Do I have a faulty VCU on my 2000 Freelander?

Hi,

I have owned a 2000 (Y reg) Freelander 1.8 petrol for the past year. I had a local garage check for issues not long after I bought it as I was finding steering on full lock (esp in reverse) to be rather hard work - like the wheels don't turn properly. The garage said this was normal behaviour for a Freelander, so I thought nothing more of it and it is still running the same 12 months later.

However at it's MOT a couple of weeks ago th engineer suggested that the VCU was "perished" (I assume he mean't no longer working correctly). From research I know these are expensive and the damage caused can be extensive (IRD, Gearbox, Diff). However as the vehicle is not running any differently I am loath to get the work done without been 100% certain it needs doing. Would anyone expect a VCU to run "failed" for 12 months and not cause IRD failure etc? Or am I just very lucky? having never driven a Freelander before I cannot judge if the behaviour is "normal".

Can anyone offer any advice? All comments are gratefully appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Mark

test it, and if necessary, go Mondo

Go back and ask him to be more specific and explain ,he may have meant the vcu bearing rubber mounts were worn .

Check the back tyre tread - if it has a sawtooth profile then the VCU is shot. This is probably the best indicator as it's not easy to do a VCU test and it's not very conclusive either. There seems to be a lot of discussion as to whether a certain amount of holding back is expected in a FL, if it seems excessive then that's a pretty good indicator too.

If the VCU is perished then a new one costs about £300 or so, or you can remove the propshaft and run in 2-wheel mode. Bell Engineering and Ashcroft transmissions seem to be a good place for recon VCUs, and they'll fit them as well.

Testing gives a good indication - and if its seized is conclusive proof.

Hopefully your MOT tester didn't try it on the rolling road brake machine otherwise he will have damaged it himself in which case he will certainly know it's gone.

try going on loose gravel area and c if the back wheeles skip on full lock . if so vcu not work proper / as for rolling road brakes cant be tested this way a box is place in passager footweil and id driven and emergance brake are applad and a read out is gain from the magic box hope this helps . goodluck

The Mad Hat Man said:

Testing gives a good indication - and if its seized is conclusive proof.

Click to expand...

A fair point that if it's seized then it's conclusive, it strikes me that checking the rear tread is a simpler overall check.

I think Mad Hat Man's thinking of whats becoming known as the "one wheel up test" in the video below. Easier than taking off the vcu, but if the vcu has been removed then it could be tested in a simular way on a bench. One end in a vice, t'other with a pole and weight on it.