New Defender 90

[Paul Dirou]

Hi all
I am thinking of buying a new Defender 90 during the present sales offer.
Any fatal faults in the new 90?

[KarlB]

I bought my D90 last March and have done over 20,000 km since. Single issue was an oil seal in the transfer case that was fixed under warranty in half a day. The rear seats are a bit silly and the fuel capacity is terrible if you want to use it for remote touring. I took out the rear seats after 2,000 km and have not put them back. To increase touring range I have had installed two auxilliary fuel tanks adding 85 litres to the original 60 litres. Puma 90s are great vehicles but not for every one. Certainly the best Land Rover I have owned. Not as good on the road as my Discovery II but I still prefer the D90.

Cheers
KarlB
:D

[Trout]

We have done 10k in our 90. Only problem has been an air-con sensor which failed and was replaced at first service - common for new defenders. Fuel range as mentioned is terrible. A long range tank is really needed. I do enjoy driving it but the ride is very rough :o. We have a few sections of concrete road near us and going over then at speed is an interesting experience. Whereas you hardly notice it in our 110. Perhaps fair enough given wheel base but I also think the springs and sway bars are really too stiff for unloaded use.

[aj90]

Done 10,500kms in mine, agree with Trout that the unloaded ride is too stiff on the road. Only issues for me so far have been both diff plugs leaking, fixed under warranty. Absolutely love the Landy, it was definately a heart purchase as opposed to a head purchase, but still no regrets!

[LRO53]

What distances are you guys getting from the 60 L tank?

I've got a Td5 90 and aveage around 460km to a tank which i don't think is too bad.

[KarlB]

What distances are you guys getting from the 60 L tank?

I've got a Td5 90 and aveage around 460km to a tank which i don't think is too bad.

I get something similar and maybe a bit better. The 60 litre fuel tank is fine for day to day and even most trips but I believe it is inadequate for remote touring (as is the 110's 75 litres). Last march on a trip to the Gawler Ranges I carried a jerry can and only just got by and this included filling up at Mt Ive Station. Cross the Simpson or go to Cape York and your looking at something like 700 km between fuel stops, and your not going to get quite the same economy pushing through the sand as you do around town. A rule of thumb I have seen bandied about is you need enough fuel for at least 1,000 km. Carry 2 or 3 jerry can and you are probably OK but then add another couple of jerry cans for water and you are starting to loose a fair bit of room in the back or starting to put a lot of weight on a roof rack.

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[vnx205]

What distances are you guys getting from the 60 L tank?

I've got a Td5 90 and aveage around 460km to a tank which i don't think is too bad.

That will only get you about halfway up the Tanami. :) Rabbit Flat is closed now, so you might have a problem. :p

When you say you get 460km to a tank, do you mean that after you have covered about 460km, you fill the tank because you are paranoid about running out of fuel and find that it takes 40 litres? Or do you mean that you are confident that the fuel gauge is accurate and that after you have done 460km, you can usually fit 50 litres in the tank? Or do you like living dangerously and after 460km, you can usually add 59 litres?

So the response to your suggestion might be that your fuel consumption and maximum range is OK or it might be pretty limited.

[KarlB]

My range on a tank (full to empty) would be 550 km (~11 litres per 100 km). Don't want to run it dry though!

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[Loubrey]

KarlB,

What brand are those aux tanks? I've had the Front Runner (Dolium/Opposite Lock) in the past with the two additional filling caps. I'm a bit reluctant to cut new filling caps into the Puma 90 yet.

Looks like the only option open to me though and I'll have to take the plunge soon - unless you can tell me you've got a different setup! :)

[Loubrey]

KarlB,

Just read your other post RE longrange aux tanks and we are obviously talking about the same tanks.

What was Land Rover Australia's take on fitting the tanks and your warranty?

[PAT303]

I'm getting a 127ltre main and 55ltre aux fitted to my Puma and LR don't have an issue with it.The real problem is I have to take delivery of it,drive it around the block and then back onto the yard for them to then fit everything I want on it,if I don't I pay the Luxury vehicle tax on all the extra's I get on top of the tax I already pay for buying it. pat

[KarlB]

KarlB,

Just read your other post RE longrange aux tanks and we are obviously talking about the same tanks.

What was Land Rover Australia's take on fitting the tanks and your warranty?

Front Runner tanks with two new fillers cut into the bodywork. I don't know what LRA's take on them would be, nor on warranty implications other than I don't consider anything significant would likely be affected by the tanks so warranty implications on the rest of the vehicle should be essentially nil. LRA would have to argue that the failure of what ever I was making a warranty claim on, was caused by the auxiliary tanks. I can't see the tanks having any likely impact on the diffs, for example. Fuel system including injectors etc may be an issue but as the aux tanks pump into the main tank then there is the filtration between the main tank and the really expensive bits, I am not too worried. In Seth Africa, I understand you can get them fitted as an option, though from your avatar, you're likely to know more about that than me.

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[Loubrey]

KarlB,

Yes, back in '97 on a South African Spec 90 as a main dealer option. I put 326000km on her using those tanks almost daily.

I agree 100% with your views on the warranty. My only concern would be where the electric pump feed enters the existing system (More LRA's concern).

Guys, the ride is significantly improved by running lower pressures around town. The 90 will porpoise if you let it, but I keep my pressures around 2 Bar (29 Psi) and there is no issue with ride quality. They are not hard on their tyres at all and my last one got 95000 km on a set off BFG AT's running the lower presures. I still get an easy 10.5 km/liter (9.5 liter/100km) and my missus drives like it's stolen!:o

90's Rule!:D

[PAT303]

I have got it in writing that any extra's fitted to my vehicle by the company that the dealer uses,Central 4wd in my case are covered by my warranty. Pat

[defender90]

with mine if i use caltex vortex diesel i only get 450-500kms per tank if i use BP ultimate diesel i get 570-610kms per tank and thats filling up not long after fuel light comes on, there is usually between 8-12L left in tank when filled up

[Samo]

I get about 580-680 per tank in my td5 90, I do run it pretty low though

usually about a 55 litre fiill up. I seem to always get better mileage out of

bp diesel though.

[LRO53]

That will only get you about halfway up the Tanami. :) Rabbit Flat is closed now, so you might have a problem. :p

When you say you get 460km to a tank, do you mean that after you have covered about 460km, you fill the tank because you are paranoid about running out of fuel and find that it takes 40 litres? Or do you mean that you are confident that the fuel gauge is accurate and that after you have done 460km, you can usually fit 50 litres in the tank? Or do you like living dangerously and after 460km, you can usually add 59 litres?

So the response to your suggestion might be that your fuel consumption and maximum range is OK or it might be pretty limited.

Yes i find i only ever manage to put 44L in.... As i have not wanted to risk anything and it's better for the fuel pump if it's not running dry.

[Flatty]

We love our 90 but the kids find the ride in the back a bit rough at times even to the point of feeling sick. So guess where I sit when the other half drives with one of the kids? I'll have to let some more air out of the tyres though; it came with 42psi in them it now has about 32psi. Can't wait to get it back from having the CV joint replaced under warranty. It's been at Landrover since mid December waiting for parts to arrive from England. We haven't let it run until the fuel light comes on yet. However I was reading in the handbook I think, that when the fuel gets down to 5 liters the computer will induce a misfire in the engine alerting the driver not to run it dry. Apparently there is a bowl around the pick up area that holds this amount to prevent the pump sucking air when the tank is nearly empty. It would be better to have a bigger tank though. We have only done 2500km so far.

[jc109]

I have got it in writing that any extra's fitted to my vehicle by the company that the dealer uses,Central 4wd in my case are covered by my warranty. Pat

Which dealer are you going through Pat?

[PAT303]

There's only one.Talk to Rex at Barbagallo's,he is easy to deal with. Pat

[landieman58]

Hi All

this is my first time posting so hopefully I get it right

great site with excellant info

Was wondering if pat303 can advise where the 127ltr main & 55ltr aux tank were fitted on his 90

My son is in the process of purchasing the 2012 model 90 from southern landrover in perth picking up next week & one of the biggest issues he is going to face is the size of the fuel tank. Does regular runs from Newman - perth & return.

Have any other members got any suggestions on a supplier in perth that can supply a bigger tank than the 45ltr @ $1550 that he has been quoted

Current vehicles
2009 D3 S TDV6 with all the fruit
2004 D2 S TD5 classic with all the fruit
Previous LRs
2000 TD5 defender 110
1997 300tdi defender 110
1982 SIII 2.25 petrol 109

[Loubrey]

Landieman58,

If I'm not mistaken, Pat referred to tanks in a 110...

There just recently been a thread on fuel capacity on a 90 and the long and short of it is that there are very few options.

The first and best options are KarlB's setup with the 2 Dolium tanks. This would basically be a 35 litre tank behind the passenger seatbox and a 45 litre tank under the driver seat box (similar to a 300Tdi tank). These both needs their own fillers cut into the side of the body and the fuel is transferred by electric pump to the main tank where it's used from.

This is not a cheap option and the quote you mentioned is most probably the 45 litre one under the driver seat. The 35 litre one is seldom kept in stock and it might have to be ordered from South Africa.

The second option is a smaller 30 litre tank in the right rear wheel arch, also covered in a previous thread. This one sits in line with the fuel filler and requires modification to the main tank (something LRA is not very keen on).

I suppose you can fit all three if you really want to, but $4000 goes a long way on other mods. Just remember it’s illegal to carry fuel inside the passenger compartment, which excludes all the UTE style PVC tanks...

The cheapest and least intrusive option is to carry Jerry cans. I personally carry 4 of them in 2 double racks and I have a piece of hose that I transfer fuel from the roof rack to the tank (old suck and spit method):eek:. This is all quite a bit off effort though and definitely not for everyone.

I travel Karratha/Perth/Karratha every now and then, and I use this setup to reduce my fuel stops to 2 and avoid the insane fuel prices the road houses charge.

[toad]

Hi,

I got a 45 litre tank fitted by Daniel (Mulgo - advertises here) for around the $1k mark. Additionally I did not like the extra hole in the bodywork for the filler so some plastic welding and truck fuel hose later we had a dual fill inlet filler (at a small extra cost). So far everything has worked great and I have 105+ litres of fuel which = 1000 km range. Enough to drive anyone mad without stopping!

[Sue]

Hi,

I got a 45 litre tank fitted by Daniel (Mulgo - advertises here) for around the $1k mark. Additionally I did not like the extra hole in the bodywork for the filler so some plastic welding and truck fuel hose later we had a dual fill inlet filler (at a small extra cost). So far everything has worked great and I have 105+ litres of fuel which = 1000 km range. Enough to drive anyone mad without stopping!

Have you looked to see exactly how much you can get in your original fuel tank as I've got the same car and I can't get anything more than 49 litres in it (that's when it's dead empty).. which would mean you wouldn't have 105 litres with both tanks..

Either way I am thinking that I like the option you took with the extra tank without the extra hole.. because that's what's been putting me off getting another tank.. do you know if that affects your warranty?

Btw nice to see another Nara Bronze Landy out there! :)

[KarlB]

Have you looked to see exactly how much you can get in your original fuel tank as I've got the same car and I can't get anything more than 49 litres in it (that's when it's dead empty).. which would mean you wouldn't have 105 litres with both tanks..

Either way I am thinking that I like the option you took with the extra tank without the extra hole.. because that's what's been putting me off getting another tank.. do you know if that affects your warranty?

Btw nice to see another Nara Bronze Landy out there! :)

The official capacity for the tank on a D90 is 60 litres. You can probably get another couple of litres in the filler hose. The warning light comes on when there is about 12 litres left in the tank (ie 20% remaining). The only time you can say your tank is 'dead empty' is when you have run out of fuel and that is not a good thing to do in a Puma because of priming issues.

I run a left and right Front Runner auxiliary tanks with separate fillers (imported from South Africa by Dolium and installed by Opposite Lock South Sydney). The R tank is 45 litres and the L tank is 40 litres. Again you can get a bit more by filling the filler hoses and I think both tanks are marginally over thier stated capacities. Both tanks hang down to about the bottom of the chassis rail so break-over angle is not affected. I am confident I now have 145 litres fuel capacity.

Refusal of warranty would require Land Rover Australia to claim that the auxiliary tanks, their usage, or their fitting caused or contributed to the damage or component failure for which you are claiming warranty.

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[TimNZ]

The only time you can say your tank is 'dead empty' is when you have run out of fuel and that is not a good thing to do in a Puma because of priming issues

You would have to try quite hard to run a Puma out of fuel. The car will warn you it is low by introducing a mis-fire, then it will shut itself down. You can keep restarting it, but it will continue to shut itself down every mile, this will keep happening until it actually runs out of fuel.

Cheers,

Tim

[Loubrey]

Thanks Karl!

I was under the impression the LHS one was only 35 litres like the "old" days. As we discussed on a couple of threads, I used to have the early version of the LHS tank fitted to my 300Tdi’s and that was only 35 litres.

All 90’s pre-Td5 had the standard 55 litre tanks under the driver’s seat which coupled with the extra 35 litres, gave you around an 800km range (half that if you spent the entire day in low range going through the Congolese jungle!)