Thread: Top 10 preventive maintenance tasks when buying a D2a

V8 or Td5 ?

From my recent experiences, after owning mine (2003 D2a TD5, 208k Kms) for 8 weeks:

Cooling system - check radiator and all hoses - fuel cooler had a leak and new rad required on mine but only started leaking 4 weeks after buying it - no signs of this at purchase!

Engine oil & filter change, normal service item but seemed to make a heck of difference on mine.

Brake pad change - known at time of purchase

Rear hub seal - I think this and worn bearing are now behind my 3 amigos woes

Rear propshaft flexible joint - worn - I overlooked this.

Leaking fuel filter water sensor

Work done to mine before I bought it amounted to some $8000 worth - head refurb & gasket, injector harness, wastegate valve, hub o ring, injector seals so I knew the motor was good for another few years.


I reckon I've spent $800 on parts(Includes non required goodies such as wheel arch flares) but I'm very nearly there on catching up on overlooked/shortcut maintenance issues and it's running very sweetly now, and it was a lot cheaper at purchase than it should have been in my estimation - doing your own spannering is not an option for some owners and when they see big bills, we see small parts costs....

Rich

Definitely No 1: Check the oil pump bolt- probably very few have gone wrong in D2a's but it's an engine killer- the small bolt that holds the oil pump sprocket in the sump- requires checking and loctiting, plenty of info on the forum as to how to do it. (assuming a TD5)
2. Cooling system health check/overhaul- depends how many k's it's done. Replacing all hoses (keep the used set as working spares) is not a bad idea. If you do it yourself make sure you get the little one behind the turbo- subject to a lot of heat and can fail (as can any hose).
3. 3 amigoes (abs faults) wait and see- if the they appear, can be many things, and can be a reatively simple fix. You need to get the fault codes read- if you are in a major town a forum user will no doubt help you out.
4. Check double cardan joint on front propshaft- the uni joints can fail, and cause damage, if its to the automatic gearbox housing, think $. Check it for any loose feel at all and a have a good look at the unis. Signs of impending failure are chirps (yep, as in birds!)
5. All electrics- wipers, windows, door latches- you are in LR country now and best get familiar with them.
6. All oils/filters, unless you have recent receipts for same- may as well know where you are in terms of servicing.
7. Not so much a check as a mod- i would replace the EGR (assuming it's a TD5) with a blanking kit- fairly easy and worthwhile to do.
8. Think about replacing shocks/springs- depending on k's, these will transform the vehicle on and off road IMHO.
9. Um, buy a video camera to record your mates in Hiluxes attempting to go where you have, well, aaaaalmost gone! (but at least a fair bit further than they hahahha)
10. Sit back, relax, do your due diligence and enjoy a great 4wd- they will go anywhere you want to- and do it comfortably and reliably with the right boots and assuming some skills on your part.

Hope this was helpful- looking forward to seeing what others write.

for me, in this order:-
engine oil and both filters change
coolant change
spend many hours a week looking at it, crawling over it, under it, around it
check lots of stuff (in no particular order)
repair, fix, improve as applicable
Clean the engine bay, clean up any oil weeps etc so you can see where they are coming from

Must do the oil pump bolt (but am a but nervous of doing it)

Love it

Hay Ewe

Problems I've had on mine since purchasing it:

1. Leaking hose between the FPR and head - required inlet manifold to be removed to replace the hose.
2. Not running right - required a Turbo Booster Box and uprated MAF to solve this.
3. Original old shockies still fitted with the 2" lift.
4. There's one or two engine oil leaks that I still haven't solved.
5. Leaking front sun roof - required removal of the headliner and repair job on the drain pipes.
6. Leaking rear sun roof - despite checking it, and strengthening it, when I had the lining off, it leaks. I haven't got to fixing it yet...
7. Broken SLS sensor - vehicle came like this and came with the replacement part.
8. Complete fluid and oil and filter change - just a precautionary and so I know where everything is at I changed all of these.

Everything is is problems I've brought on myself with modifications.

Check for chaffing on all the hoses, and also check the steering hose that does the u turn just in front of the sump.

Also, don't throw out the old hoses. Where your hoses chafe or rub, use a section of old hose slit longways around the outside of your good hose held in with cable ties to stop chafing on the good hose.

Most have been mentioned above. My ten or so would be

1 Remove oil pump bolt and re-install with thread locker loktite or similar. While you are there, thoroughly clean the sump.(TD5)
2 Full Service, use genuine centrifugal filter and air filter. If the vehicle has been newly purchased, replace all oils, diffs, gearbox, steering, ....
3 Service double cardon joint of front prop shaft with greasable unis, and grease regularly, especially after wading of extreme rain.
4 Replace the hard plastic water line from the radiator to the filler bottle, and on a V8, the hard plastic line to the throttle body, with a flexible line
5 Don't allow fuel to go under 1/4 tank on a regular basis as it appears to shorten the life of the fuel pump (TD5)
6 Check diff, transfer, gearbox and air suspension breathers for integrity
7 Wheel alignment / tyre balance, buy a good wheel brace or breaker bar/socket
8 Radiator hoses, this car has a few years on it now, especially replace the
small hose under the exhaust manifold TD5
9 Replace turbo hoses with Silicone and use good clamps, sooner or later the hoses will de-laminate and this is a difficult problem to find.
10 Exhaust manifold - drill out outer mounting holed in the exhaust manifold and grind out the webbing.
11 Check power steering return line, they have a tendency to rub through near the front of the TD5


Erich

Plus, if you're driving in dusty conditions:

* Regularly clean and lubricate the tailgate door catch.
* Check the integrity of the air cleaner box and intake hoses