S

Stephie

Member
moved from a different part of the forum, hoping to get a little help

hello you lovely lot! well what a way to introduce myself, I need a bit of info andhelp straight off the bat
I've just purchased (literally 9 days ago!) an 03 Freelander TD4 with 108k miles on the clock. When I went to view it they said the turbo had seized, but were going to fix it, so after much consideration by myself and my dad we decided to go ahead and purchase it. Other than the turbo it's a fantastic car and in very good condition. Well, on the test drive we noted a whirring noise (to me it sounds like a spaceship ). It's not there at idle, but when you accelerate you can hear it.
It doesn't get louder as you get faster, it's a constant sound at a constant volume when the car moves.
My dad thought it could be wheel bearing. But after tonight I'm not so sure.
I returned from the shops, sat with the car idling to let the turbo wind down (my dad said to do that, something about oil) when I noticed fumes/smoke coming from under the bonnet behind the left headlight.
Now, before you say it, yes it's a little chilly, yes the car had warmed up. So I got out, left the car idling, and went to smell the smoke. It smelt like diesel. Only coming from behind the left headlight.
The car has a warranty so I won't have to pay to have this fixed, but my question is... does this sound like it could be a leak from the exhaust manifold?
I'd like to give the guys at the garage an idea of the problem before I take it back to them. The reason being it took them 3 days to remove and re-fit the turbo after it was reconditioned. And I can't be without my car for that long!
I appreciate any reply!

Thanks in advance guys and gals!

Someone kindly asked if I've got a fuel burning heater - I don't know. Unfortunately I'm a novice with all things mechanical
 
Just check under the left front wing and you will see a 1" dia silvery pipe - that's the exhaust of you Fuel burning heater -
typical behavoir that - goes smokey on mine as it switches off and purges
 
dfossil said:
Just check under the left front wing and you will see a 1" dia silvery pipe - that's the exhaust of you Fuel burning heater -
typical behavoir that - goes smokey on mine as it switches off and purges
Click to expand...
Thanks so much for the info! I will check in the morning. Fingers crossed that's all it is
 
The noise is most likely the FBH also, it maybe kicking it at the wrong time, sometimes the PCB board on them play up, the best way to find out if it is related to the FBH is unplug it either from inside the front wheel arch, or unplug the fuel dosing pump to it behind the rear wheel arch.

In the photo's below you can see the pimp in the last pic after I had removed the main fuel pump & fuel filter to renew, if you unplug this then the FBH will not receive fuel, see if the noise stops after, or most certainly ask the garage to look at the noise and where it is coming from, I note you are from the midlands Telford close to Cosford etc ?
 

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Stephie said:
Oh brilliant, thanks! Any ideas about the noise tho?
Click to expand...
Ignore the smoke and possibly a quiet jet engine sound from the front nearside under the headlamp. That's just an fired boiler to help warm the engine when it's cold out.

The whirring noise is more of an issue. The Freelander has a pretty unique drive train, that is easily damaged without realising.
First off all the tyres must be the same. Same make, same type, same size and same pressure all round.
If this is neglected, then the Viscose Coupling Unit (VCU) will stiffen. This then joins the front differential and rear differential together, when it's not needed. This action then overloads the Intermediate Reduction Drive (IRD) or the rear diff, or both. Normal symptoms of damaged IRD and diff would be bearing noise at the start. If ignored, can lead to catastrophic internal failure and a smashed case. This then renders the unit scrap and unsuitable for exchange for a recon unit.
There is another cause of the noise, which thankfully is much less serious. This is the VCU support bearings, particularly the front one. These can get dry and rumble alarmingly. However changing them will fix that issue.
So before driving further, you need to do some checks. Ensure that the tyres are all the same, make, model and pressure. Also the least worn must be on the rear.

I would recommend doing the One Wheel Up Test (OWUT). This is found on a sticky at the top of the Freelander forum. Ignore the arguments that often ensue on it though. The OWUT is your best guide to the condition of the VCU. A stiffening VCU WILL damage the IRD and possibly the rear diff too.
All that is needed for the OWUT is a 1.2M bar to act as a lever to turn a rear wheel. A means of connecting the bar to the wheel (a 32mm socket is ideal). A 5Kg weight on the end of the bar, and a way of lifting the wheel clear of the ground.
Hippo has a video that shows how it's done.
So you will be busy, but it's necessary to know the condition of the VCU and how to look after it.
 
Arctic2 said:
The noise is most likely the FBH also, it maybe kicking it at the wrong time, sometimes the PCB board on them play up, the best way to find out if it is related to the FBH is unplug it either from inside the front wheel arch, or unplug the fuel dosing pump to it behind the rear wheel arch.

In the photo's below you can see the pimp in the last pic after I had removed the main fuel pump & fuel filter to renew, if you unplug this then the FBH will not receive fuel, see if the noise stops after, or most certainly ask the garage to look at the noise and where it is coming from, I note you are from the midlands Telford close to Cosford etc ?
Click to expand...

Wow, thank you! Yes I'm Telford, down the M54 from Cosford :) I need to phone the garage Tuesday when they're back open. So I can at least give them an idea of the possible cause. Could this have been caused by them replacing the turbo? They needed to remove the front of the car to get to it, cuz they didn't have a ramp to get underneath properly
 
Nodge68 said:
Ignore the smoke and possibly a quiet jet engine sound from the front nearside under the headlamp. That's just an fired boiler to help warm the engine when it's cold out.

The whirring noise is more of an issue. The Freelander has a pretty unique drive train, that is easily damaged without realising.
First off all the tyres must be the same. Same make, same type, same size and same pressure all round.
If this is neglected, then the Viscose Coupling Unit (VCU) will stiffen. This then joins the front differential and rear differential together, when it's not needed. This action then overloads the Intermediate Reduction Drive (IRD) or the rear diff, or both. Normal symptoms of damaged IRD and diff would be bearing noise at the start. If ignored, can lead to catastrophic internal failure and a smashed case. This then renders the unit scrap and unsuitable for exchange for a recon unit.
There is another cause of the noise, which thankfully is much less serious. This is the VCU support bearings, particularly the front one. These can get dry and rumble alarmingly. However changing them will fix that issue.
So before driving further, you need to do some checks. Ensure that the tyres are all the same, make, model and pressure. Also the least worn must be on the rear.

I would recommend doing the One Wheel Up Test (OWUT). This is found on a sticky at the top of the Freelander forum. Ignore the arguments that often ensue on it though. The OWUT is your best guide to the condition of the VCU. A stiffening VCU WILL damage the IRD and possibly the rear diff too.
All that is needed for the OWUT is a 1.2M bar to act as a lever to turn a rear wheel. A means of connecting the bar to the wheel (a 32mm socket is ideal). A 5Kg weight on the end of the bar, and a way of lifting the wheel clear of the ground.
Hippo has a video that shows how it's done.
So you will be busy, but it's necessary to know the condition of the VCU and how to look after it.
Click to expand...

Thanks! My dad test drove the landy too, he says the VCU is fine. He has a 53 facelift landy that needed the VCU doing, so he knows how it should feel & drive when it's faulty and when it's fine. He also made sure the tyres were the same with the same tread depth. But the support bearings sound like a good thing to check! There is a banging noise from the front left when I drive round tight roundabouts (even if I do 15-20mph). That could be that. To me it sounds like the suspension bottoming out. I will get them to check the support bearings for sure!
Thanks for all the info! My dad is right, you guys are brilliant help! :D
 
Dad's are usually right :), however, if you don't want to the do One Wheel Up Test yourself, I'd suggest getting the garage to do it - it won't take long and they are likely to have the 32mm socket needed to do it (although it should be in the toolbox of any Freelander owner).

You can point them to this video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0ytdkWyEsQ

As Nodge says, it should be done with a 1.2m bar and 5kg weight to get the best comparison results and you should expect a "good" time of between of up to 1 minute.

Its likely the banging isn't caused by an overly tight VCU, but the OWUT is a quick, simple and definitive test to ensure that's the case. Experienced Freelander drivers have got it wrong previously just by sensing the feel of the car driving it. I believe the Anti Roll Bar bushes are a good candidate, maybe other bushes on the suspension for that wheel or tie rod etc.
 
GrumpyGel said:
Dad's are usually right :), however, if you don't want to the do One Wheel Up Test yourself, I'd suggest getting the garage to do it - it won't take long and they are likely to have the 32mm socket needed to do it (although it should be in the toolbox of any Freelander owner).

You can point them to this video...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0ytdkWyEsQ
As Nodge says, it should be done with a 1.2m bar and 5kg weight to get the best comparison results and you should expect a "good" time of between of up to 1 minute.

Its likely the banging isn't caused by an overly tight VCU, but the OWUT is a quick, simple and definitive test to ensure that's the case. Experienced Freelander drivers have got it wrong previously just by sensing the feel of the car driving it. I believe the Anti Roll Bar bushes are a good candidate, maybe other bushes on the suspension for that wheel or tie rod etc.
Click to expand...


Thank you so much, all replies have been a brilliant help! I will make sure the garage looks at all these things to make sure I don't have to take it back again :) I will be ringing them Tuesday to get it booked in. Will let you all know the outcome
 
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