What have you done to your Freelander today

First proper day back at work and I was cutting down a load of trees.
I was using the Freelander as a ground anchor with a steel cable to pull the trees as they all leaned the wrong way. I would hook the cable round the trunk as high up as I could get, hook the other end to the towbar and draw forwards to take up the slack, then make the cuts at the base of the tree, but not go right through, then let rip with the Freelander to pull the tree over so it fell the right way. Easy enough, except the wet grass soon turned to mud and even with knobbly tyres I was having troubles. The last few trees were heavier too, so I had to just use the Freelander as a stationary anchor point and haul the trees over with my ratchet hand winches. At one point while manoeuvring to the next tree, I made the mistake of putting a wheel into a section where the earth has been turned, ploughed and rotovated for a veg garden so is very soft. Scrabbling on the grass, it slipped sideways down the hill fully into the soft ground where it bogged right down to the floorpan. She drove out eventually, but I made a right mess of the place. The VCU bearings got clagged in mud and since they are Brand X ****e forged from pure Chinesium, will no doubt start rumbling in a day or two.

Went through flood water and the car just went dead. HDC warning light and temp warning lights went on.
Checked and temp was normal but car didn't start again =4km towed slowly home (20km/h) and passed 4 cars also stopped due to water flooding the road.
Air filter got wet and removed all electrical plugs that I saw and cleaned with electrical cleaner.
Now, after a short 5 day holiday(with Disco) everything is sorted and car going again

Just found a split in the turbo hose. It's been smoking a bit recently and despite me adding fuel additives, it was getting worse. 24 quid the pair delivered ain't bad.

I fitted a new battery last week. It seems there's always something. Halfords have a special on 10w40 Semi synthetic £12 for 4 litres. Made by castrol allegedly, So it'll have an oil and filter change this week too.

Central locking next when I can be bothered

GrumpyGel said:

Oh dear - if you go investigating, you will find things

When you say the VCU is absolutely solid - how did you check it? If you just try and turn things by hand I'm sure a working VCU will appear siezed. Did you put a bar and weight on a raised rear wheel?

:behindsofa:

With the brakes off !

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I had a bar of about 3 ft on the back wheel. I checked twice to make sure it was out of gear and handbrake off. Standing on it would not make it move. I then put the tippex on and drove 4 times round my local roundabout at tight lock. No funny looks from the folk at the bus stop.............. Tippex still perfectly aligned. I have checked it regularly as the car has done over 100k and it was the original. Had my money's worth I suppose.

Today I had a ride up to Bell engineering where I met Ken. He gave my Freelander a quick once over.
I picked up my recently tested vcu which was fine and bought a pair of tidy bearings. 150 mile trip in mondo mode mainly A roads what a blast. Well worth a trip.
Thanks to Ken & Austen.
Fitting tomorrow and better give my discs and pads a check because they were squealing good an proper by the time I got home.

last week.. my hippo's intake manifold had been modified... Kill.. the ratting noize.

Made a proper bracket for my K&N a'filter.

Tried to lower drivers window this morning, was iced shut.. Tried again 10min later when I thought it had thawed.... It hadn't! Loud snap... Now window doesn't move even though I can here the motor going up and down.... Another weekend job!

Dangermike said:

Tried to lower drivers window this morning, was iced shut.. Tried again 10min later when I thought it had thawed.... It hadn't! Loud snap... Now window doesn't move even though I can here the motor going up and down.... Another weekend job!

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Tailgate window did the same on mine last week

began work on improving the under shield. Bit of alloy welding to be done!

Top tip. Don't use your windows or tailgate in this weather!

I've just done an oil change. Well a partial change.. I used a pump via the dipstick tube, but only managed to suck out 4.5 litres instead of the 6.7 litres supposed to be in there. Anyone else used one of these and had similar problems?

I couldn't find my extension for the rachet either, so the filter is unchanged at least the oil in there is cleaner than it was..

6,7 lts??? what engine is it a V12?

Dev said:

I've just done an oil change. Well a partial change.. I used a pump via the dipstick tube, but only managed to suck out 4.5 litres instead of the 6.7 litres supposed to be in there. Anyone else used one of these and had similar problems?

I couldn't find my extension for the rachet either, so the filter is unchanged at least the oil in there is cleaner than it was..

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6,7 lts??? what engine is it a V12?
4,5 lts is about right in my L-series

TD4. That's what the manual says is in there. My 2ltr Mondeo TDCi has 6 litres so didn't sound too far out.

Put on a new exhaust silencer.

Finally got TD4 FL1 new fuel pump fitted - looks like the roadside assistance crowd were a bit rough with her though - handbrake and rear drums sticking quite badly now :-( another job on the list just as one comes off :-(

Postie delivered the turbo hoses, so I cracked on whilst I could, instead of waiting for better weather on Sunday. I bought a flexible hose clip driver with adaptor too. I loosened off the hose nearest the radiator and pulled it off only to watch the hose clip slide off and fall onto the sump guard under the engine somewhere. I assumed the adaptor went the same way until I found it later resting between the alternator and engine.

Now I'm on my back on the wet tarmac, slacking off the sump guard and hitting the tray trying to bump the hose clip towards the back. Eventually I tease it out and tighten everything back up again.

The engine is much more responsive though, I'm surprised how much of difference that made. I'll go for a proper drive later and see what she's like on hills and acceleration.

You poor sole. My home has a spotlessly clean, air conditioned 4 car workshop with 4 poster hoist and 1 wall is floor to ceiling crammed with every tool imaginable. If I drop something into an inaccessible place, my 20 year old, semi clad assistant contorts her superbly sexy body into the tightest of places to retrieve it.

Ooops, I'm falling........

And I'm awake again.

Dev said:

Postie delivered the turbo hoses, so I cracked on whilst I could, instead of waiting for better weather on Sunday. I bought a flexible hose clip driver with adaptor too. I loosened off the hose nearest the radiator and pulled it off only to watch the hose clip slide off and fall onto the sump guard under the engine somewhere. I assumed the adaptor went the same way until I found it later resting between the alternator and engine.

Now I'm on my back on the wet tarmac, slacking off the sump guard and hitting the tray trying to bump the hose clip towards the back. Eventually I tease it out and tighten everything back up again.

The engine is much more responsive though, I'm surprised how much of difference that made. I'll go for a proper drive later and see what she's like on hills and acceleration.

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