Freelander???

Judge_LED · Nov 6, 2015

Hi everyone,

I am looking to possibly buy my first Landy but would like some advice before doing so.
I have come to the decision of a Freelander to try and get a bit more MPG than say a Discovery.
I want to know what Freelanders are like for reliability. The car will be used for a daily commute of 90ish miles and some running around at the weekend. I'd also like to be able to go with my Dad to some 4x4 centres etc. more so he has someone to go with rather than compete with who's Landy is better! (He has a Disco 3 so I think he'd win the trump card there)
I will attempt to service her myself a long with any other minor work.
I have a limited budget but I think the Freelander has the best all round fit for a car that I'm looking for.
Currently looking at an 03' Kalahari and a 54' (05) SE both have 70k on the clock and <£4k.
Feel free to bombard me with questions I'm more than happy to try and reply.
Liam

saxavordian · Nov 6, 2015

First welcome to the Drinkers at the bar forum aka Freelander with woes

.
My advise would be make sure everything works door locks windows buttons vehicle service up to date clean tidy appearance. Ensure underneath is clean the props and vcu is oil free. If concerned have a freelander owner test for you for drive problem not noticed by seller. If you happy with vehicle make sure your insurance is happy too as some can stand with a pair of grips. car tax depending will be 290 after mar2001 model. MPG can vary due to driver usage but diesel is good td4s are bullet proof. Pay attention to service though and make sure ALL filters have been changed. If you have a problem with windows not going down or up it will be the button failing which you can switch to confirm. If a rear passenger window fails or any then the regulator needs replacing. Doors are central locking and can fail at the key barrel on the driver's side so check when opening the door that it unlocks otherwise expensive to replace barrel. Most people use the remote to open. Hope this helps little oh mine a pint of stout

thebluemax · Nov 6, 2015

saxavordian said:
First welcome to the Drinkers at the bar forum aka Freelander with woes.
My advise would be make sure everything works door locks windows buttons vehicle service up to date clean tidy appearance. Ensure underneath is clean the props and vcu is oil free. If concerned have a freelander owner test for you for drive problem not noticed by seller. If you happy with vehicle make sure your insurance is happy too as some can stand with a pair of grips. car tax depending will be 290 after mar2001 model. MPG can vary due to driver usage but diesel is good td4s are bullet proof. Pay attention to service though and make sure ALL filters have been changed. If you have a problem with windows not going down or up it will be the button failing which you can switch to confirm. If a rear passenger window fails or any then the regulator needs replacing. Doors are central locking and can fail at the key barrel on the driver's side so check when opening the door that it unlocks otherwise expensive to replace barrel. Most people use the remote to open. Hope this helps little oh mine a pint of stout

also just to supplement what has been said above, clean out the egr (usually full of thick gunk) and change to the BMW PCV filter, link here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LAND-ROVE...D-CRANKCASE-BREATHER-FILTER-KIT-/301091744025 also make sure your thermostat/heater is working as these are expensive to replace unless you do a modification that Rover 75 owners do.....much cheaper and very pretty to look at. any advice contact me.

GrumpyGel · Nov 6, 2015

saxavordian said:
td4s are bullet proof.

I'd just like to qualify that and say that it depends on the gun! They are a good engine but do suffer from fueling problems... lift pumps are fragile, fuel pressure sensors crap out, the wiring harness for the sensors crap out and they all appear to do it with no (or little) warning. If I drove a TD4, I would have spares of these permanently in the car. As an example from yesterday...

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/breakdown-and-fuel-leak.291915/#post-3615460

IMHO It is a real shame they canned the L Series in 2000 and replaced the diesel with the German unit - backward step bought on by emissions and a BMW buyout. This will probably increase my 'Like count' from fellow L Series owners, be responded to with death threats from TD4 owners and @wammers will say they're both ****e cos they are fitted to Freelanders !

The Autos can use about 25% more fuel than Manuals, depending on driving conditions and style, so something worth considering. They are though probably easier to use off road if you've not been off road with your dad before.

Normal provisos for Freelander buying - make sure it is still 4WD and has 4 matching tyres. Don't know how much research you've done so that statement may sound frivolous - but its very important. You need to know how the Freelander's 4WD system works (ie te IRD & VCU) and more importantly how easily it can stuff your transmission if things are not maintained correctly. Before you buy, jack up a back wheel - make sure you can move it a bit by hand easily (so the brakes are not binding with the slack in the transmission) but you can not move the wheel more than about a 1/4 turn. When you get the car home - do a 1 wheel up test (search here or Google) and budget £250 + labour for a recon VCU from a reputable supplier. Search here, or post a thread, for advice if you're unsure.

thebluemax · Nov 6, 2015

GrumpyGel said:
I'd just like to qualify that and say that it depends on the gun! They are a good engine but do suffer from fueling problems... lift pumps are fragile, fuel pressure sensors crap out, the wiring harness for the sensors crap out and they all appear to do it with no (or little) warning. If I drove a TD4, I would have spares of these permanently in the car. As an example from yesterday...

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/breakdown-and-fuel-leak.291915/#post-3615460

IMHO It is a real shame they canned the L Series in 2000 and replaced the diesel with the German unit - backward step bought on by emissions and a BMW buyout. This will probably increase my 'Like count' from fellow L Series owners, be responded to with death threats from TD4 owners and @wammers will say they're both ****e cos they are fitted to Freelanders !

The Autos can use about 25% more fuel than Manuals, depending on driving conditions and style, so something worth considering. They are though probably easier to use off road if you've not been off road with your dad before.

Normal provisos for Freelander buying - make sure it is still 4WD and has 4 matching tyres. Don't know how much research you've done so that statement may sound frivolous - but its very important. You need to know how the Freelander's 4WD system works (ie te IRD & VCU) and more importantly how easily it can stuff your transmission if things are not maintained correctly. Before you buy, jack up a back wheel - make sure you can move it a bit by hand easily (so the brakes are not binding with the slack in the transmission) but you can not move the wheel more than about a 1/4 turn. When you get the car home - do a 1 wheel up test (search here or Google) and budget £250 + labour for a recon VCU from a reputable supplier. Search here, or post a thread, for advice if you're unsure.

+1 to all grumpygel said, I was lucky and when I bought mine it had a replacement VCU and a recon rear diff, and new props but I still had the IRD and gearbox oil changed, you cant replace the oil in the diff as its sealed (apparently)

wammers · Nov 6, 2015

thebluemax said:
+1 to all grumpygel said, I was lucky and when I bought mine it had a replacement VCU and a recon rear diff, and new props but I still had the IRD and gearbox oil changed, you cant replace the oil in the diff as its sealed (apparently)

It has a level plug for topping up. So presumably oil can maybe be sucked out from that and replaced.

Judge_LED · Nov 6, 2015

Thanks for the replies so far guys.

Might go look at one tonight in the area and get a feel for it but it's a little over budget.

saxavordian · Nov 7, 2015

And you can see why Freelander owners are at the bar noisily arguing which beer taste better or why L version is better than td4. Welcome to the kicking shins and the drunken shouts of "AND ANOTHER THING".

Hippo · Nov 7, 2015

Peeps have been sucking oil out of FL1 rear diff's for years. Messy to do but it just adds to the fun.

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/what-to-lock-for-on-freelanders.163164/

Hippo · Nov 7, 2015

90 miles per day is about 20k miles per year on a normal working year of 240 days. With high miles like that a hatch is probably going to be much cheaper to run than a FL.

GrumpyGel · Nov 7, 2015

Hippo said:
90 miles per day is about 20k miles per year on a normal working year of 240 days. With high miles like that a hatch is probably going to be much cheaper to run than a FL.

A bus might be cheaper. Would it be cheaper to run 2 cars - hatch during the week and Freelander at weekend? Think not.

Oh... AND ANOTHER THING, the OP ain't gun a get far offroad in his 1.3 Escort Popular !

Hippo · Nov 7, 2015

He may say he wants to occasionally go oft road... but more importantly he uses the phrase "limited budget". Buying is a lot easier than funding the cost of keeping it going. Dropping the oft road bit would allow him to buy something none 4x4 based which would do 50% more mpg. I support the idea of peeps buying a Freelander but never hide the hidden running costs which are generally higher than a normal car like a focus which replaced the 80's classic escort.

Freelander???

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