Disco struggling to tow

service of the towing vehicle!!!!!
service of the towing vehicle!!!!!
service of the towing vehicle!!!!!
service of the towing vehicle!!!!!
service of the towing vehicle!!!!!
service of the towing vehicle!!!!!
service of the towing vehicle!!!!!
service of the towing vehicle!!!!!
service of the towing vehicle!!!!!

ive owned both defender and disco and give the defender more points in everything she does yes she might be a bit basic but ya cant beat them for a work horse

It mentions in the TD5 hand book (I think!) that you may need to use the low box to get going when towing heavy loads. Maybe the fact that you were on a hill gets you into this territory?

My TD5 was down on power when I got it. I've blanked the EGR, cleaned the MAP sensor, cleaned the MAF sensor and freed up the wastegate actuator. My car is going great now. I can still feel my 1.5 tonne boat behind though. The car is steady as a rock but is usually happier in 4th gear and likes an early change down when tackling hills.

I'll be cleaning out the intercooler soon which will hopefully give a further improvement.

Cheers, Andy

Toad said:

I also agree with CharlesY. its only when I have a 40 tonner fly past me at 55 do I sometimes suffer a little sway in the trailer. (Obviously wind displacement)

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you sure its the trailer getting wind displacment?

regards

Dave

andymach23 said:

It mentions in the TD5 hand book (I think!) that you may need to use the low box to get going when towing heavy loads. Maybe the fact that you were on a hill gets you into this territory?

My TD5 was down on power when I got it. I've blanked the EGR, cleaned the MAP sensor, cleaned the MAF sensor and freed up the wastegate actuator. My car is going great now. I can still feel my 1.5 tonne boat behind though. The car is steady as a rock but is usually happier in 4th gear and likes an early change down when tackling hills.

I'll be cleaning out the intercooler soon which will hopefully give a further improvement.

Cheers, Andy

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I towed a twin axle trailer with a car on it from London to North Wales, Cruise contol set to 60mph all the way, never changed out of fifth gear or slowed down on a hill, and had plenty left under my right foot...

... the towing power of a performance tuned TD5..!!!

Guys just a thought... If i took me Disco to a local Landrover specialist garage would he most likely be able to plug his trusty laptop connection etc into the com port on the engine and help diagnose a pottential issue (s) in reference to poor towing up hill.

Just don't know if she was having a (off) day as take today for instance i took her to the supermarked 6 mile away and she was a strong and quick as a ox. Loads of power...

Confused Alan

At the start of this year i took the new to me td5 and a twin axle caravan from the midlands to mid Scotland.

It cruised at 60mph with no fuss, the only problem i had was finding myself coming close to exeeding the speed limit!! I set the cruise to 50mph to save on fuel and i only had to change from 5th to 4th twice (artics were doing 35/40mph) for big long hills.

I have never had the pleasure of driving a vehicle that tows so well with such little effort.

Dont expect the vehicle to behave like it has nothing on the back, but if you struggle to cruise at 50/60mph towing you might want to get it looked at. I agree with the others, the first port of call is a service.

Hi Gents, i am back of me weeks holiday. I took me caravan away again on the back of the Disco and i have figured a little more out in reference to my towing problem.

It seems i start off ok and then 20 mins or so in to my journey i start to loose power (mostly on a hill on the motorway) - around about the same time the gears can also be a little stiff... Is it a possibility the clutch could be a problem and would this effect the towing power of the disco. I have checked all the tyre pressure of both disco and caravan and they are fine. My next step is for a service but i am convinced now it could be connected to the clutch. Any ideas ?

Disco is about 2½ tons, and about 130 bhp.
That means a power to weight ratio of 52 bhp per ton MAX.

Add a 2 ton trailer.
Total gross train weight is no 4½ tons.
That means a power to weight ratio of 29 bhp per ton MAX.

That's a BIG difference.

Get used to it. My TD5 drives beautifully up hill and down dale towing at well over SIX tons gross. It is all a matter of patience and technique, driving smoothly and gently, without knocking seven bells out of the engine and gearbox.

CharlesY

AIJ615AJ said:

Dave

What do you mean by "Have you De-EGR'd the engine"

Alan

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Some of the expressions are a bit confusing first time round!

EGR is Exhaust Gas Recirculation, one of the USA-inspired devices that were fitted in this country but ultimately abandoned once we all went over to fuel injection for everything. It puts exhaust gas back into the inlet side of the engine on the overrun, but was always a bad fix for a problem which almost doesn't exist now.

To get rid of it, there are kits on ebay, it's a fairly simple job to do.

The MAF sensor is in the inlet pipe to the engine, between the air cleaner and the inlet manifold, big black plastic tubular thing on most engines, mine is a Bosch item (Disco2 V8)

The MAP air pressure sensor is on the inlet manifold itself or in the pipe to the manifold from the MAF sensor. Most of these parts are simple spanner/screwdriver jobs to change, just be careful with the MAF sensor if you decide to clean it, it is relatively fragile.

Peter

Gents

I have had to revisit this thread i created a while back as i have found out my long ongoing issue.

The problem after having been diognosed from a Landrover consultant was a faulty Injector and also Engine harness.

He has replaced the lot for £450 all inc. She now runs so good it's unreal. I am well impressed and ready to drive up Snowdon, hehe

Apparantly i had oil dripping down me loom and onto the ECU and therefore was not always running on 5 cylinders.....

Thanks for advise anyway Guys

Alan

AIJ615AJ said:

Gents

I have had to revisit this thread i created a while back as i have found out my long ongoing issue.

The problem after having been diognosed from a Landrover consultant was a faulty Injector and also Engine harness.

He has replaced the lot for £450 all inc. She now runs so good it's unreal. I am well impressed and ready to drive up Snowdon, hehe

Apparantly i had oil dripping down me loom and onto the ECU and therefore was not always running on 5 cylinders.....

Thanks for advise anyway Guys

Alan

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Alan,

Glad you got her sorted........But how much!!

Rob

Oh to have only spent £450. My disco has cost me at least 4 times that to put right. Call me 'old fashioned, but I like a car that does not drop oil all over the drive, does not shred altenators and other ancillary bits and that I can drive any where at any time with confidence.

Why LR have to use sub standard ancillary bits I don;t know. The main mechanics on mine are in superb nick, it's just the odd bit of design that lets down a truly fab vehicle.

I have a 57,000 1994 300tdi
I to have major problems only when taking off with a car trailer with car also with a caravan (not at the same time)

No revs but it finally get going also have to drop down to 1st when on a steep hill with no trailer just land rover.

AIJ615AJ said:

Gents

I have had to revisit this thread i created a while back as i have found out my long ongoing issue.

The problem after having been diognosed from a Landrover consultant was a faulty Injector and also Engine harness.

He has replaced the lot for £450 all inc. She now runs so good it's unreal. I am well impressed and ready to drive up Snowdon, hehe

Apparantly i had oil dripping down me loom and onto the ECU and therefore was not always running on 5 cylinders.....

Thanks for advise anyway Guys

Alan

Click to expand...

How much!!!!

AIJ615AJ, I think you got off lightly my work colleagues 2001 Defender TD5 had the same problems. He had the same wiring replaced, new clutch and flywheel at very close to a grand, fortunately not all at once.

I think I'll stick to my old fashoined all mechanical 200tdi, it's a nought to 60 eventually on the flat regardless if you can stand the noise, usually hold it to 55. The 5th gear in high ratio only gets used 2 up or towing on the motorway. Hill starts sometimes require low ratio 2nd/3rd when towing our camper, 1100Kgs.

string said:

I think I'll stick to my old fashoined all mechanical 200tdi, it's a nought to 60 eventually on the flat regardless if you can stand the noise, usually hold it to 55. The 5th gear in high ratio only gets used 2 up or towing on the motorway. Hill starts sometimes require low ratio 2nd/3rd when towing our camper, 1100Kgs.

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Love my 200tdi to bits but may have to swap for a Toyota LC 80 because I need more space and a bit more power.

Dave leaves forum and starts looking for the flameproof suit

regards

Dave

string said:

AIJ615AJ, I think you got off lightly my work colleagues 2001 Defender TD5 had the same problems. He had the same wiring replaced, new clutch and flywheel at very close to a grand, fortunately not all at once.

I think I'll stick to my old fashoined all mechanical 200tdi, it's a nought to 60 eventually on the flat regardless if you can stand the noise, usually hold it to 55. The 5th gear in high ratio only gets used 2 up or towing on the motorway. Hill starts sometimes require low ratio 2nd/3rd when towing our camper, 1100Kgs.

Click to expand...

If it takes ages to get to 60 and it struggles to tow 1100 kg from standing start it sounds like its not running right. My 94 300 auto is no racing car but it takes of pretty quick for a two ton brick and will cruise at eighty.[sixty is fast enough for me though ]

I recently removed the egr with a blanking kit for about 20 quid and found an immediate difference in performance uphill on the way home from work, a hill i normally take in 3rd gear i was flying up in fourth, for the sake of a 20 note and 20 minutes work i was well happy.