AlexTGates
New Member
- Posts
- 2
Hi there,
I'm Alex, I'm a complete landy newbie and bought my first landrover september last year (a 1999 defender 90 TD5) with the idea of having it as a towing and mucky play vehicle.
Modifying cars has always been my hobby since before I learned to drive at 17, but after getting ito a few close calls, spending stupid money on fuel and insurance with loud and fast jap machines I though't i'd take a step back and see what the slower muddier side of the world was about.
Its got a few suspension, engine and offroading mods and i'm quite happy with it in the grand scheme of things!
I put a hard top on it for a bit more room too
(my favourite snap of it so far)
It has it's querks, obviously no heating, the speedo doesnt work it has an odd vibration twang when turning right above 20mph (ish) that still elludes me, can't find it anywhere!
The electrics are aweful, but its going to be my toy to make my own so i dont mind too much
*****************************************
However, I've not had the best of luck and it has spent more time off the road than on it
I'm not sure whether the previous owner looked after it poorly or whether its just my bad luck, but I think it's had and still got a few big issues all coming to rear their ugly heads at the same time.
*Begin massive list of problems*
I threw a wheel bearing after 3 weeks, I decided to replace all of the consumables so to speak, front and rear. so various gaskets, bearings, greases, got heavy duty/waterproof driving members as I literally had to cut the originals off. I also stripped back the hub castings and gave them a nice healthy coating of hard wearing paint. New pads and rotors too, probably some other bits but I cant remember back that far.
It ran like a dream for a good 7-8 days!
Next problem was the driver demand issue from the throttle pedal, had to idle the bugger home from work in rush hour traffic. People's opinions of defenders certainly lessened that day! (My bad)
After taking out the throttle pedal and testing it on a scope, showing it does seem to work, I followed through various wiring diagrams to see where signals went and things, eventually I discounted everything bar the ecu and the tps.. I found the ECU under water... which worried me a little, and to be honest still does.. that must have been some pretty awesome wading though!
I went back to the pedal not wanting to believe the potential for an ECU fault and measured pots and found that they are different max and min values and the range of resistance was considerably different between the two. (I was under the impression that the pots are identical and oppose one another?)
Thankfully I found an obscure post somewhere about resetting the tps limits, this did the trick! However I definitely have a bit of a flat spot around a third of the way up the rev range.. (I dont know what rpm...)
I decided to just live with it until I could afford to spend out on a new one.
Anywhere people can reccommend?
It ran for about a month through xmas and early new year, during this time I definitely noticed that there is a drive output issue, from what i've read my symptoms seem to indicate very broadly "transfer box".
I get clunking on accelleration and decelleration, and if you find that healthy medium (or unhealthy in this case) where you dont require too much man foot to maintain a constant speed, I get a knocking/juddering.
Slowing for sliproads coming off of motorways is definitely where I notice it most.
Other conclusions I've considered are: maybe because it's been raised perhaps the prop shaft is a little looser? or perhaps it is out of balance and is causing a knock?
But that has kind of been put aside as back when it was snowing I started getting overheating issues.. (now this could have been partly my fault for messing around in the snow and subsequently causing component failure) I found about 2L of oil in the radiator and after some investigation the oil cooler/warmer has failed, corroded to buggery and leaking out the side of one of the vanes, the surrounding casting has corroded pretty badly too, its very pitted and will definitely need replacing...
(My poor wallet!)
So i've found the bits I need on island 4x4 Oil Cooler Engine Td5 PBC500230 Island 4x4 - Specialists in Land Rover and Range Rover Parts and accessories for all models. UK and worldwide mail order.
With the newer year sensor to fit this newer casting and the gaskets/o-ring its going to work out about £265 plus watever they want for postage.
If I can get it cheaper (or the earlier casting) i'd love to, anyone know of any other suppliers?
*******************
So all in all, whilst I do love my Landy and this new style of driving and the ablity to actually go anywhere I want rather than nicely maintained roads or race tracks, its been a pain in the neck from day one. I spent far too much on it initially too
If anyone has any light to shed on any of my issues i'd appreciate it, or if its just a welcome then thats fine too
I look forward to joining the community
Cheers
Alex
I'm Alex, I'm a complete landy newbie and bought my first landrover september last year (a 1999 defender 90 TD5) with the idea of having it as a towing and mucky play vehicle.
Modifying cars has always been my hobby since before I learned to drive at 17, but after getting ito a few close calls, spending stupid money on fuel and insurance with loud and fast jap machines I though't i'd take a step back and see what the slower muddier side of the world was about.
Its got a few suspension, engine and offroading mods and i'm quite happy with it in the grand scheme of things!
I put a hard top on it for a bit more room too
(my favourite snap of it so far)
It has it's querks, obviously no heating, the speedo doesnt work it has an odd vibration twang when turning right above 20mph (ish) that still elludes me, can't find it anywhere!
The electrics are aweful, but its going to be my toy to make my own so i dont mind too much
*****************************************
However, I've not had the best of luck and it has spent more time off the road than on it
I'm not sure whether the previous owner looked after it poorly or whether its just my bad luck, but I think it's had and still got a few big issues all coming to rear their ugly heads at the same time.
*Begin massive list of problems*
I threw a wheel bearing after 3 weeks, I decided to replace all of the consumables so to speak, front and rear. so various gaskets, bearings, greases, got heavy duty/waterproof driving members as I literally had to cut the originals off. I also stripped back the hub castings and gave them a nice healthy coating of hard wearing paint. New pads and rotors too, probably some other bits but I cant remember back that far.
It ran like a dream for a good 7-8 days!
Next problem was the driver demand issue from the throttle pedal, had to idle the bugger home from work in rush hour traffic. People's opinions of defenders certainly lessened that day! (My bad)
After taking out the throttle pedal and testing it on a scope, showing it does seem to work, I followed through various wiring diagrams to see where signals went and things, eventually I discounted everything bar the ecu and the tps.. I found the ECU under water... which worried me a little, and to be honest still does.. that must have been some pretty awesome wading though!
I went back to the pedal not wanting to believe the potential for an ECU fault and measured pots and found that they are different max and min values and the range of resistance was considerably different between the two. (I was under the impression that the pots are identical and oppose one another?)
Thankfully I found an obscure post somewhere about resetting the tps limits, this did the trick! However I definitely have a bit of a flat spot around a third of the way up the rev range.. (I dont know what rpm...)
I decided to just live with it until I could afford to spend out on a new one.
Anywhere people can reccommend?
It ran for about a month through xmas and early new year, during this time I definitely noticed that there is a drive output issue, from what i've read my symptoms seem to indicate very broadly "transfer box".
I get clunking on accelleration and decelleration, and if you find that healthy medium (or unhealthy in this case) where you dont require too much man foot to maintain a constant speed, I get a knocking/juddering.
Slowing for sliproads coming off of motorways is definitely where I notice it most.
Other conclusions I've considered are: maybe because it's been raised perhaps the prop shaft is a little looser? or perhaps it is out of balance and is causing a knock?
But that has kind of been put aside as back when it was snowing I started getting overheating issues.. (now this could have been partly my fault for messing around in the snow and subsequently causing component failure) I found about 2L of oil in the radiator and after some investigation the oil cooler/warmer has failed, corroded to buggery and leaking out the side of one of the vanes, the surrounding casting has corroded pretty badly too, its very pitted and will definitely need replacing...
(My poor wallet!)
So i've found the bits I need on island 4x4 Oil Cooler Engine Td5 PBC500230 Island 4x4 - Specialists in Land Rover and Range Rover Parts and accessories for all models. UK and worldwide mail order.
With the newer year sensor to fit this newer casting and the gaskets/o-ring its going to work out about £265 plus watever they want for postage.
If I can get it cheaper (or the earlier casting) i'd love to, anyone know of any other suppliers?
*******************
So all in all, whilst I do love my Landy and this new style of driving and the ablity to actually go anywhere I want rather than nicely maintained roads or race tracks, its been a pain in the neck from day one. I spent far too much on it initially too
If anyone has any light to shed on any of my issues i'd appreciate it, or if its just a welcome then thats fine too
I look forward to joining the community
Cheers
Alex
