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lee007

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Hello just bough 51 reg Td4 Freelander ES driving into and out of parking spapces feels like brakes have applied. Reading bits on internet thought VCU failing or failed so had new one fitted and bearings.
Still have the same problem so is this how these drive or is it IRD or rear diff or anything else.
Please help wife nagging having already replaced an expensive item and no better.
Thank you.
 
Sat here since posting that and starting to think I may have bought that VCU to soon just didn't want ird to go wrong. Thinking trip to Land Rover in morning and getting a mechanic to drive it and see if thats how it should be.
 
This is how Freelanders behave. It shows that the VCU is working correctly. In normal straight ahead movement there is little drive effort transferred to the rear wheels. When the front wheels spin because of loss of traction then there is a large speed difference across the plates of the VCU. The increased shear in the fluid causes it to thicken and transmit drive to the rear wheels.
This is what is happening going round tight corners when parking. The net travel of the front axle is much more than that of the rear so that the VCU perceives that the front wheels are slipping so increases the drive to the rear. As the engine is delivering very little power while parking the the extra demand is noticeable and the extra power required to move the car is just disippated in the VCU.
 
Lee.....don't listen to those that say it's normal...it ain't!!

I was worried about my freelander being tight when parking, and read the threads, most saying it's normal for a freelander.
Believing it was normal, I stopped worrying for a few weeks...untill it was too late and the IRD was knackered.

If it's tight (and I mean really tight) as though the brakes have applied the VCU is shot.
Don't ignore it.

I learned the hard way.....a new VCU and IRD at a cost of £1,000 fitted.

I don't feel any tightness on full lock now....forwards or reverse.
 
allnick,did you read his post!!! replaced vcu,still the same!!! so what is it!! freelanders have a certain amount of tightness on turning slowly on full lock,if you havent had a freelander before this would seem to be wrong,and i agree if its is geting really tight and your tc control light flickers on tight turns then that is an early sign vcu is geting tighter and on the way out
 
Tyres.

As Allnick says theyre should be very slight or no resistance at all.

When I first took ownership of my hippo it had four tyres with various stages of wear, 1 had medium wear and a slow puncture, 1 was good and 2 were just legal (on different axles). The spare was knackered.

I kep the good one for the spare and put four new tyres on.

It made a massive difference, it no longer felt like the handbrake was on when reversing or doing tight turns and it great fun to drive afterwards.

like you said before turning into car park spaces it was tight (felt like transmission windup) but after sorting the tyres it was perfect.
 
Like ben says. Check the tyres. They should always be fitted in pairs and the newest (i.e biggest) to the back. Never fit new on the front and worn on the rear as this is a sure way to knack the IRD. For the record mine is tight when manouvering too any my VCU is o.k. as is every one I have ever driven. There is a difference between tight and seized when the back wheels drag when performing a tight turn.

Tony
 
Took it to main dealer today drove it in car park and stated they do wind up on tight turning but mine is excesive. Stated needed to check it but most likely vcu then told them it had only done 30 miles. Then stated £85 per to check fully so I left.
Later had a visit to independant Land Rover specialist and told of symptoms and stated vcu issue again explained new one fitted. Took for test drive then back over the pit then on the ramp guess what...............
Faulty vcu it is seized this has done less than 100 miles on my freelander.
I bought reconditioned unit but speiclaist states td4 has different ratios to 1.8 and 2.0 di units and they need to order correct unit as one does not fit all. But even so believes his unit is faulty.
To say I am confused and annoyed is an under statment I now need to send this new one back and will no doubt have to get the genuine part to cure this issue as doing on the cheap is causing greif.
I have had the prop removed to prevent any damage as specialst has check it all and ird and rear diff are fine, no binding brakes only cause vcu.
So once I have had it sorted I will let you know and who the company is I used and how they were about refunds!
 
Hi Lee, it's always a pain when you have car problems (not you personally...) but as cars are complex mechanical devices things do and will go wrong, its these times when a good LR specialist is worth his/her weight in gold. Sounds like you have one, Hopefully you will get your freebie fixed and back on the road with the minimum of hassle now the problem has been diagnosed.

Good luck with the repairs! All the best.
 
Hope so thanks the comapny have agreed to refund but stated the vcu will be fine and it will be transfer box fault. I don't see that as no noise grinding vibrations etc.
 
Looks like the specialist is right once all done full update on who was right and who and what was wrong hopefully help others out in same position.
 
lee007 said:
Took it to main dealer today drove it in car park and stated they do wind up on tight turning but mine is excesive. Stated needed to check it but most likely vcu then told them it had only done 30 miles. Then stated £85 per to check fully so I left.
Later had a visit to independant Land Rover specialist and told of symptoms and stated vcu issue again explained new one fitted. Took for test drive then back over the pit then on the ramp guess what...............
Faulty vcu it is seized this has done less than 100 miles on my freelander.
I bought reconditioned unit but speiclaist states td4 has different ratios to 1.8 and 2.0 di units and they need to order correct unit as one does not fit all. But even so believes his unit is faulty.
To say I am confused and annoyed is an under statment I now need to send this new one back and will no doubt have to get the genuine part to cure this issue as doing on the cheap is causing greif.
I have had the prop removed to prevent any damage as specialst has check it all and ird and rear diff are fine, no binding brakes only cause vcu.
So once I have had it sorted I will let you know and who the company is I used and how they were about refunds!
Click to expand...

I think the VCU's are all the same except the V6 one doesn't have the tortional vibration damper bolted too it, The VCU doesn't have a "ratio", it is fluid filled & that is the problem with reconditioned units, they are not filled with the original Land Rover fluid, in fact I think one company offers a choice of fluid ranging from a "stiffer" composition for people who offroad their Freelanders to a less viscous fluid for people whos Freebies don't go offroad. The front & rear diffs have slightly different ratios so that even in a straight line the front half of the VCU is rotating slightly faster than the rear, this ensures the fluid is always working in "shear" & a small amount drive is always being sent to the rear wheels, these ratios have been altered over the life of the Freelander 1 to fix various problems. The reason new (larger diameter tyres) should be fitted to the rear is to prevent the rear half of the VCU rotating faster than the front half & constantly transmitting a few torques back into the IRD which it isn't designed for. Anyway, enough rambling, bite the bullet & get the original Land Rover VCU ;)
 
Got the genuine Land Rover VCU feels miles better still a little wind up but nothing like before.
 
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