£600 Rover 75 Connoisseur SE, 2.5 v6

[PrinceRupert]

sjc said:

Key fob covers would likely have been replaced as the buttons wear out, and Rover branded ones aren’t available anymore.
I also have a current thread running !

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Excellent will check it out.

[PrinceRupert]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

You've become quite the Rover beard over the past few days!

Cardigan is on order.

[PrinceRupert]

Thanks Muddle!

I ordered these drop links which came recommended on the 75 forum: https://www.dmgrs.co.uk/collections/suspension/pro...

Looking forward to failing to fit them. I've ordered an angle grinder. No doubt going to break something

It isn't that the autobox is not smooth, but rather it takes a little bit of time to kickdown and on. Will need to drive a bit more to see what it's like.

[PrinceRupert]

Muddle238 said:

I found mine was quicker to kickdown after a 'box fluid change. Not sure why, maybe it was just a placebo effect but it certainly seemed brisker.

I believe the gearbox also "learns" your driving style, adjusting gearchanges to suit. It may be that it has learned someone else's driving style and thus a little sluggish. I believe the usual way to reset the gearbox "brain" is to disconnect the battery for 30 minutes and reconnect. This shouldn't have any adverse affects on a 75, other than loosing the radio code - but then again, not all 75s had the code activated at the factory, but that's a different story.

Thanks! It got a new battery just fifty miles ago, so perhaps it just needs some time to learn.

[PrinceRupert]

So I sorted the electric mirrors today, which were a bit hesitant. Dismantled the switch unit, cleaned up the connectors, and works a treat. Did lose a button which caused a bit of a panic. Turned up in the garden

In investigating the non working heated seats I found this under the drivers seat



No idea what it does or where it should plug into.

Edited by PrinceRupert on Friday 26th June 22:30

[PrinceRupert]

Thank you all, safety tips taken on board.

I got the car up and wheel off this morning to diagnose the noise. Doesnt seem to be any movement off the ARB, seems solid?



If I pull the part circled - which I believe is the lower control arm - in red forwards and backwards, I recreate a clunking noise. It looks like it might be more painful to replace.



There is also a small hole in the shock. Problem?

[PrinceRupert]

Okay rookie error that is apparently the drive shaft and should clunk...how embarassing

Apparently arb links can clunk when driving even if no play so might still be them.

Edited by PrinceRupert on Saturday 27th June 10:57

[PrinceRupert]

Thanks! Just need to try and diagnose where the issue is. Spring looks fine but as you say it may be hidden away.

Turns out the heated seats do work - they just take a bit of time to heat up, arent that warm and only seem to do so when you're sitting on them.

[PrinceRupert]

Krikkit said:

I'd replace that droplink anyway, it looks more than done, and can stop some odd tyre wear issues.

I've ordered the parts and they seem straightforward enough to replace so plan to replace them. If that doesn't sort the knocking might need to stick it into a garage to diagnose if I cant find it.

[PrinceRupert]

So, the knocking noise is definitely the drop links. Diagnosed it by taking off both front wheels and comparing play on each side. Tugging on the anti roll bar on the driver side causes a knock, but doesnt on the passenger side.

At least now I know what the problem is! Hopefully I am able to replace them without too much difficulty. If not it wont be expensive to ask a mechanic to do it for me.

[PrinceRupert]

Parts have arrived. Now to fit them to the car!

[PrinceRupert]

Something I have been thinking about over the weekend - cambelts. As it has no service history, who knows when its belt was last changed (if ever). Apparently they should be changed every 90k miles/6 years - it is on 55k miles/??? years. It seems it is a pig of a job - £450 at certain mobile specialists but can't seem to see one nearby, or probably closer to £700 at a normal mechanic who, if they haven't done them before on a kv6, would need to get the special tools and work out how to do it (though how hard can it really be ...)?

So, given the few miles I do and the value of the car, would you recommend getting it done or playing cambelt roulette?

[PrinceRupert]

carinaman said:

Doing the cambelts would equal the cost of the car. I'd chance it.

Didn't you replace the cambelts on your 156? How many miles did you get out of that considering the cost? Did you recoup much of the cost of the cambelt replacement on the 156 when you sold it?

Edited by carinaman on Tuesday 30th June 15:38

No the cambelts were done just before I bought it, but I probably paid a premium for that reason. Sold it for £850 less than I paid for it after 10 months.

[PrinceRupert]

xcseventy said:

Looks a nice example, and a bargain price!

I ran a same spec 2004 CDT for 40,000 miles a few years ago, superb car, and wish I didn't sell it.

You mentioned you're in North London? I took mine to these guys in Muswell Hill: http://mg-rwservices.co.uk/

Very knowledgeable, and a always had a good selection of cars lying around to look at.

Thanks! I'm in SE London, but could easily go to Muswell Hill, if I decide to get it done.

[PrinceRupert]

Deep Thought said:

I chanced it on my MG ZT V6 for that reason - cost was going to equal a big percentage of the value of the car.

I got away with it luckily. I did advise the subsequent buyer they would need done and he said it would be the first thing he'd do as he planned on keeping the car.

I am minded to chance it, as I'm unlikely to keep it more than a year, it cost me 600 quid, and I am only likely to do 2-3k miles a year. I'm a little hesitant as will probably do a reasonable amount of short journeys, and apparently short journeys are more likely to stress the belt. They do look in okay condition from the little bit of the belt I can see, but I am no expert and I know its tricky to tell the condition of the belts from a visual inspection anyway/

[PrinceRupert]

sjc said:

There's plenty of mobile guys on the 75andzt forum that will quote as well, get the water pump done as well if you ( not a cheap Chinese one either!).
The original branded belts had a built in life of 10 years 150k miles ( albeit the service interval for them was as you say 6 years/ 90K). I sold my previous 2004 one a few weeks ago at 133K miles with the belts last done at 30K in 2008.Most ex dealers will tell you that they've seen very very few cases of failure, premature or otherwise, whilst some enthusiast will think you are a disgrace to the marque by not doing them ! ( I may have overegged that but you take my point).
It will depend on how much you end up loving the car and want to keep it, the three I've had have always been bought as " if it breaks it breaks" cars and in no time at all they've been cars I've wanted to spend money on and get as good as I can, that may or may not be relevant to what great service they've given me.
You either look at it as double the price of what you paid virtually, or still a great buy as a £1300 car with the belts done. Either way, I don't think you can really lose.

Thanks - yes, would get all the ancillaries replaced at the same time if I did. I think it isn't something I'll do immediately, but maybe will reconsider in a few months. £500 or so isn't that much money in the grand scheme of things and as you say, that even adding that to purchase price makes it still a cheap car.

[PrinceRupert]

JeremyH5 said:

Yes yes yes! Mission creep and “better the devil you know” and “How much would a replacement cost and what faults would it have in turn?” thoughts all spring to mind.

Indeed. I think I just need to give it some time to make sure it is otherwise a decent motor! Hopefully it doesn't pop before I find that out If I did the cambelt, I might as well put four decent tyres on it too, and maybe get a smart repair on the damaged bumper, and before you know it, it is due me 2k. ...

[PrinceRupert]

As a quick update, I think I've now spent more on tools than I did the car (most of which I probably will never use...). It's all getting a little out of hand. Oil, filters, spark plugs on the way, drop links to fit on Friday. Here's hoping I manage! Rear spark plugs can apparently be a little tricky, and lets hope I manage to not damage the cylinder head, but going to give it a bash ...

[PrinceRupert]

Thanks! I ordered an appropriately-sized spark plug socket, to try and make my life easier. Apparently the rear spark plug bank is tricky to access, so let's see. Presumably once I have the spark plugs seated, I should use my torque wrench to tighten them to the correct level of torque?

On the belts, it is apparently a rather tricky DIY job! Still wondering whether I should bite the bullet and get it done.

I also want to replace the brake fluid and bleed the brakes, but the process seems a bit painful so might just pay someone to do it for me ...

[PrinceRupert]

andburg said:

old trick for hard to access plugs was slip the connection into some vac/fuel tube to get them into place and get them seated, you wont be able to cross thread them with the leverage available, once in and seated you can finish the job properly

Cheers - that's the tip in Haynes! Now to find some plastic tubing ...