iwsf

New Member
Rather basic query for most of you.
Looking for a 110 for trip arround Australia , it seems that the 300 tdi is the favorite Landy to go for because of its more basic engine that makes it easier to fix.

But what are the acutal differences ? Is a td5 a complete nightmare to fix ? What does it take to fix it? I mean do you need one of these €10 000 computers to diagnose problems ?

Any advises appreciated

Thank you
 
I only have experince with the td5 and Im happy with my 110. Its not as easy fix engine problems compared to the 300 tdi though. The fact that it has an ECU means that the computer is needed to fix somethings and the injectors run at huge pressures so even something as simple as an airlock is not a simple matter of cracking nuts in the fuel system to bleed it. Iv known lots of other diesel engines and they are all basically the same a good set of spanners and a bit of work will fix them and if not any machanic can. I think the 300 tdi is the same and by all accounts a very good engine so its proberly the better one to bring for that reason. Im sure others will be along shortly with more informed advice though. Hope this helps
 
After owning both I would recommend a 300tdi.

Far more reliable and much easier to fix. I love the power of my TD5 but would rather sacrafice the power for the reliability of my old 300tdi
 
My mate just bought a newish Defender with the Puma engine in it and two weeks in it's sprung a biggish oil leak. So you could say they do build them like they used to!

Everyone here will tell you 300tdi, but to offer an alternative view if it's good enough for the military is should make it round Australia. There are a few key spares to take that should cover most eventualities. If you had a 300tdi you'd still take spares right...

One issue round the 300tdi is that the vehicles by definition are older, so it's worth considering the reliability of the whole vehicle.
 
tdi it will be then
Was asking because i found one 11 years 110 300 tdi csw (109 000) miles in very good condition for €10000 (i am in Ireland) and one 6 years old 110 td5 csw (50 000 miles) in also a very good condition for €15000. €15000 is the very top of my budget.
I am no expert in mechanic but i am not an idxxt either so from all i gathered up to now the 300 tdi is the prefered choice

Thank you
 
Personally, I don't think there's any simple answer to this question. Lots of people will (and have!) said that the 300tdi is 'easier to fix' but that depends on the fault. Yes, the TD5 might get a fault related to the ECU but replacing the ECU takes about 2 minutes and some electrical faults can be one hell of a lot easier to fix than mechanical ones.

It seems to me that if you're going to be in a situation where you need to be able to repair the vehicle yourself for a wide range of possible faults, you'll be needing to carry a wide range of spares and tools and have a good technical knowledge. Given this, it doesn't matter if the engine is a TDi, a TD5 or anything else - you'll be carrying spares and will have the knowledge to fix. The opinions criticising the TD5 for it's electrical reliance seem to always assume any fault in same is unfixable and the end of your journey. Why?

For example, elsewhere here you'll find a note from me about a fault on my TD5 that stopped the car starting. Turned out to be a faulty earth lead which took about 10 seconds to fix. Yes, it was an electrical fault particular to the ECU on the TD5 but it also took only seconds to fix.

Take a look through the posts on here and take a look at the faults reported for TDis and TD5s and see how you feel about possibly repairing them yourself. (note perhaps particularly the 'snapped cambelt' post).
 
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Yes, the TD5 might get a fault related to the ECU but replacing the ECU takes about 2 minutes and some electrical faults can be one hell of a lot easier to fix than mechanical ones.

are you saying that TD5 owners should consider carrying a spare ECU with them - and perhaps a full set of electronic diagnostic equipment, including SMA rework kit and associated components as may be required ?

that's a big step up from a couple of spare injectors, a fuel pump and a fuel shut off solenoid which is about all you'd need for a 200Tdi
 
Thank you Cobnut.
You are right there are no simple answers.
It is very difficult to find a good reliable 300 tdi especially here in Ireland where i leave. I can find a few in the UK but then the import tax makes it very expensive (arround 33% of the price).
Here there are a good few 110 CSW td5 for sale at a reasonable price, going to see one next week.
I need the landrover to drive me and my familly arround every days but also need it for our trip next year in Australia.
difficult choice for a newbie like me :doh:
 
are you saying that TD5 owners should consider carrying a spare ECU with them - and perhaps a full set of electronic diagnostic equipment, including SMA rework kit and associated components as may be required ?

Of course not. That's not the scenario of this or other similar threads. The OP is talking about a vehicle for a specific trip in Australia where - we're assuming - he's planning on needing to fix things himself, probably away from support resources such as breakdown firms.

that's a big step up from a couple of spare injectors, a fuel pump and a fuel shut off solenoid which is about all you'd need for a 200Tdi

And if it's not one of these things? What about the cambelt and associated repairs to any damage caused by that failure? Say the OP has bought a 110 repaired poorly in exactly the same way as the poster with the dodgy cambelt?

What I'm saying is that all these TDi/TD5 threads seem to concentrate almost entirely on the TD5 reliance on the ECU when there's a very good chance you could drive thousands of miles without it ever going wrong. At the end of the day, unless you're carrying an entire 110 in kit form, the most likely fault is one you can't fix. Yes, carry a spare fuel pump, how does that help when it's the water pump that fails?

Anyway, why not carry a spare ECU? If the trip is that important then it's a wise spare to carry and can be sold on eBay on return or possibly even returned to the supplier if not used. A device such as the Nanocom is probably a good idea anyway for this trip - I know at least a couple of the guys here have one permanantly fitted.

I agree 100% that simpler engines are good fun to work on. I love the 'fuel in here, spark in here, wheels go round' approach that made it fun to work on MGs when I was younger. But even simple engines can and do develop faults that can't be fixed simply and it seems to me that most of these threads are actually saying that the common faults with TDis are well-known and easy to fix while potential faults with a TD5 might involve work on the ECU. I'd be willing to bet that if he takes a TD5 any fault won't be related to the ECU and if he takes a TDi any fault won't be a common one.
 
I'd be willing to bet that if he takes a TD5 any fault won't be related to the ECU and if he takes a TDi any fault won't be a common one.

a "in the middle of no where" mechanic isn't going to get very far fixing a ECU related fault, even if it's just a "potential" fault - the fact that the possibility exists to become stranded due to it should sensibly remove the TD5 as an option (unless your happy to be carrying expensive spares)

even an uncommon 200/300 fault is very likely to be well within the scope of experience of a "in the middle of no where" mechanic to resolve

i know what engine i'd prefer, but each to their own etc etc ....
 
working on the theory....if it hasnt got it then it cant break......then the TDi is the one to get,added to the fact that landrover still makes the TDi for what they call'the rest of the world'...as they can be fixed by a bushmonkey with a big hammer as opposed to paying a guy with a laptop then i think you can see where this is going......TDi everytime
 
working on the theory....if it hasnt got it then it cant break......then the TDi is the one to get,added to the fact that landrover still makes the TDi for what they call'the rest of the world'...as they can be fixed by a bushmonkey with a big hammer as opposed to paying a guy with a laptop then i think you can see where this is going......TDi everytime
da man speak da truth boss,300 everytime.
 
Of course not. That's not the scenario of this or other similar threads. The OP is talking about a vehicle for a specific trip in Australia where - we're assuming - he's planning on needing to fix things himself, probably away from support resources such as breakdown firms.



And if it's not one of these things? What about the cambelt and associated repairs to any damage caused by that failure? Say the OP has bought a 110 repaired poorly in exactly the same way as the poster with the dodgy cambelt?

What I'm saying is that all these TDi/TD5 threads seem to concentrate almost entirely on the TD5 reliance on the ECU when there's a very good chance you could drive thousands of miles without it ever going wrong. At the end of the day, unless you're carrying an entire 110 in kit form, the most likely fault is one you can't fix. Yes, carry a spare fuel pump, how does that help when it's the water pump that fails?

Anyway, why not carry a spare ECU? If the trip is that important then it's a wise spare to carry and can be sold on eBay on return or possibly even returned to the supplier if not used. A device such as the Nanocom is probably a good idea anyway for this trip - I know at least a couple of the guys here have one permanantly fitted.

I agree 100% that simpler engines are good fun to work on. I love the 'fuel in here, spark in here, wheels go round' approach that made it fun to work on MGs when I was younger. But even simple engines can and do develop faults that can't be fixed simply and it seems to me that most of these threads are actually saying that the common faults with TDis are well-known and easy to fix while potential faults with a TD5 might involve work on the ECU. I'd be willing to bet that if he takes a TD5 any fault won't be related to the ECU and if he takes a TDi any fault won't be a common one.

I had a 300tdi until june last year. I had it for 18 months and it NEVER let me down. I bought it with a melted number 4 cylinder and drove it down from Glasgow to Bath as it was. I then carried on driving it for a further 3 months until I found a decent engine at the right price. It smoked like a pig for the first 2 mins after start up and the piston slapped like anything but it kept on going with very little loss of power.

My current landy, A TD5, I bought in August last year. So far it's had 2 top hoses, 2 coolant temp sensors, 1 bottom hose, 2 thermostats, 2 radiator expansion caps, I expansion tank, 4 Fuel coolers, 1 engine rebuild,

Even now it's not 100% right. I plug it into my diagnostic most times I'm driving it cos I don't trust it. Everytime I plug it in it has some fault or other showing.

I don't trust my TD5 to go shopping so there's no way I'd ever think about taking one on a trip around the globe. Give me a 300tdi any day. You cannot beat their reliability.

If you take spares with you on an expedition you want to take the basic things that will keep you running. With a TD5 you would need to carry a complete engine with all ancillaries.

I recently had a problem out on a days laning. I spent most of the day in limp mode and if I tried to go above 50mph or floor it I spat all my coolant out. All it was was the new expansion cap was fooked again and the new coolant sensor too.

There were no faults on the diagnostic. I had it plugged in the whole time. The only clue to anything was that just once in the day the coolant temp jumped from 85 degs to 1500 degs for 5 seconds. What chance would the average person have of sussing anything out? If you plug it in after you have problems there are no faults.
 
Thank you to all for the different views
I am going to see a 1996 110 300 tdi with 130000 miles on the clock.
As it will be my first defender, any tips on what to look for when inspecting it ?
It looks in great shape but what should i worry about ?
 
The best tip I could give you is take someone that knows defenders with you, buy a bad one and its going to cost you lots and lots of cash. Drive it in every gear high and low, test the difflock, get underneath it look for bad rust on the chassy and while your there check drive shafts and u joints for play. Make sure its not warmed up before you start it you need to start it from cold and get it up to temp. There is lots more but my fingers are getting tired I think the first one is the most important one. Best of luck
 

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