Hi again everyone.
The last time I was here I was seeking help for what was my niece's car.

Prior to my niece's ownership, it was my mother's car. It's been in the family now for getting on 20 years.

Anyway, the ownership has gone full circle, and is now my "pride and joy".
Or at least, that is the plan.

I have a long list of jobs to do to get it back to good health, and I've started by carrying out a service, and cleaning out the Idle valve which seems to have got her running nice again.

The MOT a couple of months ago picked up an advisory: "O/S/R service brake binding, but not excessively. "
Probably not surprising since she's been sat around since the start of the year, waiting for me to pick up my spanners.
So yesterday my job was to make sure the wheels span freely.
After cleaning the drums, and adjusting the handbrake, and with the rear wheels spinning freely, I wrapped up the job and called it done.

Today though I'm wondering if there's another issue.
When I drove off my driveway onto the road, just so I could have the car facing the other way for the next job, it didn't want to freewheel at all.
As soon as I pushed in the clutch the car slowed down for itself, just like the brakes had been applied.

I understand there would be some kind of drag because it's a 4 wheel drive, but should it slow down so fast?

The rear wheels were off the ground and running freely yesterday when setting the parking brake, but should I do the same for the front wheels, ie jack up off the ground and make sure they are free?

Or could it be something else?

I can do a few simple mechanics, and I have a few tools, but I am still learning every day about this car.

Any hints or suggestions as to what to check would be welcome.

Sorry, I thought I had seen this before, and now I've just re stumbled across the sticky:

Tests new Freelander 1 owners should do on their car​

I need to test the viscous coupling then.

VCU is a good first check.

Although a cheaper check though harder check, I would prefer to do is the auto-adjuster on the drums at the back. the spring that holds them in the right place and allows them to work without adjusting to the max each time stretches and causing the shoes to rub on the drums.

Beware this test will result in failure of this part if it is the issue. You will be unable to safely drive the car.

Park on a hill.
Pull the handbrake up as high as is reasonable, you do not need to fight it.
While the handbrake is as high as you can get it press the brake pedal with some good force, again no need to fight it.
Go into neutral
Release the Footbrake
Release the handbrake
Do you roll? Try to move forwards and backwards does the car stick or feel like the brakes are applied?

EDIT: This was the exact same issue I had on my 00' 1.8, the above is how I could test if my repair worked.

They are about £30 to replace in the UK (Without Labour obviously)
My picture below shows where the springs stretch;

Thanks for that info.

While I was in the drums yesterday I did manage to release that mechanism while having the clean up. I'm now wondering if I've messed something up, although the wheels were free running when it all went back together.

Give me a day or two and I'll report back after the test you suggest, although I may have to settle for a couple of ramps on my driveway as the car isn't road legal yet, and no hills around here.

I'll also double check that my brakes are working properly, and I'll lift the front and check the front wheels are free spinning too.

I do have a feeling it's the vcu though, especially as I was out on the road tight cornering to turn the car around.

Mine only happened when I also removed it replacing the drum brakes, it was not obvious until after I test drove the car and the nearside rear was smoking and my brand new shiny drum was Yellow!

When manually adjusted the wheel spin freely until driven and the brakes are actually used at which point mine became very hard to turn, one would spin, the other would not, it would spin... not freely.

I should also add, if your car is in neutral the rear axle will(should) spin freely regardless of the VCU health, I learnt this the hard way after trying to test the VCU with the OWUT (One wheel up test) which should be done in gear

xDParis64 said:

I should also add, if your car is in neutral the rear axle will(should) spin freely regardless of the VCU health, I learnt this the hard way after trying to test the VCU with the OWUT (One wheel up test) which should be done in gear

Click to expand...

This is true, but it won't be 'freely' because it will also need to turn all the props, 2 diffs and another wheel. So it won't be like spinning the wheel on a 'normal' car, but it will turn quite freely.

John_l_k said:

Hi again everyone.
The last time I was here I was seeking help for what was my niece's car.

Prior to my niece's ownership, it was my mother's car. It's been in the family now for getting on 20 years.

Anyway, the ownership has gone full circle, and is now my "pride and joy".
Or at least, that is the plan.

I have a long list of jobs to do to get it back to good health, and I've started by carrying out a service, and cleaning out the Idle valve which seems to have got her running nice again.

The MOT a couple of months ago picked up an advisory: "O/S/R service brake binding, but not excessively. "
Probably not surprising since she's been sat around since the start of the year, waiting for me to pick up my spanners.
So yesterday my job was to make sure the wheels span freely.
After cleaning the drums, and adjusting the handbrake, and with the rear wheels spinning freely, I wrapped up the job and called it done.

Today though I'm wondering if there's another issue.
When I drove off my driveway onto the road, just so I could have the car facing the other way for the next job, it didn't want to freewheel at all.
As soon as I pushed in the clutch the car slowed down for itself, just like the brakes had been applied.

I understand there would be some kind of drag because it's a 4 wheel drive, but should it slow down so fast?

The rear wheels were off the ground and running freely yesterday when setting the parking brake, but should I do the same for the front wheels, ie jack up off the ground and make sure they are free?

Or could it be something else?

I can do a few simple mechanics, and I have a few tools, but I am still learning every day about this car.

Any hints or suggestions as to what to check would be welcome.

Click to expand...

The odds are that the VCU is knackered if its never been changed.

However, also make sure that the car has been maintained with the same make/model of tyres on all corners as a mismatched tyre has the affect of 'engaging' the VCU because the props will turn at different speeds - even at low car speeds.

Added to this of course, is to check that they are all pumped to the same pressure for exactly the same reason.

If there are problems with the tyres, this can/will damage the VCU needing it to be replaced - but sort the tyres before the VCU or else its a cycle that won't end!

These were my exact symptoms before I took off the prop. Resistance to roll and accelerating from standstill, especially in reverse. The VCU was done(still working on it).