I've just acquired one of these for the stable. 175,000km, auto, wagon and quite tidy bar the missing bonnet emblem. What do I need to know re maintenance areas to watch and problem spots?
monaro17,
Jan 8, 5:39pm
Keep cooling system well maintained. Keep auto trans well maintained and keep an eye out for uneven rear Tyre wear.
electrics are pretty good.
what spec Wagon? Executive, acclaim or Berlina?
franc123,
Jan 8, 5:43pm
There isn't a lot to know, maintenance on them is all standard stuff. I would just check it all through, check/change ALL the fluids including coolant and thermostat and consider doing the radiator if it appears original, change the diff, trans, power steer and brake fluid unless its clearly been done recently. It may be in need of spark plugs and leads by now. Have a good look at all the steering and suspension bushes and and renew anything that looks dodgy, same with brakes, do a rotor machine or replace if its a bit juddery in the front. follow up with a wheel alignment if required.
henderson_guy,
Jan 8, 5:44pm
Cheers, radiator has a slight crack so that will be replaced. It's just an exec.
michelle322,
Jan 8, 5:45pm
Just normal routine oil and filter changes,window switches do pack up but they're cheap on here, also rubber key fob buttons on remote wear out just get the embossed ones.enjoy.
ladyluck110,
Jan 8, 5:55pm
Shouldn't you of known this before buying it?
henderson_guy,
Jan 8, 5:56pm
Drive wise, everything feels right. There's no brake shudder or steering wobble, no squeaks from the suspension etc. The transmission shifts smoothly. With the transmission, are there filters to change or is it just a fluid replacement? Likewise with the diff, were these specced with lsd? Manual windows, so no issues there.
Highly unlikely an Exec would have LSD. Yes auto has renewable filter.
henderson_guy,
Jan 8, 6:27pm
Excellent, cheers for your knowledge. That gives me a starting point.
henderson_guy,
Jan 8, 6:43pm
I tend not to maintain vehicles I'm not in possession of
inkapuka,
Jan 8, 7:34pm
I had one the v6 berlina sedan was good but trans and diff oil change I would do first then should be ok. Mine died at 150ish kms when the rear main back plate rusted out and nearly cooked the motor common problem then the transmission died at 160km. Then got that reconditioned and it drove like a pig after that and got sick of it costing more money than it's worth so sold it. The car yard had to spend over 1g on new suspension bushes etc for it and my friend purchased(was hard to say yes it's a good car) it done 190 kms now and it's still having issues with camber wear etc. Good cars but getting old now don't expect it to run without any little niggles here and there water pumps are common thing to die randomly too . Had mine 3 years spent well over 5 g fixing it,oil changes and your normal wear and tear items.
brookiecookie5,
Jan 9, 7:09am
do not be surprised if the passenger side exhaust manifold cracks at the front of the rear most branch. Mine did last year at 204k and last week I noticed 4 out of the seven 3.8 v6s at pick a part had the same issue.
golfdiver,
Jan 9, 7:27am
We had one for years, bought it at 30ks and sold it to a mate at 210ks . Still going strong. Yes as mentioned and as with all autos, make sure the transmission is serviced regularly
kingfisher21,
Mar 1, 3:16am
One other thing to watch for is oil in the coolant, it is simply the intake manifold gaskets, Cheap and easy enough to replace.
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