Freelander 1 Tyres, coolant, filter, sunroof: Qs about the FL1, please assist!

Oogabarooga · Jan 25, 2024

Hi Landyzone,
First time posting here, I've accumulated several questions about my '99 2.0 L-series Diesel Freelander 1 (I believe some here call it gaylander) with 250k Kms or maybe 160k mi. Would love any input on some of these! The most important questions come first.

1. TYRES
My rear tyres are in need of replacing. I've heard before you should do all four because of something viscous or other, but the two fronts still look fairly new (and were made in late 2020). Can I just get the same brand tyre and maybe rotate the still front tyres to the rear, with the new ones in the front? Should they all be the same brand? I bought the car a year ago, the tyres are Imperiums up front (imperium pt515 215 65 16 98h), Saveros in rear, so I'd be looking at buying 2 Imperiums. Anyone know if the 'eco' model is all right? Seems a lot cheaper.

2. COOLANT
I've been topping her off with distilled water, so I presume the radiator mix is far too dilute now. What is the correct coolant for my Freelander? Does it need to be OAN?

3. AIR CABIN FILTER
Where the flip does my new one go? I've looked and I've looked.

4. SUNROOF
It's turned off at the fusebox so I presume there's trouble.. but I would so love to get it working again one day. Is it possible to convert it to a manual sunroof? I hate electric sunroofs. But I'll try and fix it if I have to.

5. OTHER PONDERINGS
-Can I control the rear windscreen wiper?
-I think I smell a bit of diesel at highway speeds, is that normal?
-Should I put wax on the underside of the chassis? I live in S. Europe. She is pretty rust free.
-Suspension creaks a bit on traffic bumps, is that a problem?
-Is severe sun damage and light scratches in the paint easily fixable on a budget? Or does one just paint the whole car?
-The turning radius on this thing is massive right? I've never struggled so much to park in the city.
-So far I've done (well, had done, I'm not a real man) timing belts, water pump, head gasket, engine oil (ok I managed this one!), head unit+speakers. Any other random advice or tips?
-What's with the funny Prince Albert at the end of the oil dipstick?

Cheers Landypeople,
Ooga

Nodge68 · Jan 25, 2024

Nobody in this section calls them garlanders.
That's the rust laden LR sections that call them that. There's nothing gay about a Freelander.

Tyres.
New tyres MUST go on the back, and should really be the exact same tyres as on the front. Not putting new tyres on the back will damage the AWD system, unless of course it's already been damaged in the past and is now 2WD.

Coolant.
It doesn't really matter what you use, it was market dependent anyway. As long as you don't mix different types in the system, it's not fussy.
Cabin filter.
I can't remember the earlier system, it might not have one.
Sun roof.
It's not the electrical part that goes wrong. The sliders or cables seize up, causing the gears to strip. This would happen if it were electrically operated or hand operated. No there wasn't a hand operated version, they were only electrical.

Other things.
Rear wiper has a button on the dash.
It shouldn't smell of diesel.
If there's corrosion then it needs treatment.
Check for dry and cracked bushes on the lower suspension arms.
It's just paint. Any good paint shop should be able to get the paint and fix that for you. Paint isn't normally a budget thing however.
It's a good sized vehicle with a 2555mm wheelbase, with an 11.3M turning circle.
I'm not sure what you mean about the dip stick. The bottom has a plastic scale on it.

htr · Jan 25, 2024

Tyres: Like Nodge said, new ones go on the rear wheels, all must be the same brand, same size and inflation.

Coolant: The climate of southern NZ is similar to southern Europe. I drive a 1998 K series 1.8. I use a red OAT coolant mixed with distilled water. I use a 50% mix as we can have quite severe frosts here in the winter. I think 33% mix would be the minimum.

Cabin Filter: Mine is a 1998 FL1 and it doesn't have a cabin pollen filter - yours may well be the same.

Sunroof: Mine is broken - it's the plastic gears. The metal frame which holds the glass also rusts out - Mine has and that allows water to seem in. Mine is sealed up with a silicone sealant.

Other stuff: suspension noises, creaks... front - check the drop links to the anti roll bar [ARB] for wear. Also look at the bushes on the lower suspension arms as well as the 2 which hold the ARB to the cross member. REAR: Thumping when moving off and turning at the same time could be the diff's centre mount. Metallic creaking could be cracked rear chassis rails - that's where the rear subframe bolts to the actual body. Check especially the right hand side.

Head gasket on an L series? To me that's uncommon - others will comment / confirm....

Enjoy your car - I really like mine.

GrumpyGel · Jan 26, 2024

Oogabarooga said:
Hi Landyzone,
First time posting here, I've accumulated several questions about my '99 2.0 L-series Diesel Freelander 1 (I believe some here call it gaylander) with 250k Kms or maybe 160k mi. Would love any input on some of these! The most important questions come first.

1. TYRES
My rear tyres are in need of replacing. I've heard before you should do all four because of something viscous or other, but the two fronts still look fairly new (and were made in late 2020). Can I just get the same brand tyre and maybe rotate the still front tyres to the rear, with the new ones in the front? Should they all be the same brand? I bought the car a year ago, the tyres are Imperiums up front (imperium pt515 215 65 16 98h), Saveros in rear, so I'd be looking at buying 2 Imperiums. Anyone know if the 'eco' model is all right? Seems a lot cheaper.

2. COOLANT
I've been topping her off with distilled water, so I presume the radiator mix is far too dilute now. What is the correct coolant for my Freelander? Does it need to be OAN?

3. AIR CABIN FILTER
Where the flip does my new one go? I've looked and I've looked.

4. SUNROOF
It's turned off at the fusebox so I presume there's trouble.. but I would so love to get it working again one day. Is it possible to convert it to a manual sunroof? I hate electric sunroofs. But I'll try and fix it if I have to.

5. OTHER PONDERINGS
-Can I control the rear windscreen wiper?
-I think I smell a bit of diesel at highway speeds, is that normal?
-Should I put wax on the underside of the chassis? I live in S. Europe. She is pretty rust free.
-Suspension creaks a bit on traffic bumps, is that a problem?
-Is severe sun damage and light scratches in the paint easily fixable on a budget? Or does one just paint the whole car?
-The turning radius on this thing is massive right? I've never struggled so much to park in the city.
-So far I've done (well, had done, I'm not a real man) timing belts, water pump, head gasket, engine oil (ok I managed this one!), head unit+speakers. Any other random advice or tips?
-What's with the funny Prince Albert at the end of the oil dipstick?

Cheers Landypeople,
Ooga

1. Just get 2 of what ever is on the front and put them on the back. Make sure they are the same brand and model.

2. Should know, but don't.

3. Ditto 2. but probably cos there isn't one.

4. The sunroof in my '99 L Series works perfectly. Because I never use it. Yours may work perfectly, but maybe cos its broken. Either way, same result. I don't use it, cos I know it will only break. If you want to put a manual one in, you'll have to go for a generic aftermarket sunroof that fits the hole or is bigger and get cutting. If there is such a thing.

5.1 Yes, press the button.
5.2 No, check your leak back pipes first. Mine have needed replacing twice.
5.3 Up to you, you could always rip the hairs off your private parts with what's left over. Is it that type of wax?
5.4 The noises are a problem if you do not carry various metal things in the boot that roll around and make a lot of noise. If you don't you hear the suspension noises, if you do, you don't... problem solved. That's how I solved them anyway. They go away in the end and you can remove the metal bits from the boot. Home DIY is piss easy.
5.5 No and No.
5.6 If you say so. We tend to have roads that are wide enough to drive cars on over here. Cars tend to need a bit more room than the European roads designed for horses.
5.7 Well done for changing the oil. Hang around LZ, it will sort out your disabilities.
5.8 Careful with your left over wax.

Freelander 1 Tyres, coolant, filter, sunroof: Qs about the FL1, please assist!

Oogabarooga

New Member

Nodge68

Well-Known Member

htr

Well-Known Member

GrumpyGel

Well-Known Member

Similar threads