Got me a 90!!!

Morning,
After buying a Disco II a while back I have succumbed to the charms of a defender!!!
I'm changing job so the company car has to go back, and rather than get myself something similar I decided that I could do without climate control, airbags, ABS, 50mpg etc.
So I fleabayed and am know the proud owner of as 1997 300tdi.

I have a couple of questions that I hope somebody might be able to help with.
The Difflock light doesn't illuminate although the diff locks, can somebody help with the location of the switch (on the linkage?)

Some water ingress into the load area, there's no indication of it coming in at high level, does anybody know the first place to check?

Finally any recommendations for somewhere to get Waxoyling done in Cornwall/South West.

Any help would be most welcome, I'm off for a tootle in the mud

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7104

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7102

These'll show you where the switch is, you can just see it behind the high/low selector mechanism. Though I'd check the bulb first then the wiring.

Dunno about the rest of your questions.

Door Seals on defenders are rubish i too have water in rear load area and can only put it down to condensation.

Thanks gents, much appreciated.

Took her to work today and whilst poking about at lunchtime I noticed a small patch of fluid on the mat under the clutch pedal.
Thought it must be clutch fluid running down the back of the pedal weeping from the back of the cylinder, but there was no evidence of it on the back of the pedal??????
Cleaned it all up and gave it a few good pumps, and nothing!!!!
Reservoir seems at the correct level, maybe I just picked some oil up on my shoe, seems unlikely though.

Any suggestions?

Thanks Again

Keep your eye on the reservoir level daily the system may be leaking somewhere, the seller may have just topped it up to keep it 'looking' ok.

have you got rear bench seats? If so check under the cushions sometimes there may be holes in the wheel boxes, when the car has had a good pressure wash water gets in here.

I had a prob with my clutch a while ago and had the slave cylinder replaced (by a superb landy garage in cumbria when i was on holiay)and i seem to have a slight leak which shows up on my rubber mat .I have topped up the fluid and it now seems ok ,so it looks to like another landy crazy problem which no one can fix ,but i must say i do wipe my finger on clutch pedal and have a good sniff and it seems to only be water.So they do leak as i was tlod b4 i got it

Sorry for bad punctuation on last but was a bit pi**ed...

KTMRider said:

Morning,
After buying a Disco II a while back I have succumbed to the charms of a defender!!!
I'm changing job so the company car has to go back, and rather than get myself something similar I decided that I could do without climate control, airbags, ABS, 50mpg etc.
So I fleabayed and am know the proud owner of as 1997 300tdi.

I have a couple of questions that I hope somebody might be able to help with.
The Difflock light doesn't illuminate although the diff locks, can somebody help with the location of the switch (on the linkage?)

Some water ingress into the load area, there's no indication of it coming in at high level, does anybody know the first place to check?

Finally any recommendations for somewhere to get Waxoyling done in Cornwall/South West.

Any help would be most welcome, I'm off for a tootle in the mud

Click to expand...

I'm in Cornwall, and will happily do your waxoiling for £££££££

Gofish said:

I'm in Cornwall, and will happily do your waxoiling for £££££££

Click to expand...

Seriously... spend a day doing it yourself, and save the money for other repairs.


Jet wash, dry, scrub/grind loose stuff of, get your waxoil nice and hot ( I warm mine up in the oven, but don't tell me missus), get some overalls, hat, goggles - old sheets on the drive ( the stuff go bloody everywhere), then get spraying inside, and outside the Chassis, and Bulkhead.

Take your time, and be methodical, and pay attention to the areas you can't see or get to easily

mysterious clutch pedal dampness - I too have had it on and off for 5 years in my 110 - it makes no sense! Had 3 new cylinders and it still leaks now and then (and it isn't water), runs down pedal and onto mat. Just check your reservoir now and then. I forgot for a year (well I was busy) and it dropped quite a bit.

I've got a full metal jacket pedal guard and they put pressure on the clutch pedal, which I suppose keeps the cyclinder pressed and under strain which could maybe explain my leak. Yours, no idea!

Leak in the back - my old ninety hardtop would leak the same and leaking points turned out to be back door seal at the top and the rubber seal that runs along under the side panels and on top of the rear tub - it was installed badly and had perished a bit. To be honest they can leak from an infinite amount of places - my 110 has a leaking rivet! and it can fair spew in.

Ta,
Will keep checkin the level and see what appens.
Noticed a few other bits an pieces but all part of defender ownership.
Looks like the previous owner took the vacumn hose off the egr valve, maybe knackered I spose, theres dirty crap all round the flange, I think a lot of people blank these off anyway.
Gearbox whines a bit in fourth, I've had worse on other cars so I'm not going to worry too much.
Also slight crunch in 2nd & 3rd if not timed to perfection, and a bit of clutch judder when taking up drive in 1st, but not all the time.
She's also not happy if she starts to labour in any gear, I get a vibrating sound ,not sure if it's transmission related or something else a bit loose that starts to rattle when vibrations increase, seems way in advance of the engine labouring anywhere near stalling, I suppose the answer is drive it in the right bloody gear!!!
I haven't driven a defender for years and it's hard to come from a sanitised modern car to something that rattles and clanks a bit to know what it should or shouldn't sound/feel like.
Better start saving the beans for when I eventually have to repair/replace big lumps of spinning metal......
Booked her in for a check over with the local indie so I can get a clean bill of health (Or Shock) before I start using her everyday, seems like a good bloke, very helpful and reasonable prices.

Cheer 'n' gone

Gofish,
I notice from your Avatar you're a surfer, I would rather wax my board than the underside of a Defender, I can do you a deal on my special home made organic wax, years supply in exchange for a Waxoyl job ?

I would love to have time to do it myself, but with a 2 year old & a 1 year old running around at weekends, and the chance of a decent swell now and again, I can't see me having enough time, so I may have to bite the bullet and pay someone...........or pay someone to decorate the kitchen, bathroom, re-build KTM, front wall, plumbing, etc etc then I can tinker with the landy instead

Where do you surf, will have to keep an eye out in the carparks.....?

KTMRider said:

Ta,
Will keep checkin the level and see what appens.

She's also not happy if she starts to labour in any gear, I get a vibrating sound ,not sure if it's transmission related or something else a bit loose that starts to rattle when vibrations increase, seems way in advance of the engine labouring anywhere near stalling, I suppose the answer is drive it in the right bloody gear!!!

Click to expand...

Something similar happens to me in the 110, but after reading a thread on here recently about worn uj's on propshaft, that could be the culprit.

muddythelandy mentioned a full metal jacket pedal box, ive been after one for quite a while and can't find one anywhere anyone point me in the right direction???

did a search and I don't think they're still going... shame, it's a good bit of kit

Don't worry about the clanks and bangs - you stop hearing them after a while

Its just when they get louder you might have to sort them.....