I have had this problem on both Freelanders and found that the rear door seal was in good condition but did not seal that well on the door hinge side, by re positioning the seal and moving the metal surround of the car body I was able to get a better seal and its been fine in both cases since...

Chances are you will damage the dust seal and piston seal when removing the piston to clean it - just as well to replace the seals while it is stripped down :)

My preference would always be the hardback although it would be nice to fit the soft top for occasional summer use. There was also a rain cover that Land Rover did for use in place of the hardback, could be worth tracking one down :) My case is a bit different though as I have an MG TF for the...

:lol: I knew what I was doing buying a petrol model, it was so cheap not to buy it and I am not frightened of the K series, if it goes wrong I can fix it. But I also have the TD4 and it is definitely the better engine :)

The fuel cost is what put me off the 2.5 and I know the cambelt change is costly and quite complex although I have never done it myself. The head gasket can go on a 2.5 but its not as prone to HG failure as the 1.8 petrol version, I think there can also be an issue with coolant leaks - I am sure...

Mine did the same, the solenoid within the lock mechanism fails and the door no longer unlocks. Replacement of the lock mechanism is the only way to fix it.

Not all petrol Freelanders are bad but if you have the budget for a diesel, go for that instead. The boot space in a Freelander isn't huge, assuming a large cage for a lab, you would need to put the back seats down, the angle of the back seat means at the top of the seat towards the rear door...

Yes when the engine is running the fuel pump needs to run all the time. Make sure your immobiliser is disarming though before condemming the fuel pump.

Is it both locking and unlocking that isn't working ? Usually when the lock mechanisms fail they unlocking feature doesnt work but they still lock.

I bet they even said that when the HG went on a 1.8 petrol :D

You will do it quicker next time ;) Remember to have your heater dial turned to hot and bleed the cooling system before starting the engine.

:confused: Wrong thread, this one is for MG Maestros ;)

If its not working on speed 4 then its not your resistor pack as this only controls speeds 1,2 & 3. Check the electrical connections to the fan switch on the dash - mine gave up last year and opening the glove box under the steering wheel then slamming it shut again got it working :confused:

Assuming its a TD4 you have give the fuel pump a thump and see if it starts running, they often fail but a thump usually gets them going for a bit :rolleyes:

I have a 1.8 petrol and a TD4. I bought the 1.8 as it was cheap last winter and I needed a decent car for the winter. The 1.8 is worth considering it the price is right and you bear in mind that you may need to do the HG at some point. If you have the budget for a TD4 or the earlier L series...

Is it still working on speed 4 but not 1,2 and 3? if so it will be the resistor and you can either buy a complete replacement or purchase new resistors and solder them in. I fitted this kit last year and the resistors are far better quality than the originals Click

The manual does make mention of re-using an existing belt and I did just that on an MGF when I had to do a HG about 1k after the belt was replaced, i reused the belt (and fitted a new water pump) and it was fine :)

How long have you had the car - there are 2 different handbrake cables (different lengths depending on year) and perhaps the wrong one is fitted. First of all check the fitment of the brake shoes, make sure the pivot lever on the shoes is free and that the auto adjusters are not seized.

Get yourself a nice TD4 and carry out the checks to make sure the VCU has not siezed and you will have a capable and reliable Freelander :)

Check that the IACV (Idle Air Control Valve) is not stuck open, this allows extra air into the engine when it is cold and closes as the engine warms up, sometimes they stick open and cause the problem you have. You can remove it and clean it to see if this improves things.