UNDERBONNET CHECKS
1 CHECK COOLANT
The coolant expansion tank is on the right-hand side of the engine bay. It’s transparent, so the coolant level can be confirmed through the casing. It’s a good idea to check the strength of the antifreeze using a hydrometer. If topping up with red antifreeze, use a funnel to avoid spillage.
2 TOP UP SCREENWASH
Screenwash gets used up surprisingly quickly. Even if there’s no dashboard warning, it’s a good move to top it up. The reservoir is adjacent to the coolant expansion tank. Pop off the blue cap and fill with the appropriate mix of screenwash and water until the fluid reaches the neck top.
3 AUXILIARY DRIVEBELT
There’s not much room to check the auxiliary drivebelt, down on the right-hand side of the engine. You’ll need a torch to see it properly. Make sure there’s no fraying, tearing or significant cracking. Regarding tension, there should be no more than a quarter- or half-turn between pulleys.
4 CHECK BATTERY
The battery is underneath a cover up by the bulkhead. It’s held on by four plastic trim clips. Undo these, then lift the cover. Make sure the battery terminals are secure and coat them with either spray grease or petroleum jelly for protective purposes. There is a check window indicating battery condition.
5 REMOVE AIR FILTER TOP
The air filter box is adjacent to the battery. Its cover is held in place by six Philips screws, but you’ll also need to undo the Jubilee clip that holds the plastic pipe in place. To be on the safe side, disconnect the wiring to the mass airflow (MAF) sensor by pulling out the red clip (see inset pic).
6 CHANGE AIR FILTER
Clean out the air filter box with an old cloth and remove any debris that has collected in there – it’s surprising how much dust and leaves can accumulate inside. Compare the new filter to the old one, to make sure it’s the right one, and then fit it in place. Now reassemble.
7 CHECK BRAKE FLUID
The brake/clutch master cylinder is in a recess in the scuttle, underneath a cover. Release the catch, then pull up the cover to remove it. Clean the cap and take it off to verify that the fluid is between the ‘MIN’ and ‘MAX’ marks. If you have one, use an electronic fluid checker to test the DOT 4 strength.
8 CHECK FOR LEAKS
As far as possible, check all hoses, pipework and wiring for any obvious issues. It will help to remove the plastic engine cover, to allow you to see more. The cover is held in place by two bolts, after which it just lifts away. Also have a look at the engine mountings to verify they’re not damaged.
9 REMOVE UNDERTRAY
The front of the engine is protected by a plastic shroud. To get proper access, you’ll need to remove it. It’s held on by seven 10mm bolts – assuming they’re all there and haven’t been substituted for cable ties. Store the bolts carefully so you don’t lose any of them.
10 CHECK UNDERBODY
Once the tray is out of the way, give the underneath of the car a thorough check. You should be keeping an eye out for any signs of damage or corrosion. Specific areas to focus on include the full length of the exhaust, its mountings and shields (working loose or going rusty), and exposed brake and fuel lines.
11 DRAIN ENGINE OIL
Oil should be drained when warm, but not hot, otherwise there’s a risk of scalding. You’ll need a 21mm socket to undo the oil drain plug, which is on the bottom of the sump, plus a container underneath sufficient to hold the near six litres of oil that will come out. Dispose of in an environmentally-friendly way.
12 REMOVE OIL FILTER
Removing the oil filter is far from easy – it’s right at the front of the engine with very little clearance. You’ll need to somehow work in a 27mm socket to remove it. Once you’ve loosened it, extract it slowly by hand, to minimise oil splatter. Clean up with old cloths.
13 CHANGE OIL FILTER
With the oil filter off, remove the old rubber sealing ring and replace it with the one that should have been supplied with the new filter. Clean everything, then unclip the old filter element and clip in the new one. Apply some grease to the cap threads, then follow the Top Tip process above.
14 REFILL ENGINE OIL
Refill the engine oil via the filler cap under the bonnet, using a funnel to avoid spillage. Capacity is 5.9 litres of 5W-40 fullysynthetic low ash oil. Go steady when you’re filling and keep checking the dipstick. Start the engine briefly to allow it to circulate, then check underneath for any leaks.
15 CHECK WHEELS & TYRES
When the wheels are off the ground, check all the tyres for cracking, kerbing, bulging, cuts and protruding foreign objects. Make sure the tyres are road legal, with at least 2mm of even tread. Rock the wheels top to bottom to check for play, then spin them; a low drone denotes a worn bearing.
16 LOCKING WHEELNUTS
This Range Rover comes with locking wheelnuts. Make sure you have the key tool – the boot is the default location, but if you’re not the car’s first owner, it could have been moved elsewhere. Always undo the locking wheelnut with a long bar, otherwise it can pull out the teeth.
17 SUSPENSION CHECKS
With the wheels off, check the suspension for any problems, front and rear. Specific areas to focus on include the springs, gaiters and anti-roll bar bushes, which have a tendency to wear out due to vehicle weight. Try to see if there’s any significant play. Use a torch and mirror to check for problems.
18 CLEAN BRAKES
Turning to the brakes, clean them with a wire bush and proprietary brake cleaner spray. You can turn the disc rim against a flat-blade screwdriver to remove any excess rust (at least at the front – the rears will be locked by the electronic parking brake). Also check for a lip forming on the disc as it wears out.
19 CHECK BRAKES
Because this wasn’t a full service, the pads were checked visually for adequate thickness through the cut-out in the caliper, rather than the caliper itself being removed. If you want to do a more thorough job and clean the pads, undo the two rear caliper bolts (covered by plastic caps) and lift the caliper away.
20 CLEAN & LUBRICATE PADS
If you have removed the calipers to clean and lubricate the pads, make sure there’s at least 3mm of friction material left and they’re free from any oil or grease contamination. Clean them by rubbing their fronts against abrasive paper on a flat surface, and also apply some grease to their rears and mounting lugs.
21 LUBRICATE WHEELS
When you come to put the wheels back on, lubricate the inner hub flange with copper grease, putting some dabs on the wheelnut threads as well. Do the bolts up quite tightly before lowering the car, then torque them up to 133Nm once the wheels are in contact with the ground.
22 RE-ATTACH UNDERTRAY
After you’ve finished all the jobs underneath the vehicle, reattach the undertray. We recommend applying some copper grease to both the bolt holes and the bolts themselves. Put all the bolts on finger-tight, to make sure the tray sits properly, then tighten them properly with a 10mm socket.
23 CHECK REAR SUSPENSION
Once the back wheels are off, repeat the same checks with the suspension and brake lines as you carried out at the fronts. This should also include the springs, gaiters, bushes and any wiring. Here, for example, the insulation attached to a brake sensor has become a little ragged and needs keeping an eye on.
24 CHECK REAR BRAKES
Because these Evoques have an electronic handbrake, DO NOT remove the caliper to inspect the brakes – you’ll need a diagnostic tool or follow our manual process described on page 64 – otherwise the parking brake will continually try to apply itself. Instead, inspect the pads through the caliper cut-out.
25 CHECK DIFF OIL LEVEL
There’s an oil level check plug on the rear differential. Undo it slowly with a 13mm spanner or socket; if oil doesn’t start to ooze out while you’re doing this, then remove it completely and dip in a finger or cable tie, to ensure the oil is up to the neck of the aperture.
26 CHECK WIPERS
Check all the wiper blades, front and rear. While issues with the front ones should be obvious, problems with the rear will be less apparent as it gets used less, plus it’s tucked up under the rear spoiler. Any perishing, splitting or tears could mark the glass.
27 LUBRICATE ALL LOCKS
Treat all locks, hinges and catches to some lubrication, using spray grease or old engine oil from a can. This includes the petrol flap. Lubrication often gets missed at services, which can ultimately result in mechanisms getting stiff or seizing. Use an extension tube to get right into locks.
28 CHECK ALL LIGHTS
These Evoques come fully loaded with a lot of toys, so make sure everything is working. Go through all exterior lights; are they illuminating as intende. The brake and reversing lamps can be inspected by a helper or else you can back up to a wall and check the reflections. Examine the seatbelts for wear, tear and tension.
29 GLOVEBOX UNDERPANEL
Getting at the pollen filter involves a contortionist act in the passenger footwell. Move the seat as far back as possible to give yourself some room. The trim panel underneath the glovebox lid is held on by three clips, which can be removed using a trim removal tool. The plastic trim then pulls off.
30 REMOVE POLLEN FILTER
You’ll now be able to see another cover vertically mounted at the side of the heater box, kept in place by hooks on one side and clips on the other. Behind this, you’ll find the filter element. Pull this out and put in the new one – be aware, it’s a tight fit.
31 SERVICE INDICATOR 1
Ideally, the service interval needs to be reset using a diagnostic tool, but it didn’t work here. Neither did the manual method: turn on the ignition, use the steering wheel ‘OK’ button to display the screen menu. Repeatedly press the up and down arrow buttons until ‘Service Menu’ is highlighted. Confirm this, then…
32 SERVICE INDICATOR 2
… select the last option in the service menu, and press and hold the button on the end of the left-hand stalk, along with the steering wheel down-arrow button. Keep them depressed for 10 seconds, then switch off the ignition. Turn it on again to check the service message has gone. If not, repeat the process.