Advice on buying a 75 diesel please?

[markengland]

Hi all

I'm a new member here and this is my first post. I was recommended to this site by someone on the Honest John site, where I am a member. I am looking to buy a Rover 75 2.0 CDT, probably around a 2001-2 plate. I have been warned that there is an issue with the ECU's drowning on these due to blocked drainage holes - can anyone give me a bit more info on this please, i.e. where to look for the ECU and what a healthy one should look like?! Is there anything else specific I should be looking out for when viewing these cars? I am only considering ones with full service history and at the moment am looking at manuals and autos. Any general advice would be gratefully received. I am sure I will be on here a lot more once I find a car! Thanks again, Mark.

[Pete]

Hello Mark, get yourself a drink and find a comfy chair. There's a lot of stuff on here and this is the best place to find out everything you could ever want to know about the 75 or ZT.

[Pete]

Just to answer the comment on the plenum drainage issue:

The R40 models have their ECU mounted in a chamber nestling against the bulkhead, sharing the space with the pollen filter for the air conditioning system. Now unfortunately the chamber's drainage can get blocked up, which will utlimately result in a drowned box. You'll probably smell the bracken water before this happens anyway - the pollen filter will soak up some of it and the air-con will begin to smell very stale.

It's not a hard job to clear the drainage pipes, and we have datasheets on the club site which cover this particular bit of maintenance. In normal practice you will do this a couple of times a year and possibly check it a bit more than that just to be on the safe side.

Anything else you want to know, feel free to ask away or have a nose around.

[Kandyman]

Welcome to the forums markengland,

The Diesel engines are great engines to have and can be made even beater if you talk to RoverRon from theses forums about his box of tricks you can find out about Ron here http://45zs.info

If you need any more help or advice then let us know.

[crofts]

Hi Mark and welcome to the club.
Unfortunately you cannot easily examine the ECU as you have to remove some clips and covers to access it. However if the ECU had drowned enough to cause problems they would probably be evident Thoroughly check all electrics are functioning correctly. If they are I think you are fairly safe.
If you did get the garage/owner to open it up for you then look to see if there is water in the plenum & how high the level. The best indication is if you look at the pollen filter for a tide mark.
You could take a torch and shine it down into the chamber. Position yourself
and look down past the o/side bonnet hinge. If there is water there it should be evident.
The CDT is usually 115 ps and is why Rover Rons box was suggested as it raises it to about 135. Same as later CDTi which was only a programming mod.
With higher mileage car check service record. With regular oil changes engines can exceed 200,000 miles. Bullet proof BMW engine !
Only 2 other common failures. The MAF often goes from 25,000miles upwards
and results in lacklustre performance. This is when a lot of owners fit a new MAF and Rover Rons box. I think about £120.
Cooling fan. Failures fairly common. Engine rarely overheats but you will not get cold air from air con if stopped in traffic. Both cooling and air con fine when in motion. Check fan by tuning on ignition when you should hear it.
About £140 for new fan motor + control box. Not too difficult to fix yourself
but is front bumper off job, 3-4 hours.
The brake pipes can corrode badly (not always) and can be seen running full length of car fairly near offside sill
Otherwise, few problems with the diesel. It is a superb car.
The auto is fairly reliable if fluid changed at 30,000 intervals ideally.
Clutch wear on manual same as for other cars. Check clutch operation and smooth gear changes thoroughly. Problems can be with master cyl; slave or clutch plate.etc. Master change easy but slave is inside with clutch mech. so is g/box out job. I think about £450 for slave and cluth parts fitted.
Good luck. Find a good one and you will be delighted:lol:

Look at thread further down re Rover Ron's advice ( I'm a bit out with the PS figures)

[Zeb]

Originally Posted by crofts

Hi Mark and welcome to the club.
Unfortunately you cannot easily examine the ECU as you have to remove some clips and covers to access it. However if the ECU had drowned enough to cause problems they would probably be evident Thoroughly check all electrics are functioning correctly. If they are I think you are fairly safe.
If you did get the garage/owner to open it up for you then look to see if there is water in the plenum & how high the level. The best indication is if you look at the pollen filter for a tide mark.
You could take a torch and shine it down into the chamber. Position yourself
and look down past the o/side bonnet hinge. If there is water there it should be evident.
The CDT is usually 115 ps and is why Rover Rons box was suggested as it raises it to about 135. Same as later CDTi which was only a programming mod.
With higher mileage car check service record. With regular oil changes engines can exceed 200,000 miles. Bullet proof BMW engine !
Only 2 other common failures. The MAF often goes from 25,000miles upwards
and results in lacklustre performance. This is when a lot of owners fit a new MAF and Rover Rons box. I think about £120.
Cooling fan. Failures fairly common. Engine rarely overheats but you will not get cold air from air con if stopped in traffic. Both cooling and air con fine when in motion. Check fan by tuning on ignition when you should hear it.
About £140 for new fan motor + control box. Not too difficult to fix yourself
but is front bumper off job, 3-4 hours.
The brake pipes can corrode badly (not always) and can be seen running full length of car fairly near offside sill
Otherwise, few problems with the diesel. It is a superb car.
The auto is fairly reliable if fluid changed at 30,000 intervals ideally.
Clutch wear on manual same as for other cars. Check clutch operation and smooth gear changes thoroughly. Problems can be with master cyl; slave or clutch plate.etc. Master change easy but slave is inside with clutch mech. so is g/box out job. I think about £450 for slave and cluth parts fitted.
Good luck. Find a good one and you will be delighted:lol:

Look at thread further down re Rover Ron's advice ( I'm a bit out with the PS figures)

Hello Mark and welcome!

Crofts, not sure about the 'only a programming mod' because if that were the case Ron's box wouldn't get another 20bhp out of a CDTi! I thought the 135bhp version had a variable vane as opposed to a fixed vane turbocharger - which was why I paid the extra for the higher power model...

[Roverron]

Originally Posted by Zebedeedooday

Hello Mark and welcome!

Crofts, not sure about the 'only a programming mod' because if that were the case Ron's box wouldn't get another 20bhp out of a CDTi! I thought the 135bhp version had a variable vane as opposed to a fixed vane turbocharger - which was why I paid the extra for the higher power model...

The turbos are the same. There are in fact no mechanical differences, just in the ecu mapping.

However, if you were to buy a 116 model, my Synergy will give you about 144bhp, plus a few more with other minor (free) mods. It will also compensate for maf sensor deterioration.
Or you could have it remapped and fit a Synergy or Tu3b and get closer to 160bhp and 270+ lbs ft.

So what I'm saying is, if the 116ps models are a lot cheaper, you are in no way restricted in the eventual power and torque output compared to a 131ps model so a 116 may be a cheaper route to go down.

Ron

[Zeb]

Originally Posted by Roverron

The turbos are the same. There are in fact no mechanical differences, just in the ecu mapping.

However, if you were to buy a 116 model, my Synergy will give you about 144bhp, plus a few more with other minor (free) mods. It will also compensate for maf sensor deterioration.
Or you could have it remapped and fit a Synergy or Tu3b and get closer to 160bhp and 270+ lbs ft.

So what I'm saying is, if the 116ps models are a lot cheaper, you are in no way restricted in the eventual power and torque output compared to a 131ps model so a 116 may be a cheaper route to go down.

Ron

Ron, I do not understand. If it is only the ecu mapping that is different then your kit should get the same bhp out of both, yet it does not?

[Roverron]

Originally Posted by Zebedeedooday

Ron, I do not understand. If it is only the ecu mapping that is different then your kit should get the same bhp out of both, yet it does not?

In theory the same 30bhp increase should be available, giving about 144 and 160 respectively.
It doesn't because using a 116ps module on the 131 engine produces too much smoke (in most cases) so the 131 module is a milder version.

Some CDTi owners don't get the smoke using a 116 module on a 131 engine, in which case, the bhp may well be considerably over 150bhp but unless they ask for a 116 module, a 131 is supplied.

But I've found that if a lot of smoke is produced its regarded as a fault and the owner wants something done about it. There has to be a compromise between power output and smoke. The intake mod, boost spring, & good air filter, help maximise power and minimise smoke.

Engines differ too, for example a Freelander owner has just returned a Synergy because he cannot stop it smoking (the Freebie that is!), yet I've sold many to other Freebie owners who've had no problems and even some who complained the increase wasn't as high as expected!

I am always willing to swap modules either way, in an effort to give owners they increase they want.

The chap with a Superchips remapped ZT and a (131version) Synergy on setting 3 has had it dyno tested to 158bhp & 291lbs ft with minimal smoke. We will find out next month if TRich's ZT with a re-remap + Tu3 gets upto this figure without smoke. (currently 151bhp / 265lbs ft)

Ron

[JP53]

Welcome to the best owners club ever Mark

As with any second hand car try and get one with full service history, look for signs of caring or uncaring owners. The diesel is a fantastic unit and on the whole he 75/ZT is a well built car.

I would try and get as high a spec car as possible so look out for Connoisseur (pre face lift) and Connoisseur SE or Contemporary (face lift) models for leather interiors and extra goodies. This is only a guide, some Classic and Club models will have SE spec and optional extras fitted.

Good luck with your search and don't forget to post some photo's when you do find the one you want, John.