Convince me to buy a 2013-14 D4 ... or not

Enjoy your D4 Dave. We all love ours, wouldn't be here if we didn't.

Just a word re servicing though, and things like wheel alignments etc. Outside the capital cities it can be hard to find an independent with real, long-term experience with these cars. For example, I'm about to have my transmission oil changed (at 52,000km) and the first indy I talked to said "nah mate, not something we're good at with those."

Found another one nearby who has done many such jobs, but even then, I doubt whether they pay attention to fine detail like running the engine to raise tranny oil temp to the right level, letting it cool down again, etc etc. All the fiddly stuff. And they want to use Penrite, whereas I insist on ZF Lifeguard 8. (Which I'll have to buy myself and give to them.)

Wheel alignments require the car to be set to Tight Tolerance Mode with a GAP tool. Tyre shops that even know what you're banging on about are rare as rocking horse excrement. I now set my car to TTM on their forecourt with my GAP tool. And watch like a hawk lest the grease monkeys do their usual trick of leaving the driver's door open.

But, as somebody once said, a Land Rover isn't a car. It's a hobby.

I think most of them are just incompetent Greg and can't be bothered with anything other than a mine site vehicle. Probably many can't read a manual either.... :)
Took mine to a recommended tyre shop in Vic. Park for realignment but I doubt if they had it in the workshop for as much as 5 minutes, so I got the Osborne Park stealer to do it and had no undue wear on the new tyres since.
As to the transmission, I asked Barbs service people and they advised who they use when cars are taken to them..... Ian @ Precision Automatics 9201 1209 are apparently the best.
Cheers.
AlanH.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GregMilner

Wheel alignments require the car to be set to Tight Tolerance Mode with a GAP tool. Tyre shops that even know what you're banging on about are rare as rocking horse excrement. I now set my car to TTM on their forecourt with my GAP tool. And watch like a hawk lest the grease monkeys do their usual trick of leaving the driver's door open.

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When my car was newer I initially asked the main stealer about this and they’d never heard of it. I even got them to set TTM ($60) and took it next door to the Tyrepower who does a hell of a lot of Discos. They’d never heard of it also.

Seems that TTM is not so critical to a good alignment as I have not experienced bad tyre wear without it.

I suspect very few ever have been done globally in TTM. Dealers and Indy’s outsource such work in any case as with the gearbox.

Transmissions R Us in Balcatta was the go-to top tranny shop for Perthites back in the day. Haven’t heard anything different.

From the workshop manual:

6. Vehicles with dynamic suspension: Using the diagnostic
tool, set vehicle to 'Geometry Set Mode', using the
instructions below. Putting the vehicle into this mode will
make sure that the ride heights are controlled more
accurately.
1. Select the 'Configuration' tab
2. Select 'Set up and Configure'.
3. Select 'Air Suspension'.
4. Select 'Suspension Geometry Set Up'.
5. Select 'Tight Tolerance Mode'.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions until the set up
process has finished.

LR would seem to suggest it's worthwhile putting the car into TTM for a better result. Of course, that doesn't mean not using TTM will result in a bad result but it's obviously there for a reason. User choice I suppose but since I have been reading this forum from early 2013 it has been strongly recommended.

Martin

To do a wheel alignment,the tyre shops around here just drive them on the ramps,and open a door.

Been doing it for years,one guy told me,never had an issue.

Probably no one has been back,after having it done.

Mine is on its second set of tyres,the first set wore perfectly,as have the second set,so i didn't bother with a wheel alignment.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dirvine

From my perspective, I always try to buy the last year of a model run. Hopefully by then most of the issues have been ironed out... Look at a 2016 model

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LOVE my 2016 TDV6

And I sold a 2011 D4V8 to get it!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BrianElloy

LOVE my 2016 TDV6

And I sold a 2011 D4V8 to get it!!

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Unfortunately a 2015 or newer looks like it will be above my budget :(
Realistically I think it will be a 2013

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Birdboy

Unfortunately a 2015 or newer looks like it will be above my budget :(
Realistically I think it will be a 2013

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Still a great bus.

I can attest for APT underbody protection products, LLAMS, an IID tool and as low mileage as you can afford.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BrianElloy

Still a great bus.

I can attest for APT underbody protection products, LLAMS, an IID tool and as low mileage as you can afford.

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Thanks Brian! Yeah I'm keen to make sure it has less than 100,000km on it which looks doable from what I've been seeing online. Hoping that by the time I can do it, I might be able to get a 2014 (hoping prices drop a bit more in another 6-12 months).

Do you know if there was any significant interior/spec (or other besides exterior facelift) differences between 2013 and 2014?

Cheers
Dave

Tail lights
Front and rear badging
Improved wing mirror design
8 speed ZF (though this may have been a 13 spec too)