Hi all

SWMBO's 90 had to have it's main seal replaced under warranty recently, after I discovered a small oil leak collecting on the underside of the bellhousing. Before the work was done, the clutch on her car felt pretty much identical to the clutch on my MY14 110. When it came back, the clutch felt horrible. It no longer had the smooth, progressive feel it had had, but instead it bit abruptly almost as soon as the pedal started to leave the floor.

We took the car back and the dealer checked it out. They advised that there had been a problem with the clutch control valve and that there had been air trapped in the system that had now been bled out. Initially, the clutch felt better, but not the same as it had. It seems to have become worse and is again biting almost as soon as the pedal starts to come off the floor. It is still abrupt in its action and makes it very difficult to drive smoothly. She called the dealer again, but they are adamant that that's how it should feel and that it's the same as other Defenders they had in stock. However, they then contradicted that by saying that it shouldn't feel the same as my MY14, because the newer cars have a lighter clutch.

We're both adamant that the 90 and 110 drove pretty much identically, barring the extra bulk of the 110, prior to this work being done. I also remember the 90 I test drove before SWMBO got hers as feeling exactly the same. For the record, the clutch on my 110 engages smoothly and progressively, probably biting around one third of the way through its travel. Has anyone else encountered this issue?

In addition to this, since the main seal and intercooler hose were replaced (both jobs done at the same time), the car has intermittently made an odd chugging or booming sound when cruising at constant speed. It's a low sound, but not a typical diesel engine sound (my 110 doesn't do it) and it seems to emanate from the engine or transmission. It's most noticeable at around 60km/h. Has anyone else experienced this?