Freelander 1 TD4 Sport - amigos, clutch, gearchange - All Solved

Just bought, unseen, a 2004 silver blue soft top 3 door Sport System TD4.

Looks and drives great.
Initial drive and survey reveals:
Gearchange all rubbery and lacking precision.
Clutch bite point somewhere below the pile in the carpet.
TC and HDC lights on on dash.
Rear exhaust tail pipe missing (presumed dropped off).

Will be looking at each of these faults and will provide solutions as they arise.
Already had a fright and realised it has a Fuel Burning Heater and that the front left tyre had not actually burst into flames !!!
Has heated screen too - love it so far, except for not being able to find reverse on a turn around while someone else was waiting !

Amigos
ICarsoft diagnostic showed up a brake switch failure.
Brake lights worked o.k so changed the other brake position switch, the square one !
Fault code cleared and went away (didn't write it down so have forgotten it I am afraid! - COVID brain).
TC and HDC lights remained on.
Drove it, stopped, handbrake on and lights went out.
Next time I used it, TC and HDC came on again!
Will remove and test the actual brake light switch next although it appears to work.
All ABS sensors show same wheel speed.

Took brake light switch out, cleaned contact's and faults removed. The brake lights worked but there is also a feed to the ABS. I think that whilst the current of the lamps made it across the contacts, the 'wetting' current of the ABS input didn't.
So that is done.

Rear Silencer.
Silencer in fair condition but end pipe rotted off.
New back box on order - easy fix !

Back box arrived and fitted today. Fortunately the old one came free from the pipe without too much persuasion!!

Wobbly gear shift.
New TD4 remote shift bush ordered, no idea where it fits yet but hopefully will help with gear location.

Nw Bush fitted and resolved the problem completely.
Worst job I have ever done on a TD4. The Bush is a block in the selector mechanism near the gearbox selector input.
You can't reach it from underneath or on top.
Went in through the wheel arch having removed the splash panel.
Still couldn't see!! Pin was stuck fast, can't get a drift on it square on.
Eventually I got the selector bracket off and fitted the new block.
No photos I'm afraid, not enough room to do it let alone photograph it!!

£10 fix makes box feel like new again. Took an hour and a half to do though.

Put some oil in the gearbox too!!

Clutch bite point.
Found some brake fluid in a container in the boot, may be a clue!
Will bleed and recheck for any loss in slave cylinder before disconnecting master and checking for a solid pedal.
Then will either replace master or do my 6mm pushrod extension which I found necessary (on a previous TD4) to operate the slave cylinder fully without the pedal hitting the floor. This may be a feature of a non OEM master replacement cylinder.

andyfreelandy said:

Clutch bite point.
This may be a feature of a non OEM master replacement cylinder.

Click to expand...

That was my experience of an aftermarket Master.

That's helpful, thanks.

If that is the only problem then a cut, threaded, sleeved, adjustable pushrod is cheaper to add to it than buying a LR item!!

andyfreelandy said:

That's helpful, thanks.

If that is the only problem then a cut, threaded, sleeved, adjustable pushrod is cheaper to add to it than buying a LR item!!

Click to expand...

You could try bleeding it as if it is aftermarket it may never have been done correctly.

Looking for just one 18 inch sport wheel.
Strangely 4 are very good, one is completely corroded and naff.

Have posted in wanted parts forum.

Got the replacement gear selector Bush and made up a new clutch pushrod with adjuster!!

Just need the TD4 out of the workshop and we can see what we got with this one!!

andyfreelandy said:

Looking for just one 18 inch sport wheel.
Strangely 4 are very good, one is completely corroded and naff.

Have posted in wanted parts forum.

Click to expand...

Sport wheels generally go for about £100 each, and are often in disappointing condition. It's probably cheaper to get it refurbished, although you'll need to find somewhere that can recreate the lovely sparkling finish of LR Silver Sparkle paint.

Had a play with a spare clutch master today. I have made the pushrod so that it adjusts from standard length to +6mm.
Then, filled with fluid and, by carefully operating the close valve in the quick fit coupling, tried to bleed it.
This was all on the bench. There is no way to get the master push rod to go solid bleeding it this way which is what a lot of people report. Effectively I was pressing the pedal to the floor.

So, figuring there is a longer cylinder in the master than is actually operated by the piston (dunno why), I carefully removed the piston holding circlip, removed the push rod and replaced the circlip.

Operating the master cylinder with a long screwdriver showed that there is another inch or so of piston travel.

When bleeding it this way I managed to get a solid master up against the quick release fluid lock.

Worth remembering this, this could be the problem with so many TD4 air locks and low bite clutches. There remains an air pocket in the master.

I am hoping that a fully charged locked master fitted to the vehicle will restore the clutch. Hoping!!!!

andyfreelandy said:

Had a play with a spare clutch master today. I have made the pushrod so that it adjusts from standard length to +6mm.
Then, filled with fluid and, by carefully operating the close valve in the quick fit coupling, tried to bleed it.
This was all on the bench. There is no way to get the master push rod to go solid bleeding it this way which is what a lot of people report. Effectively I was pressing the pedal to the floor.

So, figuring there is a longer cylinder in the master than is actually operated by the piston (dunno why), I carefully removed the piston holding circlip, removed the push rod and replaced the circlip.

Operating the master cylinder with a long screwdriver showed that there is another inch or so of piston travel.

When bleeding it this way I managed to get a solid master up against the quick release fluid lock.

Worth remembering this, this could be the problem with so many TD4 air locks and low bite clutches. There remains an air pocket in the master.

I am hoping that a fully charged locked master fitted to the vehicle will restore the clutch. Hoping!!!!

Click to expand...

Funny old thing but I now have a master sitting on my bench that I could try this trick but as I no longer have a slave and plan to remove the pedal too it won't help me.
Might be brilliant for others though.

Have you got a TD4 slave by any chance!!??

Would love to know what the movement is to operate the clutch and the volume of fluid to get this!! Simples......

Also, do you know if there is a stop on the slave?? If I extend the pushrod, increase the volume of fluid to the slave is there any risk of popping the piston out in the gearbox!?

andyfreelandy said:

Have you got a TD4 slave by any chance!!??

Would love to know what the movement is to operate the clutch and the volume of fluid to get this!! Simples......

Also, do you know if there is a stop on the slave?? If I extend the pushrod, increase the volume of fluid to the slave is there any risk of popping the piston out in the gearbox!?

Click to expand...

Yes I have the slave too but had planned to flog it and the master with the engine when I finally get around to selling it.
I've no idea about a stop valve but I can't imagine you could harm the slave by pushing enough fluid into it to change gear.

The only time I've seen a slave cylinder's piston pop out is if something else has broken in the clutch, such as the discoveries favourite trick of the clutch release fork wearing out at the pivot and becoming impaled on the balljoint/pin.

OK so modified master, correctly bled and fitted, bled slave and clutch bite now perfect and working. No fluid loss over last few weeks so assume slave is fine.

Gearbox selector next, gear lever feels like it's in porridge. New Bush has been delivered. Got to work out where it goes now!!

TC and HDC lights were caused by dirty contacts in the brake pedal switch. The brake lights worked OK but there is also a contact that feeds the ABS.
So that is solved.
Got the old back box off without too much trouble. Waiting for replacement to arrive.
Put a replacement rear door handle on as someone had drilled through it and fixed it with a coach bolt!! No way to treat a TD4 sport!!

So had a good look underneath. All very good, oil leak looks like the IRD to driveshaft seal.
Also, can't see where the gear lever Bush fits. Has anyone done this. Might take the whole remote change off the car and service it but can't see anything that looks like the Bush I got! Bush is about the size and shape of a lego brick.
Anyone got a good photo please??
Going OK so far.
Handbrake needs attention too.

Edited the above with the solutions.

It reads a bit out of order now but hopefully it is all in there!!
Got a really nice TD4 sport now.
Will go on the market when lock down lifts.

Just been out and taken gearbox out to photo and show you as I felt guilty!!!



Orange arrow show the block Bush.
Green arrow shows the remote rod link to be removed.
Yellow arrow shows the pin held in by a spire washer which has to be removed to get the bracket off to change the block.
Great fun!!!