The Defender thread

banjolin

Manual says 2. I replaced mine but it was never (and still isn't) reliable. Twice had to chase the damn thing down the road. I always leave it in gear now regardless.

foxy farmer

banjolin wrote: »

Manual says 2. I replaced mine but it was never (and still isn't) reliable. Twice had to chase the damn thing down the road. I always leave it in gear now regardless.

I'll leave it for a bit to stretch and might adjust it some time in the future when the humour is on me.!

johnk123

Hi lads, Great thread here that I've read and re-read and searched many many times! Now, time has come where I can afford my own Land Rover and will be going to start viewing a few of them in the near future. I was wondering what you guys would recommend keeping an eye out for? Models I'm looking at will probably be Td5. Probably 05 onwards I reckon. I've read around the web about some obvious rust spots etc, even on some of the newer ones, but any other advice would be a great help. Cheers!

banjolin

What to look out for when buying a defender? Where do you start? Others may have more to add but here's my suggestions.

I have a 05 TD5 90 XS. I have owned it since 2006. For seven or eight years all I ever had to do was service it. Then it just seemed like things were queueing up to go wrong.

It has air con (doesn't work) and winter pack which includes heated screen (doesn't work) and seats. It also has ABS and Traction Control. Avoid this if possible. If it goes wrong, which mine did, you can buy a decent car for what it costs to repair, unless you are willing to make big compromises. Mine got banjaxed and I have replaced it with a unit from a Discovery 2. Straight swap. It has central locking and I had to replace the rear door lock, which is silly money for what it is. That's the XS model specifics.

The steering pump has been replaced, not hugely expensive. Always worth a look in the breakers yard.

Recently replaced the indicator switch. Quick fix.

I had to replace a rear wheel bearing a few years ago. Check for any leaks around the wheel hubs.

Check the wipers return to a sensible position and are working properly. Repairs here are a huge pain in the arse. Trust me.

It leaks water all over the place. Check around the rear tub and bulkhead for rust. Remove the grab handle on the left of the dash if allowed to check the inside top of the bulkhead there, and check the wiper motor while you're at it.

The auxiliary belt (fan, aircon etc) squeals like a pig when damp. I have replaced the tensioner but it didn't help much. Its the only issue I haven't resolved.

Check for diesel underneath. There may well be oil leaks from the engine or the diff etc. but if there is diesel you may need to check the fuel pressure regulator. Google it.

Check the trailer electrics if fitted. If the plug is rusty inside the truck may have been wading regularly. Defenders can wade big water but you really shouldn't do it. Water can get in to places that are not immediately obvious and sit there doing its worst or get sloshed around the engine compartment by the rather large fan. I think that is what did for my ABS.

Very early TD5 chassis' may have started to rot and you should really check the rear section thoroughly. Outriggers are also prone. Rust generally happens from the inside out so trucks that look good cosmetically could be hiding all sorts of ****e. Bring a sheet of cardboard and a torch and get underneath.

You will need to replace suspension bushes eventually and it is worth bearing in mind that all replacement rubber bushes (even original Landrover supplied ones) are now made by Britpart and they are crap. I took a punt on the yellow Polyurethane bushes from Britpart and I can't believe how good they are. Improved the ride no end. Who'd have thunk it?

While it sounds like a lot of grief, apart from the ABS issue it has been a fairly pain-free relationship. All cars, even modern ones, need repairs. After nearly ten years of ownership I could probably get two thirds of what I paid for my truck tomorrow if I sold it in the UK. For all their faults there is a huge and devoted fan base, so expect to pay big money for a good one, or get the tools and wallet out for a fixer upper. Most parts are available from breakers, so big projects shouldn't put you off if you are up for one.

Its worth noting that very few TD5 Defenders were sold in Ireland through official channels and they have really only become popular here in the last five years, so there are very few mechanics who really know their way around them. Mine does now because he has spent so much time under my one and I have educated him, but it is worth seeking out someone who knows what they are doing. Otherwise they can cost big money to repair or maintain.

I remember what it was like to finally buy a Defender so I am a little jealous. Good luck with the purchase.

Slideways

Nice concise write up.
I've seen quite a few eat the hub splines on the rear where the half shaft is connected. You'll notice the slop of you jack up the axle and rock the wheel forward and back


On the squeaky belt, try running a candle on the inside of the belt when it's running. It should quiet it down for you

101sean

Banjolin pretty much covered everything!

Mine is 00 Td5 and engine is spot on, Im on my thrid\gearbox though! I had typical shuttle switch failure on the ABS but that was a simple fix. Had to replace the rear crossmember a while back.

Values of Defenders are climbing, mine still worth about half of what I paid for it 8 years ago whereas a similar age Disco 2 would be around €2000 tops.

Banjolin, do yourself favour and bin the knee freezer, get loads more leg room!

johnk123

Banjolin, thank you so much for the detailed response! It's a great help. I'm well aware of some of the flaws, but there's still no way I can get it out of my head and I'm definitely going to go for one.

it's interesting that you mention the limited number of officially imported and sold Td5s in the country as I have recently heard this from a local owner who has one of the newer 2.2 Tdi versions. He brought his in from UK couple of months ago, but was worth it for one that had (supposedly) done no tow work and had very low mileage. Factoring in the price of the re-reg and getting it home, you need to be sure you are getting the right one at the right price. I'm not ruling it out just yet, but will wait until I have looked around as much as possible here.

What do you guys think in general on the Td5 vs the newer Tdi? From my research/understanding it was circa 07/08 when they changed?


Also, I was wondering if the Club land Rover ireland is worth joining? Or are there any events being organised over the Christmas break perhaps, where one could go and spectate a few Land Rovers? The only people I know who actually own defenders are mostly strangers who I've approached!

O.A.P

They changed in 07 , I have never seen TD5 newer than 06.
The earlier Puma models (from 07 08 ) gave a lot of transmission trouble .
I have a 99 TD5 myself and wouldn't be without it after 8 years but I'm a far better mechanic now than I was 8 years ago because I always seem to be either fixing - replacing a part , adding a new gadget or mod to it or servicing it.
The head gasket went at 80000 miles that set me back 1000 euro at the time but that's the only major issue Iv had.
When you have one keep it serviced regularly (engine and transmission) and invest in a grease gun if you don't already have one.
Best of luck . OAP

banjolin

I don't know about the 2.2 but there was a problem with the earlier 2.4 Puma as OAP says. Think the propshaft knocked off the sump or something like that, probably because the engine was for a Transit. The bump in the bonnet in post 2007 trucks is to accommodate that engine. Seems like they forgot to check underneath. Look out for it if that is your target model. They also lost the flappy vent panels under the windscreen and have modernish climate control (i.e. heater works).

When I bought the TD5 there was no end of guys queueing up to tell me that it would never last, modern electronics, can't work on it blah blah blah and it has turned out to be a great engine. Nowadays you can buy a Nanocom and diagnose most engine problems yourself before visiting a mechanic. It has to be said there seems to be a bit of an indecent rush to buy up TD5s at the moment so prices are going to be very strong.

The main advantage in the newer models appears to be internal comfort and on-road use. It is possible the newer engines will prove to be decent and the post 2007 models will be just as desirable as TD5, though a lot of comments elsewhere about the PUMA engine are less than complimentary. Perhaps the 2.2 is better. If you get a sound TD5 you can customise the interior to your hearts content and remap the ECU and have the best of both worlds.

Also, one final point: if you are going to tow anything big, it is worth bearing in mind that the 90 is not going to be as stable on the road as the 110.

101sean

Td5 was the last true Land Rover engine and one of their best although there are still those who distrust them despite it being the most numerous! Diagnostic kit is reasonably priced

With regard to clubs, depends what your after. If you are on fb, the Land Rover Owners Ireland group is very lively and there's also the 4x4forum (link in my signature). Various groups and clubs run events but a lot of them are biased towards the extreme type of events (spendc all day winching yourself 500m !!)

Rkcorry

Hi there guys, first post of probably many,
Yesterday, after being parked up over Christmas, I tried to fire up my trusted 2003 td5, and after many attempts, it refuses to start.
All the dash lights are on, heater light Gos out etc.
I have checked all the basics, such as fuel, battery power, inertia switch, Earth to the ecu, crankshaft sensor, all to no avail.
On turning the ignition the fuel pump is sounding, with the under seat relay clicking,
I also have tried to purge the fuel system, which does emitt some smoke, but still won't fire.

Can any of you gents shed any light on some issue I may have over looked.

Also where can one buy a nanocom kit, just for this type of problems.

Many thanks in advance,

O.A.P

If its turning over but just wont fire up then it sounds like an air lock.
You said that you have purged the system but got smoke ?
Try this, turn on the ignition you should hear the pump whine leave it for a minute or two until the pump stops whining then turn it off . Do this 3 or 4 times and then try to start it.
I hope that works anyway and it wont cost you a penny to try'
Good luck.

Rkcorry

Thank you for the quick reply,
I did purge the system, twice or three times in succession, and after doing so it did put out some smoke but failed to start,
I can not try again until tomorrow, as I have the battery on charge.
The pump in the tank in whining, with the management light flashing when I push the throttle,

Can I ask you on the issue of the nanocom, would it show up a fault if it is something more than an air locked fuel line...

banjolin

I don't have a Nanocom, but they are specific to Land Rover so if there is a fault it should find it, no matter where it is. Even quite obscure faults are found. You can say what you like about electronic management systems making cars hard to work on but the ability to diagnose problems like this is a gift. And for the price of a mid range smart phone.

101sean

How confident are you the battery is 100%, if it's not poking out enough amps while turning over the ECU won't work properly. Try a good known battery or try a jump start. Also a dodgy starter can put a bad signal through the loom interfering with the CP sensor.

A nanocom is very useful but won't cover everything.

Rkcorry

Thanks for the reply,
The battery was on charge all night, so I am thinking it should be ok,
not sure about the starter, except to say it was fine all along, and sounds like it is cranking the engine as it should,
There is smoke at the tail pipe, and whilst it sounds like it wants to start, it won't.

There is however some evidence of oil on the red plug at the ecu, though very slight, might this be an issue further up the loom at the rocker cover....

101sean

Oil in the red plug doesn't usually stop it from running but you need to change the injector loom and flush the plug with brake cleaner regularly.

I'd borrow a good battery, they only have to be slightly off good for a Td5 not to start. At least it would eliminate that from the equation.

emaherx

101sean wrote: »

Oil in the red plug doesn't usually stop it from running but you need to change the injector loom and flush the plug with brake cleaner regularly.

I'd borrow a good battery, they only have to be slightly off good for a Td5 not to start. At least it would eliminate that from the equation.

Agree here 100% I have removed a battery from my TD5 Defender, that would no longer start it reliably and then got another 2 full years use out of it in an MF 135. The battery in the TD5 has to crank the engine, power a 2 stage pump in the fuel tank along with the ECU and 5 electronic injectors.

How ever they are not unknown to have fuel system issues either.

On a separate note my own defender is starting to show signs of surface rust on chassis as in a few orange spots with no pitting yet. It has just passed the CVRT (DOE) Test and I'm not worried about its condition but I think now would be a good time to treat it. Any suggestions on what to treat it would be appreciated.

pmb

Hey guys,

Great thread here by the way! I am currently on the lookout for a Defender 90, commercial - preferably the county pack. Anything 2002 onwards realistically.

I have been looking in the UK more than here (as there doesn't seem to be too much around!) but now that the new year has come in I will be stepping up my search from today.

Anything out there?

101sean

emaherx - Usual treatment is waxoil or bodyshutz which is a horrible job to do as chassis needs a thorough pressure wash and several cans of shutz which is applied with a shutz gun, you're basically spraying the chassis with bitumen. Then spray clear waxoil inside the chassis. Pay someone else to do it!! Some use old engine oil but that's a bit environmentally unfriendly these days.

pmb - You'd probably get a better one from the UK or the north. 90s are thinner on the ground here as they used to attract a lot more VRT than a 110.

Mr.Boots

I have another thread on here about land cruisers
But I'm also looking for a clean, sensibly priced defender
€6k, prefebly in Leinster if anyone knows of a good one.

SafeSurfer

Today is the last day of Defender production 😪

Carawaystick

Newsnight had a segment on it last night. End of an era alright

Watch Ryder

Sad to see the old girl stop in production. The rub is that the military will either need a lifetime of parts to keep on working with the ones in service, or (I hate to say this) buy from a foreign military supplier from overseas.

Civilian parts should also remain on the market too.

I think Landrover said they were going to make a metal bumper version of the 'new' defender?

Watch Ryder

Sad to see the old girl stop in production. The rub is that the military will either need a lifetime of parts to keep on working with the ones in service, or (I hate to say this) buy from a foreign military supplier from overseas.

Civilian parts should also remain on the market too.

I think Landrover said they were going to make a metal bumper version of the 'new' defender?

Watch Ryder

101sean wrote: »

emaherx - Usual treatment is waxoil or bodyshutz which is a horrible job to do as chassis needs a thorough pressure wash and several cans of shutz which is applied with a shutz gun, you're basically spraying the chassis with bitumen. Then spray clear waxoil inside the chassis. Pay someone else to do it!! Some use old engine oil but that's a bit environmentally unfriendly these days.

pmb - You'd probably get a better one from the UK or the north. 90s are thinner on the ground here as they used to attract a lot more VRT than a 110.

I was lucky, my mechy is a defender fanatic and he did mine for crumpence!

I get a lot of work done using him though so it's all good.

O.A.P

I have these rims for a while now http://www.paddockspares.com/6705165bkmo-16x7-black-modular.html
with the idea that when I needed tires I could upgrade to what ever size I wanted.
Long story short is I now have no choice on replacing one tire but I cannot afford to replace all 4 this week or next week either .
I will get BF Goodrich 265*75*16
http://www.oponeo.ie/details-tyre/bfgoodrich-all-terrain-t-a-ko2-265-75-r16-119-r-rwl#104810336
The tires on it now are 235*85 16 and by my calculations that makes them only 2 mm bigger than the BF Goodrich, so hopefully wont cause any issue's if matched on the back axel for a short time ?
I hope its ok to do this but it might cause wind up in the transmission .
Anyone know for sure ?

Mr.Boots

Anyone know any of these or have an opinion???

https://www.donedeal.ie/view/11144079 Landrover Defender


https://www.donedeal.ie/view/11406190 Land Rover series/Defender

https://www.donedeal.ie/view/11131651 Landrover Defender 300Tdi "Restored with fresh DOE

101sean

First one looks nice but you'd want to be agile getting in and out with a 4" lift and bucket seats!! That amount of lift can give poor handling but it looks like it's been properly set up.

Second one, V8 petrol, yes please, a proper engine!! Ok if your happy with 15mpg and its a toy. I'd want to be happy with the paperwork on an import on a zv plate.

Third one masy be sound but that grey paint over acres of chequerplate looks awful.

101sean

OAP, you should be OK for a while, small enough difference in size.