Rover 200 & 400 Owners Club

hi i'm new to the club just bought my first rover 216 cab red only done 70,000 miles it has the k series engine i've been hearing bad reports about this engine would upload a couple of pics if i knew how

HI

dont be scared of the k series, its a great engine. as long as you look after it you should have any trouble from it.

You're in the right place for some good advice !

thanks guys only paid £500 its in very good condition but everyone i talk to asks has it got the dreaded k series or the honda engine its got leather seats,is there anything i should look for one thing is almost every time i go to start it i have to push one of the buttons on the remote control it wont start else just makes a two tone sound and how do i post pics of it?

Hi . The reason for pushing a button on the fob is a security feature, this should only happen once you've turned of the engine and haven't locked the doors. As for the K engine if you don't flog it from cold [give it 5/10mins to warm up] and keep an eye on the fluids all should be ok. Even if the head gasket goes there is now a kit that will solve this problem and it's reasonably cheap to have done.

thanks guys about the key fob that is exactly what happens when i get out and hav'nt locked the doors

Welcome to cabby ownership.

As others have set the K series is'nt an engine to be feared, just make sure you keep it well maintained, regular oil / filter changes, keep an eye on fluid levels etc etc. If the head gasket does go its not a particular difficult job, with some moderate mechanical skills and tools you could even do the repair yourself!

to be honest, after all these years and miles, it seems to me the Honda engines start to have their own sets of issues so as mentioned, the K series is a brilliant engine and at least well known how to fix if problems occur.

I have had my 214 1994 k series for 18 years and never had any issues from the engine. Ever.

As long as they are not allowed to overheat, no reason to have problems really. As others said, keep an eye on the coolant level and the temp guage and itll be fine. And dont top it up or fill it with plain water - always use an antifreeze mix

Hi rckens

I've had 5 rover 200's, a 216GSi, 214sli (x2) a 216 Cab and my current ride is a 1994 214 Cab. All my rovers have had the K-series engine and I've never ever had any head gasket issues. My first Rover 216GSi had over 140k on it when someone decided to re-shape it for me with their car.

I've had quite a few cars over the years (including two Nissan 200SX S13's and a Nissan Skyline GTS) and I have to rate the k-series as one of the best engines in terms of overall performance, refinement and economy. There aren't many 1.4/1.6 cars that can happily poodle around in 5th gear at 25mph without complaining

The 1.8 VVC unit has a reputation for being a bit naughty with head gaskets, but again it's usually down to poor maintenance. I believe there are several members on here who's cars have some pretty astonishing mileages - that should give you some comfort.

Good luck