Rover diesels

[Mikey G]

What are they like? I know some of the older cars used a Peugeot based lump but what are the 2 litre engines as found in typical 200/400 cars from about 96 to 00MY like? Any reliability issues?

I have seen a few cheap cars on ebay as i'm looking for a new daily runabout and some of them look a lot better than the typical Mondeo and Vectra diesels in the price i'm hoping to get one for.

[cptsideways]

They are the only reliable engines Rover made in that vintage, SD's are painfully slow SDI's however are sprightly & frugal. They are all cheap, most come with a bit of Honda build quality too

Edited by cptsideways on Friday 20th July 00:18

[Petemate]

Second the second post. My car is a 2002 45 TDi Impression. The mileage on purchase in Apr last year was 74k. Now at 106k. Do my own maintenance inc belt changes. It is a great engine to work on and if you go to the MG/Rover forum, these engines seem good for very high mileages. They are the result of a joint venture between Perkins and Rover and are also found in the Freelander 2-litre diesel.
Pete

[ssray]

I had a 400td,they are slow-but if you decat them tweeke the pump and they go a lot better, it took 15mins to adjust my pump and i knew straight away it was better.

parts not a problem and good uk based forums out there.
ray

[heightswitch]

cptsideways said:

They are the only reliable engines Rover made in that vintage, SD's are painfully slow SDI's however are sprightly & frugal. They are all cheap, most come with a bit of Honda build quality too

Edited by cptsideways on Friday 20th July 00:18

The L series 200 bubble rover diesels are probably one of the most overlooked and underated bangers out there. regular oil changes and cam belt changes every 60k miles will see stratospheric milages. I have ran these cars since they were launched usually as daily runners whilst having far more expensive cars and the Rovers just go and Go.

my current steed has been screwed into the ground and has 174k miles on the clock. In all that time I have replaced throttle cable. apart from servicing, nothing else. the car is now being re-comissioned and after standing for 6 months I pumped the manual prime and charged the battery and the car cranked into life i think I currently have a relay fault on the starter but this is not of any concern.

My dad Ran an SD turbo to 164k miles from new and only breakdown was a cam belt tensioner bearing which are a horrible pressed steel affair, this seized and caused a cam belt to snap. new belt and tensioner, no other damage. I have also ran a streetwise which is a bit newer and more complex management but from 24k miles to 80k no issues, my dad is now pumping miles on this.

The intercooled one is plenty quick and 60 - 65 to the gallon.

I love them.

[MGJohn]

Mikey G said:

What are they like? I know some of the older cars used a Peugeot based lump but what are the 2 litre engines as found in typical 200/400 cars from about 96 to 00MY like? Any reliability issues?

I have seen a few cheap cars on ebay as i'm looking for a new daily runabout and some of them look a lot better than the typical Mondeo and Vectra diesels in the price i'm hoping to get one for.

The cars you mention have Rover's L-series diesel which was used in a range of vehicles including Honda's Diesel Accord.

One of the few things I had in common with his Top Gear tallness was a dislike of Diesel cars ~ devil's juice ~ that was until recently. Back in the summer, a Rover 600SDi was put up for sale on my firm's notice board. Back then, fuel was silly money and with this economy aspect in mind, and wanting to keep the mileage down on my low mileage but thirstier 600 petrol turbo, bought the 600 SDi off a female colleague who'd had it for eight years. Her partner had maintained it well and it was owned previously within the same family. The price was almost too good to be true so i made a slightly lower offer and this was accepted.

No slouch but still quite nippy. Above all, what a joy to get 350-400 miles plus between fill ups and that's not driving with economy in mind. The previous lady driver obtained much better mpg returns.... most females do apparently, including my better half who does not hang about. I'm delighted with the car. Yer tis:



Totally bog standard car, I have since fitted 17" alloys from a Rover Vitesse Sport which I had available. I have been delighted with the car. Checking the various web-sites, I've found that the L-series has a sound reputation for reliability and longevity ~ 200,000 miles plus is quite normal and many achieve far more. My car has 120,000 and the engine has an unburstable feel to it even when using full performance which I frequently do. In the five months I've had it, the coolant level in the expansion bottle has remained stable ~ that's always a reassuring sign in any car.

It is faster than it feels. I sometimes 'match strides' with drivers of more modern diesels and it is a match for most which was another bonus surprise for me. maybe they're not trying you could be thinking ~ I can confirm that they are! Apparently with a few minor tweaks, 140-150 bhp is available. However than would undermine my reasons for getting this car ~ economy. Here's the good old Rover L-Series diesel turbo engine compartment:



Nine months MoT and two months tax when I got it ~ all for the huge sum of .... £350 quid... less actually as I got £50 for the four steel wheels and good tyres the car came with from another work colleague. It's one impulse buy I shall never regret.

One final thing. When I jump into my Rover 620ti ( Petrol turbo ) after a few hundred miles in the Diesel 600 turbo, it makes me appreciate the ti that much more ~ the performance is so very different although point to point times over any given journey will not be all that different between the two cars.... the fuel used will though.

Find one like mine and you will not be disappointed.... Recommended.
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