Defenders for newbies

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Originally Posted by Viclandychick

It's ok, I will learn overtime - I learned how to use my '73 Combi. How hard can a Defender be?

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Which year model is your 90?

There is one little thing,nothings sexier than a Lady Defender driver. Pat

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Originally Posted by PAT303

There is one little thing,nothings sexier than a Lady Defender driver. Pat

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Gotta agree there.

I hope it is a puma (later than 2007) otherwise all Neil's posts are going to confuse the hell out of viclandychick :)


I would recommend looking around at joining one of the various clubs (LROCV for instance) for advice and outings in the 90.


Phil

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Originally Posted by Viclandychick

I have no experience with four wheel drives, and have recently got a Defender 90. There are quite a few things that seem to be different from "normal" cars. I thought a thread for absolute beginners might be useful.

My first challenge - putting fuel into the Defender.

For people who have no idea about how diesel caps on the Defender work... There are maybe a very small number of people in this situation, but I was one of them! Apparently, the way the diesel cap works on the Defender is counter intuitive, at least to the way my brain works. I was super worried about running out of fuel the other day, went to the petrol station and could not open the cap. Putting the key into the cap, and turning the lock so that the cap rotates, means that the cap is actually "locked". If you turn the key a quarter of a turn, and initially the cap does not move, this means the lock is "open". If you use "man" strength to then turn the cap, and feel the ratchet function, then you can actually open and pull off the diesel cap. Phew!! How weirdly counter intuitive!!

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Lol!!
You wouldn't be the first person to have a problem with the locking fuel cap!!. First time I went to fuel up, I couldn't open the cap either,...luckily I wan't far from home so went home to look at the manual!!
Pickles.

My Puma fuel cap lock had a problem recently- the key simply wouldn't budge., I sprayed 14 gallons of silicone lube and WD40 in there but still nothing - it was as if the key wasn't the right type - there must have been a tiny stone or something from preventing it turning.

Eventually wiggled it out and it worked....but I don't lock the fuel cap anymore.

Great tip on the anti-stall, you'll be surprised how steep a hill the Defender can climb while you've got no feet on any pedals. I once freaked the missus out by getting out of the car and walking alongside it while doing this.

Hi Viclandychick and welcome! Like you we were new to the Defender and 4wds in general when we got our 90 two years ago but I can say it is the best thing we ever did.

I recommend reading this forum religiously and also grab a copy of Bob Pepper's 4wd handbook. There's no substitute for getting out there but this book really helped me get to grips with all the lingo and how these machines actually work.

I'm yet to do a "proper" 4wd course but a lot of people swear by them, usually via joining a club or similar, LR themselves do one every so often but it was pricey when we looked into it.

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Originally Posted by filcar

I hope it is a puma (later than 2007) otherwise all Neil's posts are going to confuse the hell out of viclandychick :)


I would recommend looking around at joining one of the various clubs (LROCV for instance) for advice and outings in the 90.


Phil

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Hey Phil, the topics I wrote up were constant 4x4, anti-stall & idle jack:
- All defenders (and 90/110's before them) have full time 4x4
- TD5 defenders have anti-stall too
- TDCi (Pumas) add idle jack only

On anti-stall I wrote that the vehicle "may be fitted with" anti-stall. (It was an edit tho 5-10 minutes after writing when I suddenly realized the OP may not have a TD5 or TDCi.

On idle Jack I mentioned its specifc to TDCi's

Key for the OP is figuring out IF the vehicle has these at all (incl here also traction control that I mentioned briefly early on) and then understand how it works.

Good advice on joining a club and driver training.

For a person the OP described (completely new to 4x4 generally and Defenders specifically) even simple stuff like anti stall can give a moment of panic.

Did it to me. Still flushed with the newness, all senses on overdrive, developing a sense of what is normal and what isn't, hearing every sound, feeling every vibration. Unfamiliarity abounding. Slowing in 2nd gear towards the car in front. Add a little brake thinking if I time it right the guy in front will move forward and I won't need to downshift... Triggered antistall, car fought the brakes, even accelerated a bit!

Very first mildly panic reaction was stand harder on the brakes. Car is possessed and hell bent on slamming me into the car in front. Clutch in. Situation over.

I figured out what had happened. Tried it out a few more times. Changed how I drive - for a Defender.

This is the stuff the Dealer should be showing a prospective new 4x4er any way. They certainly let themselves down, letting a "newbie" behind the wheel of a four wheel drive, of any calibre.