Thread: Defenders for newbies

Yeah good idea. I bought my first Defender 2yrs ago and found the learning curve steep in some areas. (Fuel cap wasn't one because many years ago when locking caps first became available (ancient history!) I had one like the Landy one on an old Holden.)

Just to clarify for you. Hold the cap with one hand (so it doesn't free wheel) and turn the key with the other hand... Key turned all the way one way, locks. All the way the other way unlocks.

If it's freewheeling ("locked") insert the key as described, stopping any movement of the cap with your other hand, and turn the key as far as it will go (like half a turn?) and remove the key. Now you can unscrew it off.

Sorry but the only different from "normal" things in a Land Rover are the owners

Another absolutely newbie thing (you mentioned being new to 4x4s at all): try to learn and understand all the implications of owning a vehicle with permanent 4 wheel drive.

- yes it simply means all 4 wheels normally get drive all the time. There is a huge "but" though.

BUT! Only in normal circumstances - when all wheels have traction! Like on a good dry road.

The story from here is different depending if you have whiz bang tech like traction control fitted. (Pls establish if you have traction control!)

If traction control is NOT fitted - Please realize you only need ONE wheel slipping (on ice, in a hole, etc) and you won't be going anywhere, possibly thinking "how the hell am I so easily stuck in supposedly an unstoppable vehicle!?"

This is because there is a differential between the front & rear drive shafts (the "centre diff"). This allows you to have all four wheels driven on hard, high traction surfaces. It has a down side obviously (when a single wheel loses traction) but it also has a feature that overcomes the downside. You need to learn how to use it and when to use it - the centre diff lock.

Things you need to know:

1) The defender wave. This is mandatory.
2) Get thick skin for comments from all your mates with other makes / models
2a) Learn to rip on them as well
3) Watch out for the door latch thing that always rips clothing
4) Your bank account will never look the same again. So. Many. Modifications.

Originally Posted by Toxic_Avenger

Things you need to know:

1) The defender wave. This is mandatory.
2) Get thick skin for comments from all your mates with other makes / models
2a) Learn to rip on them as well
3) Watch out for the door latch thing that always rips clothing
4) Your bank account will never look the same again. So. Many. Modifications.

All fixable ! (except maybe #4 )

#3 requires X-Trousers X-Trouser Door Strikers (Pair)







These little babies work.

Another trap to watch out for: The anti-stall feature.

Your Defender may boast a feature not found on many other vehicles, anti-stall. Works well and as per the name implies. Your vehicle is hard to stall.

Things to learn:
1- try to always take off from standing starts without using any throttle. Just carefully ease out the clutch and when it's fully out, apply throttle. Get it right and you can take off pretty quick and smooth every time. Even hill starts can be done without revving and slipping the clutch.

Try hard to fight and forget the long ingrained technique you might have used on any other manual transmission vehicle - i.e. Rev it up, dump the clutch.

2- when slowing down, or in a crawling traffic jam, you will reach a point where you are idling along in gear and want to slow just a little more. If you apply brakes and drop speed below the anti-stall threshold the car will fight you and your braking. Careful - it's not a fault or a run away car. Don't hit the car in front! Clutch in, down shift... Just be aware of this so it doesn't surprise you and provoke a but of a fright
(Just try this... No other vehicles around. Idle along in 1st gear. Apply brakes gradually harder and harder. Try to stall your car. Feel it. You can stall it - but scary how hard you need to stand on the brakes to do so!)

Next feature that may "gotcha": Idle Jack

Not sure how old is the new 90 you got. If it is one of the newer TDCi "Puma" Ford engined Defenders then it has the 6 speed gearbox. That gearbox has a very low 1st gear.

The low low 1st gear is a whole lot of good - for a few reasons. But it has one downfall, and a work around you need to understand, if you ever use low range gears.

Generally for the very steepest (generally extreme off-road) slippery downhill slopes you should use low range first gear and allow the vehicle to idle down the slope. Feet off all pedals.

The issue with the low low first gear on the TDCi defenders is that in low range it is TOO low for the above situation. The work around solution is "idle jack".

What idle jack does is raise the idle speed whilst ever you are in low range, first gear, and clutch is out. All three preceding conditions are needed to see idle jack in action. Works great. I love it.

It's only a trap if you are not aware of it! Imagine being in a situation where you NEED to move really really millimeter perfectly slowly... So you think "yes! Low range, first gear and really ease out the clutch slowly with NO throttle"

Great plan. Works perfectly til your clutch is almost fully up... and the vehicle shocks the hell out of you when it revs up and lurches forward! As it is designed to do - but you didn't know.

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!!

I think you should sell it and buy a jeep immediately!