The Impromptu Purchase & The Aftermath

So this bank holiday the cheap 'new car' died an economical death due to DPF's costing more than the car it was for and before I even started saving for a defender TD5 I was on the hunt for another car, so the discussions with the better half started. Anything after 2008 was out (not falling for the DPF again) and we both agreed the next vehicle would be a green oval but what one?

Defender 110 was out due to cost, she suggested Freelander but I could not bear to see our german shepherd squeezed into the back, I toyed with the idea of an L322 but that got poo poo'd before that idea took roots (probably for the best) so we settled on a D2 TD5, so long as it was a dark colour........ but the picking where thin and ended up with;


So on Thursday I inspected the vehicle, found a heap of issues and was going to walk away but took it for a test drive and the heart was taking over the head. The list of issues was too much to just ignore, so I listed the issues;

• Oil leak from cam shaft cover (didn't know what it was then)
• Rust holes in the arches (MOT failure)
• Drivers side door central locking
• Radio would not turn off and none of the buttons worked
• Both keys knackered
• Engine oil thick black
• Seat foam on both front seats disconnected from frame
• Crack in the windscreen

The chassis was too dirty to check properly but sounded ok with a few hard taps.

Anyway, from the list above would a normal sane person take this on? I thought so too, so I was about to walk away for the second time and the garage agreed to fix all the issues without so much as a negotiation.

So the heart took over and I signed up

Now we are both sat at home waiting for next weekend to collect the old girl and see whether the garage has completed everything he has agreed to properly or tried to bodge the lot

I am excited for the adventures we will have but I have started this thread as I am fully expecting the old girl to give me some adventures and challenges in the garage too.

First task on the list is spending a day or two under it cleaning the chassis properly and see if I have bought a pup and then seal it properly (if can get to all of it).

Looks smart! What year is it? I’m surprised there are holes in the arches, the rear chassis is usually the Achilles heel for the D2. Well done for getting the garage to sort it though.

It’s a 2002.

Depends what sort of job the garage do with it, I had half an idea to replace the arch panels if they have done a crap job but then I saw the cost of the panels .

I’m a little nervous about the chassis, it has 1/4 inch of grime over. Going to give it a good clean, hopefully find no issues and then protect it so it hopefully stays that way

Good luck with it but never, ever trust the word of a second hand car dealer.

Col

Totally agree... but do I trust my own work more or less than them?

Welcome to the world of fun

well i will be positive, hope all the problems are sorted and enjoy! i do love the D2!!

After two long weeks we finally collected the D2, since collecting it we have a completed a 1000 mile shake down covering mostly motorway mileage however this week we did our first little bit of green lining.

With the shake down along with a proper inspection we have found we have;

• A bad clutch (bouncing in 1st high, 2nd low and grinds when changing between gears)
• Fuel filter was not changed in the service
• Air filter was not changed in the service
• Oil leak from the transfer case
• Oil/ Water misting up the back window at motorway speeds
• Knackered Radio
• Tow hitch too low
• Oil residue in the air box

I thought the fuel filter was going to be difficult seeing the state of it but the only difficult thing I had was taking the damn wheel off (thought I would damage the 'tin caps' on the nuts, little bit embarrassing but went onto Youtube to be sure ).



The air filter held a little surprise, I think the D2 has possibly been stood for a period of time because if I was a guessing man I think a wee little mouse might have tried making a home in there.



While my spannering experience is not great I have spent many hours changing radios in my cars and friends so I thought putting a new one in this one would not take more than an hour..... wrong, terribly wrong, nearly 5 hours in total including stripping down the console to find the handbrake switch and splicing in to get the DVD working. It was soo worth it though, in my simple world the only thing that old cars are missing are sat nav's and now it has that . And from trolling this lovely site someone listed the part number that fills in the gap below it which although is not on the list at the moment it will be getting bought (even though it is expensive for a little bit of plastic).



The rest of the goodies have now turned up, clutch kit and all the lubricants for the gearbox and transfer case. As I mentioned above, I am not an experienced spanner spinner, so now I just have to find a spare weekend which I can take the entire weekend to methodically bounce between sections of the Haynes manual until I get to the clutch and in the process hopefully get to investigate the leak (Where the leak is coming from does not appear to have seal there?)







Hopefully while I spend a day or 2 under her changing the clutch a few of the other enigmas will unearth themselves, i.e. the oil and water mist that clogs up our rear window. At the moment it seems to be the transfer box and the AC condensation mixing.

The final item, oil residue in the air box, is the only one that is a little worrying. I am hoping this is just oil coming through the EGR circuit and needs a clean and nothing more sinister. I am currently mulling over the removal of the EGR and installing a larger radiator at the moment, in the hunt for a little bit more fuel economy and I wouldn't say no to the extra power a well