SHOULD I OR SHOULD'NT I?

[Discodicky]

COVID permitting, my wife and I are planning a trip to Sth Aus (Tombie Country) and Flinders Ranges hopefully Sept/October this year.

Am seeking advice/suggestions and opinions please regarding any major work I should get done prior the adventure.
Not discussing engine & auto service, check brakes, feel wheel brgs, water housing, etc etc as I have all that done or in mind to do.

What I am particularly thinking of is whether I should do some of the "dreaded potentials", ie, replace both inlet manifolds, alternator & battery (batt 4 yrs old), lower control arms (the rear bush is 'weak') sway bar bushes, and maybe the rotary gear selector.

Should I leave the suspension bushes until I return home as they'll get thrashed on the dirt roads???

Am not made of munney, however the last thing I want to happen is one of those problems happening way out in the Flinders Ranges or anywhere inconvenient with a 3.0T caravan in tow!

Working on the basis that I intend keeping this fine vehicle for several more years, in my opinion I am not wasting money since those items (except for maybe the gear selector) will almost certainly need replacing within the next two years, so why not bring them forward to do them now at my convenience rather than as an emergency repair whilst on holiday in a "foreign country" ()

By the way, to help you give me an informed opinion, the current mileage is 152,000 klms .

Maybe I've spent too many years in the earth moving industry where you replace "pre-failure" to eliminate unplanned downtime and unnecessary costly 'time' in my situation whilst on holiday!!

What sayeth the Brains Trust please?

[DiscoJeffster]

Sure. If you have the money do the cooling system including replacing the outlet, manifolds, and while you’re there you should do the timing belts if you haven’t already. Maybe high pressure fuel pump, throttle body - they split, new battery, get a GAP if you don’t have one already, front wheel bearings ….. the list goes on. Take height sensors, ABS sensors, understand how to change them and the tools you’ll need as of these fail you’re out of traction control etc.

……. There’s a whole thread on spares alone.

[rocket rod]

Tyres???????

[Discodicky]

Tyres???????

Fitted new 19" Duratracs 10,000 klms ago.
Very happy with them.

[josh.huber]

COVID permitting, my wife and I are planning a trip to Sth Aus (Tombie Country) and Flinders Ranges hopefully Sept/October this year.

Am seeking advice/suggestions and opinions please regarding any major work I should get done prior the adventure.
Not discussing engine & auto service, check brakes, feel wheel brgs, water housing, etc etc as I have all that done or in mind to do.

What I am particularly thinking of is whether I should do some of the "dreaded potentials", ie, replace both inlet manifolds, alternator & battery (batt 4 yrs old), lower control arms (the rear bush is 'weak') sway bar bushes, and maybe the rotary gear selector.

Should I leave the suspension bushes until I return home as they'll get thrashed on the dirt roads???

Am not made of munney, however the last thing I want to happen is one of those problems happening way out in the Flinders Ranges or anywhere inconvenient with a 3.0T caravan in tow!

Working on the basis that I intend keeping this fine vehicle for several more years, in my opinion I am not wasting money since those items (except for maybe the gear selector) will almost certainly need replacing within the next two years, so why not bring them forward to do them now at my convenience rather than as an emergency repair whilst on holiday in a "foreign country" ()

By the way, to help you give me an informed opinion, the current mileage is 152,000 klms .

Maybe I've spent too many years in the earth moving industry where you replace "pre-failure" to eliminate unplanned downtime and unnecessary costly 'time' in my situation whilst on holiday!!

What sayeth the Brains Trust please?

If it was me, alternator yes, then put the old one back on when you get home to use it up. Battery no. Just get it tested. Inlet manifolds yes. And both. But that's just me. Do the rear Bush now, not the whole arm. It's not just your comfort but the extra wear on everything else including tyres at stake. Sway Bar bushes are cheap. Just do em. Take a gear selector in the glove box, they seem to fail quite a bit. Good place for one.

Extras

Take a brake light switch, service your compressor..

[gavinwibrow]

If it was me, alternator yes, then put the old one back on when you get home to use it up. Battery no. Just get it tested. Inlet manifolds yes. And both. But that's just me. Do the rear Bush now, not the whole arm. It's not just your comfort but the extra wear on everything else including tyres at stake. Sway Bar bushes are cheap. Just do em. Take a gear selector in the glove box, they seem to fail quite a bit. Good place for one.

Extras

Take a brake light switch, service your compressor..

4 year old battery? I'd be doing the same process as suggested for your alternator.

[josh.huber]

4 year old battery? I'd be doing the same process as suggested for your alternator.

Why? You can properly check a start battery at any shop in 2 mins.

[scarry]

You have a good set of tyres you are happy with,but maybe two spares?
The roads that way are tough on tyres, particularly the higher speed dirt,just watch your speed, its so easy in these very comfortable vehicles to go too fast.

I would replace the battery, for sure.Its going to need replacing shortly anyway, at that age.
If it does die,in a remoteish place, good chance anyone local won't have the right one.
Just saves some inconvenience.


I would leave the other stuff, but the vehicle does need a good check over before you go.
Maybe take an alternator if you are worried?

Have a great time.

[NavyDiver]

COVID permitting, my wife and I are planning a trip to Sth Aus (Tombie Country) and Flinders Ranges hopefully Sept/October this year.

Am seeking advice/suggestions and opinions please regarding any major work I should get done prior the adventure.
Not discussing engine & auto service, check brakes, feel wheel brgs, water housing, etc etc as I have all that done or in mind to do.

What I am particularly thinking of is whether I should do some of the "dreaded potentials", ie, replace both inlet manifolds, alternator & battery (batt 4 yrs old), lower control arms (the rear bush is 'weak') sway bar bushes, and maybe the rotary gear selector.

Should I leave the suspension bushes until I return home as they'll get thrashed on the dirt roads???

Am not made of munney, however the last thing I want to happen is one of those problems happening way out in the Flinders Ranges or anywhere inconvenient with a 3.0T caravan in tow!

Working on the basis that I intend keeping this fine vehicle for several more years, in my opinion I am not wasting money since those items (except for maybe the gear selector) will almost certainly need replacing within the next two years, so why not bring them forward to do them now at my convenience rather than as an emergency repair whilst on holiday in a "foreign country" ()

By the way, to help you give me an informed opinion, the current mileage is 152,000 klms .

Maybe I've spent too many years in the earth moving industry where you replace "pre-failure" to eliminate unplanned downtime and unnecessary costly 'time' in my situation whilst on holiday!!

What sayeth the Brains Trust please?

We did Vic. Ikara Ranges, Coober Pedy with a heavy camper trailer and broke ZIP in my 2005D3 which had over 300,000km on it I think at the time. I was always replacing on advice when needed only. Test the battery- I hate old batteries with good reason. Note if you have a big battery in the power bank in the van, you have options if needed? Old does not mean about to break in my view. My new 2009d3 did break and engine though I still wonder if that was just possibly related to the new timing belts installed?
Assuming your mechanic was a cool at mine with the 2005 at least, service advice is possibly best from them. Not tossing a knife at the mechanic over the 2009 engine failure.

On tires, I did not find any issues with the dirt at all. Honestly SA dirt roads are often much better than Country Vic hard roads.

[DazzaTD5]

As some of the D4 owning touring veterans have already mentioned..
If it was me and a D4 before I left I would do:
*Alternator (if its never been done).
*Battery (if its 3 - 4 years old).

*Timing belt is close to km's but over in years.
*I've done heaps of timing belts on D4's that arent even close to km's but are 8, 9, 10 years.
*ALSO replace top coolant outlet (I do these AT 100K now) if it splits while travelling on the hiway the temp gauge / computer wont respond quick enough to save the heads.

other info
*I've only ever had one faulty brake pedal switch on a D4, the symptoms were the front brake kept being applied.
*lower control arms, meh likely its already had a set. but if you do just replace the whole control arm its quicker and there for likely cheaper (its got 2 new bushes and a new ball joint)
*Service auto, although doing it 50K or 100K ago would have been the go.