2003 td4 with 177,000 miles, all the tyres are changed as a set and i'm generally driving on country roads at 40-60 mph, VCU is probably engaged every day on some gravel roads/lanes . I'd be interested to see if the high mileage units have something in common. 140k of the above mileage in the last 5 years !.
VCU Life
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the high mileage vcu's will have actually been used off road to a greater extent, so they have had a workout to keep them healthy.
ones that never leave tarmac and never need to be engaged may suffer as a result.
so get your Freelander on some slippy stuff regulary
ones that never leave tarmac and never need to be engaged may suffer as a result.
so get your Freelander on some slippy stuff regulary
I'm also thinking FL models after 2000/2001 or whenever the IRD ratio was changed would have longer lives?
I think that was the general idea
but they're other factors like the main one....newer tyres on the rear etc.....
and just wether they have been taken care of generally
treat it like a sevieable iterm change at 70k-80kJust curious to see how long various VCU's have lasted
- please note when i say failure i mean failure (it was going wrong) rather than it just being changed for peace of mind when the old one might still have been ok.
webley2000
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I can`t see what the mileage has to do with it.
How long is a new VCU going to last if the tires are mismatched,which seems by the posts on this forum to be the main cause of transmission problems.
Hippo
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I think the original vcu's were made by GKN and stamped with this.
The only way to know is to test it. Please carry out the One Wheel Up Test and enter your results in this fred over ere: http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f9/vcu-torque-test-results-109486.html to enter the competition to win a prize.
and eres my results which tells you how to do the test: http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/2141449-post246.html
Sadly the One Wheel Up Test tests the vcu only, and doesnt give a full picture of your Freelanders set-up. For some time now Ive been monitoring my vcus performance. Ive messed about with tyres etc and become good friends with my vcu. To the extent I firmly believe the Turnip Test should also be carried out. Put your Turnip Test results on the same results fred above.
Whats the Turnip Test? Its simply a measurement of your vcus temperature before and after a trip. We need to know both temps, distance travelled and at what approx speeds (like 20% 30mph and 80% 60mph). Also we need to know ambient temp of the air. I measure the side of the car in the shade to do this. Turnip Testing should only start with a Freelander which hasnt been used over night, as that means everything is at ambient temp, as a datum to work off. Why measure the vcus temp? It tells you if something is wrong like tyre problems or the vcu itself.
Please post results in the fred as mentioned above. You could win a prize.
Your right mileage has little to do with failing vcus. A Freelander with a bad set-up of tyres will cause its vcu to suffer more than a Freelander with a good set-up. If more peeps did the tests above then they would realise just how important the tests are. Especially the Turnip Test. As said I've been doing a lot of tests on my vcu for a while now. It's well worth doing the tests.
Oh, and mines an original vcu on nearly 33k miles. Second engine and second auto gearbox but that werent the fault of the transmission.
webley2000
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Turnip test I like that.
Much briefer and polite than,"That daft **** from next door is under his Freelander with a thermometer again.
Has anyone else parked up on the side of the road for a feel (VCU obviously) or is it just me.
Much briefer and polite than,"That daft **** from next door is under his Freelander with a thermometer again.
Has anyone else parked up on the side of the road for a feel (VCU obviously) or is it just me.
Hippo
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I've stopped many times to check temp and even had others pull over to see if they could help as they thought something was wrong.
ound:
jamesmartin
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well they would do ,you are driving a freelander perfectly understandableI've stopped many times to check temp and even had others pull over to see if they could help as they thought something was wrong.
Hippo
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They were all wimins.well they would do ,you are driving a freelander perfectly understandable
I've been meaning to do that - as soon as i get my hands on a 32mm socket i'll get onto it.
Will a normal digital medical thermometer do the job?
webley2000
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Warning.
Don`t stick your legs out if there`s a Tratter boy coming down the road.
Don`t stick your legs out if there`s a Tratter boy coming down the road.
webley2000
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They were all wimins.
One way to meet women I suppose.
I use mine for towing not for pulling
Hippo
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Yes. I have a cheap infra red thermometer from maplin. They sometimes come up is the sale cheap. You can use a medical one i f you like. You just need to make sure you hold as much of the heat sensing tip against the side of the vcu, as you can. Try to put it against the vcu and hold a screwed up tissue over the thermometer tip to keep the heat in and gain a betterer measurement quicker. Be careful not to touch the eggsource tube as it's about 170 degrees on mine.I've been meaning to do that - as soon as i get my hands on a 32mm socket i'll get onto it.
Will a normal digital medical thermometer do the job?
Nodge68
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I've an infra red thermometer which makes temp reading quick and easy. It's worth measuring the rear diff temp too as this will give a guide of the torque it's transferringI've stopped many times to check temp and even had others pull over to see if they could help as they thought something was wrong.
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webley2000
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I've an infra red thermometer which makes temp reading quick and easy. It's worth measuring the rear diff temp too as this will give a guide of the torque it's transferring
Where from and how much.
I have seen some on Ebay for about £25.
Any good.
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carnt follow your logic - surely a high mileage motor maybe used alot on motorway runs - therefore little ort no off roading?
Diesel Do
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I heard that if they were worked hard once in a while it was good for them! Can't remember where tho
