Freelander with problems

Hi
My wife has just bought a 1999 Freelander that had the rear driveshaft removed but still with the vehicle. The hill descent warning light is on but she has been told that this will go out once the driveshaft has been refitted. Is this true? The traction control and ABS lights have also come on. Is this coneccted too? Please excuse what could be silly questions as both her and myself have never owned a 4x4 before. Any help would be appreciated.

Get and introduce yerself afore tha locals find ya.:welcome2:

Hi I am new to the Forum. I live just outside Belfast with my wife who has just bought a 1999 Freelander Hardtop 1.8. I am a diabetic and we live on top os a very large hill which the local council say is too dangerous to grit in times of snow or ice. My wife bought the Freelander in order to get me to hospital in an emergency.

Have you broken down and need rescued, coz this is what this section is for.
I'm currently around your neck of the woods and could tow you off the big hill if needed tomorrow when I'll be heading for the ferry.

Moved from lzir

Refitting the propshaft will NOT put the HDC light out - nothing to do with that.

Do a forum search for "3 amigos" - the three warning lights are very common problems and there are a few different faults that can cause them.

dave21478 said:

Refitting the propshaft will NOT put the HDC light out - nothing to do with that.



Do a forum search for "3 amigos" - the three warning lights are very common problems and there are a few different faults that can cause them.

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....unless the reluctor ring is on the driveshaft and it the sensor is not getting a signal from the abs sensor?

Don't want to be pesimistic but you might find the 3 amigos is the least of your worries, do you know why the prop shaft was removed in the first place ?

Is it one of the rear driveshafts that was removed or the rear propshaft ?
If its one of the rear driveshafts thats removed that would bring on the 3 amigos on a 1999 model

Kizzeh said:

....unless the reluctor ring is on the driveshaft and it the sensor is not getting a signal from the abs sensor?

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Presume that drive shaft refers to rear props and VCU. If this has been removed it often means there is problems with either the IRD or rear diff, if you do a forum search there is plenty of info, too much for me to post and almost certainly more accurate. Comments from sellers which suggest that the props were removed to improve fuel consumption are usually rubbish and used to sell a vehicle that has drive train problems.

I was thinking more Someone removed a rear drive shaft to mask the fact the vcu was worn, whilst keeping the propshaft on. But didn't think through properly as you would still need the cv joint on the hub to stop the bearing floating around and therefore still have the ring on

I believe the drive shaft was removed because 4x4 wasn't needed and the previous owner was told fuel economy would improve.

Thanks Biggeeeee but I haven't broken down, just didn't realise I was in the wrong section

Yes - you need to qualify whether its the prop shafts (ie the ones running from the front to back with a 'VCU' in the middle) or the drive shafts (ie the ones running out from the diff to the wheels) that have been removed.

Its almost certainly the prop shafts - but everything comes up on this forum at times

If it is the prop shafts, it is because the car was run on mismatched tyres or the VCU (which is basically a limited slip joint) siezed and will have broken the rear diff, or more probably the front diff where it drives the prop shafts. As stated, do a search, there's loads of info here on it. If you put the props back on your car will probably make horendous grinding noises. The props (as oposed to the driveshafts) do not effect the HDC/ABS/TC (3 Amigos) - it will be the reluctors or modulator or something else - best thing is to plug it into a fault reader (at a garage) which will say what's wrong and needs fixing.

Others may shoot me down in flames, but I don't think a 4WD will get you down a icey hill much safer than a 2WD. I got stuck in a freezing snow storm coming down a local hill in my Disco 1 day. There was quite a bit of traffic and I started laughing as the fella in front in his big Merc started losing control (at about 2MPH) - but I wasn't laughing about a minute later when the Disco was doing the same stuff. Was a scarey 3 hour drive that normally takes 10 minutes. However, if you sort out the HDC/ABS - that will make the car safer. Getting home again up the hill, the 4WD will be a huge benefit.

moonrover said:

I believe the drive shaft was removed because 4x4 wasn't needed and the previous owner was told fuel economy would improve.

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Makes very little if any difference to fuel consumption, vehicle is designed as a 4x4 and removing rear drive train changes handling characteristics which means that it is a notifiable modification and should be declared to your insurer, your choice.

Stick your head underneath might be a spare or old one?