Discovery 300 Tdi Drive issue?

Hi guys,
I had my Disco lose drive unexpectedly (as if you can ever expect it really ) a few weeks ago. I managed to get it going by sticking it into DIFF LOCK but when my dad checked it out, he reckoned it may have slipped out as when he set it to normal, it regained drive. But it was making a mechanical knock/clunk when the clutch pedal was pressed in or released.
Had a look under the car to see if anything was broken, hanging off, snapped etc and only thing I noticed was on the drain where the clutch part is there was alot of seepy oily mess. (I shall upload a piccie of it).
Anyways, figured maybe it was the clutch if it was clunking with clutch pedal going in and out so left the car for a while. Today I really NEEDED to use the car so took it out, on the way home heared a clunk as the car was more or less freewheeling down a hill to turn around and lost ALL drive in normal high ratio and normal low ratio. Could only get drive in DIFF LOCK and no matter what, there is no drive in anything else but DIFF LOCK now.

It's my baby and all I do is drive it and love it to bits, but it has done like 85,000 since the last clutch was fitted (along with a new gearbox after it spat it's original one out on the motorway, fitted by Farnell Land Rover). But I'm not so sure it is the clutch now..

Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong and how much I should expect to pay to have someone fix it?

Help much appreciated

You do seem to have a fair bit of oil coming out from somewhere, but not sure that this is nessacarily related to the problem.

When you are at home, take it out of diff lock and run it in gear and get someone to look underneath and see if one or other of the prop shafts is turning. I would do this test in low range at idle and chock the wheels just to be safe.

If front or rear prop is turning then it would be likely to be a problem in the front or rear axle, depends upon which one is turning.

Otherwise it maybe a problem with the centre diff, altho that is unlikely.

Getting back to the oil. That looks like a rear crank shaft oil seal to me and will require the gearbox or engine removing. If there is enough oil then it may well have contaminated the clutch and it would be worth getting that changed again as well.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check it out as soon as I can.

What's the prop? That is the long bars in the pictures isn't it?

agree oil is almost certain to be coming from the crank seal - easy job once the engine or GB is out

you might want to try checking the hi/lo difflock on/off rods/levers just in case it keeps dropping into neutral - do this by taking the tranny tunnel off - very easy task and I'd do this before you start getting paid help unless you are totally allergic to spanners

I just arrowed the prop shaft in you picture.....if I'm reading that picture right that is the front prop.

CYANIDE-2600 said:

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check it out as soon as I can.

What's the prop? That is the long bars in the pictures isn't it?

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Yep prop shafts make the diffs turn which make the wheels turn.Roughly speaking.

Sean said:

you might want to try checking the hi/lo difflock on/off rods/levers just in case it keeps dropping into neutral

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He says that it will only drive in diff lock now, so I guess that is working

Thanks for the tips and the help finding the prop

I'll check it out and report back as soon as I can, I hope it's a cheapish fix.

andyb66 said:

He says that it will only drive in diff lock now, so I guess that is working

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it was his comment about loosing drive while moving along with a clunk, and then only being able to regain drive with lock on that made me ponder if an adjustment was required

Sean said:

it was his comment about loosing drive while moving along with a clunk, and then only being able to regain drive with lock on that made me ponder if an adjustment was required

Click to expand...

Oh! I got ya

Hi folks. Just an update. Checked over and it wasn't driving them, would only do anything in diff lock. In normal it sounded as though it was doing "something" only if put in 5th or reverse but no actual movement. My dad still (wrongly) said to me it was the clutch when clearly it wasn't (otherwise how come it works fine in diff lock?).

I searched for local repair places and saw one called A.J. Autos in Bradford and saw a P38 Range Rover outside, figured that was a sign to give them a call lol, Land Rover beacon!
Turns out the man served his apprenticeship at Farnell Land Rover and he knows his stuff so booked it in, he found out pretty quickly it was actually the transfer box that had somehow gone.. erm, bust.
Quite why it had I have no idea, but he was surprised I had drive at all!

Anyways checked over everything and clutch fine, transfer box repaired and done in only a matter of a couple of days, all for the amazingly cheap price of £270!!

To say I'm a very happy bunni wabbit is an understatement, I am VERY PLEASED and will take my car there again for when I get the raising kit and TD5 wheels and spacers.

If anyone round Bradford needs work they are very good

A.J. Autos 01274 740678

Thankies so much for the helps peoples, I learned alot. I also got myself a haynes manual so will read up on how my car works better now.