Purchasing advice - 2002 Frontera 2.2 Dti

Hi. I currently own an Astra estate which I use for towing a caravan of 1100kgs. It has been remapped to give it more grunt for that task, but recently have been looking at buying a 4x4 to allow me to use sites with grass pitches rather than seeking out hardstanding pitches all the while.

In the past have owned several Land Rover products, but the opportunity of a low mileage Frontera has come my way. Just over 60k on the clock, 2002 2.2 DTi five door. Trouble is I know absolutely nowt about these, as to whether they half decent motors for that task (or not). I do appreciate that with just 115bhp on tap I am probably going to need a tuning box fitted or a remap to make decent progress whether towing or not.

Question - Are Fronteras reasonably rot free and are parts still readily available, as appreciate they been out of production for a few years now?

Any advice or suggestions would be gratefully received, as looking to buy with a view to keeping for a few years.

Thanks...

i have a lwb dti and its towed caravans and horses without problem or need for a tuning box. The most expensive common fault on these is the fuel pump costing around 800 plus fitting to replace ideally you want a car that's already had it replaced. Other common faults are vac and leak off pipes which are easily replaced by a competent home mechanic.

I enjoy the refinement and comfort of the dti over other models. Rust check seals, under arches etc.

Thanks for the heads up 'Stretch'.

With regards to the fuel pump, it is unlikely that I'll be able to find out whether it has been replaced, as I am assuming at 60k mileage it probably still on the original. I know all about Vauxhall 'rip off' parts prices, as they would have wanted £700 for a small electronics box on the back of the Astra engine, if I hadn't dismantled it and reflowed the bad soldered joints.

The pump can go at any time at any mileage, to minimise the risk you want to make sure you never run out of fuel or constantly crank it without starting, also any jobs done that interfere with the fuel system will require bleeding of the pump.

Unfortunately a new Bosch pump is expensive everywhere, I think the cheapest i've seen it is about £600 + fitting and they are not easy to fit, timing needs locking etc.

The main thing to ,me is that the Fronteras are generally reliable and easy starters. I set off for work just after 5am every morning, so don't want to annoy the neighbours with a reluctant starter. My Astra starts up the second the key is turned, whatever the temperature outside.
.

As for cold starting id say if theyre running as they should they will start fine, however if theres a fault like with any other type and model of car then it might be a problem to start. you can always ask to start it from cold when viewing so you will know yourself one way or the other before maybe buying it.
as for rust they are on the whole pretty good, get under neath and have a good look at the chassis/ rails ... especially the rear one which is tucked inside the rear bumper, that is more likely to rust first if at all.
check 4wd selects as it should , this is done simply by pushing a button on the dash, it should show a solid light ( green if i remember) if it flashes then the 4wd system has a fault & not engaging as it should, you might have to move 20 or so feet for it to engage/ disengage properly but ONLY do that in a straight line as the 4wd should only be used on slippery surfaces, on hard surfaces wind up will occur and possibly damage the drivetrain.
other than that check everything that you would on any other car you are considering buying.

Thanks the input fogman. Would realistically only be using the 4x4 on slippy grass fields with the van on tow. I have had Land Rovers in the past with permanent four wheel drive, but that something that is not needed 99 percent plus of the time.

Hi mate. I have been the proud owner of a 2.2dti for 6 month's now and love it. I have just got back from the annual meet towing my caravan and it never missed a beat. All vehicles have there faults espcially when they get old like these fellas!
If you do get it you will soon fall in love with the comfort and ride capabilities.

Happy purchasing my friend and welcome to the world of F.O.G. :thumbup:

Regards Bobster.

UPDATE: So where am I eleven months later? .......... Actually I am still driving the Astra Estate.

Been a combination of factors, one of which was replacing the injector seals on my current vehicle for a long touring trip up to Scotland and Northumberland last October.

The only thing that has continually deterred me from the Frontera is reading something about fuel running back into the tank if they have been stood for a few days. As I now work from home, it's not uncommon for my vehicle to sit unused for several days at a time, so that could be a potential problem for me. Don't know if anyone devised a cure for this particular problem with the Frontera?

if you search 4x4 bobby and vauxhallsqueaks they have both i think fitted a small electric priming pump on the fuel line which eradicates that problem

They are excellent vehicles and have all of the features that you could want I have had three and would thoroughly recommend them. They are well designed inside and have a lot of useable space. They are reasonably economical to run
Greg