Thread: Pajero petrol auto reliability?

Hi all

The other half is looking at a petrol automatic Pajero around 200k mileage rego around F and older

Can anyone give advice re reliability and any other tips?

It will be for pulling a horse float and won't be a primary vehicle. Fuel efficiency is not important

Thanks in advance

Originally Posted by 308

Hi all

The other half is looking at a petrol automatic Pajero around 200k mileage rego around F and older

Can anyone give advice re reliability and any other tips?

It will be for pulling a horse float and won't be a primary vehicle. Fuel efficiency is not important

Thanks in advance

I assume you are talking the 3.5 V6? have had a few as farm vehicles for towing K-lines etc, 2nd and 3rd gen pajeros with the 6G74 motor, and whilst we just drove them into the ground (they were serviced on farm, but not exactly "one lady owner, only driven on sundays in the summer" ) the head gasket on one or both heads was always the downfall on them so I would be paying particular attention to that, maybe a leakdown test before purchase, although it wont provide any kind of guarantee at least you know youre not buying one that already has a problem.
They towed pretty well, used to cart the odd early calving cow or two back from winter grazing to the farm in a horse float with one in particular, it had good power etc but was a short wheelbase and im sure it would have felt a bit better if it was a lwb , thats just swb vehicles in general though never the most stable towing vehicles.

Sorry yeah 3.5 V6

Thanks for that Ryan - I'll keep an eye out for the tell-tale sign of the "caramel milkshake" under the oil filler cap once it has warmed up

I hadn't heard of a leakdown test but in googling found this gem
" If the shop that you use doesn't know what a leak down test is, then you should leave quickly and politely and never return."
from
WC Engineering : Compression and Leak Down Testing

I like their attitude

its one of the easiest tests to do and not many mechanics do or know how to do it

As Ryan mentioned as a dedicated towing vehicle I'd be looking at low wheel base options.

Thanks 223 - She knows to take a LWB version if its around

Turning circles be damned, just drive over stuff

If / when something goes wrong it seems to happen a whole lot faster in a swb as well, towing horses you don't want to anything going wrong but when moving firewood around on gravel roads have noticed a difference between short and long

Had a Mitsi car a few years back. When I asked what GDI stood for, I got told Guarenteed Dealer Income.

They were right