Got my first Freelander today

Picked up a 2005 1.8, pretty clean, going to do timing belt and water pump as no idea as to when or if last done. Now bad points: 2wd as problem with rear prop and previous owner scared by quotes to fix it. Slight oil leak from rocker cover. Rear foor hand seems bust, the inside part seems loose and can hear what sounds like a motor going and takes a few goes to open it.

If you want to reinstate 4WD, be prepared to splash the cash. Did the seller say what had happened? Presumably the Viscous Coupling got over tight - so that ill need replacing. If it didn't do any other damage, you may be lucky. However there's a good chance it took out the front and/or back diffs (from diff being the IRD). You can take gambles of these from breakers yards but recon units are not cheap. Other items that will/may need replacing are VCU carrier bearings, rear diff mounts and tyres. If you run 4WD, you need 4 identical make/model tyres.

Does your IRD have the rear pinion still attached? If it hasn't, you'll need a replacement. If it has, as your first step you might consider changing the oil in the IRD - see what it comes out like. If it comes out looking like oil (and assuming it hasn't recently been replaced) then you might be in luck and a recon VCU may be all you need. While the IRD is drained, you might also like to remove the rear pinion and check the condition of the teeth on the crown and pinion gears.

There is a thread going at the moment about the rear door failing to open - lots of chat on there about what to look at to fix it.

Cheers, well looks like door was actually just me being a muppet and not knowing how to open it properly!!! Haven't looked ta prop yet, apparently it dropped?!!! Will look at it after I do the timing belt and pump. Had to change the brake switch today, sorted out the TC and HDC lights as well.

wastelandbiker said:

Picked up a 2005 1.8, pretty clean, going to do timing belt and water pump as no idea as to when or if last done. Now bad points: 2wd as problem with rear prop and previous owner scared by quotes to fix it. Slight oil leak from rocker cover. Rear foor hand seems bust, the inside part seems loose and can hear what sounds like a motor going and takes a few goes to open it.

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Good luck with it mate, loads of info here for all the wee problems that they like to throw at us but nothing you can't sort. The boot door can be a pig when it starts to play up but loads of threads about it for you to search through.
Are you sure the oil leak is the rocker cover? The camshaft seals can leak as does the cam carrier.
For the propshaft issue search for IRD and VCU threads.

Thanks, I'll have a proper look at it next week when we do the timing belt, it was only a quick guess.