TD5 cruising speed noise/dissapointment

Hi
I've been ticking off the jobs on my recently purchased 2000 defender 90 and its slowly improving. It has been sat for a good few years, and ran like a bag on spanners when I first drove it home.
Anyway, it pulls so well bottom and mid range, I cant fault it in the slightest. But anything over 60 or 65 is an ear ache and a choir for the motor. I also have like a rattle jiggling noise which doesnt disappear when clutch dipped. Its deffo not engine, more speed related??
I'm led to believe 70-80 should be no problem in a good td5, on muds. Well this one is on AT's.

Right so heres what I've done:
*Fully serviced
*Blanked EGR
*ECU Plug cleaned after harness
*Wastegate actuator freed off
*Filter head replaced with new internals in the right locations
*cleaned MAP sensor
* ran without MAF

Pump seems to be okay noise wise, primed it today after filter change and filter housing and all good.

It is running without a centre box and a cat, which although sounds great. Isnt good for volume at all, so I think a centre silencer will be ordered.

Any ideas why I cant get it into a good cruising speed please guys, and what could the rattle/jingling be?

Thanks all

If you don't like slow noisy vehicles why buy a Defender? Drive at 50mph, be happy.

You can add sound proofing. Closed cell foam under the bonnet and on the bulkhead if you can get to it. Closed cell foam on the inside of tbe bulkhead and floor, and a Wright off road rubber matting system. Does your TD5 have the black sound deadening? The only other thing you can do is a Disco 2 TD5 transfer box.
As for rattling, you need to just go over everything and make sure it's all screwed down properly, and you can dampen all metal on metal areas to stop vibrations.

Motorway cruising should be possible, it’s no Audi but it was never designed to be.

My 2005 110 TD5 CSW cruises happily at 65mph without any drama.
It’s got a mild remap, about 25bhp (it smoked too much with the standard remap and had to be turned down)
Normal conversation and radio volume is possible.
It’s got the factory fit soundproofing plus some extra under the seats and bonnet but that’s all.
Exhaust is standard LR.
It will sit at 75mph again with acceptable noise levels, but l am happy to sit at 65 as that feels like the cruising speed for this vehicle.

Sofasurfer said:

If you don't like slow noisy vehicles why buy a Defender? Drive at 50mph, be happy.

Click to expand...

That's not really the point. I'm on my 3rd defender and more than happy with their characteristics. However theres a limit, and the TD5 is capable of cruising at motorway speeds. So that's what I'm after!

speed related noise check the Props or handbrake

When I first got my td5 90, it revved so much at anything over 50, I thought I was in 3rd gear! I fitted a discovery transfer box now it can sit at 65/70 all day.

Yes, I've had a rattly jingly noise on mine which is more obvious at speed. Sounded a bit like a load of loose washers on a bolt being shaken vigorously. Mine quietened down considerably when I did the clutch and replaced the dual mass flywheel. The old one was very lose and rattly by comparison with the new one which was much tighter. What also disappeared were some alarming groaning and squeaking noises which used to occur on cold damp mornings. People usually point to the clutch release bearing and the bronze bush in the back of the crankshaft, but mine appeared to be as good as new. Another thing which was contributing was the bonnet rubbing on the wing. You can't really adjust it so I put grease on the point of contact and that's now a bit quieter.

I must be lucky, no mapping, roof rack and tent, still punch over 80 when needed but happily cruised at 70. 2004 110 with under 100k clocked.
She’d loads of rattling though, mainly from the contents!

At anything over 65mph the air resistance of a defender means you are having to put a lot of power into moving. It's simply not designed to cruise at modern motorway speeds, and the myriad of gaps around the panels will make a racket, while the engine will let you know it's having to work. Fuel consumption at those speeds will be high too. They will achieve 90 etc, but you're pushing it and something will give.

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 said:

Hi
I've been ticking off the jobs on my recently purchased 2000 defender 90 and its slowly improving. It has been sat for a good few years, and ran like a bag on spanners when I first drove it home.
Anyway, it pulls so well bottom and mid range, I cant fault it in the slightest. But anything over 60 or 65 is an ear ache and a choir for the motor. I also have like a rattle jiggling noise which doesnt disappear when clutch dipped. Its deffo not engine, more speed related??
I'm led to believe 70-80 should be no problem in a good td5, on muds. Well this one is on AT's.

Right so heres what I've done:
*Fully serviced
*Blanked EGR
*ECU Plug cleaned after harness
*Wastegate actuator freed off
*Filter head replaced with new internals in the right locations
*cleaned MAP sensor
* ran without MAF

Pump seems to be okay noise wise, primed it today after filter change and filter housing and all good.

It is running without a centre box and a cat, which although sounds great. Isnt good for volume at all, so I think a centre silencer will be ordered.

Any ideas why I cant get it into a good cruising speed please guys, and what could the rattle/jingling be?

Thanks all

Click to expand...

Put up roughly where you live and I am sure someone local with a td5 might compare vehicles for a bacon butty?

Thanks everyone. Good info and tips.

Funny enough the bonnet is rubbing on the wing, so will look into that.

I've noticed that the furthest front propshaft UJ, the bearings in the yoke seem shiny silver where the circlip sits? I'm guessing the bearings are spinning in the yoke, could this be the cause?

Yoke bearing cap moving not good, cause would be it has seized inside.

Personally, if I wanted to travel at 70-80 on a motorway I'd certainly not be considering a defender. Each to their own though.

Fetched the front prop off tonight and going to see how it drives without it tomorrow.
Bearing is deffo spinning in the yoke so I'm guessing that propshaft is scrap then?

To add to the list of niggles. It wouldnt start just, like the starter was sticking. It sort of only wanted to do half a crank.

The contacts in the solenoid might be burning out, they are cheap and easy to replace, a new set cost about £15.

IMO the gearing is too short for sustained 80, even 70 is too noisy. Disco transfer box is the answer. Or get a Puma instead

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 said:

I'm led to believe 70-80 should be no problem in a good td5, on muds. Well this one is on AT's

Click to expand...

Have you measured what the actual rolling circumference of the tyres you are using is, and compared it to the actual circumference of other available tyres?

Tyre size has a huge effect on the actual gearing of the vehicle, and hence the speed you can go.

Do not trust your speedometer either, check it by using a satnav, or a vehicle with a known speedometer following you.

Right guys. I'm running 235/85/16 and measured with the Satnav on my phone is does seem to be better than I thought. 70 to 80 is possible.
The centre silencer removal pipe has got to go, and driving without a front prop is vile, so much backlash.

I took it too a local land rover Indy today, who very quickly put it on a fault code reader. The MAF was reading literally zero, so he unplugged it and said it should drive better now as it goes into default.
Except it drove worse and was slower??!!

So now I dont really know what to do

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 said:

Right guys. I'm running 235/85/16 and measured with the Satnav on my phone is does seem to be better than I thought. 70 to 80 is possible.
The centre silencer removal pipe has got to go, and driving without a front prop is vile, so much backlash.

I took it too a local land rover Indy today, who very quickly put it on a fault code reader. The MAF was reading literally zero, so he unplugged it and said it should drive better now as it goes into default.
Except it drove worse and was slower??!!

So now I dont really know what to do

Click to expand...

No idea about MAFs, others will address that shortly.

In my previous post about tyres, I used the term "actual" for a reason.
What is says on sidewalls is not necessarily the actual size of the tyres. It is what is known as a nominal size.
Measure the actual tyres. If they are a small diameter, it knocks top end a lot. A difference of 2 inches overall wheel diameter means you travel over 6 inches less for every rotation of the wheel.
You can add 10% to top speed with an extra few inches on overall wheel diameter.