The Defender thread

Caoimhín

Slidey wrote: »

Anyone else see the defender on the 9 news last night.

He was getting stuck on a hill and only his front wheels were spinning..

Yeah I saw that, it looked old but still, was a little odd.

Anyone else have trouble with the door handle/button freezing? Ive had to pour warm water on it a few times today.

101sean

Yes, had that trouble, also the doors won't close as the grease in the latches hardens.

scotchy

Caoimhín wrote: »

Anyone else have trouble with the door handle/button freezing? Ive had to pour warm water on it a few times today.

Yep, me too.

.

O.A.P

Lads pouring warm water on a frozen lock or door handle is not a good idea as its certin to freeze up again even worse, get a spray can of anti freeze. I learned this lesson the hard way while living abroad in a colder climate and had to get the bus home from work one evening.

O.A.P

Slidey wrote: »

Anyone else see the defender on the 9 news last night.

He was getting stuck on a hill and only his front wheels were spinning..

Yeah, dont think he heard me telling him to put the difflock on though.:D

Caoimhín

O.A.P wrote: »

Yeah, dont think he heard me telling him to put the difflock on though.:D

Surely the Defender is permanent 4X4?, Engaging the diff will only manage the torque?

101sean

Without the centre difflock engaged you'll lose traction as all the power will go to one spinning wheel, any full time 4x4 with an open centre diff and no ETC will do the same. Locking the diff will make sure both axles share the drive. More sophisticated 4x4s don't need to do this as they have viscous or electronic couplings between the axles which proportion the drive automatically.

How different 4x4 systems work still puzzles a lot of people, hence pictures of Range Rovers etc going nowhere thanks to clueless drivers.

O.A.P

Caoimhín wrote: »

Surely the Defender is permanent 4X4?, Engaging the diff will only manage the torque?

All the drive will go to the wheel thats spinning unless the difflock is engaged on a defender
Sean said it better.^^^^^^

101sean

Simultaneous posts, great minds think alike, OAP in fewer words and to the point though!

Slidey

You would think that someone who endures the toture (I kid, I kid :P) of driving a defender of that age would know about the centre diff lock...

101sean

You'd be surprised how many don't know, how the 4x4 works is a regular question on Land Rover forums!

Another problem with Defender and especially Disco 1 and 2 transfer boxes is the mechanism seizes up through lack of use. When I bought my 110 I had to dismantle it to free it off. Also the difflock part is operated by a series of wobbly levers and rods and needs to be adjusted correctly and have all it's nylon bushes in place.

Confession, guess who's difflock doesn't work properly

Mine engages OK but I have to use the wetback method to disengage it (lie on the cold wet ground and reach up on top of the front output housing and pull the lever over!) New bushes arrived yesterday, just got to get round to removing the tunnel and fix it :rolleyes:

Slidey

101sean wrote: »

Mine engages OK but I have to use the wetback method to disengage it (lie on the cold wet ground and reach up on top of the front output housing and pull the lever over!) New bushes arrived yesterday, just got to get round to removing the tunnel and fix it :rolleyes:

You had me wondering there for a second!

Mr.Boots

I got my defender stuck in ice recently, front wheels just spinning so i diff locked it....and nothing, front wheel spinning, back wheel made maybe a trun if that, eneded up getting a tow.
To make sure diff lock is working i jaked up the wheel and diff locked it to see if wheel would turn and it didnt so i asume the diff lock is working or is there something else wrong?
Crazy to get stuck like that in a bit of ice.

101sean

If you couldn't turn the wheel, it was working. Also the warning light only comes on when it's physically in, not when you move the lever. It's possible that the difflock hadn't fully engaged at the time but did when you tested it.

O.A.P

Mr.Boots wrote: »

I got my defender stuck in ice recently, front wheels just spinning so i diff locked it....and nothing, front wheel spinning, back wheel made maybe a trun if that, eneded up getting a tow.
To make sure diff lock is working i jaked up the wheel and diff locked it to see if wheel would turn and it didnt so i asume the diff lock is working or is there something else wrong?
Crazy to get stuck like that in a bit of ice.

Sounds like it works then the wheel should spin when the diff is not locked and stop when it is, you could try it on both axels to make sure.
It sounds like it sliped out of difflock when you got stuck sometimes I have to keep the leaver pressed over to the right for a second or two to make sure it bites in properly.

Mr.Boots

Yea i guess its either working or it isnt, there isnt a half ground where it works a bit?
Diff lock dosnt make much difference in ice so.

roman0red

Howdy

Help ......wipers on my defender wont switch off ??:mad:

When I switch to intermittent they operate in continuius mode - the normal and fast mode operate successfully and the only way to stop them operating is to switch off the ignition?? Most annoying!

Could it be a Relay switch or the wiper motor?

Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated. Its a defender crewcab 03

101sean

Probably the park switch failed on. they are a cheap common Lucas part (as in common to loads of 60-90s British cars). Take the bottom dash corner panel off and you'll see the wiper motor, there will be a white plastic unit on the front of it, that's the park switch.

Edit - Do they not stop at all or is it just on intermittent? If just intermittent, it's the timer relay stuck on.

O.A.P

I'm not an auto electrition by any means so this is only my opinion.
The wiper motor will only work when it has power getting to it and it has so I'd rule it out as a problem. Its easy to switch relays around to see if thats the fault or not. I'd bet the switch is the trouble and they are expensive from the main dealers but can be got for less than half the price online if you can wait a few days.
Hope this helps you.

roman0red

Edit - Do they not stop at all or is it just on intermittent? If just intermittent, it's the timer relay stuck on.[/QUOTE]

Sorry for the delay in responding

They dont stop at all!

Caoimhín

I was out today on a forest road that i built a few years ago, lots of inclines and sharp bends. Oh the fun I had, i didnt think you could drift in a defender, but there i was hurtling around like the Finland leg of the world rally

pcbscott

Hey Defender Thread,

Hope you can answer a question regarding my Defender for me.

After two years off the road its finally taxed NCT'd and ready to go

Did 120 mile trip last night in to Dublin, all running good.

But I think I need to put coolant in it as I noticed today sitting idiling in traffic that the temp was in the red.

Its a 1987 - 110 with a TD5 2.5 engine ( engine about 7 - 8 years old )

Will any coolant do or is there a specific one should I be using anti freeze, (guess I should its just we are so unused to this weather)

Thanks

Caoimhín

Most coolant has an anti-freeze ingredient/component in it anyway.

Edit, any pics of the baby?

pcbscott

Thanks,

Yea ill post some pics up

I opened the reservoir to check the current level, a very small amount of pressure to release.

Is this normal? Does this indicate that I do indeed need to top the fluid up?

Is there a max level I should fill to? Or is filling it to just bellow the top Ok,

I will check when I buy the coolant later that it contains antifreeze.

Last thing I want its this weather Killing my engine after I just got it going again !!

wildefalcon

pcbscott wrote: »

Hey Defender Thread,

Hope you can answer a question regarding my Defender for me.

After two years off the road its finally taxed NCT'd and ready to go

Did 120 mile trip last night in to Dublin, all running good.

But I think I need to put coolant in it as I noticed today sitting idiling in traffic that the temp was in the red.

Its a 1987 - 110 with a TD5 2.5 engine ( engine about 7 - 8 years old )

Will any coolant do or is there a specific one should I be using anti freeze, (guess I should its just we are so unused to this weather)

Thanks

Don't td5 engines require OAT antifreeze/coolant?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antifreeze#Organic_acid_technology

I think that they do.

Mycroft H

pcbscott wrote: »

Thanks,

Yea ill post some pics up

I opened the reservoir to check the current level, a very small amount of pressure to release.

Is this normal? Does this indicate that I do indeed need to top the fluid up?

Is there a max level I should fill to? Or is filling it to just bellow the top Ok,

I will check when I buy the coolant later that it contains antifreeze.

Last thing I want its this weather Killing my engine after I just got it going again !!

A bit of a hiss when opening the collant tank is completly normal for any pressurised coolant system. Now if there is a large escape of pressure when opening the bottle it could be a sympton of the head gasket going. Check for oil in the coolant bottle and emulsafied oil under the oil filler cap for symptons.

There should be a max and min mark on the coolant bottle, though im not too famillar with the TD5.

If it isnt the lack of coolant, id say its thermostat not causing the fan to kick in in traffic

pcbscott

landyman wrote: »

A bit of a hiss when opening the collant tank is completly normal for any pressurised coolant system. Now if there is a large escape of pressure when opening the bottle it could be a sympton of the head gasket going. Check for oil in the coolant bottle and emulsafied oil under the oil filler cap for symptons.

Yea there was a very faint hiss so I think that's ok

There should be a max and min mark on the coolant bottle, though im not too famillar with the TD5.

I cant see an obvious marker, will have another look, the reservoir is black rather than see through so its hard to tell

If it isnt the lack of coolant, id say its thermostat not causing the fan to kick in in traffic

Hmm.. would it be possible that the thermostat has some ice around it? Preventing it from functioning correctly? Where is this located usually?

Thanks for help The Defender thread makes for some indulgent reading

Caoimhín

Hey lads,

Listen, im a forester, i manage about 4000 hectares up here in Leitrim, Sligo, Donegal. If.yous want to come up for a forest drive, you're more than welcome!

I have roads through the woods and up Sliabh Anneriann...

Mind, bring your water-proofs...

O.A.P

Well ware I wish you the best of luck with it.
Its never good to let a diesel engine into the red but what temp gauge have you on the dash, 200 tdi, 300 tdi, 2.5 td or 2.5 na . They wont all work correctly on different engines or maybe better to say the sensor wont. As Landyman said a little hiss when opening the header cap is perfectly normal but if it forces the coolant out than the head gasket is proberly finished.

Slidey

landyman wrote: »

If it isnt the lack of coolant, id say its thermostat not causing the fan to kick in in traffic

Do they defenders not have a viscous fan?

The thermostat could be faulty on it. Check the temp of the top and bottom hoses when it is as operating temperature. If the top hose feels colder than the bottom one the 'stat may be sticking closed