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Hi there,
A few comments about ACE etc and the SE model.
I've got an SE Td5 D2a and have only seen two other 'real' SE's. An SE should have electric leather seats, 12 speaker stereo; ACE; SLS; 18" 'Hurricane' wheels and rear aircon. The real giveaway is the 'SE' badge behind the front wheels.
The HSE had, in addition to the SE kit: twin sunroofs, DVD player, rear parking sensors and heated front seats (although the heating elements are in the SE - you can buy a pair of switches and new fascia, plug them in and you have heated front seats - nice in Canberra but not too much of an issue is Brissy). I wanted a Td5 HSE but there were none around when I was looking and I found mine with 64k and full history - sold!
The trick is that there are many, many vehicles on Carsales that are called 'SE' by the sellers. They are usually the last of the D2a's, the 'Classic' or 'S' that came with leather covered seats (not electric) and the 18" Hurricane wheels.
If you're after an SE:
From the exterior look first for the 18" Wheels and then the 'SE' badge.
From the interior, the main giveaways are: the seat controls on the side of the centre console next to the seat belt clip; the presence of 4" speakers near the front/top of the doors; subwoofer box at the bottom of the rear door; and the stereo head unit (unless replaced) should match the curve of the dash - like you'll see in an HSE; you'll also see aircon vents in the ceiling in the middle and back of the vehicle and aircon controls in the ceiling next to the middle cabin light.
Under the hood, you can spot ACE by the presence of two filler caps on the power steering reservoir. ACE doesn't mean it's an SE but an SE will have ACE.
Plug for ACE: I bought the D2a over the D3 (D4 wasn't out) because I liked the handling facilitated by ACE. The D3 has a better ride for sure but 16" wheels help close that gap considerably while keeping the ACE goodness intact.
Plug for SLS: If you use the vehicle with differing loads it's brilliant. I use mine as a daily driver with nothing on board but will load up with a few 100 kg's of camping gear and it gives a consistent ride height and (with ACE) consistent handling. If you set it up with all your camping gear and leave it there, coils are probably quite OK. The airbags last about 8 -10 years and Dunlop Pneuride brand replacements can be had for very little money from Paddock Spares in the UK. There's also a filter for the compressor inlet behind the left/rear tail light - change that out occasionally (my brother's SE didn't have one at all - dead compressor was the result).
Plug for Td5: Range on a tank (95litres) of fuel is great. Servicing interval is 20k for 'normal' conditions and there are two oil filtration devices. Most service at 10k. I left mine run for 20k for the last interval just to see - no dramas at all but it certainly wasn't 'normal' and I'll probably go back to 10k as I do a lot of offroad. I haven't remapped mine but probably will one day; everyone says it makes them drive really really well.
What ever you get, make sure you get a service history with all recalls done and then get it checked out by a reputable dealer before committing. You can also hit TOPIx on the web and for a nominal fee for a days access, punch in the VIN of a vehicle your'e considering and confirm the recall status; also learn heaps of other neat things about servicing/running the vehicle.
I bought mine in Brissy and had MR Automotive in Redcliffe check it out; bought it and then got it checked again by my local guy in Canberra, just to be sure (they both recommended the same things). Just walk away if you are't 100% sure of the mechanical state.
cheers,
bidds
Originally Posted by striking
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