Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 48 total)
  • Last van thread – VW T4
  • racing_ralph
    Free Member

    Right i am now 90% convinced a T4 is the van for me. All i need to know know is …….

    EVERYTHING!!
    Just registered for the T4 forum but whilst i wait for verification i thought that i would try you lot!!

    Things i need to know:
    Service intervals
    cam belt change
    things to look out for (gremlins)
    Good points
    fuel economy on 1.9 – 2.5tdi
    road tax cost
    typical insurance (8yrs no claims and 30+)
    what have you got in yours – full/part/no conversion (it is to be used as a bike transporter and also basic camping duties
    what sort of mileage is ok to go up to

    Owt else that you see fit to tell me

    hora
    Free Member

    Its like everything, its mechanical so dont beleive any seller who says ‘T4’s are bomb-proof mechanics and a 150k miler will go on forever’. As with any vehicle, go in eyes wide open. T4’s image/myth is potentially great for a badseller to hide a snotter behind.

    racing_ralph
    Free Member

    i know that Hora – hence what do i need to look out for?

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    hora
    Free Member
    racing_ralph
    Free Member

    cheers hora – quite insightful. Anyone else help answer my Qs please?

    lister
    Full Member

    We’ve got a W reg 800 special (1.9) which we got rear seats and windows fitted to.
    It’s great…500 miles on £75 fill up which I think is fairly good for a big, underpowered family car!
    It is so slow it bends time, but give it enough room it’ll get up to 80 to cruise on motorways and we’ve got captains seat up front with armrests and it’s very comfy indeed…who needs to ruch is the motto you need.
    We got lucky, it only had 39k when we bought it 3 years ago, and we’re only up to 65k now…no majot mechanicals at all. We took no chances and changed the belts when we bought it, I think the reccomendation is 60k but I might be wrong!
    Tax is £180 a year, which makes me wince but it is a big car so I can’t complain.
    The ‘boot’ swallows everything we can put in it, I have no idea how to fold our pushchair as it lives in the back unfolded…family camping trips are a doddle and biking trips are easy. 3 bikes with front wheels off for the day, or 5 bikes with wheels off and luggage for longer trips no hassle.

    Insurance is about £30 a month…we’re with CIS as they could cope with the idea of a ‘commercial’ vehicle not being used commercially and out ‘mods’ ie seats and windows didn’t send them into meltdown either.

    Best car I’ve ever had! Buy one.

    racing_ralph
    Free Member

    looking better all the time 🙂
    Things i need to know:
    Service intervals
    cam belt change
    things to look out for (gremlins)
    Good points
    fuel economy on 1.9 – 2.5tdi
    road tax cost
    typical insurance (8yrs no claims and 30+)
    what have you got in yours – full/part/no conversion (it is to be used as a bike transporter and also basic camping duties
    what sort of mileage is ok to go up to

    Owt else that you see fit to tell me

    Sandwich
    Full Member

    On a related theme who are the people in N. Wales that sell the ex AA vehicles?

    mikey-simmo
    Free Member

    I second the statement of the 1.9 bending time. Very underpowered, though it’s mechanically very simple therefore has less to go wrong. We’ve fully converted ours to camper and with a bike rack takes 3 externally fully assembled. They rust from the arches, but generally I’ve heard of nothing wrong with them as a type. Get your belts changes on time, and do loads of oil changes. ours is on an x plate, with 64 on the clock. Gets to 75 then starts to eat fuel.
    Fun though.
    We love him.

    nasher
    Free Member

    overpriced and overrated, it just has the aura of the old VW’s and nothing else.

    I have seen ex AA T4’s going for more money than a vivaro/trafic less than a year old..

    We have been looking at a 58 plate LWB 2.5 trafic for 5k plus vat! and people spend more than that on 10 year old VW or Merc!!!!!

    racing_ralph
    Free Member

    belts changed “on time” – what intervals?

    wellhung
    Free Member

    Good vans, i’ve not seen 10 year old T4 going for 5Gs mines a 8 year old.

    Mine had FSH 2.5TD LWB with tailgate to keep the rain off whilst fafing about.

    They’re prone to water pump failures, not sure of the cam belt change interval, but unless the seller has a proof of fitting then assume it’s not been done.

    Problem i’ve found on the couple of T4 i’ve had is the oil pressure/level senses leak on high mileage ones and with the engine undertray it’s a bitch to spot where it’s leaking from.

    Insurance wise i pay £320 per annum for Comp business use with max NCB

    I get 38ish to the gallon on motorways/A roads if i rev it below 3000, much above this figure and economy plummets i’ve found to my cost.

    racing_ralph
    Free Member

    thanks that is much appreciated

    dasnut
    Free Member

    I’d get a T5 if I was you.

    No cam belt change service required (its chain driven) – long live service interval (upto around 17k, mine does 14k regularly)
    If I drive it at 65 everywhere it will do 33mpg, otherwise 28mpg and drive how you want – oh and its 130bhp 🙂

    If you are stuck on a T4, don’t buy one thats been resprayed. Ex-AA van or ex-disabled is your best bet.

    this place normally has some decent looking vans… linky

    racing_ralph
    Free Member

    Cheers for the link. Why not buy a resprayed one? rust problems hidden i presume?
    Won’t AA ones have been Tow-ers?

    Stoner
    Free Member

    mines just in for a 70k new water pump and belt (second belt, first at 35k ish). It’s an over-cautious preventative measure since we are often away camping in it for a couple of months at a time on the continent and I dont wont a borked engine in the middle of nowhere.

    Ours is the 2.5 88bhp TDi. Cruises comfortably anywhere between 65 and 90, although 85+ gets a little noisy in a commercial conversion. On French autoroutes I can get over 600 miles from a tank at 64mph constant. Paint is a bit thin and regular touch up of chips is a good idea to prevent bubbling.

    racing_ralph
    Free Member

    Any pics people?

    Blazin-saddles
    Free Member

    Well, here’s my two peneth.

    We’ve got a 1999 T plate 2.5tdi 102bhp SWB, it’s currently got 178,500 miles on the clock, it’s been serviced every 6-10k, belts changed every 60k, and all it’s had in the way of replcement parts in it’s life is tyres and battery, the original exhaust has just got a hole in the back box but not bad for near 10 years service.

    The older ones (96ish) were prone to a bit of rust around the screen and the fuel filler cap and some around the arches. mine has NO rust at all, anywhere. I don’t agree about buying ex AA’s, they have good spec but generally cost a lot of cash and you have loads of holes drilled all over the place.

    I get mid 30’s for fuel consumption with cruise control on, Agree with the above comments on the 1.9t it’s SLOOOOW, the 2.5 5 cyl is the one to get and pref in 102bhp guise. mine will cruise at 85 no problems (if wanted) but gets a bit thirsty.

    Tax is £180, Insurance £270 fully comp (11yr no claims)

    I’ve done a full camper conversion in ours, Bed, cooker, fridge, gas heater etc etc.

    Best thing I’ve ever bought, was going to buy a T5 LWB this year but since work dried up we’ll be sticking as we are. prices are dropping a bit, do a load of research 1st then go and look at some, mine came via auto trader.

    righty
    Free Member

    forget about VW’s you should get one of these

    hora
    Free Member

    I’d still say look at a Toyota HiAce. Doesnt have the trailhead/festival appeal of a VW but priceswise you can pick up something newer.

    alfabus
    Free Member

    I don’t have time to write a big reply at the moment; so I’ll just post the photo album that I always post

    Long Wheelbase T4, kitted out for bikes and rough camping

    Cambelt interval is 80k. Go for the ACV engine if you can (2.5TDI with intercooler – the TDI badge is all silver) Mine has done just shy of 200k, and is just as strong and reliable as ever, reliable 36mpg… slightly less if I commute in it (but I don’t).

    MOT is tomorrow – fingers crossed 🙂

    Dave

    racing_ralph
    Free Member

    Thanks for the pics dave – the beds look interesting – are they bought or did you have em made?
    How much did you pay for the van?

    bumbly1
    Free Member

    I would not be concerned if the van has towed or not, diesels have plenty torque and are designed for this. A towball is handy too.

    bumbly1
    Free Member

    Oh and buy a Haynes manual, it will have all the service detail you need.

    racing_ralph
    Free Member

    Nowt to do with engine – thinking more rear suspension problems associated with towing

    alfabus
    Free Member

    I made the beds myself… welded box section frames with wooden interlocking slats… really comfy to sleep on and very versatile.

    I do carry passengers in the back, which is technically legal, but not particularly satisfactory from a safety point of view.

    I bought for £3k with a knackered engine back in 2006; rebuilt the entire top end of the engine (new cylinder head et al.) and kitted out the interior myself. I’ve done about 40k in it since then – mostly trips to wales or the alps (summer and winter).

    I was going to be selling it, but now the LEZ is most likely going to be cancelled (low emission zone in london was going to mean I couldn’t keep it), I will probably keep it for a few more years. Unless I get a good offer, of course 😉

    Dave

    racing_ralph
    Free Member

    What would you be after? Could trade with a Focus TDCI

    conkerman
    Free Member

    Vivaro’s are alright.

    Cheap as chips.

    alfabus
    Free Member

    well, last year I was considering selling for about £5-6k… had a lot of interest, but got fed up with tyre kickers. I think £4k would probably clinch it now; but I can’t sell until after I’ve been snowboarding in march 🙂

    I’ve got a twinny quattro bike rack that I’d throw in too.

    Where do you live? If you want to come and have a look around it, you’d be more than welcome – no obligation to buy, of course – I’d be happy for you to look around just to sort out your own ideas. I’m in Croydon.

    Oh, and I don’t fancy the Focus… bit too different from the van!! I’m considering getting an MPV thingy; possibly a Honda FR-V.

    Dave

    MrTricky
    Free Member

    We’ve had ours from new and it’ll be 6 this year.

    Service intervals – some have a variable interval, but I think this needs to be reset by the dealer and our dealer seemed to be reluctant to deviate from the annual regime. We get ours done around June irrespective of mileage although I think it should be 9 or 10 thousand miles.

    Bad points – cam belt change – VW changed advice on this and reduced the interval to 40,000 or 4 years. Risk running longer if you dare! The garage we went to (in Chippenham) totally cocked this up and didn’t reset the timing properly. Honest John seems to be correct about how difficult this is for a garage to get right. We got the water pump changed at the same time as if this fails it is driven by the cambelt and will probably kill the engine. Struts on boot (which has bike rack fitted) can’t keep the boot open when its cold (even without bikes on) but I believe you can get upgraded ones. Boot also has some very spiky sections – I ended up in French A&E after hitting my head on one. Blood, lots of blood.

    Good points – French A&E are fantastic!!! Tyres lasted well, well over 20,000 miles for the fronts and 40,000 for the rears (I changed at around 3mm tread depth) and seem no more expensive than many car tyres. We had the exhaust done last year and that was only the rearmost section. Some work done on the steering last year (dealer advice, I hadn’t noticed) and rear discs needed replacing at first 20,000 service but not touched since. Oh, and I’ve changed the wiper blades. Pretty pleased with that.

    fuel economy – Ours is 88bhp 2.5 diesel. 32 mpg is our worst (I’m a sad bugger and have logs of fuel fills for every car we have owned) and that is using the diesel heater when camping. Usually get between 34 and 38mpg, occasionally into the 40s on French main roads. Usually drive just below 70 on the motorway but will cruise at 80 plus very comfortably fully loaded. Fantastically comfortable for covering huge distances in one sitting.

    road tax cost – just checked my disc from October and it says £210, may be lower if the van is older (ours is late 2003).

    typical insurance – in the £300 to £400 region with protected NCD etc. Direct line were fine as ours is an authorised VW conversion (Bilbos).
    what have you got in yours – full conversion with side elevating roof and beds for 4. Interior was custom done by Bilbos.Fiamma bike rack on the back for 3 bikes, which works very well though you may have to offset the gutters for the wheels to get 3 in place.

    MrsTricky will probably post some pics later…..

    MrTricky
    Free Member

    p.s. if you want camping related accessories you’ll struggle to fine them for a Toyota, but there are shedloads for T4s avialable anywhere in Europe. We looked at Toyota conversions but were not impressed and we are big fans of Toyota cars.

    MrsTricky
    Free Member

    Here’s our T4

    MrsTricky

    redted
    Free Member

    If you find one that’s had cambelt done, check that pulleys and rollers were changed at same time as VW reccommend. New clutches are also a rave to replace and its the labour for doing it that makes the bill expensive. (£600+ at a dealer) Loads of good info on t4 forum and loads of helpful people. Do searches before posting as alot of the info you need has been covered, and go to a local meet too and check out other peoples layouts. I got my insurance through Just Kampers. They were alot less sniffy about mods, even basic stuff like alloys, side windows, lowering etc. Most insurance companys wouldn’t touch me as it was for private use and the mods I wanted to do. If you fit alloys, make sure the rims and tyres are correctly rated, and any seat/seatbelt fittings you add should be done proffessionally for the sake of any passengers.

    Pic of mine (again, sorry!)


    lister
    Full Member

    hi redted, what’s that bike rack in the back of your van…looks like a roof bar cut down to fit or is it a proper thing? where did you get it?

    ta

    steveh
    Full Member

    Sandwich – I guess the place you mean is banwy vans. If you want one move fast though as all ex aat4’s are now off the aa fleet. Some might still be being processed/released by BT fleet (the lease company) but not many. If you want one direct from the aa you need to get to bca newport fast.

    RR – Interval for cambelt is 60k i believe but must include rollers and also water pump. Most common failure is water pump bearing goes, pump siezes and throws the cambelt off. Make sure they can prove this or get it done.
    Most vans have the same road tax unless your getting very new ones with euro 4/5 compliant engines which are lower. it’s normally just under £200 a year.

    jam-bo
    Full Member

    Great vans but can be money pits

    fullbouncebill
    Free Member

    I have a Kreg 2.4 none turbo Transporter,its been pretty reliable over the years,the only problem I have had was a split in the fuel feed to the pump,easy to fix. 🙄

    Full service history is key,I would avoid ones that have not had the coolant changed,or replaced with the VW Coolant as the proper stuff (pink) is critical to Headgasket and engine seal/cap reliability.(100.000 miles plus)

    I have seen plenty with 200.000 miles+ and as previous posters have said,waterpump,cambelt tensioner changes are deadly important for reliability.

    I would also check the front door hinges for cracks as these can come away at the top welds,and check the rear springs as these are prone to snapping in half,dont bother with heavy duty ones,they still snap!and are £150.00 each new! (£40.00 ebay, pair)

    Any suspension knocks are usually top or bottom ball joints,(while cornering mid speed)I would ask if these have been replaced (higher mileages) as its unlikley to be picked up on MOT due to torsion bar suspension. (under constant load)

    Knocks from the rear end are usually from the trailing arms,the bushes can be replaced.

    A double knock could be the front drop links or antiroll bar bushes,you can buy the rubbers seperatly

    I have had quite a few thermostats in the engine, check for unusually low engine temperature gauge readings.

    I have had a small coolant leak from the coolant temperature sensor mounted above the Altenator.

    Front and side doors can corrode on the bottom edge,as do the front rear wheel arches,can be a problem if there boxed in.

    Noisy tappets (rattle)/engine can be due to the wrong viscocity oil (from cold),and a blocked oil feed pickup in the sump.If you fit a clutch to one its worth cleaning out this, as theres three bolts located in the bell housing that must be taken out before the sump can be removed.If its an ex AA/RAC one I would get the flywheel checked/skimmed as you can get clutch pedal judder if its been a towing one.

    (Tips)

    Move the Horn from the front nearside up into the engine bay as it will not work on the day of the mot guatanteed! 😥

    The exhaust bend under the drivers seat always seems to rust through first due to constant water debris from the front tyre,make a heat sheild protector from a ford focus under sheild,the exhaust will last much longer.

    I get about 31mpg out of mine,love it to bits and will only replace it for a T5.

    fullbouncebill
    Free Member

    The work horse,will be for sale soon as T5 is pending. 😉

    fullbouncebill
    Free Member

    mrs trickey,Wheres that pic taken?

    Is it at the Scourie campsite NW Scotland?

    cool van. 😀

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 48 total)

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