Defender 90 200tdi - strange problem

Guys has anybody any experience of this...

Well after years of my wife screwing her face up at 'scruffy' Land Rovers she decided she would like to try a smaller model instead of her Skoda Fabia!!!


So picked up a very solid and tidy Defender 90 200tdi - it was a give away price and is solid as a rock - high mileage though.

It drives well but one strange little niggle...

You know the chugging/lurching you get if you try to take off in too high a gear or are driving too slowly in too high a gear - in any vehicle...

Its happening in 2nd and 3rd.

For example, when taking off in first and moving, switch to 2nd - gives few secs chugging/lurching then finds itself and off you go. Same in 3rd.

Its not a 'OH MY GOD' type of thing - more just an annoyance.

Now and again if you slip into 2nd very gently and accelerate very gently and gradually it doesnt do it. But if switching into 2nd or 3rd in normal fashion it chuggs/lurches few times when you put foot on accelerator.

It happens at all times - moving off from junction - moving down gears whilst in motion ie - slip into 2nd - foot to accelerator - chuggs/lurches few times.

Spoke to a Land Rover place today - they said don't rule out gearbox...but said they thought it sounded engine related - possibly fuel lift pump.

But I thought if engine related it would do same in all gears not just 2.

Anyway - I'm thinking - surely somebody with a Land Rover will have experienced this and could give a likely cause before I start spending money.

Any ideas?

Fuel filter, lift pump, old fuel, dirty air filter? Is it an original tdi or a conversion?

Pop the filter off, if its full to the brim good chance lift pump okay, but they are pretty poor nowadays so well worth changing it anyway, easy job

bluedog333 said:

Fuel filter, lift pump, old fuel, dirty air filter? Is it an original tdi or a conversion?

Click to expand...

Its the original tdi for the vehicle.

So you guys think possibly lift pump?

I just thought if it was an engine issue it would happen regardless of gear rather than just 2nd and 3rd, but I'm no expert.

I do intend to give it a good service anyway.

Not necessarily but worth checking. Also worth checking turbo/ intercooler pipes for splits and integrity ( you shouldn't be able to squeeze them closed easily by hand ). There's a 300 tdi thread going that's worth keeping an eye on too if you're not already!

Sounds like transmission slack to me.

With it being a 200tdi I would put my money on it being the wear on the imput splines on the main shaft from the g-box where it goes in the transfer box caused by the imput gear not having crossed drilled lube holes.

If you are lucky it will be just the splines in the imput gear, easy fix just take the power take off plate off and the gear slips out. New crossed drilled gear (make sure you get the right one (ashcrofts can sell you the right one going off your transfer box n°) Take old bearings off and put on new job done !!

Jason2 said:

Sounds like transmission slack to me.

With it being a 200tdi I would put my money on it being the wear on the imput splines on the main shaft from the g-box where it goes in the transfer box caused by the imput gear not having crossed drilled lube holes.

If you are lucky it will be just the splines in the imput gear, easy fix just take the power take off plate off and the gear slips out. New crossed drilled gear (make sure you get the right one (ashcrofts can sell you the right one going off your transfer box n°) Take old bearings off and put on new job done !!

Click to expand...

Thanks for that. Much appreciated. Looking into this at the moment.