Freelander 1 SWMBO's new Freelander (with issues)

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pscan.eu

Well-Known Member
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467
Location
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Today I paid for a 2002 Freelander TD4, but I haven't picked it up. It failed the MOT on all four tyres and binding rear brake.

I am hoping that the rear brake issue is due to lack of use (it's been parked up for a month).

I need to arrange four new tyres and take the drum off on the sellers drive to free things up, and then take it for a retest and take it home.

Issues:-
The clutch pedal on this one is also a bit low, but maybe that is just how they are. There seems to be an inch of travel before it does anything. I kept the clutch pressed for several minutes and it didn't start engaging so I don't think that either cylinder has gone.

One electric window dead.
Electric sunroof dead.
AC dead.
Tailgate windows doesn't drop down properly when the handle is pulled, but if you push it down it goes back up when closed. It also goes up/down on the console switch okay, so doesn't seem too serious.

The VCU seems a little tight, but there are no funny noises from the transmission. I tried backwards and forwards on full lock left and right several times, also on and off power aggressively in 1st gear going downhill. There were no noises at all.

Engine seems powerful and smoke free.

There is minor ding in one door and a stone chip on the bonnet, but generally the bodywork looks good.

128000 miles.

miryfl1.jpg
 
Check your rear brakes as mine has just broke and sound like one of the springs snapped causing a scrapping sound but stops when braking. td4 2002 and similar mileage. The rear window should drop a little to allow the door to open. If you have the remote press and hold to see if the window drops then with the key turn right and hold to lift the window back up.
Check the fluids are clean for brakes the clutch is a sealed unit so check for leaks. electric windows can be the switches themselves that fail. On the centre console unscrew the inner cubbybox and pop the offending one a swap with a good one to confirm doggy switch. Or select the yellow button at the bottom to isolate to rear doors window switches. AC can be expensive so check fuses relating. Sunroof could mean a switch a fuse or the motor for the sunroof needs replacing.
Check service history as fuel filter air filter crankcase breather oil filter. fuel filter will either be at the front near under passenger wheel arch in the engine bay or at the rear right wheel near the fuel tank. hope this helps a little. I feel your pain.
 
pscan.eu said:
Today I paid for a 2002 Freelander TD4, but I haven't picked it up. It failed the MOT on all four tyres and binding rear brake.

I am hoping that the rear brake issue is due to lack of use (it's been parked up for a month).

I need to arrange four new tyres and take the drum off on the sellers drive to free things up, and then take it for a retest and take it home.

Issues:-
The clutch pedal on this one is also a bit low, but maybe that is just how they are. There seems to be an inch of travel before it does anything. I kept the clutch pressed for several minutes and it didn't start engaging so I don't think that either cylinder has gone.

One electric window dead.
Electric sunroof dead.
AC dead.
Tailgate windows doesn't drop down properly when the handle is pulled, but if you push it down it goes back up when closed. It also goes up/down on the console switch okay, so doesn't seem too serious.

The VCU seems a little tight, but there are no funny noises from the transmission. I tried backwards and forwards on full lock left and right several times, also on and off power aggressively in 1st gear going downhill. There were no noises at all.

Engine seems powerful and smoke free.

There is minor ding in one door and a stone chip on the bonnet, but generally the bodywork looks good.

128000 miles.

miryfl1.jpg
Click to expand...

If you are who I think you are, did you try your own code scanner on it ? What modules from the TD4 freelander work and which ones do not work ?
 
I haven't tried it on this one yet, I won't get it home until Wednesday.

The pscan.eu diagnostic unit is already known to work on all of the Freelander 1 engines with the following status:-
K Series: MEMS1.9 Tested on FL1, MEMS3 tested on other Rovers but untested on FL1
L Series: Tested on Rover 620D, untested on FL1
TD4: Tested on FL1
KV6: Tested on FL1
Jatco transmission: Tested on FL1

It doesn't yet work on ABS or SRS but once we have our own vehicle at home we can probably get these to work.
 
I took the offending rear brake apart (in the rain) and found that the lever that the handbrake cable pulls on was seized to the pusher arm, so the handbrake was on all the time.
Getting the drum off was a bit of a sod. I managed to figure out how you knock the arm away from the self adjuster through the access plug but it just would not turn. In end I just hammered the drum off.
I put some oil on the arm and worked it backwards and forwards a bit and it was good enough to pass the MOT.
The lever is held on to the arm with a rivet which seems too tight to be. I think that it is probably going to seize up again. Presumably I can drill the rivet out and put a nut and bolt on and then hammer the end of the thread so that the nut can't fall off.
The car drove home three hours and drove nicely.
I looked at the tailgate window. When you pull the handle the window drops about 1/4" on the right and not at all on the left, so I think that something is just mechanically jammed. The window goes up and down properly on the dash switch.
 
Also the drivers seat belt catch has packed up. It was fine on the test drive but now the buckle just doesn't click in. I was driving back on my own so I could plug into the passenger side instead. It looks like I'll need an entire buckle and pretensioner unit.
 
I swapped the drivers seat belt catch. The easiest way was to unscrew the central arm rest box thing from the floor so that I could get to the torx bolt holding it on. Once it was working I snapped off the plastic from the old one and a piece of gravel fell out....

Last night I fitted a new master cylinder which helped, and today I bled about 1/2 litre of dot 4 through it. Now the biting point feels just like any other car. Freelanders are a bit odd in that the clutch pedal is slightly lower than the brake, but with a new master and fluid it seems fine. If it goes again I might look at fitting a metal master cylinder from a Honda like the Rover 45 boys have started doing.

The rear brakes seem to seize on if the car is left with the handbrake on for 24 hours. I think that the easiest solution is to just buy new rear shoes and fit them.
 
pscan.eu said:
I haven't tried it on this one yet, I won't get it home until Wednesday.

The pscan.eu diagnostic unit is already known to work on all of the Freelander 1 engines with the following status:-
K Series: MEMS1.9 Tested on FL1, MEMS3 tested on other Rovers but untested on FL1
L Series: Tested on Rover 620D, untested on FL1
TD4: Tested on FL1
KV6: Tested on FL1
Jatco transmission: Tested on FL1

It doesn't yet work on ABS or SRS but once we have our own vehicle at home we can probably get these to work.
Click to expand...

So the abs airbag and unlock modules are what is left ?
 
I haven't gotten myself fully familiar with the Freelander yet, but it seems to need ABS, airbag and a body controller to be be covered.
 
Leave the sun roof well alone, you will probably find it has had the plug pulled off the switch to stop it working.
The plastic gears in them fail and your stuck with. an open roof that is more expensive to repair than the car is worth.

The rivets in the brake adjusters are tight, get some copper grease in it and it will be fine.
 
It is called the Sheddist clutch kit. For example for sale here
http://www.darkicedesigns.com/en/tr...yle-clutch-hydraulics-kit-mg-rover-45-zs.html
It isn't much used to us as it is, but the concept is to take a metal cylinder which has the same diameter piston from another vehicle and bodge it in. The Sheddist kit uses a Honda one which is nice because it also has a remote reservoir.

SWMBOs clutch disgraced itself this morning :(

We drove the thing in and out of London yesterday no problem at all, including lots of clutch action.

This morning I got to the end of the road and the pedal went to the floor and stayed there. Hooking my foot under the pedal brought it back up and allowed another gear change. I decided to return home and dump the PoS and take my trusty Peugeot to work instead. As I limped it home the clutch gradually seemed to return and by the time I got home it was 100% nice again.

I stopped and had a look in the reservoir which was still full, so drove it an hour to work.

I suppose that this means that something is wrong with the clutch itself which will mean gearbox off :(:(

Anyone ideas what is wrong with the clutch on this ungrateful car?

It will have to be fixed as SWMBO loves the thing to bits and says she wants to keep it forever.
 
It's a brand new master cylinder, fitted last week. LuK told me on the phone that they fill them with Dot 4.
 
When we got our td4 one of the rear side windows didn't not want to work. I did swap the switch round as that is the easiest thing to try first, but ours made no difference.

When I used the switches for the rear door I could hear a very faint click from the motor. I took the door card off, and lighty pressed the switch to lower the window, again hearing the click, and also smelt a bit of burning electrical from motor, which was getting warm. A new motor and mechanism and all was sorted :)
 
If the fluid was at the same level and no leaks then I would look at the master cylinder return spring, also check the thing is venting to atmosphere via the cap.
 
the biting point is a bit low again :(
I'm guessing that the gearbox is going to have to come off :(:(
 
If one minute the clutch bit is high and next its low, and with no loss of fluid I would say is the master cylinder not returning all the way back to allow the piston to refill with fluid
 
The pedal is coming all the way up, it's just that the biting point is now only just off of the floor. I bled it again last night but it doesn't seem to make any difference. The new master cylinder is still dry. It's difficult to tell if the fluid goes down because the cap seems to fill most of the reservoir and so pushes most of the fluid out when you put the cap on.
My feeling is that fitting a new master and bleeding the system has pushed the slave further out than it has been for a long time and probably it's now seized or blown the seal on it.
I have started stocking up on new parts on the assumption that sooner or later I will need them.

Valeo solid flywheel and clutch kit (arrived yesterday), £300.
DSC_1491.JPG


Metal slave cylinder ordered from ebay, £65.
tazu.jpg


Has anyone any opinions of the best gearbox oil and IRD oil for the FL1?
 
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