Rover 75 Tourer - Heavy steering

[Dutus]

Hi. This is my first post since joining the Club. I am currently thinking about acquiring a 75 and yesterday I had the opportunity to drive a 2002 Tourer CDT auto (Connoisseur SE spec, 62k miles) which has just come up for sale.

The car is in generally good to excellent cosmetic condition apart from sagging roof lining (is this easy to rectify?). Mechanically, it has recently been serviced and has had new tyres and a battery. However, when I drove it, the steering seemed inordinately heavy and there was a tendency to pull to the left. This could of course be down to something as simple as incorrect tyre pressures, but that would be surprising in view of the recent new tyres.

Any thoughts?

[Best_of_British]

The steering is heavy in comparison to others its a heavy tractor engine. Pulling to left may be tracking, lower arm ball joints or the lower arm rear wishbone bushes, plenty of advice on here. The heavy steering you will become the norm its a good body work out.
If the headlining is not torn it can be tacked back up or a 2nd hand one sourced easy enough.

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk

[Best_of_British]

The above is assuming that PAS fluid level has been checked, the rack is not leaking anywhere and the pump is working.

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[Dutus]

Many thanks for the advice - I wondered whether heavy steering might be the norm, considering diesel engines aren't usually the lightest beasts.

Looking at the service records, work has been done to the front suspension area - I will try to get hold of the garage who did the work and find out more.

Noted re the headlining - no rips or tears as far as I could see.

[mh007]

Also assuming it has the correct tyre pressures!

[Sonic ZS]

Alloy wheel size will also have an effect and that model could be fitted with 15", 16" or 17" (or possibly even 18") rims.

You'll find the smallest wheels give the lightest steering & most comfortable ride, but it's a trade-off against the generally preferred appearance of the larger diameters.

Good luck if you decide to purchase, pretty much everything you could possibly need to know about these cars can be found on this forum somewhere !

[grivas]

Originally Posted by Dutus

Hi. This is my first post since joining the Club. I am currently thinking about acquiring a 75 and yesterday I had the opportunity to drive a 2002 Tourer CDT auto (Connoisseur SE spec, 62k miles) which has just come up for sale.

The car is in generally good to excellent cosmetic condition apart from sagging roof lining (is this easy to rectify?). Mechanically, it has recently been serviced and has had new tyres and a battery. However, when I drove it, the steering seemed inordinately heavy and there was a tendency to pull to the left. This could of course be down to something as simple as incorrect tyre pressures, but that would be surprising in view of the recent new tyres.

Any thoughts?

Hi there, and welcome to this forum, find out who serviced the car and ask them to explain what EXACTLY was done, most garages are out of their depth when is comes to these wonderful cars, so they just change the oil.

So need all filters, including the PCV filter, check plenums for water and leaves needs clearing out, at the same time check pollen filter, there is a wealth of information in this forum so do please take a good look and good luck.

[clf]

Originally Posted by Dutus

Hi. This is my first post since joining the Club. I am currently thinking about acquiring a 75 and yesterday I had the opportunity to drive a 2002 Tourer CDT auto (Connoisseur SE spec, 62k miles) which has just come up for sale.

The car is in generally good to excellent cosmetic condition apart from sagging roof lining (is this easy to rectify?). Mechanically, it has recently been serviced and has had new tyres and a battery. However, when I drove it, the steering seemed inordinately heavy and there was a tendency to pull to the left. This could of course be down to something as simple as incorrect tyre pressures, but that would be surprising in view of the recent new tyres.

Any thoughts?

After coming back from Mallorca, driving a hired Panda (city mode steering was scary, as light as having the wheels in the air!), I picked up my ZT from a local enthusiast, who replaced the crank pulley whilst I was away. I actually thought he had forgotten to put on the new power steering belt! Now though, I find it nicely weighted, but it is heavier than everything I have had before with PAS, except maybe my B4 Passat. The drawback with a lot of power steering is feel, and I think these cars have it just right. If the steering doesnt feel any different when stationary then there is an issue, but otherwise it may be just heavier than you are used to.

As far as it pulling to the left, there is a lot written about it on this forum, and the general consensus is that it is normal. As mentioned tyre pressure is a potential aggravating factor, as well as alignment. Ultimately though there will be a slight pull, but nothing where you have to continually feel you have to pull against it. When I first got mine, I did have to pull on the wheel, but after getting new tyres and a FOUR wheel alignment done (some alignment people say it cannot be done - it can! Find a tyre place with a Hunter system) it improved instantly and felt so different and positive.

So check the PAS fluid, and around for wet marks , likewise around the rack mounted on the bulkhead for leaks. Check also the tyres for uneven wear, especially on the outer edge of them, this is a telltale for alignment issues. Subsequently budget on new tyres should they be worn.

Perhaps try another 75 for a comparison too. There may be a meet local to you, that I would bet someone would let you have a good look around and give you some more advice, and an idea of what you can expect from a great car.

Welcome to the club, and stop thinking about it, but just do it They will cause you some heart ache, but they will also leave you wondering why you never bought one before. If you do get one, and it does give you cause for concern, fear not, there is little that cannot be sorted on these. Ask the question on the forum before panicking.

[Dutus]

Hi all,

Thanks for all your replies. I will speak to the garage that's been servicing the car and find out what's been done.

The wheels are, I believe, the 15" Comet alloys fitted from 2002 to the Conn SE spec.

One of the problems we have here in the Channel Islands, being small, is a lack of expertise on certain cars. Having said that, it was sold here from new so the main dealer at the time would hopefully have someone in their service dept with some knowledge of the car.

75s for sale over here are few and far between (this Tourer is the first one I've seen advertised for quite some time). If I import one from the UK, we have to pay Vehicle Emissions Duty; for a CDT manual, at the moment it is £250 (auto £400), but for the V6 it would be £1,250. This is why I am looking for a CDT...

As far as I am aware, the one here is still for sale...

[Avulon]

I disagree with the previous poster, pulling to the left is not normal at all, the only pull to the side will be in response to road camber. It may be that the 75 does react more to camber than some other cars, but I suspect this will have a lot to do with the wheel alignment. Like most cars the figures give a very wide range for 'correct'. At one extreme it may be worse and the other non-existent (reaction to road camber). If on a level road at around 50mph you should be able to release the steering wheel without any sudden movement to one side (look out for potholes and other obstructions which can deflect the steering before letting go and keep your hands ready to grasp the wheel). A slight drift to the nearside is expected (very few roads are really flat) and most cars will drift slowly to one side.

Heavy steering? This is quite subjective and depends on your driving experience, Heavier than some, lighter than others. Certainly checking the PAS pump and drive belt and fluid, rack etc. is well worth doing.