Thread: Just "Defender" or bad quality?

I learned to drive in the military (23 years ago) and DD clutching all Land Rovers were the way were taught and I've done so ever since. Not a proper DD clutch, but a throttle blip with a fraction of clutch pedal movement on your way through. My first 90, a '96 bought in '97 did 320000km without master cylinder failure. I must have done at least that again in another 3 no 300Tdi's, again without ever having master cylinder or transmission failure.

I'm firmly clutching (no pun intended!) the wooden table leg as I say this. My Puma 90 is only 6 month old, but not a drop of oil leaked, key fob remote works at 30 paces, no dust ingress on any of the national park routes I've done to date and while the transmission is a little clunky if you drive it like a small hatchback (missus did initially), with a little bit of TLC while driving, it's the smoothest ride I've ever had in a Landie (Not counting D2, D3, D4 or any RR!).

Old saying, your tools will treat you the same way you treat them... Not always true, but I choose to live by it.

Cheers,

Originally Posted by cucinadio

Mate we had a GU pootrol for a few years 2.8D man.. to tell you the truth if we didn't know we were talking about a defender.. id swear you were talking about the GU ....same issues when i first drove it and took it back several times and same response "whats the problem?"... after a while i got used to the fact that it was a truck and coming from a Honda Integra to the GU was an experience in its self ....and to top it we lived in the thick of it on chevron Island on the gold coast and it was our only means of transport!!..lol.. needless to say it lasted three years before the wife finally gave up and said it had to go .!!!, mine you i didn't really mind , because it was a complete pos and was happy to move on to the disco!!....guess its not quite the same but the point I'm trying to make is that in the end its a truck and will take some getting used to , as i said in all the above if i didn't know better would be describing the GU ....and trust me my little bro's Gq would be in the same catagory but i know what id rather be driving ...

I have had the opposite experience with my GQ 4.2D. Its done 450,000 km, been fitted with an aftermarket turbo from new and mainly been used to tow horse floats and a big caravan. There is still no backlash or slop whatsoever in the drivetrain, and the syncros (including reverse syncro) are fine. I couldnt make it clunk if I tried. There is no gear noise anywhere, except for the low speed rattle in the gearbox which they all seem to have had from new. Even the rear LSD is still tight enough to chirp on tight corners.
When I drive my 110, it always takes a conscious effort to avoid clunks and as for gear noise.....
I would have the GQ gearbox/transfer and diffs in my 110 in a heartbeat; part time 4WD doesnt bother me at all but the landrover low range gearing is a lot better.

Originally Posted by mark2

I have had the opposite experience with my GQ 4.2D. Its done 450,000 km, been fitted with an aftermarket turbo from new and mainly been used to tow horse floats and a big caravan. There is still no backlash or slop whatsoever in the drivetrain, and the syncros (including reverse syncro) are fine. I couldnt make it clunk if I tried. There is no gear noise anywhere, except for the low speed rattle in the gearbox which they all seem to have had from new. Even the rear LSD is still tight enough to chirp on tight corners.
When I drive my 110, it always takes a conscious effort to avoid clunks and as for gear noise.....
I would have the GQ gearbox/transfer and diffs in my 110 in a heartbeat; part time 4WD doesnt bother me at all but the landrover low range gearing is a lot better.

I have had 3 Patrols over the years and I never had a gear box or drive train issue, nor did I have to change my driving style I must admit.

Originally Posted by nugge t

I have had 3 Patrols over the years and I never had a gear box or drive train issue, nor did I have to change my driving style I must admit.

Yep, same here, sorry you just can't pay out on a Patrol driveline........

Just back the beast back after it had a 3 day holiday at the dealers.

Went in for

strange noise when turning on and again when turning off
fix diesel leak which happens when tank filled
Fix surface bodywork rust in the tray
Fix A/C which runs out of cold air after 30mins

They fixed

tank leak but not yet tested
A/C but again not yet tested on longer drive

however in the process the A/C controller knob only works in face setting and has to be replaced. Also it looks liek they took the dash out using screwdrivers and have left numerous dig and scratch marks on the dash.

The noise made when turning on and turning off is deemed to be normal. Also evident in wagons they compared it to on the lot but the crew cab is louder. Apparently if they disconnected the geabox mounts and wedged the gearbox with crow bars it went away!!

This..."compared to other Defenders"...line, which they also used when the driveline slop/noises were evaluated, has now worn very thin with me.

What is the quality control standard. I can not believe that after 60 odds years, land Rover do not have a standard for something as basic as driveline slop.....how about zero?!? Comparing it to other Defenders is a total cop out as they are probably equally as bad. I have now had the truck back to the dealers 3 times in 3 months and facing a 4th in 4 months. Equally as bad is that it is leaving the dealer with as long a "to do" list as it went in.

Originally Posted by nugge t

What is the quality control standard. I can not believe that after 60 odds years, land Rover do not have a standard for something as basic as driveline slop.....how about zero?!?

I drove a 130 Tdi once and I could not believe how I could feel, what felt like it, every part of the driveline taking up slack clunk by clunk. My 20 year old 110 makes no such clunks unless I am harsh on the clutch, the driveline is very tight. But then LR had the 110 right 25 years ago.

Good luck with the LR dealer, my experience is that it soon leads to frustration.

I still refuse to believe that its a requirement to double declutch a brand new gear box, sure as they wear out maybe. But Cmon seriously a new gearbox in a new light vehicle thats fully synchronized you have to have to double declutch?

you dont even have to do that in new trucks and Im not just talking about some small "you can drive it on your car license" truck I'm talking "Yep, she could pull uluru, Wave rock, the devils marbles and probably still have room for a hitcher or 2" Class trucks

Now I know that someone somewhere Is going to call me on the "But you double declutch" But thats mainly from force of habit I drive an old series with a non syncro box and most of the trucks I drive at work are non syncro.

Can you imagine the outcry if having to double declutch was a standard thing on all vehicles?

I agree 100%..this is a new vhicle. They ahve been making them for 60 years, the Puma has been out for 3 years and the dealer has been a Landrover dealer for at least 10years that I know of and I suspect much longer, and they have to "compare" against other Defenders on the lot everytime you have a problem.

I've heard some BS in my time but that is right out of LR fog off a warranty class 101.

If they had said, Nugget you have 24mm play in your rear, the LR tolerance is 32mm and if it goes outside that tolerance we will replace it, no problem...we all know where the goal posts are.

But to effectively say...well we have compared it to the other Defenders on the lot and even though we don't know if they are good or bad, yours is in the range!

Seriously, if LR and their dealers can not identify something as basic as a driveline tolerance with all of that experience, they should change industries....Yep, I woke up cranky!

On a positive note,I filled up this morning without having to explain to the EPA why diesel was pooling under my car so at least one thing is fixed.

Now for the A/C control switch, marked dash ( looks like they removed it with their Grans false teeth), Strange noise when starting and stopping engine and the rust in the tray.