freelander virgin

hi first post please be gentle
currently looking at a 02 td4 freelander 68k miles and would greatly value any info reguarding reliability ,perforamance ,things to look out for etc the freelander would be used for daily use & to tow a caravan
many thanks in advance

Td4 is a good machine & will tow your caravan nicely especially if you fit a roverron synergy tuning chip & egr bypass total cost around £250 & gives an excellent power boost. The following is a guide of some of the problems which can happen but many owners have no problems at all & are very happy with their cars myself included.
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Do a search on here for VCU, IRD - very expensive, search tippex test. Listen for drivetrain clonks & whines etc. MAF sensors fail causing a gutless feeling below 2000rpm. Cam sensors fail causing hot starting problems. Crank sensors can fail causing non starting/reluctant starting. Injectors which are expensive fail causing very difficult starting & uneven running & are very expensive - usually a leak test will confirm though not really practical to do whilst checking over a potential purchase. Lift pumps fail causing poor/non starting/running. Front lower wishbone balljoints & bushes fail causing a clonking sound over bumps - a pain to do & not always cheap but not massively expensive. Front anti-rollbar tie rod balljoints fail causing chattering over rough surfaces - cheap & easy to replace. Electrics can give problems as can warning lights - search for 3 amigos. Intercooler hoses split regularly after 5 years giving black smoke & poor performance sometimes with whistling noises but are fairly cheap & easy to replace. Turbo variable vane vacuum solenoid can fail causing poor performance mainly at around 70mph. EGR is a known piece of crap & is best sorted by fitting a bypass, but you can clean them if you're determined to keep it. Replace the crankcase breather filter/valve assembly as soon as you get the car as it blocks, pressurising the crankcase & forcing the oil out of every seal including the turbo which has killed off many turbos & even engines in extreme cases - symptoms include poor performance, excess black smoke & oil being forced out the dipstick when you check your oil level. Change your fuel filter too as the service interval at 60,000 miles is way too long for any car. Oil can mix with coolant but is usually down to a faulty oil cooler rather than head gasket. The locking recess where the jack is kept in the boot floor can flood out due to failure of the rear door seal. The rear door has a complicated mechanism which has to lower the rear window an inch or so before the latch springs to release the door which can fail. Electric window carrier cables are weak & can snap though people on here have bought repair kits off ebay & fitted bicycle brake wires etc. with reasonable success. Starter motor solenoids can be troublesome & there are cheap repair kits. Injector wiring looms can fail causing poor running/starting & again there is an uprated loom available from the dealer. Manuals can have problems with the clutch pedal mounting assembly/brackets & more worryingly failure of the dual mass flywheel which will give vibration at idle, strange possibly juddery feel to the clutch when depressing it - very expensive.

These are an idea of the possible known faults & it's equally possible to buy a car & have no trouble at all so don't worry about them till you have to. Just give your car a thorough check when you get it & service it regularly & properly.

now thats an answer

all that for 250 bargin which garage did you use and can i have his no

Thanks for taking the time for this feedback, much appreciated.... think I will go buy a Ford Ka instead lol.....

I think you should look for a good humming engine,and budget 500 in notes,for new
drive shafts,new front dampers and springs,brake discs drums, pads and shoes.when you do this work yourself you'll have a better than any other driving experience.

My Freelander is the only Land roveR.that I have ever driven its a '98 2litre di,and its
the best 4x4 for everyday living,,,,,and its great to drive mondo,when its humming and
running smooth.and as someone said in another post it doesn't rust.

By Mondo do you mean two wheel drive only?what is the procedure for this?shaft off ird to vcu and rearprop off to rear diff? I too have just purchased a 2.0 di 98 model and hope to have it running as an everyday transport after some tlc

Graham

Graham, there's plenty of threads on Mondo mode, no need to start a new one.

As for the original topic, the TD4 is a good towcar. If you do a lot of slow speed manoeuvering with the tin tent then you might want to consider the auto. There is no low box so you will soon develop good clutch control if you choose the manual.

The TD4 is the best of the bunch, with many of the early problems sorted by the time it was in production. We've had a TD4 from new and it has been the most reliable car we could hope for, with nearly 100000 on the clock of mixed driving with heavy loads and regular horsebox towing and getting of the tarmac at least a few days each week.
Plenty of power for a small four berth caravan. Max tow weight is 2,000kg but this sometimes quoted as 1,800kg as above that you can exceed the gross train wheight with a fully loaded car.

Cheers

Blippie

Hello there, i recently lost my landy virginity about 2 months ago, i bought a 2002 es td4 at 92k miles, i have however had problems, the tailgate window regulator broke the day i bought it when the guy i bought it from was showing me that it goes all the way down, he did buy me a new regulator out his own pocket so cant complain, and the other problem i had was the master cylinder, i got a new one from ebay at approx £80 and fitted it myself with a little help from the haynes manual given to me by the guy i bought the landy from, all is well now and im happy with it hopefully no more problems.