FART" & the amount of the people that ask what does this light mean is absolutely ridiculous 😂
Tip 1 never buy a vehicle with an engine light or abs light on ever ,no matter what the seller says , take a scan tool just in case the globes have been removed from the dash so the eml and abs dont show up , if the seller wont let you scan it dont buy it , Tip 2 and never believe "the air con just needs gas" they dont lose gas without faults and of course the other beauty is "will pass blue slip easy just needs a few small things " '
Solid advice. I once bought a car whose air conditioner "only needed some gas" and it was damn costly to fix. I would have to spend almost half of the car's value to fix it, so I didn't. Lesson learned the hard way.
You can also use a white paper napkin put a drop of oil from the dipstick on the napkin. The oil will spread out. If the oil spreads evenly with even color the adddives are working correctly if it forms a dark ring the oil is in bad shape also look for metallic flakes in the dark ring. The test should be done after running up to normal temp.
Bought a 4Runner for my first car. Has the 3vz in it (3.0L V6 petrol). Passed the rigorous inspection by my dad, as well as me. The 3vz is renowned for blowing head gaskets, and although the inspection was thorough, it wasn't thorough enough. Four months later it shit itself and then $3000 later it was back on the road. So far so good.
I bought myself a 30 year old Pajero with 95k Klms from a deceased estate in Tasmania for 5k (apparently too much) and drove it back to qld. It’s immaculate (inside) and runs 9.5l per 100. I know the die hards will hate it, but with no aircon, no power steering & no mods I’ve driven it all over DIP, Bribie, Straddie and Fraser (including ngkala rocks) with no issues at all. I’ve owned a brand new Navara before but this car is by far my favourite to date.
AJ D . I’m 73 and the owner of an hdj79 with 190000 on the clock. I have a which and 400 kg suspension. I’ve done my own servicing since after the first service at Toyota where they didn’t change any filters. I’ve been to wa, sa, nt and nq. Still going like a Swiss clock and no it’s not for sale.
@@davidwarren4569 I'm 64 and when Toyota forgot a few things when servicing my Trail I figured it was easier to do the work myself, and I will know it was done correctly. I have custom pin-stripes and a couple dents on my skid plates. Everything works same as when new, it's a '12 with 240k. Been in Arizona & California mountains and deserts. Not for sale either, it is barely broke in and being retired I don't need payments.
Bought a three owner 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Limited (Pajero). Did all the research. What a well kept vehicle. Previous owners took beautiful care of it and I think it almost never went off road. Did the OME lift, skid plates, rock sliders, ARB bull bar, ect. Love it!
2008 KUN26R Hilux. Definitely picked a gem, over 170k on the clock, no diesel knock, factory bullbar, winch (never been used) and a factory snorkel. The car was an old RMS car that was just used to drive around and check vacant RMS land, an awesome find!
My first 4x4 was a 2008 jeep grand Cherokee with a om642 diesel. I bought it as a daily with 122,000kms. I inspected the vehicle meticulously and everything appeared in fantastic shape. It didn't have a scratch on it and no rust (no rust here in eastern Ontario is next to impossible). The thing shifted nicely, fired up right away, idled and drove smooth as butter, shocks were good, everything looked pristine. It honestly appeared like whoever bought it put it in their garage and rarely drove it. It appeared in better shape than vehicles 10years newer. Well.. three years into my ownership none of that meticulous inspection seems to have mattered. I'm about 6 grand into repairs now. I had to rebuild the rear diff and the transmission. I had to replace the fuel tank, and have two of the six injectors rebuilt. At the moment it's sitting in my garage with the top half of the engine removed while I'm replacing the seals on the oil cooler because it's pissing oil all over my newly paved driveway. Just goes to show that sometimes, even the most well laid plans cannot save you from buying a lemon and buying a vehicle is always a gamble.
Really does depend with these things. I got a Jeep, same make and model as what you purchased with 210,000kms on it almost 2 years ago. The only thing I've had to repair was an oil pressure sensor, clock spring and a new key when the fob broke. The rest has just been general maintenance
Here in Canada I was able to pick up a 1995 Hilux Surf with the 3.0L turbo Diesel, for $5700. Which is a steal!!! there was no rust and some miner maintenance required! but so far the truck drives like a dream
I snagged a complete bargain of a 4wd, my 1997 Mazda bravo single cab, a couple was traveling around Australia and saw this vehicle on a farm and had to have it, extremely low ks, immaculate interior and a strong petrol engine. They drove it from WA to SA just after a full service then serviced it again when they got to SA. I bought the vehicle with only 82,000 ks on the clock for $4000 it's has some body damage but nothing that effects day to day use. Since I've purchased it I've put 31s on it and some spotlights. It's been the best car I've ever bought and it'll serve me well for another 300,000 ks
I bought a Discovery 3 TDV6. The owner told me there was definitely no rust and had spared no expense on maintenance. There had been several thousand spent on the vehicle and I was given the receipts. As it turns out there was rust on the chassis that I will now have to repair. I can’t believe it passed a roadworthy like that. Also I believe the seller put head gasket fix in the radiator because it was loosing coolant but very slowly. Eventually this led to overheating and a costly engine replacement. The engine wasn’t wrecked but it was more economical to replace with a younger low kms engine. I now have a spare engine with a blown head gasket. I feel I got shafted but in the end I do really enjoy the vehicle with it’s towing and off road capabilities. I loved the video.
Another good thing to look for is if you see scrub marks on the inside of the mud guards indicating they have ran over sized tyres like 35 inch which is hard on transmissions and diffs.
I bought a 99 Hilux 3.0D ( LN167 ) in 2014. It had 139k KM and log books from the “ Stealership” and genuine 1 owner vehicle. It’s been a great vehicle. Came fitted with AWL canopy and roof rack and Dual battery system. A camping kit, awning and tagalong tent ( unused ) since buying, i have put 130k km on it . A total joy to own and tour ( slowly ) in 😎
Last year I was lucky enough to buy a fairly good second hand hilux 4x4 2010 model, by fair I mean quite high mileage 510 000 km on the ODO, it had a few minor issues but since I am a Toyota Mechanic, I was able to repair all of the minor issues with little cost, now i'm looking forward to having my own adventures
Hi. I want to ask you specifically about rust in Hilux pickups, since you are a Toyota mechanic. I'm from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Toyota started manufacturing here in 1996, I believe. I've been told that rust is far worst in Hilux pickups than in any other brand. Is that so? I'm not in a seaside place, where there's salt that corrodes metal. There's no snow here (no salt in the roads). Should I avoid old Hilux pick-ups altogether? Thanks in advance.
@@brunoraffo6726 all hilux pickups are rusty on the chassis rails here ...from the salt on the roads in winter and the damp climate .........i live in ireland .......
High RPM I got my Pajero used never been off road until I got it. It use to tow a 20 foot caravan around Australia a few times it did have a tied engine I put 1000$ into it and runs like a dream only paid 1500$ for it and Standard maintenance has been done to it got it around 320000kms and I’ve put 100000kms on it now over 5 years
I got a 2.8 pajero, cost me $2000, 300,000ks on the clock. Picked it up in sydney drove back to Gold Coast. I’ve put 120000k on it, with regular oil changes it is still going strong with 420000ks🙂 I will never sell it.....its taken me everywhere!!
Have previously owned two used 4x4s over my time. 1998 Toyota Prado had petrol V6 & auto box, 288k kms on original motor & trans. Came from Roxby Downs (mines) Never missed a beat. Second was a 2004 Nissan Patrol. Had 4 cylinder td30 motor with manual box. 200k kms on it when bought. Also never missed a beat. Paid over the Redbook avg for both but they were in way better than avg shape for model years. You get what you pay for, as long as you have some clue on buying used cars.
I picked up a mint base model 93 80 Series (1Hz, manual) late last year with 360K on the clock. Second owner. Minimal off road use. ARB winch bar, Kamar rear bar, OME 2" suspension and a Toyota PTO winch thrown in ;-). For roadworthy it needed all the usual suspension and steering bushes, panard bushes, new rotors and pads and a windscreen. I love it ;-)
The timing of this is perfect, been looking for a few months now for my D4D 4x4 this will do me well especially when you mentioned the glass house mountains ahhaa that’s not to far
Gday. Bought a troopie in 1994 at 6 months old with 9000ks on clock. Still have it today with 648000ks. Its my daily drive for trade work and weekends. Never had huge repairs. Just regular maintenance and repairs. Minor rust repairs every 3 years. Its slow but very reliable and cheap to own. Love it.
Solid advice given here, but personally I would rather buy a truck that may have seen a harder life on the trails, but was well maintained by an enthusiast than a weekender that didn't love the truck.
I bought my MQ Triton in January & 3 weeks later the cold side intercooler hose split in a small country town outside of Mudgee with no mobile service but luckily there was a working Telstra phone box & the local Mudgee NRMA patrolmen tried to help me out with duct tape & cable but the bloody fault code & limp mode wouldn't clear & that resulted in a $1200 tow back to Sydney & the used car dealer fixed it with the help of the Mitsubish dealer next door. Straight away I upgraded to silicone intercooler hoses & I also removed & cleaned the inlet manifold & EGR valve & all was well until early January this year the oil level started rising & it throwing up fault code P1428 & that was a faulty DPF temperature sensor & it's since been replaced. It's now a pleasure to own & drive.
Once bought Toyota 4runner. When I GAVE IT AWAY in the end. I had changed the engine, have all the gearbox redone and the front axle redone. Spent month cutting away rust and weld in new and changed all interior carpets. + fight leakages around front windscreen and sunroof. Not my proudest moment, BUT I had it for 8 years, had 36" tires and I had ton of trips and fun on it. But man! that thing ate money like there was no tomorrow!
Good tips thank you. I bought my fully loaded 2015 Px from a dealer. No surprises so far, ex government workhorse though, service history is immaculate!
I bought a 2013 toyota Fortuner 4x4 on a online auction for a real good price. Without seeing the vehicle first I went and fetched it 1000km away. It turned out to be a good deal. 10,000km later, all is stil good! Great video bud!
My used 4x4 I bought was enjoyed previously however it was also well looked after (cleaned every trip ect). Even as a mechanic it can still be sketchy buying a used car, people will go to extraordinary lengths to cover up bad shit. Best tip is don’t get too sold on the cosmetic look but at the same time, it’s a used car, it won’t be ‘perfect’! Happy 4wding!🤘🏼
I Had the neatest 92 ln106 with 0 rust and 0 panel damage. All the bells and whistles to go with but unfortunately it ended up on its lid due to pour sight and wheel placement on a night expidition out in the bush. Went straight for a lemon looking 90 ln106 with less kms that needed a bit of work but after having one perfect half a car i managed to put together a pretty decent looking hilux out of the two, good thing with this model is they dont stop, cheap to repair and are tough as nails. thats if you can get past the leaf springs swinging into over drive on rocky terrain. All in all i spent 6k on the first one with 2k extras and 2.5k on the second with 90% the upgrade only costing me time at home to switch parts out, generally doubling the value and lifetime of a dirt cheap 4x4 that i can bang up out the bush. Nothing better then bang for buck.
Bought a gu td42t in 2010 with 250km for 17k. Done almost 500km now and taken us to every corner of the country. Cape,Kimberly, simo,fraser,high country. Service items only replaced, never let me down. Best vehicle I've ever owned.
I bought a lemon, prado d4d, bad injectors. Why did I buy it? Well it ran fine no knocking noise, 6 months later in winter wifey complained about knocking on cold start, about a month later driving the car caused a ploom of black smoke to engulfe the local neighbourhood, that's not even an exaggeration. My advice, for about 150 Toyota do an injector check just get it done because sometimes you can't tell. Make sure they do the test early when it's cold and not after the car has ran. If it's a really warm summer night(25c) wait until it's below 15 or so, preferably 0.
I bought a Mazda Bravo B2500 when I was 16 soon after I got my Ls, I loved the car however 6 months after I got it, it cracked a head and needed an entire cooling system and top end. 11 months after that it blew 2 coolant lines on the side of the road and now needs a new motor, it was one of the cleanest 4wds I had ever seen when I went to buy it, everything worked and it had no issues. 3 years later I've spent nearly double what I paid for it fixing it. It's treated me better than most things in life but I'll admit I got snagged.
Sometimes things fail also though, you have to do research on general faults of that vehicle and motor. I bought a 2005 sr hilux, everything looked good had rust on an after market tray and on the bonnet where it had a chip. Didn't bother me. The headlight wiring and tail light wiring was shit. (Still haven't fixed rear). But you can't account for things going wrong when it never presents itself on purchase day. Drove mime for 3 months and noted down things as I learnt about the vehicle over time. I repaired things I wanted to get fixed, brakes, all fluids etc complete over haul. Then my front diff blew up, had a cv shaft completely sieze on the highway and the force of it snapped my crown and pinion. Cv shaft was in decent condition not clicking nothing. So if you do purchase a vehicle definitely always have spare cash for general repairs!! And if you get as unlucky as me, sorry bud 🤣🤣
I once bought a GU patrol from a second hand car dealer. 2 days after having it (after the 2 day cooling off period) the motor started dying after about 5 minutes of driving. Later found it had rust in the after market fuel tank. Then when I checked the coolant it was like mud. Then a month or two after having it the heater core went. Definitely a lesson learnt in buying used 4wd. Cost me a lot money haha, I was about 18 at the time and didn’t know a whole lot!
I bought a Land Rover Discovery 3 recently after a lot of looking at a few. Mine was owned at a Land Rover fan, who sadly passed away, and his wife wanted to clear a few of the cars. It’s in good condition, all I’ve needed to do is the usual service, a brake calliper, and a worn front hub and bearing. Managed to get some good inspected used parts cheaply.
I bought a 2000 Nissan Terrano R3mR with 216,000 Km, and had a lot of issues with Bosch Diesel pump and wiring. After spending a good NZ$12000 and three pump refurbishment it is road Worthy now, thank God!
Bought an 80 series from 97' with close to 400000km on the odo. been driving it through the kimberley, WA, SA and NT without any problem. No rust, no weird sounds, clean engine bay for it's age and had all the services done since it was bought in 98'. Been lucky with this beast. Only downside it's a petrol.
great tips, i scored a massive buy. 2014 sx dmax, old mate was a project manager and had a tone of highway miles on it and had a decent service record. asked him to go halves for the mechanical inspection and he did. YEW!! it hasnt missed a beat. ive got a 2inch lift and bullbar on it now
I got an ex mining landcruiser 76 with 70k on the ODO, good price, no service record, lose uni joins, worn shocks, worn brake... fixed all those myself, done another 40k without any problem, the landcruiser 70 series is a beast, it can take abuses and it's so easy to fix.
So my add will read: A real 4x4, built to be abused and has survived...... Bush Pin Stripes to all panels A zillion dents and miss aligned panels from hitting more than a dozen Roos, Emus and trees that jumped out in front of me. Several trim mouldings held on with stikaflex and or tek screws - looks like a real 4x4 (no extra charge) Bull dust blows out of A/C vents, cause it has survived 1000’s of klm on real Aussie tracks. NO service records cause I don’t trust any other bugga to do it right. Come and take for a test drive but be prepared to climb a gum tree to test 4x4 low. If you can’t turn a spanner I suggest take up knitting instead of off roading. 300+ Klm and will easy do another 200+ Klm Bring ear plugs so the noisy muddies don’t give you a soy boy head ache.
Managed to get myself into an older "99 Patrol Wagon with the TD42T with 520,000kms on it for $6,700 . The paint was sunburnt, but the engine was very healthy. Quick checks for the older cars might be things you wouldn't think of, like "did it come from the factory with this engine?" Check engine numbers and plates your self to see what the car is registered with and what engine the VIN indicates. When these mismatch, start looking much harder. Doesn't mean you're looking at anything dodgy, just means someone made big big changes. 1 year later, happy to report car still going very strong :)
I scored a 2006 E53 X5 3.0 diesel for $3k here in NZ, they usually go for nearly triple the price. It had done 350k when I got it not even 6 months ago. First owner was doing a 300k round trip every day for 6 days a week, constant hot, open road running. Full service history until the guy I bought it off, never been crashed, has been used for towing. It has cost me less than $600 in parts so far (including a full service, air and fuel filters), and I have done nearly 15k in 6 months without an issue. Moral of the story - higher k's, even in older cars, isn't so much a problem if they are longer distance and everything hot running. People get put off cars/4WD's because of high k's when they shouldn't be.
I bought an excellent-condition '06 Toyota Tundra here in the U.S. in late 2008, that was a lease return vehicle to the dealer. It had 86K miles on it, but it looked like new, underneath and body-wise (no leaks, no rust--Arizona vehicle). I bought it, and found out later (found the previous lessee's business card tucked away) that it had indeed been an excellent truck. In fact, he tried to buy it after the lease, but could not come to terms with the dealer. Today it has 260K on it, and still runs well. I recommend going with Toyota for used vehicles, and the first-generation Tundras, though now 14 years old, are excellent buys if you can find one that is been babied.
I bought my 93 4x4 with a replaced engine and it had been in a minor accident. About 3 hours later it broke down in the middle of an intersection... They wouldnt take it back but they fixed what was wrong. Ever since, its been very reliable and when it does have issues its been very easy to fix. Ive owned it now for 2 years. Also, when i bought it it didnt have any rust surprising for a 93. That was till i moved next to a salt lake... Im sad because now its getting rusty and theres nothing i can do but move out of state. Anyway, this is a great video, makes me want to wash the mud off my 4x4 and not abuse it so much.
When i was 18 i bought a mitsubishi pajero 2.5l turbo diesel drove 3hrs to pick it up. Was a very clean car maybe to clean on arrival father of the owner then decides to tell me it wont come with rego. That should of been the first indicator. No obvious rust or oil leaks seemed to be ok. Decided to buy it. Had to hire a trailer and tow it behind my dads vz holden Commodore. Got about 30min down the road. Got pulled over by police and told to go to next town and no further. Sooo had to ring the grandad luckily he had a toyota prado tow rig but he was 3hrs away so had to wait. Got home. Got a rwc check no kidding they had to use x3 sheets. So went from a $2800 car to a $5600 car then had to wait 4 weeks for a vicroads appt. Got it all registered took it 4x4 driving twice. Transfer case blew up. So no more 4x4 thats ok. 2wd still worked so atleast i had a car. 3 weeks later driving home from work car stops. Get it towed to a 4wd workshop. Engine has a hole in no. 2 piston. Quoted $11000 for long motor. So towed home found an engine on ebay for $2800 which is what the car cost me. So a no experience 18yo in mum and dads driveway attempted to fit a motor into his first 4wd. Apparently theres a few differences between a 93 4D56 and a 96 4d56. No one told me that. Took 3 months but got it done. Drove it for a while. Wasn't the same. So decided to buy a brand new mitsubishi triton 4x4 kitted out thinking i wouldnt have many issues. 4 months after owning it the engine popped the head gasket, factory fault pitting in the blocks water jackets and bad machining warping the heads. 4 month wait for new long motor so sold it back to dealer after a fight. So after that i gave up on 4x4s bought a commodore drove that for a while decided id look at 4x4s again. Around that time a mate was selling his 80 series Landcruiser was around the right price. He supplied the rwc i took delivery of the car. Drove home headlights didnt work. Rear bar lights were not working. Rear draws were flooded. Turned out he took it 4x4 driving after i paid deposit and got it rwc and bogged it good mate aye. Never took it 4x4 driving, fixed what needed fixing then moved it on. Bought another commodore. Sadly my grandad passed away around 2 years later so i bought his toyota prado which iv always loved. Had to replace all worn out suspension and replace the torque converter over drive solenoid and get turbo rebuilt but other than that an awesome car and i cant see myself ever getting rid of it. Just goes to show. Do your research on common issues especially with new vehicles. Just because its new doesnt mean its trouble free motoring. If in doubt get it checked or walk away. Sometimes its worth paying for a check then getting a big repair bill at the end.
I feel for ya mate, brought back memories of my 18 yo self lying under shit box after shit box getting hard lessons in car ownership. The next one was always going to be better but usually wasn’t. I guess that’s the price of admission, experience is expensive to get but rarely a waste of money if you use that knowledge later in life.
The filler cap trick only apply if the same amount of pressure is coming out of the dipstick. If there's a lot of pressure on top and rarely any at the bottom, it's not the engen but rather the injector seals leaking. This is easy to fix and cheaper than a new engine.😁 Be smart and save A LOT of money
Great instructive video. We live in dangerous times … Covid has created long new-car waiting lists, requiring us to be more wary about “slim pickings”.
I bought a Jeep YJ 1995 with 95k miles, Runs good needed a water pump, radiator, and has outboard floor supports issues, and had no title.. I did after 5 months was able to get a title, for less than $200. I only paid $400 US for the Jeep. AND i drive it today. Will replace outboard floor supports, when i get time and money. Blue book for the Jeep is about $4000 as is. It is worth the money and time to fix her up!! Jeep YJ, 33-10.50 15 2.5L
easiest way to see if its done heavy towing is look around at the toys in the yard.. if he has a big boat or a massive caravan then yeah its been doing heavy towing or a tool trailer which is probably twice its legal weight limit.
or you could have a smaller 4x4. any trailer over 750kg needs an EBC fitted to the tow vehicle. So it may have only towed a one tonne van on occasional weekend holidays, as in the case of my parents vehicles.
@@peelit4610 Not quite right - you don't need an EBC for over 750kg, just brakes, mechanical hydraulic whatever. Over some trailer weight you need a break away system. EBC are very nice and should be required, but they are not required at least in VIC.
Bought a Nissan navara d22 2002(my first 4x4) for $850 spent about $2000 getting it roadworthy. Absolute amazing buy. It was definitely a project car so wouldn't recommend if you want a daily drive straight away.
Bought a 2002 SR5 4WD 4 Runner before shelter in place started. A buddy of mine who had a 2002 4 Runner mentioned his fiancee had another a 4 Runner that was not in the market but if I was interested we could start talking about a potential sale. Vehicle was a commuter, never seen off-road. It would get stuck in 4WD and to his knowledge it would require a transfercase as an internal component was no good- a good couple thousand dollar repair depending on parts (new vs remanufactured) and labor. After test driving it and understanding that a transfercase could be a potential repair I bought it from them and began my diag. After a ton of research I found that there are two transfercase switches in the transfercase, one to engage and one to disengage 4WD. These can be an issue if people don't engage 4WD as they essentially get stuck from not being actuated. I pulled them out, tested continuity and one was no good- the one to disengage. Got some electrical cleaner, sprayed it down and tested continuity- still no good, so I purchased a spare. Next day I tested the switch again and it worked- cleaner must have made its way in after a few hours. So I put the old actuator in and have a spare actuator for use in the future. Fix was under $50 USD instead of the potential couple thousand dollars for the transfercase and labor. This potential repair helped me drop the buy price on the 4 Runner but it did take a lot of research and diag.
Good general advice. There's still modified 4x4's out there that are well cared for. Mine for example is lifted, 35, turbo etc but is engineered for mods (well mostly) and is not daily driven. Every trip, gets a wash, regular polish and wax and fluid/filter changes at 6m if I haven't done the KMs. Regularly replace the longer term fluids like coolant, diffs, trans, power steering and brake and I adjust these intervals depending on use. Lots of people don't realise that city/urban driving is generally classified as extreme use by most manufacturers so service intervals should be shortened. KMs are low for its age and it looks neat and always clean. Then again, I'll never sell 🤣
Firstly, you want to make sure it hasn't had a hard life ( for example make sure no one from 4WD action has owned it).
@Mitch09 lolz!
Lolz
@Mitch09 that's harsh dude, to soon man to soon............................(who am i kidding, ahahahahahahahahaha)
lol, thinking the same .. if there is a 4WD action sticker or prev owner S Whale / G Cahill walk away
Saved me saying it mate.
I been "selling" my patrol for the last year. Mrs thinks no one is interested and I gotta put the price down.
Truth is I've never advertised it lol.
Dilly Doopsta 😂
hahaha
lmao
You might just have to once if of your mates shows her this comment!
I told her it's not for sale ever. The end.
A definite red flag is when the ad says “regrettable sale” meaning whoever buys it will regret buying it.
Great one. Money back if not satisfied. Sorry, I was perfectly happy with your money.
lol
Oh so bloody true
I like seeing "won't last long"
Except close to xmas ... it usually means i got kids im broke and dont want to sell but got xmas presents to buy...
I normally just give the tyres a good kick
Yup. Easy to check everything that way
Oldest mecanic trik
And then leave without paying I believe is the custom..
Kkkkk lol
That's all I know how to do
He forgot one major red flag. You know the thing has been flogged when it's got a 4in lift and 35's and the ad says "Mrs only used it to do the shopping and drop the kids at school, never been off road" 🤣
mind you, how many mall cruisers / posing rigs have you seen ??
Mick Power or if it has a P plate on it
@@888johnmac There is a helluva lot of dual cabs with 22" rims and mad grills on these days!
CHOPSZOOKER but that’s not a real 4x4 so according to this video, 22’s and bogan as is super safe🤣
YEP!! dead give away also is if it had P plates lol, so many of them here in tassie flog the crap out of them and the bloody tracks, making it almost impossible to pass them in 33's
My red flag is when they POST photos of it doing hard 4x4ing on the ad lol
Bonus points for a red P plate...
🤣 so true i never got that
Soon as you see the p it’s a pass
Recently was looking for a car and saw the exact same ahah so many people too proud of themselves flogging the shit out of the car they're tryna sell you
Spot on with that
So bassicly follow these tips and you will eventually find yourself in a showroom haha.
Then you end up with a laptop on wheels with dpf issues and loopholes in the warranty 🤷🏽♂️
Exactly
@@gibbethoskins8621 the dude at the dealership when I bought my new truck pitched such a fit when I told him I didn't want the warranty.
@@Zvalgryn I had an interesting read of the extended warranty pamphlet when one of my relatives was in the showroom to buy a Fiesta. It supposedly covered stuff like engine internals, brake calipers and rotors, suspension components....you know, the stuff that's absolutely critical to a driveable/safe car. They would only uphold the warranty if you got the repair done at THAT dealership, which was on the other side of the city. Well obviously driving across town is impossible if the crankshaft has broken or the brakes are gone, you'd need a tow truck which would cost $XXX for a one-way trip. If it breaks again after repairing, it's back onto the tow truck again. Doesn't matter if you're buying an extended warranty for $100 and getting a 10 year/Unlimited Km warranty, it's still a total waste of money.
@@jimtekkit So you'd rather pay $3,000 for a new transmission rather than $300 for a tow?
Another point is checking the sellers Instagram account for jumping 4wds 😁
actually saw this once of FB, selling jimny hardly ever taken off road but old profile picture showed it getting launched!!
True! 😂😂😂
Smart!
That is soo true.
@@pieterdeklerk914 😁 found two weeks ago a very pretty 73... ...I was thinking that bumper and lights remember me, of one that I've seen on Instagram... ...Bingo! There it is, laying on its lid...
As a 4x4 mechanic my number 1 tip is get the car inspected by a specialist of whatever brand you are looking at. 100 - 200 bucks upfront can save you thousands👍
I'm going to do it tomorrow with my mechanic. Let's how it is going. 😊
$100-$200 the cheapest $260
only for when things go wrong, the mechanic won't take responsibility for it, but happy to take your $$$$
finally some reason!
@@man.i.literally.failed6772 An inspection is just that. A couple of hundred $$ won't get you a full teardown. No mechanic has X ray vision. Sorry to be the one to point this out to you 😆
I bought a 1999 GU Patrol TD42 with 500,000k's on the clock. 5 years later and I haven't spent a cent. What a change from owning a Land Rover, I always had a list of things to fix.
Land Rover - If there’s no oil under it, there’s no oil in it 🤪
500,000km!!!
@@darrenwalker6854 hahah 😂
Mine is a good news story - bought a used and well looked after 2010 Hilux 4WD with excellent duco condition and internally looked after. The seller had good credibility and was very transparent about the vehicle’s history with all the service books. The price was very good for this popular vehicle and from visual and driving inspection I was confident of a good purchase. I’ve owned it for eight months now and ‘Heidi’ the Hilux is going in for a logbook service. Sleeping well at night with plans to go for an Alum canopy, dual battery etc setup next. Do your research and don’t be afraid to walk away if something doesn’t feel right - avoid car dealers like Covid. Good luck John in SA.
I only buy 4WD's from grey nomads who give a blank look when I ask if they used low range often...
That vehicle may have spent its life towing a van!
@@ozziejim8472 on nice lone drives, perfect kilometers
I have an 80s diesel hilux, it was my first car. 15 years later I still have it. It has high kms, rust, replaced and repainted areas from crashes, etc, etc, etc. But still is sought after and running strong. Its silly how much its now worth!
Can't beat the 80 series 😀
@@longgonexxxx 80s hilux isnt an 80
😂😂😂 too right m8. 80 series cruisers weren't hiluxs from the 80's.…. Made in the 90's in fact
I'm on a disability pension, about 6 years ago I got roped into a used car place that had a 2004 Kia Sorento V6 petrol for sale. Drove it off the lot with a bad feeling and a few concerns but a "what else can I do on my budget?" attitude and the willingness to do my best to fix what needed fixing, replace what I couldn't fix and do what I always do. Get by. It's a body on frame wagon with a proper part time four wheel drive system with low range. Most people overlook them because it's an old kia, people spend more money fitting and decking out their front barwork than the whole buy price.
But holy crap. the three years I got out of it before a cooling issue I'd been chasing around the engine for a year finally blew it up, the places it got me to. I live in the rainforest in the steep hills out the back of Cairns, my driveway will give a 4WD as hard a life as you'd find in the Glasshouse Mountains. Imagine coffs harbor, but with clay instead of that granite scree, and a sheer drop into a creek on one side. Now add 2 meters of rain a year, most of it in 6 months. Then consider the cape, the daintree, gem country, that's my back yard. The old Kia did alright offroad but man did I buy a lemon. The petrol version is garbage, but I heard there was a 2.5L turbo diesel version. We didn't get it in Australia until 2005/6 and that put them out of my budget when I went looking for a replacement vehicle that can get me home in the wet.
But that lemon had certainly made me respect the capabilities of arguably the most under rated 4x4 platform on the Australian market.
Then one day, about two weeks after I got sick of saving up to fix the Sorento again, I'm looking on Gumtree. I see what seems to be a typo. A 2004 Sorento diesel with a 4 speed auto box. Can't be. We only got the 5 speed auto. But it's in my buy range. It looks clean as. I've got the money and some, because it's about 1500 under my budget. And it's registered. And it's It's 1700km away. It needs a roadworthy anyway so I arrange a popular auto club mechanic to go and do a vehicle inspection. It passes with flying colors and the mechanic tells me to let him know if I don't end up buying it. I'm on a train from Cairns to Brisbane the next morning, I have to see this thing and find out if it is a 2004 or if that's a typo. The day after that I'm sore and sorry from the cramped train trip, wrestling my gear with my mobility aid to get to a taxi, out to take a test drive.
My day is sucking pretty hard and in my mind I'm thinking "too much doesn't add up, this is going to be a waste of time."
Turns out the seller has imported the European version and it is a blue plated personal import, the odo is in miles, but it's a legit one owner, dealer serviced, town driven example of a rock solid kia/hyundia 2.5L turbo D4CB Crdi. Probably doesn't mean much to most people but it's a very popular light truck & van engine in Asia with a reputation for reliability. Keep the oil clean, change the filters on or ahead of time, don't flog it and you'll get decades of service out of it. The owner had never been four wheel driving, didn't know how and was scared to. He was going to Singapore for work and didn't want the expense of owning a car there, nor did he want to leave it to sit in storage. So he was selling it. Had three days before he flew out, hence his low asking price. Genuine lucky break on my part. I don't get many of those.
I had the roadowrthy done on the spot and handed him the cash. Haven't looked back, not even on the 1700km road trip home where I got 1090km on one stretch from the 80L tank without the fuel warning light coming on.
Add to the fuel economy and SUV sizing the very capable four wheel drive system I was already familiar with and some 80/20 AT tires and it's made a perfect daily driver for me. Put in a catch can, drained the intercooler, added a 30 micron first stage fuel filter all to extend the engine life as best as possible. I drive conservatively, but I go to place like Blencoe Falls, Koombaloomba Dam, The Misty Mountains, around Tully Gorge, The Daintree, up around the Walsh River, or the Herbet, along the mazes of logging tracks and service roads and station access routes all over north Queensland doing my photography, videography and audio recordings and car camping out of my little mountain goat. For me, a car that can get me into the bush is about as important as people being able to hike into where they love. It's the difference between me watching a video of someone else going there, or waking up there and having a day, by myself, without depending on someone else to get me there or get me home or look after me while I'm there. I've got some ideas about suspension upgrades, removing the back seats, customing up some drawers and a bed and turning it into a mini camper but for now I'm happy as, I scored a used 4WD bargain I never would have dreamed of scoring. All up, including the train ticket, mechanical inspection, mobile RWC and the fuel coming home, it cost me $3100. Hasn't skipped a beat or hesitated to get through anything I've pointed it at and it's let me wake up in and film & record in paradise more times than is fair for a bloke to hope for. Can't ask for better than that.
I have a 2008 BL Sorento 3.3l. Great 4by that gets often overlooked.
Audio Adventurer that’s the go mate awesome little story you got there about getting the little beasty to 👌
@@Lyallsmail haha how good is it when you have passengers say " I honestly thought there was no way you'd get through/over/down that"
Is there no post length limit?
@@audioadventurer6892 , we went to Jakem's farm (4by park in S.A.). Towing the Camper trailer into the campsite. The owner was like "what's that car, a Kia?, I'm surprised it made it in here!"
Its all hit and miss. My patrol I was told will be a lemon. Had minor issues. Turned out to be cheap to sort and didn't have any problems till I started to thrash it. I've bought cars I've had mechanics check over and give the okay that die a month later. I've got a mate that bought a car not a scratch on it. No leaks nothing. And that's been problems since day one. Second hand is really luck of the draw. Alot of stuff can be hidden with additives.
liam gibbens true, just hit and miss, quite sad 😞.
As a final check kick the tyres and watch the rust rain down😂
If you buy a Defender, make sure it’s leaking oil. This way you know it has oil left 🤣
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Also don't park your defender by your bedroom window. If you do its likely to wake you when it breaks during the night.
If you buy a defender...... don't.
Thats to nasty. My TD5 110 has been bulletproof, its gone everywhere in stock form, its pulled 4t+ for 100s of Ks in hot and cold, over rough and smooth (don't mention that to the gentlemen with the blue flashing lights), its had way to much thrown in the back, its taken me everywhere i could ever want to go and its never broken down and has eaten 100 series and G Wagens off road. I may have to go to the dark side one day as the new defender is just wrong but until then my indestructable 110 will get me there
@@chubbymunster57 don't get me wrong, I have massive respect for the defender. I consider any car that is repairable using a sticking plaster and some bailing twine to be properly engineered. Add to that their incredible capability and you have a winner. However if we are honest the defender has a few, um, foibles... For example the fact that if you are taller than 3 feet you cannot turn right and if we are fair ladies of old where not known for their reliability...
Another tip, always take a magnet with you to look at a vehicle.
If a magnet won't stick to the under side of the body and the chassis, there is either rust (may stick to rust but significantly less than good solid metal) that was covered or a repair using body filler.
I was lucky! Bought my 4x4 from an elderly man who bought from a more elderly man so was in great shape!
I bought a lemon lux and spent 8k on repairs and it’s a weapon off-road. Still cheaper than a new one
Yeah. Feel sorry for whoever buys it off you. "A weapon off road" comment is a tell tale sign of hard use
There engineered for off road use you half wit
All Toyota’s are lemons.
@@adamdennis7016that's why they hold there value so well ae haha
pffft! nothing beats the adventure of buying sight unseen over the internet and then the long drive back across country.
Mate, don't diss the tex screws! They hold my entire life together.
Darndiddlyarn tech
@@tombom1054 nazi
I’m am convinced that the world will one day be saved by tex screws, cable ties, occy straps and duct tape 🤣
Darndiddlyarn I was searching to see if anyone said this! Nuts and bolts aren’t always the go!
So true. I laughed when he said if you see he used tex screws he doesn't know what he is doing 😆
We recently went to check out a second hand 4x4. It seemed like a bargain, because the whole thing was in great condition like new. Lucky you told us to check every gear, because in low range, this vechile would go along for about 10metres the clunk and haunt to a stop.
Not often I make a comment -- This was a great, informative, and (truly) concise video summarizing all of the best/major components to consider while buying a new vehicle. Along with the excellent content produced weekly, this was simply an amazing asset for vehicle buyers to take note as they build out their 4WD. Thanks again for the content gentlemen and the continued material -- absolutely appreciated!
When buying a used car check the dashboard lights before you buy. Firstly get on the net and find pictures of the exact model car of the dashboard lights, there are plenty of pictures, but it must be the model you are interested in, take a screenshot of the page and print it out. If you are searching on your phone store the photo of the dash, so you can access it when you look at the car. Sit in the driver's seat, then turn the ignition on, don't start the motor, now look at the dash lights on the car, then look at your picture, if the number of lights don't correspond, this means there are missing lights on the dash, it may be that the sensor has been disconnected or the part is defective. This especially means the check engine light or other safety critical lights.
I'm on a Mitsubishi Triton forum & with the newer diesels there's a warning light that looks like a "FART" & the amount of the people that ask what does this light mean is absolutely ridiculous 😂
Tip : under the dash screws are black if you see screw showing metal (seeing silver on edges) it mean dash has been touched
Tip 1 never buy a vehicle with an engine light or abs light on ever ,no matter what the seller says , take a scan tool just in case the globes have been removed from the dash so the eml and abs dont show up , if the seller wont let you scan it dont buy it , Tip 2 and never believe "the air con just needs gas" they dont lose gas without faults and of course the other beauty is
"will pass blue slip easy just needs a few small things "
'
Same with airbag lights. I got stung with a car like that. Bastards removed the airbag censor and lights.
Mega Muww pre-ignition is lamp test. Of lamp removed or blown test fails.
@@alexturbine3188 yeah who really pays attention to air bag lights or any of the pre start lights though. Was only a $1500 car but still.
Solid advice. I once bought a car whose air conditioner "only needed some gas" and it was damn costly to fix. I would have to spend almost half of the car's value to fix it, so I didn't. Lesson learned the hard way.
Found the Brisbane guy. Glasshouse mountains are handy for a play day. Plenty of challenges
This is great, if only this video was out years ago I wouldn’t have learnt what’s a lemon the hard way after 4 vehicles!
If i would ask seller All these questions, He might drop me to new dealership.
yeah a bit excessive haha
well said
You can also use a white paper napkin put a drop of oil from the dipstick on the napkin. The oil will spread out. If the oil spreads evenly with even color the adddives are working correctly if it forms a dark ring the oil is in bad shape also look for metallic flakes in the dark ring. The test should be done after running up to normal temp.
Bought a 4Runner for my first car. Has the 3vz in it (3.0L V6 petrol). Passed the rigorous inspection by my dad, as well as me. The 3vz is renowned for blowing head gaskets, and although the inspection was thorough, it wasn't thorough enough. Four months later it shit itself and then $3000 later it was back on the road. So far so good.
I bought myself a 30 year old Pajero with 95k Klms from a deceased estate in Tasmania for 5k (apparently too much) and drove it back to qld. It’s immaculate (inside) and runs 9.5l per 100. I know the die hards will hate it, but with no aircon, no power steering & no mods I’ve driven it all over DIP, Bribie, Straddie and Fraser (including ngkala rocks) with no issues at all. I’ve owned a brand new Navara before but this car is by far my favourite to date.
Buy from an elderly bloke. They look after their vehicles.
100% agree with this
AJ D . I’m 73 and the owner of an hdj79 with 190000 on the clock. I have a which and 400 kg suspension. I’ve done my own servicing since after the first service at Toyota where they didn’t change any filters. I’ve been to wa, sa, nt and nq. Still going like a Swiss clock and no it’s not for sale.
David warren let me know when it is!
@@davidwarren4569 I'm 64 and when Toyota forgot a few things when servicing my Trail I figured it was easier to do the work myself, and I will know it was done correctly. I have custom pin-stripes and a couple dents on my skid plates. Everything works same as when new, it's a '12 with 240k. Been in Arizona & California mountains and deserts. Not for sale either, it is barely broke in and being retired I don't need payments.
Exactly 👍👍
Bought a three owner 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Limited (Pajero). Did all the research. What a well kept vehicle. Previous owners took beautiful care of it and I think it almost never went off road. Did the OME lift, skid plates, rock sliders, ARB bull bar, ect. Love it!
2008 KUN26R Hilux. Definitely picked a gem, over 170k on the clock, no diesel knock, factory bullbar, winch (never been used) and a factory snorkel. The car was an old RMS car that was just used to drive around and check vacant RMS land, an awesome find!
So any 4wd that has been used as its intended, don't buy it.
look for used starbucks cups and shopping bags.
dont buy a car that has been used offloading allot cause its engine has been put under allot of presure.
They are engineered for off road use.
The thing is, there are easier used cars out there as well.
@@Ga7cun7sSUCK apart from modern land rovers
My first 4x4 was a 2008 jeep grand Cherokee with a om642 diesel. I bought it as a daily with 122,000kms. I inspected the vehicle meticulously and everything appeared in fantastic shape. It didn't have a scratch on it and no rust (no rust here in eastern Ontario is next to impossible). The thing shifted nicely, fired up right away, idled and drove smooth as butter, shocks were good, everything looked pristine. It honestly appeared like whoever bought it put it in their garage and rarely drove it. It appeared in better shape than vehicles 10years newer.
Well.. three years into my ownership none of that meticulous inspection seems to have mattered. I'm about 6 grand into repairs now. I had to rebuild the rear diff and the transmission. I had to replace the fuel tank, and have two of the six injectors rebuilt. At the moment it's sitting in my garage with the top half of the engine removed while I'm replacing the seals on the oil cooler because it's pissing oil all over my newly paved driveway.
Just goes to show that sometimes, even the most well laid plans cannot save you from buying a lemon and buying a vehicle is always a gamble.
That’s because it’s a Jeep 😂
Would have better bought a landcruiser or hilux😂👍
Really does depend with these things.
I got a Jeep, same make and model as what you purchased with 210,000kms on it almost 2 years ago.
The only thing I've had to repair was an oil pressure sensor, clock spring and a new key when the fob broke. The rest has just been general maintenance
Here in Canada I was able to pick up a 1995 Hilux Surf with the 3.0L turbo Diesel, for $5700. Which is a steal!!! there was no rust and some miner maintenance required! but so far the truck drives like a dream
There is a fine line between used and someone who wants a new condition car for peanuts.
Personally I always test the clutch on a hill, if possible, for any slippage. Very helpful video.
I snagged a complete bargain of a 4wd, my 1997 Mazda bravo single cab, a couple was traveling around Australia and saw this vehicle on a farm and had to have it, extremely low ks, immaculate interior and a strong petrol engine. They drove it from WA to SA just after a full service then serviced it again when they got to SA. I bought the vehicle with only 82,000 ks on the clock for $4000 it's has some body damage but nothing that effects day to day use. Since I've purchased it I've put 31s on it and some spotlights. It's been the best car I've ever bought and it'll serve me well for another 300,000 ks
“If it’s got rust walk away”
*confused Canadian noises*
and Alaskans
UK here, laughs in salted roads
"ay ay ay"
Norway too… We get new Hiluxes with rust 😃👍
I bought a Discovery 3 TDV6. The owner told me there was definitely no rust and had spared no expense on maintenance. There had been several thousand spent on the vehicle and I was given the receipts. As it turns out there was rust on the chassis that I will now have to repair. I can’t believe it passed a roadworthy like that. Also I believe the seller put head gasket fix in the radiator because it was loosing coolant but very slowly. Eventually this led to overheating and a costly engine replacement. The engine wasn’t wrecked but it was more economical to replace with a younger low kms engine. I now have a spare engine with a blown head gasket. I feel I got shafted but in the end I do really enjoy the vehicle with it’s towing and off road capabilities. I loved the video.
Another good thing to look for is if you see scrub marks on the inside of the mud guards indicating they have ran over sized tyres like 35 inch which is hard on transmissions and diffs.
I bought a 99 Hilux 3.0D ( LN167 ) in 2014. It had 139k KM and log books from the “ Stealership” and genuine 1 owner vehicle. It’s been a great vehicle. Came fitted with AWL canopy and roof rack and Dual battery system. A camping kit, awning and tagalong tent ( unused ) since buying, i have put 130k km on it . A total joy to own and tour ( slowly ) in 😎
Last year I was lucky enough to buy a fairly good second hand hilux 4x4 2010 model, by fair I mean quite high mileage 510 000 km on the ODO, it had a few minor issues but since I am a Toyota Mechanic, I was able to repair all of the minor issues with little cost, now i'm looking forward to having my own adventures
Hi. I want to ask you specifically about rust in Hilux pickups, since you are a Toyota mechanic. I'm from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Toyota started manufacturing here in 1996, I believe. I've been told that rust is far worst in Hilux pickups than in any other brand. Is that so? I'm not in a seaside place, where there's salt that corrodes metal. There's no snow here (no salt in the roads). Should I avoid old Hilux pick-ups altogether? Thanks in advance.
@@brunoraffo6726 all hilux pickups are rusty on the chassis rails here ...from the salt on the roads in winter and the damp climate .........i live in ireland .......
I bought a high klm prado about 6 months ago and paid a good price. The car has been fantastic hasn't missed a beat. Very happy
i brought a td 2.8 pajero never been of road so far iv done 12000km in the bush love it for 5k my first 4x4 too
High RPM I got my Pajero used never been off road until I got it. It use to tow a 20 foot caravan around Australia a few times it did have a tied engine I put 1000$ into it and runs like a dream only paid 1500$ for it and Standard maintenance has been done to it got it around 320000kms and I’ve put 100000kms on it now over 5 years
I got a 2.8 pajero, cost me $2000, 300,000ks on the clock. Picked it up in sydney drove back to Gold Coast. I’ve put 120000k on it, with regular oil changes it is still going strong with 420000ks🙂
I will never sell it.....its taken me everywhere!!
@@dirtydogg06 what year is your's i got the 2001 last of the 2,8 tb under rated 4x4
Pajero means WANKER in Spanish.
has to do alot of break ins then lol
Have previously owned two used 4x4s over my time. 1998 Toyota Prado had petrol V6 & auto box, 288k kms on original motor & trans. Came from Roxby Downs (mines) Never missed a beat. Second was a 2004 Nissan Patrol. Had 4 cylinder td30 motor with manual box. 200k kms on it when bought. Also never missed a beat. Paid over the Redbook avg for both but they were in way better than avg shape for model years. You get what you pay for, as long as you have some clue on buying used cars.
This could actually double as "How to Take Care of your 4x4"..!
Thanks for this!!
I picked up a mint base model 93 80 Series (1Hz, manual) late last year with 360K on the clock. Second owner. Minimal off road use. ARB winch bar, Kamar rear bar, OME 2" suspension and a Toyota PTO winch thrown in ;-). For roadworthy it needed all the usual suspension and steering bushes, panard bushes, new rotors and pads and a windscreen. I love it ;-)
How much did you end up paying? I'm eyeing up a 1992 80 series. 1hz manual, with 350kms. Genuine toyota winch and tidy body.
The timing of this is perfect, been looking for a few months now for my D4D 4x4 this will do me well especially when you mentioned the glass house mountains ahhaa that’s not to far
Gday. Bought a troopie in 1994 at 6 months old with 9000ks on clock. Still have it today with 648000ks. Its my daily drive for trade work and weekends. Never had huge repairs. Just regular maintenance and repairs. Minor rust repairs every 3 years. Its slow but very reliable and cheap to own. Love it.
Solid advice given here, but personally I would rather buy a truck that may have seen a harder life on the trails, but was well maintained by an enthusiast than a weekender that didn't love the truck.
I bought my MQ Triton in January & 3 weeks later the cold side intercooler hose split in a small country town outside of Mudgee with no mobile service but luckily there was a working Telstra phone box & the local Mudgee NRMA patrolmen tried to help me out with duct tape & cable but the bloody fault code & limp mode wouldn't clear & that resulted in a $1200 tow back to Sydney & the used car dealer fixed it with the help of the Mitsubish dealer next door.
Straight away I upgraded to silicone intercooler hoses & I also removed & cleaned the inlet manifold & EGR valve & all was well until early January this year the oil level started rising & it throwing up fault code P1428 & that was a faulty DPF temperature sensor & it's since been replaced.
It's now a pleasure to own & drive.
Anyone else just eyeball jockos lux in the background 😅
yeah man, that things a beast
Sam Parsons yeah don’t buy that one either
Tony not like I’ll ever sell it anyway lol
Yep spotted it straight away.
Adam Abela same
Once bought Toyota 4runner. When I GAVE IT AWAY in the end. I had changed the engine, have all the gearbox redone and the front axle redone. Spent month cutting away rust and weld in new and changed all interior carpets. + fight leakages around front windscreen and sunroof. Not my proudest moment, BUT I had it for 8 years, had 36" tires and I had ton of trips and fun on it. But man! that thing ate money like there was no tomorrow!
Good tips thank you.
I bought my fully loaded 2015 Px from a dealer. No surprises so far, ex government workhorse though, service history is immaculate!
Brett Johnson same with mine but 2017 Colorado
I bought a 2013 toyota Fortuner 4x4 on a online auction for a real good price.
Without seeing the vehicle first I went and fetched it 1000km away. It turned out to be a good deal. 10,000km later, all is stil good!
Great video bud!
My used 4x4 I bought was enjoyed previously however it was also well looked after (cleaned every trip ect). Even as a mechanic it can still be sketchy buying a used car, people will go to extraordinary lengths to cover up bad shit. Best tip is don’t get too sold on the cosmetic look but at the same time, it’s a used car, it won’t be ‘perfect’! Happy 4wding!🤘🏼
I Had the neatest 92 ln106 with 0 rust and 0 panel damage. All the bells and whistles to go with but unfortunately it ended up on its lid due to pour sight and wheel placement on a night expidition out in the bush. Went straight for a lemon looking 90 ln106 with less kms that needed a bit of work but after having one perfect half a car i managed to put together a pretty decent looking hilux out of the two, good thing with this model is they dont stop, cheap to repair and are tough as nails. thats if you can get past the leaf springs swinging into over drive on rocky terrain. All in all i spent 6k on the first one with 2k extras and 2.5k on the second with 90% the upgrade only costing me time at home to switch parts out, generally doubling the value and lifetime of a dirt cheap 4x4 that i can bang up out the bush. Nothing better then bang for buck.
A good indication that the car was in a front left hand side accident is when they put the steering wheel on the right of the car
Bought a gu td42t in 2010 with 250km for 17k. Done almost 500km now and taken us to every corner of the country. Cape,Kimberly, simo,fraser,high country. Service items only replaced, never let me down. Best vehicle I've ever owned.
Bought an ex-mine Hilux with 300,000km - Best car I’ve ever owned!
Damn, I work in a mine and we thrash the crap out of anything we get in. Hopefully it was from surface admin fleet.
I bought a lemon, prado d4d, bad injectors. Why did I buy it? Well it ran fine no knocking noise, 6 months later in winter wifey complained about knocking on cold start, about a month later driving the car caused a ploom of black smoke to engulfe the local neighbourhood, that's not even an exaggeration.
My advice, for about 150 Toyota do an injector check just get it done because sometimes you can't tell. Make sure they do the test early when it's cold and not after the car has ran. If it's a really warm summer night(25c) wait until it's below 15 or so, preferably 0.
I currently own the best lemon I’ve ever owned i have a 94 Toyota pickup (aka hilux)
Payed 2500$replaced just about everything on it
I bought a Mazda Bravo B2500 when I was 16 soon after I got my Ls, I loved the car however 6 months after I got it, it cracked a head and needed an entire cooling system and top end. 11 months after that it blew 2 coolant lines on the side of the road and now needs a new motor, it was one of the cleanest 4wds I had ever seen when I went to buy it, everything worked and it had no issues. 3 years later I've spent nearly double what I paid for it fixing it. It's treated me better than most things in life but I'll admit I got snagged.
Sometimes things fail also though, you have to do research on general faults of that vehicle and motor.
I bought a 2005 sr hilux, everything looked good had rust on an after market tray and on the bonnet where it had a chip. Didn't bother me. The headlight wiring and tail light wiring was shit. (Still haven't fixed rear). But you can't account for things going wrong when it never presents itself on purchase day.
Drove mime for 3 months and noted down things as I learnt about the vehicle over time. I repaired things I wanted to get fixed, brakes, all fluids etc complete over haul. Then my front diff blew up, had a cv shaft completely sieze on the highway and the force of it snapped my crown and pinion. Cv shaft was in decent condition not clicking nothing. So if you do purchase a vehicle definitely always have spare cash for general repairs!! And if you get as unlucky as me, sorry bud 🤣🤣
I once bought a GU patrol from a second hand car dealer. 2 days after having it (after the 2 day cooling off period) the motor started dying after about 5 minutes of driving. Later found it had rust in the after market fuel tank. Then when I checked the coolant it was like mud. Then a month or two after having it the heater core went. Definitely a lesson learnt in buying used 4wd. Cost me a lot money haha, I was about 18 at the time and didn’t know a whole lot!
Gotta make sure shauno hasn’t driven it😂
I bought a Land Rover Discovery 3 recently after a lot of looking at a few. Mine was owned at a Land Rover fan, who sadly passed away, and his wife wanted to clear a few of the cars. It’s in good condition, all I’ve needed to do is the usual service, a brake calliper, and a worn front hub and bearing. Managed to get some good inspected used parts cheaply.
Bought my XJ out of a field. Didn't start, most dipsticks were dry, flat tires, rotted out quarter panels, 'modified' airbox...
It was cheap.
I bought a 2000 Nissan Terrano R3mR with 216,000 Km, and had a lot of issues with Bosch Diesel pump and wiring. After spending a good NZ$12000 and three pump refurbishment it is road Worthy now, thank God!
Bought an 80 series from 97' with close to 400000km on the odo. been driving it through the kimberley, WA, SA and NT without any problem. No rust, no weird sounds, clean engine bay for it's age and had all the services done since it was bought in 98'. Been lucky with this beast. Only downside it's a petrol.
I'm new to the 4wd world. Whats the downside of a petrol compared to diesel?
@@meetingmrwright1791 immediate torque at lower rpms
@@meetingmrwright1791 Fuel economy is the most important thing!
I bought a 2009 hilux with only 53,000 Kms off a dealer for $28.000 and was practically showroom worthy and stock as a rock.
Someone gave me a Jeep, sold it the next day for $50....stoked!
great tips, i scored a massive buy. 2014 sx dmax, old mate was a project manager and had a tone of highway miles on it and had a decent service record. asked him to go halves for the mechanical inspection and he did. YEW!! it hasnt missed a beat. ive got a 2inch lift and bullbar on it now
Picked up a 2002 3.0D Hilux today with 116k on the clock. Solid foundation to build on. Frothing.
I got an ex mining landcruiser 76 with 70k on the ODO, good price, no service record, lose uni joins, worn shocks, worn brake... fixed all those myself, done another 40k without any problem, the landcruiser 70 series is a beast, it can take abuses and it's so easy to fix.
So my add will read:
A real 4x4, built to be abused and has survived......
Bush Pin Stripes to all panels
A zillion dents and miss aligned panels from hitting more than a dozen Roos, Emus and trees that jumped out in front of me.
Several trim mouldings held on with stikaflex and or tek screws - looks like a real 4x4 (no extra charge)
Bull dust blows out of A/C vents, cause it has survived 1000’s of klm on real Aussie tracks.
NO service records cause I don’t trust any other bugga to do it right.
Come and take for a test drive but be prepared to climb a gum tree to test 4x4 low.
If you can’t turn a spanner I suggest take up knitting instead of off roading.
300+ Klm and will easy do another 200+ Klm
Bring ear plugs so the noisy muddies don’t give you a soy boy head ache.
hey soys actually help you to be a better off roader 😂
Managed to get myself into an older "99 Patrol Wagon with the TD42T with 520,000kms on it for $6,700 . The paint was sunburnt, but the engine was very healthy.
Quick checks for the older cars might be things you wouldn't think of, like "did it come from the factory with this engine?" Check engine numbers and plates your self to see what the car is registered with and what engine the VIN indicates. When these mismatch, start looking much harder. Doesn't mean you're looking at anything dodgy, just means someone made big big changes.
1 year later, happy to report car still going very strong :)
Also, loved the oil cap check thats a new one for me :)
I scored a 2006 E53 X5 3.0 diesel for $3k here in NZ, they usually go for nearly triple the price. It had done 350k when I got it not even 6 months ago. First owner was doing a 300k round trip every day for 6 days a week, constant hot, open road running. Full service history until the guy I bought it off, never been crashed, has been used for towing. It has cost me less than $600 in parts so far (including a full service, air and fuel filters), and I have done nearly 15k in 6 months without an issue. Moral of the story - higher k's, even in older cars, isn't so much a problem if they are longer distance and everything hot running. People get put off cars/4WD's because of high k's when they shouldn't be.
Bought myself a lemon, got a mazda bravo 2 years ago and been at the mechanics more than ive got to use it. Definitely get it checked before you buy
I choose to ignore all these tips and continue to buy cars that need work xD
Right on buddy! I also like to replace parts that are still good sometimes 🤔 whoop$
I always buy used and never had to spend that much,i can spot a lemon from milles away
Same mate being a mechanic helps I get the vehicles for cheap and fix them enjoy them sell them
I picked up a beut of a Ford Everest about 3 years back. She has served me well thus far and I absolutely love her!
Now you just have to take it off road one day
@@u3962521 I have done a few times. Amazing off road for a unmodified suv.
Thanks to this I can't sell my four wheel drive 🤦♂️
Audio Fanatic if they are this anal tell em to go to the showroom and buy new lol
Same lol. I'm fkd
Lol. Guy's it's ok not everyone will see this
i bought a GU patrol diesel non running and alot of issues knowing its had a hard off road life. best purchase of my life
Scrap it for money
I bought an excellent-condition '06 Toyota Tundra here in the U.S. in late 2008, that was a lease return vehicle to the dealer. It had 86K miles on it, but it looked like new, underneath and body-wise (no leaks, no rust--Arizona vehicle). I bought it, and found out later (found the previous lessee's business card tucked away) that it had indeed been an excellent truck. In fact, he tried to buy it after the lease, but could not come to terms with the dealer. Today it has 260K on it, and still runs well. I recommend going with Toyota for used vehicles, and the first-generation Tundras, though now 14 years old, are excellent buys if you can find one that is been babied.
Had a 4wd for 10 years now and no smoke comes out from it. It has the same moter you have 3.0 D4D Toyota land cruiser
They did not make 3.0 D4D Landcruisers you are thinking of a hilux
I bought my 93 4x4 with a replaced engine and it had been in a minor accident. About 3 hours later it broke down in the middle of an intersection... They wouldnt take it back but they fixed what was wrong. Ever since, its been very reliable and when it does have issues its been very easy to fix. Ive owned it now for 2 years. Also, when i bought it it didnt have any rust surprising for a 93. That was till i moved next to a salt lake... Im sad because now its getting rusty and theres nothing i can do but move out of state.
Anyway, this is a great video, makes me want to wash the mud off my 4x4 and not abuse it so much.
When i was 18 i bought a mitsubishi pajero 2.5l turbo diesel drove 3hrs to pick it up. Was a very clean car maybe to clean on arrival father of the owner then decides to tell me it wont come with rego. That should of been the first indicator. No obvious rust or oil leaks seemed to be ok. Decided to buy it. Had to hire a trailer and tow it behind my dads vz holden Commodore. Got about 30min down the road. Got pulled over by police and told to go to next town and no further. Sooo had to ring the grandad luckily he had a toyota prado tow rig but he was 3hrs away so had to wait. Got home. Got a rwc check no kidding they had to use x3 sheets. So went from a $2800 car to a $5600 car then had to wait 4 weeks for a vicroads appt. Got it all registered took it 4x4 driving twice. Transfer case blew up. So no more 4x4 thats ok. 2wd still worked so atleast i had a car. 3 weeks later driving home from work car stops. Get it towed to a 4wd workshop. Engine has a hole in no. 2 piston. Quoted $11000 for long motor. So towed home found an engine on ebay for $2800 which is what the car cost me. So a no experience 18yo in mum and dads driveway attempted to fit a motor into his first 4wd. Apparently theres a few differences between a 93 4D56 and a 96 4d56. No one told me that. Took 3 months but got it done. Drove it for a while. Wasn't the same. So decided to buy a brand new mitsubishi triton 4x4 kitted out thinking i wouldnt have many issues. 4 months after owning it the engine popped the head gasket, factory fault pitting in the blocks water jackets and bad machining warping the heads. 4 month wait for new long motor so sold it back to dealer after a fight. So after that i gave up on 4x4s bought a commodore drove that for a while decided id look at 4x4s again. Around that time a mate was selling his 80 series Landcruiser was around the right price. He supplied the rwc i took delivery of the car. Drove home headlights didnt work. Rear bar lights were not working. Rear draws were flooded. Turned out he took it 4x4 driving after i paid deposit and got it rwc and bogged it good mate aye. Never took it 4x4 driving, fixed what needed fixing then moved it on. Bought another commodore. Sadly my grandad passed away around 2 years later so i bought his toyota prado which iv always loved. Had to replace all worn out suspension and replace the torque converter over drive solenoid and get turbo rebuilt but other than that an awesome car and i cant see myself ever getting rid of it. Just goes to show. Do your research on common issues especially with new vehicles. Just because its new doesnt mean its trouble free motoring. If in doubt get it checked or walk away. Sometimes its worth paying for a check then getting a big repair bill at the end.
daryl95 your biggest issue was buying mitsubishis
So long story short-buy a Prado/land Cruiser and have happy motoring😄
I feel for ya mate, brought back memories of my 18 yo self lying under shit box after shit box getting hard lessons in car ownership. The next one was always going to be better but usually wasn’t. I guess that’s the price of admission, experience is expensive to get but rarely a waste of money if you use that knowledge later in life.
The filler cap trick only apply if the same amount of pressure is coming out of the dipstick. If there's a lot of pressure on top and rarely any at the bottom, it's not the engen but rather the injector seals leaking. This is easy to fix and cheaper than a new engine.😁 Be smart and save A LOT of money
Great instructive video. We live in dangerous times … Covid has created long new-car waiting lists, requiring us to be more wary about “slim pickings”.
I bought a Jeep YJ 1995 with 95k miles, Runs good needed a water pump, radiator, and has outboard floor supports issues, and had no title.. I did after 5 months was able to get a title, for less than $200. I only paid $400 US for the Jeep. AND i drive it today. Will replace outboard floor supports, when i get time and money. Blue book for the Jeep is about $4000 as is. It is worth the money and time to fix her up!!
Jeep YJ, 33-10.50 15 2.5L
Going to check out a rig I want to buy, and this video is gonna help me make the right decision. Glad I found it. Thanks for sharing this info!
What u got mate?
Ended up getting it. A sweet 1987 Toyota fj60. So happy with it.
About to buy a used 2017 Ford ranger wildtrak, took my mechanic with me to look it over. Really excited to get it!!
my vehicle hasn't done heavy towing and i have a brake controller bloody hell lol, most i have towed is about 1.5T
\
easiest way to see if its done heavy towing is look around at the toys in the yard.. if he has a big boat or a massive caravan then yeah its been doing heavy towing or a tool trailer which is probably twice its legal weight limit.
True. But there's ppl out there with 30' caravans and 6m boats.
Real test is the engine and gearbox condition.
or you could have a smaller 4x4. any trailer over 750kg needs an EBC fitted to the tow vehicle. So it may have only towed a one tonne van on occasional weekend holidays, as in the case of my parents vehicles.
@@peelit4610 Not quite right - you don't need an EBC for over 750kg, just brakes, mechanical hydraulic whatever. Over some trailer weight you need a break away system. EBC are very nice and should be required, but they are not required at least in VIC.
Bought a Nissan navara d22 2002(my first 4x4) for $850 spent about $2000 getting it roadworthy. Absolute amazing buy. It was definitely a project car so wouldn't recommend if you want a daily drive straight away.
- unscrews oil cap on my rocky
- cap ends up in france.
feel this in my patrol ahaha.
GOLD!!!!!
lol
Bought a 2002 SR5 4WD 4 Runner before shelter in place started.
A buddy of mine who had a 2002 4 Runner mentioned his fiancee had another a 4 Runner that was not in the market but if I was interested we could start talking about a potential sale. Vehicle was a commuter, never seen off-road. It would get stuck in 4WD and to his knowledge it would require a transfercase as an internal component was no good- a good couple thousand dollar repair depending on parts (new vs remanufactured) and labor. After test driving it and understanding that a transfercase could be a potential repair I bought it from them and began my diag. After a ton of research I found that there are two transfercase switches in the transfercase, one to engage and one to disengage 4WD. These can be an issue if people don't engage 4WD as they essentially get stuck from not being actuated. I pulled them out, tested continuity and one was no good- the one to disengage. Got some electrical cleaner, sprayed it down and tested continuity- still no good, so I purchased a spare. Next day I tested the switch again and it worked- cleaner must have made its way in after a few hours. So I put the old actuator in and have a spare actuator for use in the future.
Fix was under $50 USD instead of the potential couple thousand dollars for the transfercase and labor. This potential repair helped me drop the buy price on the 4 Runner but it did take a lot of research and diag.
Bought a Disco 1 TDI for 2.5 grand, now 6k into it and I’ve only just “discovered” the rusty floor pans! Gonna need to learn to weld I think...
If you want to be scared remove the front wings and look below the A pillars, all rrc and d1s rust horrendously there, especially the passengers side.
Good general advice. There's still modified 4x4's out there that are well cared for.
Mine for example is lifted, 35, turbo etc but is engineered for mods (well mostly) and is not daily driven. Every trip, gets a wash, regular polish and wax and fluid/filter changes at 6m if I haven't done the KMs. Regularly replace the longer term fluids like coolant, diffs, trans, power steering and brake and I adjust these intervals depending on use. Lots of people don't realise that city/urban driving is generally classified as extreme use by most manufacturers so service intervals should be shortened. KMs are low for its age and it looks neat and always clean.
Then again, I'll never sell 🤣