Freelander Problems - Need some advice

Freelander Problems - Need some advice

Hey Everyone
Thought i'd ask for some advice regarding a couple of things on my Freelander TD4 Auto 2003, ( 100,000 miles ) and wondered if anyone had come across similar type issues.

I had a full service done not long ago - less than 2 months now. Also went in 2 weeks back, to have new VCU, had the rear centre diff bush replaced. Also had a RonBox fitted, alongside a new Pierburgh MAF.

Car seemed to be running beautifully until a few days ago, and now she's driving awfully.

1) There seems to be some type of knocking noise come from the front drivers side of the vehicle. Definately think it's linked to suspension! Noticeable when driving along at low speeds ( under 30 ) on bumpier roads. Sounds like a ''knocking'' type / ''Rattle'' type noise - and it's definately coming from the drivers side. It's only been more noticeable the last few days because the windows have been down because of the weather - any thoughts?
Have done some reading on this - and track rod ends' seems to come up alot so it could be this.Also the ''off side steering ball joint'' seems to come up as well - so may be this?

2) Ran the car the other day long distance, and maintained a constant speed and this is where things seem to go wrong after i finished that journey. The car feels like its over revving. Had the RonBox fitted few weeks back, and it feels like the car is jumping, and not going through revvs properly. The rev counter seems to jump quite excessively now. Its not as smooth as it was before. If i climb up to 30, and take my foot off for a second, and then apply it back on the accelerator, it feels like it ''skips'' and jumps into gear ( it's an auto ) and something just doesn't feel right - very shaky - very jumpy - and not the smooth gear changes that i'd had previously! Any thoughts?

Also alongside this - the MPG seems to have been affected. After the RonBox was fitted, i noticed a significant change in the fuel consumption - but now over the last week with the above problems ( more number 2 above ) - it seems like the car is back to using the amount of fuel before the RonBox was fitted!!!!

Not a happy bunny!

Any thoughts on the above two would be really useful! Car is booked in on Tuesday and of course will disclose all the above, but it's just really useful for you guys and your wisdom, to shed some light, so i might have a clue before I go ( Always useful )

Thanks in advance
Really appreciate it

LandySurf

LandySurf said:

Freelander Problems - Need some advice

Hey Everyone
Thought i'd ask for some advice regarding a couple of things on my Freelander TD4 Auto 2003, ( 100,000 miles ) and wondered if anyone had come across similar type issues.

I had a full service done not long ago - less than 2 months now. Also went in 2 weeks back, to have new VCU, had the rear centre diff bush replaced. Also had a RonBox fitted, alongside a new Pierburgh MAF.

Car seemed to be running beautifully until a few days ago, and now she's driving awfully.

1) There seems to be some type of knocking noise come from the front drivers side of the vehicle. Definately think it's linked to suspension! Noticeable when driving along at low speeds ( under 30 ) on bumpier roads. Sounds like a ''knocking'' type / ''Rattle'' type noise - and it's definately coming from the drivers side. It's only been more noticeable the last few days because the windows have been down because of the weather - any thoughts?
Have done some reading on this - and track rod ends' seems to come up alot so it could be this.Also the ''off side steering ball joint'' seems to come up as well - so may be this?

2) Ran the car the other day long distance, and maintained a constant speed and this is where things seem to go wrong after i finished that journey. The car feels like its over revving. Had the RonBox fitted few weeks back, and it feels like the car is jumping, and not going through revvs properly. The rev counter seems to jump quite excessively now. Its not as smooth as it was before. If i climb up to 30, and take my foot off for a second, and then apply it back on the accelerator, it feels like it ''skips'' and jumps into gear ( it's an auto ) and something just doesn't feel right - very shaky - very jumpy - and not the smooth gear changes that i'd had previously! Any thoughts?

Also alongside this - the MPG seems to have been affected. After the RonBox was fitted, i noticed a significant change in the fuel consumption - but now over the last week with the above problems ( more number 2 above ) - it seems like the car is back to using the amount of fuel before the RonBox was fitted!!!!

Not a happy bunny!

Any thoughts on the above two would be really useful! Car is booked in on Tuesday and of course will disclose all the above, but it's just really useful for you guys and your wisdom, to shed some light, so i might have a clue before I go ( Always useful )

Thanks in advance
Really appreciate it

LandySurf

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The engine and gearbox both have to adapt to the new power and torque.

Try turning off the power setting on the Ronbox for a week, or several hundred miles.

Run it for a while and see what happens.

The problem with remaps and Ronboxes etc is that they exaggerate any EXISTING problems, which may not be noticeable normally. It took me about 6 months to sort my TD4 auto out-changed: Fuel pump/filter/split hoses/duff injectors/thermostat.

The remap or the Ronbox gets blamed, when all it is doing is highlighting an existing issue.

When was your gearbox oil last changed? My car had a full Land Rover service history, but it don't think the oil had ever been changed (should be at 60,000 miles). It was horrible & black and also at the wrong level. I also had my IRD & diff oils changed at the same time.(neither were great.

Mine has only 127,000 miles & I bought it at 113,000 miles last August.

1) Suspension drop links probably

hi

dont know if this helps u any

also got a td4 auto and a ronbox

got mine set on number 2 and the maf switch off, but see you've got a pierburgh and i believe u need the ronbox to run a pierburgh???.

also got terrible mpg until i replaced the maf with a bosch one, now get 39 mpg on a run

as above have u changed the ATF lately , theres an excellent write up in how to do it by hippo

also agree with turning ur ronbox off until u get the problems sorted out as the other guys have said will only make ur problems worse

i assume youve done the normal mods, egr bypass, crankcase filter, air filter, etc

hope u get it sorted out

Epicuser, Brack, gstuart

Thank you all so much for your replies regarding the above!

Just got back at the end of a very long day - went up to see Sue and Nobert at FreelanderSpecialist in Norfolk! Have seen them both before, and they are both always really kinda and helpful!... So -

Turns out that the following needed to be replaced :
Replace Link Rod - RHS
Replace Link Rod - LHS
Replace Track Rod End - LHS
Replace Track Rod End - RHS

( I guess that would be the knocking then!!! ) :bump:

Low and behold - all knocking has finally stopped!! That noise was driving me nuts - and now it's finally stopped which I'm so grateful for!

Had some other bits done there too -

- Automatic Transmission Fluid Changed
- Hoses Replaced for Silicon
- EGR Blanked


Above bits alongside changing the setting from ''Number 7'' to ''Number 2'' on the RonBox- and it's made a GINORMOUS difference to MPG on the way back, alongisde the knocking stopped, which I'm really happy about ( as you can probably imagine ) :bounce:

Looks like the only thing left to do now, is sort out that ''jumping'' - over revving from 0mph-50mph as it's changing through gear! They've said that hopefully the new auto transmission oil over the next few hundred miles may help -

If that doesn't do anything, may well be a problem with the solenoids - Nobert has told me there are ''7'' in the automatic gearbox - but due to the problems i described, and that they are completely intermittent, it may just be a problem with 1 or 2 of them - and not all 7. Next time it's in, they are going to check all 7 and test them, to see which ones are working / faulty etc.

Have any of you guys ever come across this with an auto gear box ( mines a TD4 Auto 2003 ) with the solenoids? And that there has been over revving? / staying in gear too long? / skips to another gear when it's found one? the rev meter goes a bit nuts?

They've also said today, that when Nobert took it on a test run, when you take your foot off the accelerator, the car is meant to feel like it comes down through the gears bringing you to a stop, and you can feel it coming down the gears when you brake / come to a stop - apparantly my revs just completely fall to ''0'' - and the car doesn't feel like its coming down any of the gears, and it just drops?

Anyone come across any of the above?

Fingers crossed now, after the small fortune i've spent on my Landy, that i'll have a beautiful car for the next few years without any major issues.........:brushteeth:

( At the moment- as i only got the car last month - looks like i'm just cleaning up other's mistakes / and lack of care when it comes to general maintenance!! )

LandySurf

ive got my ron box on number 7. seems to be the best setting on my engine

vilguy said:

ive got my ron box on number 7. seems to be the best setting on my engine

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Hey Vil

Yeah I started mine off of number ''7'' - and for the first 200 miles or so - i was really pleased!! But then it seemed to wear off a tad ( or get used to my slightly heavy foot!! ) . It's gone on to number ''2'' today, and the journey on the way home from Norfolk back to Essex just now was enormously different! I think different cars / different people / different styles of driving - you've just got to find one that works and keep to it!!!

You getting some good results MPG wise from yours?

LandySurf

well mines an l series manual so slightly different.

but if im not feeling a complete dolt (a rarity these days) i can get over 40mpg out of it. not bad considering its got a 1.8 gearbox in it!

LandySurf said:

They've also said today, that when Nobert took it on a test run, when you take your foot off the accelerator, the car is meant to feel like it comes down through the gears bringing you to a stop, and you can feel it coming down the gears when you brake / come to a stop - apparantly my revs just completely fall to ''0'' - and the car doesn't feel like its coming down any of the gears, and it just drops?

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I thought that was normal. the lockup is on 4th & 5th above a certain speed, so when you take your foot off at a lower speed, the engine basically coasts and idles. I had another TD4 auto as a courtesy vehicle a few months ago and that was the same.

It does come down the gears as you slow down, but doesn't give any engine braking effect.

I have spoken to other TD4 auto owners, and they seem to report the same with the auto.

Now, the DSG in my old Yeti, that did come down the gears, and gave the car a fantastic 'engine braking' effect because of that. The earlier DSG's did not do that.

Now I do have a jerk when it changes down from 4th to 3rd, when I just ease off the throttle say from 30-20mph without using the brakes, which I do a load around London.

Epicuser said:

I thought that was normal. the lockup is on 4th & 5th above a certain speed, so when you take your foot off at a lower speed, the engine basically coasts and idles. I had another TD4 auto as a courtesy vehicle a few months ago and that was the same.

It does come down the gears as you slow down, but doesn't give any engine braking effect.

I have spoken to other TD4 auto owners, and they seem to report the same with the auto.

Now, the DSG in my old Yeti, that did come down the gears, and gave the car a fantastic 'engine braking' effect because of that. The earlier DSG's did not do that.

Now I do have a jerk when it changes down from 4th to 3rd, when I just ease off the throttle say from 30-20mph without using the brakes, which I do a load around London.

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Hey Epi
Yeah it is strange - he said something about when slowing down, and it should be coming down through gears, and mine just falls straight to ''0'' - to be honest - out of everything with the gear box, i'm not too worried about this - you know when your going to stop - and as long as the brakes are working fine, this is the least of my worries!!

That ''jerk'' from 4th to 3rd, i get too - but again, not too worried about that, because it's nice to know that the car feels like it's coming down etc.

The one thing i'm slightly concerned about, is acceleration through the first 3 gears - where sometimes the rev counter will have a bit of a ''spasm''... and it feels like it's making it's mind up between which gear to go in, and bounces quickly from one gear to another...... have you ever / experienced this?

I'm hoping that running this new auto transmission fluid for the next 400 miles or so will sort it, as they say it' doesn't kick in straight away until it all goes round, either that - or next time i go up there, they are going to check all the solenoids as it may be this?

LandySurf

LandySurf said:

'jerk'' [/B]from 4th to 3rd, i get too - but again, not too worried about that, because it's nice to know that the car feels like it's coming down etc.



The one thing i'm slightly concerned about, is acceleration through the first 3 gears - where sometimes the rev counter will have a bit of a ''spasm''... and it feels like it's making it's mind up between which gear to go in, and bounces quickly from one gear to another...... have you ever / experienced this?



I'm hoping that running this new auto transmission fluid for the next 400 miles or so will sort it, as they say it' doesn't kick in straight away until it all goes round, either that - or next time i go up there, they are going to check all the solenoids as it may be this?



LandySurf

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Most of the time mine is pretty well behaved. What it does do which is annoying is when accelerating gently, 1, 2, 3 then 4, then it changes down to 3 then back up to 4. It has the torque to cope with it.

I think if I could reset the adaptive ECU then it would be fine. The other auto I drive didn't do this.

Maybe I'll disconnect the battery and touch the leads together for 10 minutes or so, then reconnect as mentioned in another post recently.

I used to have a Ronbox, but I prefer remaps, so sold the Ronbox after I had the Remap, but not before I had both on at the same time! That was awesome. So much more power & torque. I didn't keep it as I don't think the auto can cope with that amount of torque

Epicuser said:

Most of the time mine is pretty well behaved. What it does do which is annoying is when accelerating gently, 1, 2, 3 then 4, then it changes down to 3 then back up to 4. It has the torque to cope with it.

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That's really strange that you mentioned this Epi

Thats what mines doing - I don't notice it from ''1'' and ''2''

It's 3rd and 4th where that skip up and skip down is happening...... and it's only on slow / soft acceleration.........
Don't ever have any problems from ''1'' and ''2''.. but seems to be up around ''3'' and ''4''... and especially when hitting ''40mpg''- ''50mph''.... that's really strange that yours does it too.......

Out of interest... when yours does the crazy stuff around ''3'' and ''4'' does your rev counter go a bit demented? or does it stay doing pretty much what it should do? :bump2:

When i see to have that hiccup above, i watch the rev counter and it's dancing all over the show??
LS

LandySurf said:

That's really strange that you mentioned this Epi

Thats what mines doing - I don't notice it from ''1'' and ''2''

It's 3rd and 4th where that skip up and skip down is happening...... and it's only on slow / soft acceleration.........
Don't ever have any problems from ''1'' and ''2''.. but seems to be up around ''3'' and ''4''... and especially when hitting ''40mpg''- ''50mph''.... that's really strange that yours does it too.......

Out of interest... when yours does the crazy stuff around ''3'' and ''4'' does your rev counter go a bit demented? or does it stay doing pretty much what it should do? :bump2:

When i see to have that hiccup above, i watch the rev counter and it's dancing all over the show??
LS

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No. The tacho behaves itself... I think. Not noticed it doing anything silly. I'm sure I would have noticed.

I have wondered it a solenoid is on its way out on the box.

My Freelander was well looked after by Land Rover if you believe the service history (I don't!). Like you I have invested a small fortune in sorting out my 2006 auto. Not helped by modifying it as well

I visited my elderly mother the other day and she said 'can't you just be normal like everybody else?' What is normal? Who is everybody else?

Epicuser said:

I visited my elderly mother the other day and she said 'can't you just be normal like everybody else?' What is normal? Who is everybody else?

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Hahaha LOVE this!! What a fantastic quote!! Who are these normal people of which you speak!!? Oh i've had similar conversations -

''Why does it bother you that much?''
'' Does it still drive you to where you want to go?''
'' As long as it gets you from A to B isnt' that all that matters''.... :fish:

Ohhhh I don't bode well in those conversations at all - to me if it's meant to behave in a certain way - and that's what it was built to do - then despite the age - it should be doing / behaving in the way it's supposed too!! I'm dead set on that argument! It's not about just getting from A to B - it's about having your Landy the way you want it!

The list is topping up now of the things ive had done in the last month
- VCU was done
- Rear Centre Diff Bush done
- Ron Box done
- Hoses done
- Links and Track Rods done

I think when you get to that point, like I was saying to Sue and Nobert today, you want it finished. There's no point in selling the car to someone else, ( yes im sure you'd get your money back if you sold it to someone who knows half a thing about Freelanders, and as soon as they see a receipt for a recent VCU its gold dust - its not the point! You've worked on getting that car through - and eventually you'll reach a point where all you'll have to do ( touch wood - well - a HUGE CHUNK ) - that all you have to do is just maintain it at the service intervals - oh a beautiful dream world that seems a long way off!!

We can but hope!!! :whoosh:

Oh and regarding solenoids.....
It seemed that if your Landy is literally throwing you forward into the windscreen when you do a gear change, chances are all 7 are probably severely nackered, or that your gearbox is just literally on it's way out!
However, if the gear box ( and this is probably in the case of you and me ) problem happens intermittently, and just on that change from 3-4 and then back down from 4-3, it's probably just 1 or 2 solenoids that have a problem.

New Solenoids are around £70 each, so worst case scenario, could be £140 and it fixes things! I'm hoping after the extra £1200 i forked out in the last month to get things ship shape, the new auto transmission oil will iron out this crease in the gear box, but if it doesn't, it's going to be the solenoids checked - worth having all 7 tested and checked I think, just to see if it is causing this hiccup!! :tea:

LS

hi

just had a thought about the ron box

its got 10 settings on it

1-5 is for a bosch maf and the others for a pierburgh maf

if u look on the side of the box it will show u what settings does what

have u tried turning the box off completely and see how the auto box goes

had this myself with the autobox jumping into gears

done 3 x ATF oil changes on my box and also gave it a good thrashing down the motorway as i only do short journeys

used the steptronic in sports as well

after a few 100 miles it seems to have settled down

plus is there anyone near u with a hawkeye that can plug it in to see if the autobox comes up with any faults etc

hope that helps abit and check ur synergy box ref the numbers

Just been thinking about the 4th-3rd and the 3rd-4th-3rd-4th. Maybe they are all related and it is a solenoid, and nothing to do with adaptation to driving style/torque output of the engine.

Hey

gstuart
I didn't realise that settings 1-5 were for a Bosch and 7+ were for a Pierburgh - it's quite confusing really, as your meant to run the RonBox with a Pierburgh MAF,and not with a Bosch one - ( that was the advice for Ron when i purchased the Box to begin with )
Because of pricings etc, at first purchase, my Freelander had an exisiting Bosch MAF in there that obviously came standard. Cost of the RonBox without the MAF was around £180 from memory, and i asked the question to them directly wether or not I can just fit the Box alongside this - They came back and said ''ideally'', the RonBox works best with the Pierburgh MAF together as a couple, and work in all settings
( You just need to find the right setting for your foot / engine / car / etc etc ) :brick:

Plus regarding the HawkEye, it was plugged into diagnostics yesterday, and no errors / fault codes were shown. 1/2 solenoids out probably wouldnt' show!!

This jumping of the auto gear box that Epi and I have been discussing, is unlikely to be anything else, apart from the actual gear box itself being a bit ''demented''. Due to the nature of what's actually happening when the car is driven ( and in Epi's case ) it's completely intemittent - and it's only really happening around the 3rd 4th gear change, and noticable from 40pmph - 50pmph. This leads me to think, that if the car is running beautifully when in gear, and its' going through 1-2 okay - and from 2-3, and from 4-5, the majority of solenoids will be perfectly okay.
One or 2 solenoids that may be out, would cause this particular pattern in the gear box, and would only affect that particular solenoids job
( In this case, our demented solenoids for example - might be 2/7 and 3/7 ) - which would leave solenoids 1/4/5/6/7 perfectly fine - which would then explain why the car drives perfectly ''the majority'' of the time.

Hopefully those oil changes will cure it, or ''calm'' it to a point where it's not noticable to you anymore, or to a level you can tolerate. When more solenoids go / fail, that's when your going to feel that horrific jerking, but at the moment, it's just uncomfortable and doesn't ''feel right'' as it's only a small number of them.

I can't help but feel it's a solenoid issue - :frusty:
However, only one downside with solenoids ( apart from being £70.00 each ) its' not a particularly easy job from what i've heard, and the ''labour'' clock starts ticking when you get someone to sort it out...........

So i think in the mean time, its' going to be another 300 miles of driving to let that new auto transmission oil to run through, see how it goes, and if nothing happens, and those hiccups are still happening around 3/4 ( 40mph / 50mph ) then it's going to be checking through all 7 to find out which one it is!! op2:

Sounds as of you have a torque convertor issue - look into its operation on RAVE and then have a look and confirm if it is or not