TD5 engine life - discuss

[Captain_Rightfoot]

There has been some discussion that TD5's don't really last too long, and that they have numerous faults that develop after not too many k's.

So how about everyone with a high mileage td5 (ie over 100k) let us know how it's going. Please include a few details about.

1. How long have you had it?
2. Servicing?
3. Usage (towed the 3.5 trailer everyday)?
4. What has happened... ie head at 180k etc? OR is it all good?

Equally, please post if you are having a good run with it. I'd love to hear someone say I'm up to 300k and it hasn't been touched.

I think this could be very interesting :)

[Blknight.aus]

mines pushing for 80k km, so far the engine hasnt so much as burped in a way I dont like, the oil and filters coming out after services are nearly as good as when they go in and its had its fair share of hard use and pulling big loads, (turtle will back that one).

So long as you dont abuse it needlessly theres no reason a later model TD5 (call it 02/03 after they got the bugs out) shouldnt last nearly forever, there are bits that could be made tougher IMHO (oil coolers, heads) but even then with a good routine pull down every 100,000km you should be able to identify all sorts of problems before they become major....

I dont think it will outlast the isuzu 3.9 but it might just give it a run for its money.

[Redback]

OK mine 127,000ks

Oil in harness

Warped Manifold and broken studs.

As for the oil pump bolt mine was OK it had locktite on it.

I have a small leak in the radiator, and a squeal coming from somewhere:confused:

that's it so far, both fixed reasonably cheap, the car has never broken down or required anything.

Baz.

[Greylandy]

Calling "The Entertainer" - he's got a TD5 Disco with over 200,000kms on the clock. I'll let him comment when he comes on.

[dobbo]

130,000km's and no issues with the engine, doesn't even leak oil (and yes there is oil in it)

[nesjules]

201,000kms in a Defender. Just needed water pump replaced due to slight leak which I hadn't noticed but was confirmed by second opinion. Only niggle that started at 195,000kms is a lack of power on warm-up 50% of the time. Can't narrow down the fault yet. I do need someone to tell me where the speedo sender is, as mine has ceased to function.

Cheers

Julian

[101RRS]

My L series diesel has just done 210,000km and nothing has been done to the engine except a glow plug and routine mainentance. No plastic dowels in the head, no oil in the ECU harness, virtually no oil leaks - at least nothing that drops, no locktite problems in the oil pump - maybe they should have made a 5cylinder version of it and called it the TD5.

Garry

[Koukandowie Brangus]

138 000KM and all the same problems as Redback, warped manifold, squeal from somewhere, leak in front right of radiator, and oil leak from somewhere. never broke down though

[Redback]

138 000KM and all the same problems as Redback, warped manifold, squeal from somewhere, leak in front right of radiator, and oil leak from somewhere. never broke down though

I'm trying to track these down, the radiator hopefully will get fixed soon (right front is where mine is too), the squeal however is a mistery, i had a suggestion from the D2au forum that if you turn your A/C off and try to get it the squeal, otherwise it's either the belt or turbo gasket, there are about 5 or 6 guys on the D2au forum with the squeal, so this maybe a common thing with the TD5.

Baz.

[ak]

Captian glad you started this thread I have been wondering the same.

OK 2001 TD5 Auto Discovery.

Owned from new.

1. air hose to turbo pershied from inside at 50,000 only time was left stranded lucky I was home. LR Artmon said it was first time they have seen this. It was a easy and quick fix.

2. fuel regulator at 80,000

3. Radiator and injector harness at 100,000.

I now get the car serviced at Graeme Coopers and have more confidence in them than LR.

127,000 and going strong. In fact it was the only car on our fraser trip not to get bogged, not to break down and not to suffer any damage.

[Koukandowie Brangus]

i just replaced the aux belt, it changed the tone of the squeal so guess i fixed one problem, the old belt was pretty sad looking. doesn't squeal on startup or shutdown now, just under load in first and second, gotta be the manifold i reckon. as for the radiator i was a bit worried about it so for a short term fix i just threw in some of that radiator stop leak ( probably a bad idea but at 45 degrees in the shade out here i had to do something) but probably does need a going over, fixed the leak though.

[x-box]

have '99 defender with 162000 on the clock and no major problems, only what i'll say is normal wear and tear.
Clutch master and slave redone at approx 70k, front belt done before it had to be done (only cheap and 5 min's), radiator at approx 140k, and will do the actual clutch before i go to the "cape" - has a slight squeak in it.
It's chipped and locked and i'm loving every minute of it :D

[Frenchie]

Oh goody.

Well I've just had THE phone call.

'02 model, owned since new, serviced. Yes I have used it off road, both long trips and play days.

First four years and 130,000km, faultless.

Now at 153,000km. This year:

Head gasket leaking. $1800
Fuel pump stuffed. $1300
and now.......

cracked head! :mad: whicj will probably be $4k+

My advice to Td5 owners:

Sell it, sell it now while you still can. Anyone want to buy mine, and I'm serious.

I have had it with Land Rover, I'm off to talk to the Toyota dealer. :mad:

[tombraider]

I've personally seen and know the owners of 2 td5 discos.

Both with mileage over and beyond 300,000kms.

[tombraider]

I have had it with Land Rover, I'm off to talk to the Toyota dealer. :mad:

Sorry to hear mate....

But dont kid yourself with Toymotors...

The sales guy WONT tell you that at 150,000kms on the Diesel your supposed to remove and replace the ENTIRE injection system at a cost of over $5000

And get used to gearboxes, CVs, Diff centres, Axles, Radiators, Bent Diff assemblies, broken suspension arms..

Oh yeah, and a void of warranty if you change suspension or add electricals to the vehicle not approved by Toyota.

[ericpicc]

:)Well looks like that 130 TD5 that I'm looking at buying has had a replacement engine of 90,000 with a new fuel reg. and had that troublesome oil pump bolt and all other things like belts replaced.
So cross fingers all will go well.
The dealer has been in business for over 35years so I think I should trust them.:cool:

[MW.TD5 Defender]

1999 Defender
Bought 2 years ago with 107k, now 145k.
Oil in injector harness. Had the oil problem when I bought it but didn't know any better. Vehicle was serviced by Ritters in Melb from 40K by previous owner. They did the VACC test on the vehicle and listed " oil in ECU box under driver's seat" but no hint as to what it may have been.

at 135k broke serpentine belt (seized pulley). Broke 3 more belts in apprx 600k's.
Harmonic balancer came loose, no keyway on balancer. Ended up using loctite to keep it done up.

Spigot bush deteriated ( would squeal when cold ) Sounds very similar to slipping belt. Possible cause for other TD5 owners with squealing problems.
Because of the Spigot bush put new clutch kit in vehicle.
1 week later, Clutch slave cylinder went, 2 weeks after that master cylinder started to leak into the cabin. Changed it a couple of days later.

I read others have had warped manifolds. How can you tell?.

People seem to think that a motor with 100+ k's is ready for the scrap heap or rebuild. I thought diesels (with regular servicing, belts, hoses etc) should be good for 300 - 400k. My old Hilux 2.4 lt had 374k when I sold it only started to leak oil at about 350k. It was no power pack but took me around Australia on a 2 year trip with problems.
So what is the oldest most k's on a TD5.

[cartm58]

35 years of being a car salesmen doesnt make them trustworthy or dishonest just means they are selling vehicles to people who want to buy them.

a good idea unless mechanical trained yourself is pay someone to look at before you agree to it.

go to a reasonable landrover specialist and ask for vehicle report

l got rovetech to look at my 1993 range rover, result l had $1,000 knocked off buy price and $500 contributed to some repairs to vehicle by the dealer. rovetech also knew who had serviced the vehicle before and talked to them and got the low down on its service history.

still have spent $5000 on repairs to it since purchase but happy with vehicle wouldnt swap it for another brand.

had owned 3 Nissans Patrols before hand since 1984, and last 1998 Patrol 2.8 TDI at 160,000 was going to be an minimum $6,000 motor repair when l disposed of it.

Modern 4wd vehicles regardless of make are expensive to keep on the road

[mcrover]

Im not a TD5 owner but I have heard that the oil in the wiring harness could be from the fuel filter but I havent looked at one so I dont really know.

There is always a better way to look after something mechanical and you can never get away from manufacturing faults so if you mechanic doesnt take care while servicing your car, it can cause problems just as much as if you dont service it at all.

Ive come across machines that have not had an oil change in 3 years although have a reasonable mechanic and operator, which are in better shape than when a bad mechanic/operator has one for a year.

So the moral is, if you have problems which continue to happen then find a better mechanic.

[George130]

OK my turn to kill the hopes of the TD5 owner.
Bought it with 70,000km on it.
Ran perfectly for 3months and 1 day (Warranty was 3 months). It now has 138,000 on it. so 68,000km in 21 months with three of those with it in bits. Most of my driving is highyway cruising at 90-100kmh unladen but it has also towed some big heavy loads.
Since I have owned it.
New thermostate
Rebuilt radiator
Replace welshplugs
Repair fuel regulator (Was my fault)
Total head rebuild including having it built up by welder and skimmed.
Oil cooler
water pump
new coolant cap
2 rear output seals in transfer case
Replace top radiator hose
2 exhaust gaskets, 1 broken stud.
1 time warped exhaust manifold.
The vehicle has been off the road at least 3 months this year and will hopefully be running this weekend. I do know the bottom end still looks like new but with the anount of cash I have spent this year I could have bought a secondhand engine or even done a conversion. Also would admit I am on the verge of selling and buying an old bomb like a 60 series to survive. My problem is I have to get enough to pay it out so will probably be forced to trade it in through a dealer so will get burned either way.
Still love them and would want another Landy.

[nornalup]

Firstly great thread.

Tomeraider you mention two bokes with over 300k. That does not say anything of the issues they have had. Also that rant about Toyo's I don't think is fair, just as any Toyo driver could say the same about Landies. For arguments sake my old man has got a '94 Lancruiser GLX turbo dielsl with 400k on the clock. Been around Aust twice, Gibb River, Simpson and I have flogged it too around the city when I was younger. Apart from a suspension lift he's hardly spent a cent on repairs, and he's an ex-machanic so it's cost him nick in servicing compared to my Td5. Apart from the shocking mileage I would have one in a second, they sure have a lot more top end pull than my defender.

I have '01 Td5 Fender. Brought with 70k on it 12 months ago.

Now done 115k and no problems with the motor, and service book says nothing before I owned. I do have oil in the ecu box but have not had it looked at and does not seem to be creating any problems yet. Closest service agent is a few hundred km's, so will have to wait a week or so.

I do think my Td5 seems very poor when cold and I don't know if it seems to be getting worse. I have a mate with a Td5 Discovery auto and the motor seems a lot smoother and better from cold, may just be the extra sound protection.

No leaks, filters always clean as. Also I quite often pull a flat bed trailer at 2.2 tonnes. Must admit the motor seems to like a load and I do a lot of high speed km's which suits this engine fine.

I am getting rather anxious however at the longevity and costs invoved with issues.

Carn guy's someone has to have a Td5 with a few hundred on it by now???

[nornalup]

Just an afterthought. Perhaps it's the new technology and electronics that scare us a bit. I mean what engine does not have some design problems, look at the 300tdi for example with the timming belt.

There is hardly a new 4wd on the market with a motor that you could fix most things in the bust. The Td5 s a very advance motor in a not very advanced vehicle, I'm taking defender here.

Most of us brought defenders because we liked the simplistic, hardy design that gives the impression that with a little bit of mechanical knowledge and a spanner we could fix it anywhere. The Td5 seems to go against this school of thought.

[LandyAndy]

Hi Edd
Yours also has the big ECU/intercooler and auto conversion hasnt it????I wonder if its a factor in your woes or just "normal"
My Disco TD5 has 214000ks on it,but good country ks(vehicle is ex Broome,servicing done in Perth) with all the services done,almost all by the selling dealer.
Ive had it for 16 months,had 198000ks when I bought it.Done trips to Albany,Cervantes and Esperance all good.Done a fair bit of playing off road,and all last winter cut firewood on saturdays,which involves a 90km round trip towing 1 1/2 to 2 tonnes of wood on a 600kg trailer,sometimes twice on the same saturday.
Up to recently all was very good,head gasket was leaking at 213000ks,oil in the harness at the same time.Cheap fix as I caught it leaking before any damage was done.Just before this the fuel pressure reg was leaking,so perhaps Ive had the "comes in 3s" and normality will be restored soon.
Still not running 100%,wants to stall on take off,"diesel clatter" on idle is louder than usual,electric fan running all the time and performance seems restricted.Waiting to get the ECU read as it may be in some sort of protection mode since the head gasket problem(HOPING!!!!!!!).
Andrew

[Blknight.aus]

Sorry to hear mate....

But dont kid yourself with Toymotors...

The sales guy WONT tell you that at 150,000kms on the Diesel your supposed to remove and replace the ENTIRE injection system at a cost of over $5000

And get used to gearboxes, CVs, Diff centres, Axles, Radiators, Bent Diff assemblies, broken suspension arms..

Oh yeah, and a void of warranty if you change suspension or add electricals to the vehicle not approved by Toyota.

dont forget

void warrenty if there are dings in any part of the underbody that might be due to offroad uses

void warrenty if there is water ingress in any oil compartment and they think
you may have forded past the bottom of the axle housing

Void drive line warrenty if you fit a heavy duty tow pack and dont fork out for the extra tough driveline stuff (father in law tows a horse float and has had only dealer servicing done, blown tcase and no warrenty due to "known to tow heavy loads long distance")

Void engine warrenty if handbook start up/shut down procedures are suspected to have not been followed.

Void warrenty if ECU shows over speed on engine.

Yeah I'll have a toyota.....Right after I put an auto in Kermit, next thing on my list, honest.

[Sequel]

Well I dont have an answer for people looking for 300k plus TD5.

Mine is a 2000 model TD5 in an auto disco. Owned it 12 months and done 16,000km, now just hit the 100,000km mark.

Just discovered the oil in the harness - have cleaned it out but haven't replaced the harness (yet), but it hasn't given any trouble, and now I know it is there I can be prepared (thanks for the help Andy).

2 x water leaks, 1 from the water pump and the other from the bottom right of the radiator (looses about 200ml/tank of fuel)

Lots of oil leaks, nothing that seems serious, it just seems to oose.

Auto slips when you first put it into D or R when it is cold (the auto). i.e. when I put it in R to reverse out of my drive way in the morning, it initially rolls forward, unless you use extra throttle.

Rear diff wine.

Out of balance something which gives a nasty vibration at about 100km/h.

Grinding in the steering (turning right).

Thats about all I can think of for now. However, like many others on this forum, for some strange reason, I would probably still buy another one!?!

Edit: Just remembered this is a TD5 topic and not about the complete LR experience, so you can ignore the last 5 problems if you like.

[D110V8D]

dont forget

void warrenty if there are dings in any part of the underbody that might be due to offroad uses

void warrenty if there is water ingress in any oil compartment and they think
you may have forded past the bottom of the axle housing

Void drive line warrenty if you fit a heavy duty tow pack and dont fork out for the extra tough driveline stuff (father in law tows a horse float and has had only dealer servicing done, blown tcase and no warrenty due to "known to tow heavy loads long distance")

Void engine warrenty if handbook start up/shut down procedures are suspected to have not been followed.

Void warrenty if ECU shows over speed on engine.

Yeah I'll have a toyota.....Right after I put an auto in Kermit, next thing on my list, honest.

Sounds like a warranty given by a company that makes normal everyday run of the mill cars. Oh wait.......they do make cars........maybe they just changed the heading on the warranty, from "Corolla" to "Land Cruiser.":D

[DiscoDave]

Rear diff wine.

You really must have the Land Rover bug if you drink what comes out of your rear diff! :p

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Oh yeah, and a void of warranty if you change suspension or add electricals to the vehicle not approved by Toyota.
I don't want to hi-jack my own thread but friends had a prado on a Simpson trip with us and the rear diff broke. Toyota fought tooth and nail to say it wasn't being used in a acceptable way - it was off road. :(

[sniegy]

Evening all,
My 01my TD5 Auto has 230,000 odd k's on it.
I bought the vehicle with 190,000k on it. I also knew the 1 original owner before me & have a full service history with a dealer, i also have full access to the original work done to the vehicle at work (MLR).;)
I had the vehicle chipped & Intercooled at 205,000k so..

The full history on the vehicle is basically-
Up too 100,000k all warranty including all recalls, D148,149,263 & cant remember the rest..Minor things like clips, drinks tray & thats about all.
85,000k & 193,000k Injector harness
145,000k Radiator & Coolant
170,000k Water pump & O ring
215,000k Oil Cooler pipes (both)
215,000k Cam plug & rocker cover gasket leaking
220,000 M & S lights flashing-2 cut wires atop the T/case-resoldered.

Thats basically it. I have done alot of the servicing & have kept it up on the old girl, it has performed effortlessly & with no problems. The later problems i put down to wear & tear. The engine just does what it does, i have no problems with her & did the Simpson last year loaded to the hilt, i dont constantly tow anything but once a month i load the trailer full of crap & head off to the tip-say 1.5 tonne!

What Tombraider & Blknight'says with the Toyoter dealer wrt Warranty is very true, be careful as LR have one of the best warranty systems(i can hear everyone chuckling now:p )available for the customer.

I also have a good friend who has a Def 110 with over 300,000k on his unit, he has just ordered a 130Cr/Cab for his touring business, hes not trading in the 110..:)
Hope this helps

[Blknight.aus]

Evening all,
My 01my TD5 Auto has 230,000 odd k's on it.
I bought the vehicle with 190,000k on it. I also knew the 1 original owner before me & have a full service history with a dealer, i also have full access to the original work done to the vehicle at work (MLR).;)
I had the vehicle chipped & Intercooled at 205,000k so..

The full history on the vehicle is basically-
Up too 100,000k all warranty including all recalls, D148,149,263 & cant remember the rest..Minor things like clips, drinks tray & thats about all.
85,000k & 193,000k Injector harness
145,000k Radiator & Coolant
170,000k Water pump & O ring
215,000k Oil Cooler pipes (both)
215,000k Cam plug & rocker cover gasket leaking
220,000 M & S lights flashing-2 cut wires atop the T/case-resoldered.

Thats basically it. I have done alot of the servicing & have kept it up on the old girl, it has performed effortlessly & with no problems. The later problems i put down to wear & tear. The engine just does what it does, i have no problems with her & did the Simpson last year loaded to the hilt, i dont constantly tow anything but once a month i load the trailer full of crap & head off to the tip-say 1.5 tonne!

What Tombraider & Blknight'says with the Toyoter dealer wrt Warranty is very true, be careful as LR have one of the best warranty systems(i can hear everyone chuckling now:p )available for the customer.

I also have a good friend who has a Def 110 with over 300,000k on his unit, he has just ordered a 130Cr/Cab for his touring business, hes not trading in the 110..:)
Hope this helps


I wouldnt say its the best, especially now ford has taken over...

They'll shift hell and high water to fix anything that is safety or GO/stop related but just try and get em to fix a niggler like a door that wont shut properly on the first go...

Strangely toyota seem to do it opposite, so long as its a cosmetic fix no problems but actually break something important.......

[Discoduck]

I brought my Disco TD5 2000 model 3years ago.It had 108k on the clock.156k now.

Ploblems started to surface about 4months ago.

Head ...............$3,800
New radiator......$800
Top radiator hose
Radiator cap
Thermostat
Seals on t/case to be done next service


The vehicle gets serviced on time.
Rick at Nerang looks after it.:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Paid 25k for it and have spent about 10k on mods to it.So it is with me for some time to come.

A 10 week trip to Cape York next May will test it out.

Mike

[rangieman]

sorry guys i do like my Tdi 300 alot more now:angel:

[rick130]

fella's with head problems (except Edd ;) ) have they been cracking or corrosion related ?

[Frenchie]

fella's with head problems (except Edd ;) ) have they been cracking or corrosion related ?

Hairline crack in mine which lets diesel into the oil. Kev (Rovertech) has seen a few the same and when I rang the dealer to see if they were familiar with the problem the impression I got was that it is very common.

Andy keep an eye on your oil! Apart from the stalling on take off mine was having similar symptoms, down on power, fan running more than normal etc.

[rick130]

thanks Frenchie, I've heard of a few having that problem. As you said, keep an eye on the oil level, although when you notice an increase in height on the dipstick, it is getting to too high dilution levels.

[stevo]

mine is coming up to 160K's did the headgasket at 150K's the plastic dowels were stuffed may have been caused when a hose let go a few months earlier,oil in the harness I stripped the plugs on the new injector harness and sealed the plugs up seems to have worked.

Now may be looking at a forth exhaust manifold gasket,when the head was off still could see hone marks on the bores replaced the water pump the bearing were stuffed and replaced the thermostat the last two were done as a precaution when I did the head gasket.

I have had the chip done and bigger intercooler and drive it fairly hard planing on keeping it another six years so hoping to get 300K's out of it

[winaje]

This thread started out about the engine, but seems to have become more general. So I'll mention motor first, then the rest...

Early 2000 model, no roofrails, steel spare etc.
TD5 Auto with ACE, no SLS.
Bought new, has 234000 on the clock.
Chipped, no intercooler yet.
Has done about 4000 kms over its life towing a 3500kg 35ft long caravan!

To my shame, it has been neglected, and has seen a dealer once :eek: :eek: :eek:
I have done most of the work on it myself.

Engine bay:
Diesel Regulator
Serpentine belt
Reco radiator
Fix hole in power steering line, wears on side of block
Tends to leak oil from around centrifugal filter

Rest of the vehicle:
Front prop shaft rebuild
Diesel pump

Niggly problems I live with until I can fix them: ;)
Right front ABS sensor causing Christmas Tree on instruments
Transfer case input seal leak
Steering box output shaft slow weep
Handbrake cable adjustment thread stripped
Rear door hard to close
Left rear seat back rattles
Dust ingress through rear door

Problems I can't find::mad:
Vibration at 2200RPM in any gear

One off/strange/weird problems:
Surging under light throttle, stopped by itself 4 years ago
Intermittent heavy jerking with M+S lights under all throttle positions, stopped by itself 3 years ago

That about sums it up. I love the Disco, and happily put up with it's quirks. Wouldn't/won't sell it. Will own it outright in a few months.

[Utemad]

I was thinking about getting a TD5 in a Defender or D2 for a work car when the possibility arose. However having so many expensive issues from such a small representation of owners doesn't give me much confidence.

[5teve]

ah but dont forget the majority of forum users are always negative biased as they tend to come to forums for help in fixing things... then they kinda hang around and help others! i've been noticing lately round perth just how many Disco's there are... i parked in joondalup lakeside last thursday and just in the small section of car park i was in there were 6 other discoveries! seems to be stacks around..

maybe they are cheap cause of their reputation? :)

Steve

[LieutenantRover]

1999 130 179000 and no sign of a problem. Hope I haven't put the mockers on it

[cwebb]

Bought mine which is a 2000 Disco TD5 Manual in Jan 05. Roughly the same time as Redback bought his, from memory.
It had 98000km on it when I bought it, now 120500km. No problem with the engine at all except oil in the ECU loom and a rocker cover gasket leak (after I did a bodgy job of trying to seal up the injector plug that exits the head).
I know of a friend who bought a very used TD5 Disco Auto, 99 model with at least 220000km on it. I'll be seeing him tonight to check what mileage it has now.
I know for a fact that his Td5 has had no head problems, but just broken exhaust manifold studs.
One thing he has had a few problems with is that stupid ABS modulator.
Last week, I received in the mail from AMV in Melbourne a little newsletter which recommended keeping the brake fluid as clean and changed as practical, as the ABS modulator in Disco 2's were more likely to fail if the fluid is dirty or not up to scratch. But this is beyond this post, so sorry about that!

[Sequel]

Left rear seat back rattles


Try a folded bit of rag squashed between the seat and the body, fixed my seat rattle, and it is cheap too!! (as long as you dont use genuine LR rags)

[johncl]

Head gasket leaking. $1800
Fuel pump stuffed. $1300
and now.......

cracked head! :mad: which will probably be $4k+




Holy toledo!!! You pay big $$$$ to get things fixed. Why you pay $1300 for a fuel pump???. I can almost buy 3 for that price???

[Frenchie]

Holy toledo!!! You pay big $$$$ to get things fixed. Why you pay $1300 for a fuel pump???. I can almost buy 3 for that price???

Where? List price from LR for the Defender Td5 fuel pump is $1600. For some reason the Disco one is cheaper (but not quite the same) :eek:

That $1300 includes labour, which there was a lot of because my long range tank was a pig to remove and replace. Rovacraft gave me a very good price on the pump itself.

I was fortunate there in that my aftermarket warranty covered $1000 of the bill.

[johncl]

OK

Makes sense, I have a Disco II and it cost me $500 a few months ago for a new fuel pump

[MT]

2000 Model D2 TD5 manual w/ ACE. 1st owner, now at 110K.

Leaky rocker cover gasket @ 10K . Told that it is 'common problem'.
ECU failure at 60K. Replaced under warranty.Twice.:mad:
Some connection in the ACE system s%&t itself at 100K @ 100kmh , draining all fluid in a blink of eye. ACE pump seized/ US , minor fire when all fluid sprayed onto hot engine. Repaired under warranty - no explanation as to why it happened. That bothers me a bit.:(
Leaks oil like there is no tomorrow. (I know ...)

Other faults:

Back door locking system always jams when in bulldust. Pain in the backside when laden out bush w/ cargo barrier in place.:mad:

Other annoyances:

The Stealer in Canberra. When doing warranty work would always manage to install additional faults, requiring more return trips. Twice left tools in engine bay - and test drove them in place.:mad:

Still, love it, would not have another Nissan or Toyo.

[Utemad]

Twice left tools in engine bay - and test drove them in place.
I fail to see what is wrong with that. Considering the price a dealer charges the least they can do is throw in the tools as well :)

[Quiggers]

5teve; you do have a point about forums and help, but......

we're finding much description about td5 issues, enough to steer me away from ever going near one...

cheers, GQ

[winaje]

Other annoyances:

The Stealer in Canberra. When doing warranty work would always manage to install additional faults, requiring more return trips. Twice left tools in engine bay - and test drove them in place.:mad:
Ah yes, Rolfe in Canberra. All I can say is that they were a complete joke 3 years ago. I shudder to think how much worse they have become...

They "installed" (wasn't there when I dropped it off, was there when I picked it up) a buzz just before coming to a stop under brakes, and I have had to put up with it for 200k!

[roly]

I am on my second td5 disco now,the first(01my)was sold at 185k the faults were----rad. leak--new one under warranty,2 injector harnesses,new engine mounts(to fix a servere vibration) these are good engines,however MUST be serviced frequently (for my type of use 15k) By way of comparison I also have a HZJ75 bought new in 97, 300k and the motor has not been touched,however it is thirsty & gutless (for its size) andthe cost of owning is equal--tojo more fuel ,LR more maintainance. Roly

[5teve]

5teve; you do have a point about forums and help, but......

we're finding much description about td5 issues, enough to steer me away from ever going near one...

cheers, GQ

Yeah i know :) but i have one... and hope i dont get these kind of issues.. thing is they arent just isolated to Landrovers...

Rover in the UK got a bad name due to the K series head gasket, however ford zetecs and vauxhalls were 'nearly' as bad. unfortunately they were too slow on the fix.. and too unhelpful when it came to fixing the engines..

is there any car that is perfect? and is it just a case that as these are UK built cars that repairs ect are at a premium here.. hence smallish jobs turn out to be frighteningly expensive? im still new to the landrover thing and to the Australia thing so havent got a feel for it just yet!

i guess at the end of the day.. problems or not.. people are still happy with them (well some of us!) and it gives us a good excuse to go play with tools and get dirty... and keep hydrated while doing so :)

i havent had mine long and im sure i will have some grief soon.. (oil pump bolt check) but im liking driving it far more than i thought i would!

Thanks

Steve

[johncl]

1999 Disco Td5 Auto 200000 km's

1. Fuel pump
2. Oil in the harness
3. Fuel block regulator
4. ABS modulator
5. Exhaust studs (x2)
6. Suspension air bag
7. Auto trans rebuild


Going to do peventative head gasket, oil cooler, water pump replacement next week, do get her into tiptop shape for my trip around OZ next year

[Quiggers]

I wasn't having a go at LR, 5teve.

Here, there are diesels (cars and 4wds) with issues.

An importer of Mitsu 4wd box van thingys just shut the door due to ongoing w'ty claims on the diesel donks.

I colleague loves Patrol diesels (new), always has a new one,but moves them on every year or so as he knows (or suspects) they wont last too long.

I suspect huge diesel donks may be able to cope with the huge compression needed, due to their size... (as in tractors and prime movers and buses etc)

little diesels may be okay for a while... but as we live in a disposable society - who cares about longevity? just junk it after five years, maybe... which is sad

not so old obsolete stuff looking for a home.....

inloved and unwanted and to exey to fix, just buy a new one!

landfill will be fascinating when the giant plasma and LCD tvs become unworthy

hmmmmmmmm

GQ

[5teve]

I wasn't having a go at LR, 5teve.

GQ

I know you werent.... i think you are right... this disposable society that we live in makes things less and less durable.. we make cars more and more 'environmentally friendly' and yet because they last shorter times the manufacturers make more and screw the environment.. i guess its all driven by profit too... shareholders have a lot to answer for! :eek:

anyway.. back on topic.. :)

Steve

[McDisco]

Hey All

Im up for my 160,000km service. No major issues apart from replacing a leaky fuel pressure regulator.

No other problems.

Angus

[MT]

I have

[MT]

I have been away for a bit and obviously missed the issue about 'oil in the harness' - it seems to come up a bit. Please pardon my ignorance - can someone give me a 'soldiers five' on what the issue is, or post a link to the orginal discussion on the site? I'd hate to think it is yet another LR funny that I am oblivious to. What are the signs I need to watch for?

Many thanks,

MT

[JDNSW]

I have been away for a bit and obviously missed the issue about 'oil in the harness' - it seems to come up a bit. Please pardon my ignorance - can someone give me a 'soldiers five' on what the issue is, or post a link to the orginal discussion on the site? I'd hate to think it is yet another LR funny that I am oblivious to. What are the signs I need to watch for?

Many thanks,

MT

TD5s can have oil migrate along the wiring harness from the injectors. When this reaches the first plug, or when it reaches the ECU, it can cause all sorts of sometimes obscure faults due to the oil causing poor connections. I gather the fix is to replace the harness, at considerable expense.

John

[George130]

Hi Edd
Yours also has the big ECU/intercooler and auto conversion hasnt it????I wonder if its a factor in your woes or just "normal"


OK. My beastie has all the fruit. It was used as a test bed for the power upgrades and I have been led to beleive it has slightly more power than they now offer. I have been told that the damage to my engine was definatly there before I bought it but have no proof.
I love it just can't afford it:(.
The only reason I was considering a 60 series was that I can get on for $1500 with 2 inch lift, wheel carrier, roof rack, bullbar, PTO winch running a ford engine on LPG. The idea of only paying 2-300 for an engine sounds good. I won't be selling mine unless I can get the money to pay out the lease so that means trading it and where will I get $27,000. Anyway If I sold it I would need to buy an old series to keep me sane.

[MT]

John, Thanks, better get that checked at the next service,

cheers

Mark

[dobbo]

1999 Disco Td5 Auto 200000 km's

1. Fuel pump
2. Oil in the harness
3. Fuel block regulator
4. ABS modulator
5. Exhaust studs (x2)
6. Suspension air bag
7. Auto trans rebuild


Going to do peventative head gasket, oil cooler, water pump replacement next week, do get her into tiptop shape for my trip around OZ next year


Why would you consider a head gasket as preventative maintanence? I cannot understand why you'd go to so much trouble when the car has only done 200k. The block and head wouldn't get rebuilt at the same time so why bother?

[LandyAndy]

Hi Edd
From the posts that are coming up,it seems the problems are normal,updated ECU/intercooler or not.
Its a worry:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
Andrew

[tombraider]

Why would you consider a head gasket as preventative maintanence? I cannot understand why you'd go to so much trouble when the car has only done 200k. The block and head wouldn't get rebuilt at the same time so why bother?

Agreed....

Got me beat....

Why is everyone so worried????

[George130]

Agreed....

Got me beat....

Why is everyone so worried????

Well because I spent 4 months of my lease fuel money all my maintenance budget and $4000 on my rig this year! I also still have 21,400 km to go on my estimates to reach the target. I'm going to have to organise a state deck or pay the excess FBT to keep my baby. I know I can't afford this level of repaires on top of what I had to spend on the better halfs car.

[Graeme]

Why would you consider a head gasket as preventative maintanence? I cannot understand why you'd go to so much trouble when the car has only done 200k. The block and head wouldn't get rebuilt at the same time so why bother?

I guess that considering the age and the kms, the possibility of the gasket going is increasing and the cost and inconvenience of having to replace it en-route, its much better to start afresh for the long trip.

I was going to check the tension of the head bolts on mine (only 100k) as head bolts generally tend to loosen (stretch maybe?) towards the back of the motor, possibly due to poorer coolant circulation. But I've decided to not touch it unless the engine gets overheated in some way (eg blows a radiator hose).

[Blknight.aus]

some possable reasons to consider a replacement head gasket as preventative maintenace are.


1. Engine over heated
2. contaminated coolant
3. contaminated oil
4. when torque checking head bolts you find a loose one
5. full cooling system flushout produces any kind of non oxisized materail
6. At the age/hour on the engine when a lot of other engines of same type/breed have had head problems (tho youd be replaceing it cause youve pulled the head)

[dobbo]

The TD5 is pretty much a universal engine, it's used on every continent of the globe in some very ordinary conditions. Obviously by the fact it has a fairly small turbo, and the fact it can be flash tuned to get such decent Horsepower increases tells me it has been detuned for engine driveline and gearbox longtivity, fuel economy etc..


These are not racetuned engines and should not need a rebuild at such low kilometres

[TheEntertainer]

Hi guys,

I've got 230 000 on the clock now.
1999 TD5 Discovery.
Whats been brewing under the bonnet.
Radiator, replaced this just before the trip around aus as a precaution.
Replaces a few soft water pipes.
Engine harness has been replaces.
Turbo pipe, the LR dealer in Wollongong stripped and broke it.
Fuel pump ( i think) just behind the engine.
Manifold, broke 3 bolts just the other day.
The fuel cooler leaked water twice and then never again, I replaced it with a second hand one ($20).
All of the above was picked up in time. I try my best to look after the car as best I can, average service interval is around 12k not 20k.

Ps. Many thanks to great servicing from Frank at ATV land rover.

Cheers
The Entertainer

[DougLD]

Hi All
We have just over 100,000 on the disco with the only problem being oil in the harness which i have the looms on the way. I was told it was a good idea to try to oil proof the back of the plug that is in the head as even some of the new looms still leak one suggestion was to seal it with sensor safe silicon which i will look at when they arrive. Would love to do the chip upgrade soon.
Regards
Doug

[Gavin]

Hi everybody
My disco(2004) 54000 no problems as yet
2000 fenda ( ex telstra) 162000
new motor @50000 cause unsure
new turbo @136000 cause unknown
new rad @155000 old one leaked had it cleaned leaked worse new one $462
just noticed today manifold leaking & oil leak from around oil filter
no other problems motor wise just the usual pain in the bum things
i'm pretty sure mine is the same as supboys fenda
cheers
gavin

[johncl]

Why would you consider a head gasket as preventative maintanence? I cannot understand why you'd go to so much trouble when the car has only done 200k. The block and head wouldn't get rebuilt at the same time so why bother?

Because I am going on a 9 month trip around Aus. Its prob overkill, I know, but I've got a young family with me and I don't feel like getting stuck in the bush with any problems.

I can get parts and labour cheap. Money is not too much of an issue. I'll be towing a van with me all the way and I do like to go bush a bit, so I just want everything to be in tip top shape.

I am also overhauling cooling system as well, so it easier to do all at the same time

[LandyAndy]

Im with you John.
Nothing like a headache of a stuffed motor whilst on holidays.From what quite a few have found you may be fixing the inevitable before it happens and preventing further engine damage.
We have a Perth Landrover mechanic (works for a dealer)on here who did mine and plenty of work for others.VERY REASONABLE RATES,does after hours/weekend work.
Kie4 is the man to contact.
Goodluck
Andrew

[JamesH]

Don't know if it is true about TD5s but they always say about Tdi's that you don't touch the head until you have to and then you hope they don't have to.

My understanding, which is pretty limitted is that a head gasket goes because the car overheats the head warps and you do a gasket - in otherwords they go becasue something made them go not because they are old or "due for replacement". If you cook the engine the new one might go just as well as the old one.

My two cents says leave the head well alone unless you have good reason to think there is a problem. Let others more knowledgable (which is most anyone) jump in a disagree.

[Weimar]

Late 1999 Discovery Td5 auto.

Secondhand with 92,000kms on the clock, now at 130,000kms.

This that has broken

1.Fractured Turbo hose
2.Leaky fuel block
3.Radiator replaced

All failed at about the 120,000km mark so it made for
an expensive service.

Had it serviced yesterday and the sump dropped to check for
the Td5 oil pump loose bolt problem. Apparently mine did have Loctite
on it. Mechanic also said there were two types of bolt an un-keyed and
later modification were the bolt was keyed, mine had the later keyed version.

Tim W

[johncl]

Don't know if it is true about TD5s but they always say about Tdi's that you don't touch the head until you have to and then you hope they don't have to.

My understanding, which is pretty limitted is that a head gasket goes because the car overheats the head warps and you do a gasket - in otherwords they go becasue something made them go not because they are old or "due for replacement". If you cook the engine the new one might go just as well as the old one.

My two cents says leave the head well alone unless you have good reason to think there is a problem. Let others more knowledgable (which is most anyone) jump in a disagree.

I have cooked it once bout 2/3 years ago. No damage that I know off.

I know its probably a big overkill and I know that if I cooked it again it could do a head gasket easily. Just want to be sure to be sure

[feral]

Had it serviced yesterday and the sump dropped to check for
the Td5 oil pump loose bolt problem. Apparently mine did have Loctite
on it. Mechanic also said there were two types of bolt an un-keyed and
later modification were the bolt was keyed, mine had the later keyed version.

Tim W
Tim,

Can you explain or even have a picture of what you mean by keyed?

I have my new bolt and sump gasket ready to install on the weekend and the LR supplied bolt looks like a very normal bolt to me with minimum Loctite on it.

I do not want to be in the position of sump off and the whole deal is wrong :twisted::twisted:

Cheers,
Lyndon.

[DRUT]

oil in the wiring harness from the ecu to the injectors.!!!!!!!mine has it so need to replace the harness. any suggestions on how to stop in happening again. I had thought a simple loop (like in a diff breather tube) would create a pocket to stop the progress back from the engine to the ecu (even though its lower than the engine) but not sure if the harness will allow enough give to do that.

ideas???:D

[abaddonxi]

oil in the wiring harness from the ecu to the injectors.!!!!!!!mine has it so need to replace the harness. any suggestions on how to stop in happening again. I had thought a simple loop (like in a diff breather tube) would create a pocket to stop the progress back from the engine to the ecu (even though its lower than the engine) but not sure if the harness will allow enough give to do that.

ideas???:D

I thought that the oil movement was due to capillary action. I'm sure if I'm incorrect someone will clarify.

If it is capillary action a loop isn't going to stop it, you need something to interrupt the flow - blknight.aus suggested a joiner and a drain, I think.

I thought something like a great chunk of silicone to separate the loom. I guess you'd need the loop to drain from the lump of silicone.

Cheers
Simon.

[ak]

After thinking about this a bit more it seems that other than the oil pump bolt the TD5 engine should do at least 300K without a complete failure, and more if serviced.

It seems to be all the bolt on bits that fail, radiator fuel pump, water pump oil in the harness and so on. The worset part is these parts seem to have a life of up to 150K and some are expensive to replace.

So if you are like me wanting to keep the car for up to about 250K it becomes expensive compared to a Jap 4wd. Before everyone jumps down my throat I know plenty of people with Jap 4wd's that have done 300K plus without having to replace very much at all.

However I still love my Discovery.

[Frenchie]

The bottom end of the motor seems fine (apart from the bolt issue).

The head is a problem though. :(

[eckolsim]

2000 TD5 ACE Auto Davis Chip and Intercooler (10k's old) Purchased 2003 with 90k kms'.

Now at 150k.

Character building events so far....
Oil in harnesses - replaced injector and engine harness myself found @100k.
Rear Transfer Case seal - @140k - easy and cheap to replace.
Numerous M+S events attributed to brake squeal. (required reset twice)
Oil pump bolt inspected and found OK.
Fuel leak at fuel manifold - fuel line tightened.
Rocker Cover oil seal + front and back cam plugs - b@st@rd still leaks
Front Diff seal weeping - will get there... oneday
Underbody rust prevention system operative - ie oil coming from somewhere and covering things slowly.

Love it. Drive it hard. Fingers crossed....

Someone mentioned some cut wires causing the M + S indication. I would like to hear more on that or some photos of the location.

Thanks
Simon

[tombraider]

2001 TR Defender... 118,000kms Chipped (big time) intercooled etc... since new...

Issues:

1 broken exhaust stud.
1 spat serpentine belt (my fault)

No leaks
No broken bits
No leaking injector harness
No fuel reg issues

In fact, nothing wrong...

[wardy1]

Hey Sequel..... take out your double cardan and have it rebuilt BEFORE it breaks!!!! Thats the vibration, 90% guaranteed.

I have a 2000 disco td5 bought it 18 months ago with 48k on the clock, now have 148k. Nothing has happened.....let me find a LARGE TREE while I say this!!! Normal service items like a rear axle bearing a few weeks ago, but engine wise its a bloody ripper

[Weimar]

Tim,

Can you explain or even have a picture of what you mean by keyed?

I have my new bolt and sump gasket ready to install on the weekend and the LR supplied bolt looks like a very normal bolt to me with minimum Loctite on it.

I do not want to be in the position of sump off and the whole deal is wrong :twisted::twisted:

Cheers,
Lyndon.

Hello Lyndon, unfortunately I have no pictures of the sump of my car and
I can only go on what the mechanic said. Here is a link to a picture that shows what a Woodruff key looks like

http://pvk.cc/store/images/200450transmission.jpg

NOTE: It is NOT a TD5 oil pump.

The Mechanic said that LR went from the straight bolt to a keyed bolt with very little explanation or warning. I can give you his phone number if you want to talk to him, just tbe aware he is flat out getting cars out the door for Christmas. He use to work for the local LR dealership whic his no more.

Tim W

[Weimar]

Hello Lyndon, unfortunately I have no pictures of the sump of my car and
I can only go on what the mechanic said. Here is a link to a picture that shows what a Woodruff key looks like

http://pvk.cc/store/images/200450transmission.jpg

NOTE: It is NOT a TD5 oil pump.

The Mechanic said that LR went from the straight bolt to a keyed bolt with very little explanation or warning. I can give you his phone number if you want to talk to him, just tbe aware he is flat out getting cars out the door for Christmas. He use to work for the local LR dealership whic his no more.

Tim W

Sorry, that should read keyed shaft not bolt.
A keyed bolt would be a bit hard to tension.

Tim W

[Martin]

1999 TD5 Defender

bought almost 2 years ago with 62K, now has 92K.

On purchase had full Land Rover service history with all recalls, and no warranty claims.

Engine - no issues at all. A couple of tiny leaks, which were fixed with a simple tightening of the bolts. Very slight coolant leak from the top hose at 80K. Changed coolant and hoses, and put on better hose clamps - fine since. Always started and run without issue. Engine warning light came on once with low range & centre diff engaged at Stockton beach at about 85Ks in July. Stopped, switched off engine, drove carefully, but light never came on again.

Other issues - steering dampener just replaced, although probably still okay. Radius arm bolt came loose. Steering arm bolt came loose, causing steering judder when on right road camber. Both easily diagnosed fixed, the first with assistance from this board J.

Apart form that, it has been faultless (cross fingers)

[Sequel]

Hey Sequel..... take out your double cardan and have it rebuilt BEFORE it breaks!!!! Thats the vibration, 90% guaranteed.


Thanks for the advice wardy. You are the 2nd person to recomend doing it before I drive it another metre! After I received the first warning, I slid underneath to have a look. The cardan joint feels tight (however I understand they seize rather than chop out?), the movement I felt was in the bearing on the front output shaft from the transfer case. Thinking about it now though, that may not be the cause of the vibration, but rather it is shagged due to driving around with a cactus cardan joint for the last 20,000km!

I'll have to get onto it! Now back to the TD5 topic....

[justinc]

Just a note on the Td5 head issue.

Firstly, I commisserate with all who have had problems with their Td5's, especially Ed who seems to have had the lion's share of it lately. (We ought to have an Aulro whip round to help him keep his truck after all his bad luck!)

SO....

I advise anyone who asks to 'think about' head gasket problems around 200K as I have had to replace many at about this time. As for the 300Tdi, I leave them to about 250 to 300 before worrying about them. I only have 1 Tdi that did 400K on a head gasket, and the highest mileage Td5 was 245K before the plastic dowels failed and it all went pear shaped. All in all I still think they are a reasonable engine, but the cost of repairing easily outstrips the Tdi, and not just in parts, the labour component is higher also. The bottom end of them seems very robust, and the head gas flow (porting etc) from the factory is very nice compared to some lesser engines. If only the rest of it would last like a 4BD1 it would be a world beater.

I still prefer to work on them than any other vehicle, its a landrover thing, many wouldn't understand.

JC

[George130]

Just a note on the Td5 head issue.

Firstly, I commisserate with all who have had problems with their Td5's, especially Ed who seems to have had the lion's share of it lately. (We ought to have an Aulro whip round to help him keep his truck after all his bad luck!)

SO....

I advise anyone who asks to 'think about' head gasket problems around 200K as I have had to replace many at about this time. As for the 300Tdi, I leave them to about 250 to 300 before worrying about them. I only have 1 Tdi that did 400K on a head gasket, and the highest mileage Td5 was 245K before the plastic dowels failed and it all went pear shaped. All in all I still think they are a reasonable engine, but the cost of repairing easily outstrips the Tdi, and not just in parts, the labour component is higher also. The bottom end of them seems very robust, and the head gas flow (porting etc) from the factory is very nice compared to some lesser engines. If only the rest of it would last like a 4BD1 it would be a world beater.

I still prefer to work on them than any other vehicle, its a landrover thing, many wouldn't understand.

JC
The bottom end is very good. When we had mine appart it looked like new. You could still see the honning markes even. For those wondering she was running like a deamon yesterday. I was told by the guy who reset the computer that a stock Defender is very reliable.

[Graeme]

<snip>
The cardan joint feels tight (however I understand they seize rather than chop out?), the movement I felt was in the bearing on the front output shaft from the transfer case. Thinking about it now though, that may not be the cause of the vibration, but rather it is shagged due to driving around with a cactus cardan joint for the last 20,000km!


The bearing on my D2 has been loose right from new and my 84 RR with 300K+ is also loose (and doesn't leak oil from there).

[Sequel]

The bearing on my D2 has been loose right from new

Do you have a vibration?

[Slunnie]

Thanks for the advice wardy. You are the 2nd person to recomend doing it before I drive it another metre! After I received the first warning, I slid underneath to have a look. The cardan joint feels tight (however I understand they seize rather than chop out?), the movement I felt was in the bearing on the front output shaft from the transfer case. Thinking about it now though, that may not be the cause of the vibration, but rather it is shagged due to driving around with a cactus cardan joint for the last 20,000km!

I'll have to get onto it! Now back to the TD5 topic....
The DC most definately does chop out. I've done a few DC joints, and I would recommend that if there is any play in the DC to pull it.

[Graeme]

Do you have a vibration?

No, and I replaced the DC unis with greasable ones while the originals were still fine.

[Tote]

I Have a 2000 TD5 Disco with ACE and a manual box. 142000 Km on it now and has been a second car for 3 years.
Problems:
Intercooler hose blew at Normanton, fixed at Croyden with a Ford radiator hose and a lot of swearing. Lasted till I got around to replacing it at home in Canberra 3 weeks later.
Replacement hose went about 12 months later, been OK since
Gearbox output bearing failed and box was rebuilt with LR coughing up for parts as it was only just out of warranty. I'm still suspicious that Rolfe didnt put the correct oil in the box at the service prior to the Gulf trip when it started getting noisy. Of course they also installed an oil leak when reassembling the box.
Turbo modulator broke leading to an overboost which destroyed the boost sensor as well.
Apart from that it has been a pretty good vehicle.

Regards,
Tote

[td5110]

Only had my Td5 110 a short while. Had 101000km on it with service history not indicating any major work done. No oil in the ECU (was advised to check for this).

Was almost turned off by the report in the Dog and Lemon Guide (available from newsagents) which lists for the Td5:
* prone to crankshaft breakages
* prone to timing belt breakages
* oil pumps prone to failure
* turbocharger, starter motor and fuel injection pumps prone to expensive failure.

However, checked with LR mechanic (trusted) who did not know of any crankshaft troubles, nor any particular problems up to around the 200Kkm mark if serviced routinely. Hadn't seen enough with more than 200K to make generalisations. Was dark about service books being stamped (not sure whether by LR dealers or other places) but only the obvious bits of servicing having being done.

He gave my Fender the thumbs up so I went ahead and bought it! Have wanted one for years...:D

Cheers.

[Frenchie]

Was almost turned off by the report in the Dog and Lemon Guide (available from newsagents) which lists for the Td5:
* prone to crankshaft breakages
* prone to timing belt breakages
* turbocharger, starter motor and fuel injection pumps prone to expensive failure.
.

They have obviously done their research. The Td5 doesn't have a timing belt or an injection pump. And I've never heard of crankshaft, turbocharger or starter motor failures. :confused:

[Slunnie]

But no doubt they asked a Toyota driver, so it must be true. :lol2:

[Phil633]

2000 TD5 Auto

Bought it at 73k km Jan 2003 now has done 131k
Used to tow heavy trailer all the time with previous owner who owned from new.

Had it regularly serviced at dealer, after recent events will not any more. I am currently looking for someone reliable for servicing, though am tempted to do it myself.

Problems so far.

1. Fuel Regulator

2. Front plug in head twice. It only requires an o'ring but you can only buy complete (genuine). will visit a seal/o'ring distributor next time.

3. Jockey pulley bearing, only way to buy the bearing is part of the jockey pulley. Once I had the old one off the bearing is just a normal 6000 series ball bearing 6303.2rs I think or possibly a 6304.2rs. anyway next time a bearing house I the way to go, much cheaper. Changed the serpentine belt at the same time and keep the old one as a spare.

4.Oil Cooler at 130k. I have the old one I think it is repairable. The problem was a seep at the water hose caused the nipple to corrode on the external surface the inside of the cooler was perfect so coolant is working well.

5. Manifold studs. found and changed at the same time as oil cooler.

only other problem is 1 snapped head bolt LHF of engine I found when hanging front plug. Had a couple of people look at it and conclusion from both was while it is not causing any problem it is best to leave it than disturb the head.

I am also concerned my fuel economy isn't the same as a lot of you guys have reported. When my mate gets back to Perth we are going to take off the roof rack and see if that helps. But I seem to be getting about 150 to 200 K's less out of a tank than my mates manual TD5 Disco and others.

Have not checked the injector harness or oil pump bolt yet.

[DRUT]

2001 TR Defender... 118,000kms Chipped (big time) intercooled etc... since new...

Issues:

1 broken exhaust stud.
1 spat serpentine belt (my fault)

No leaks
No broken bits
No leaking injector harness
No fuel reg issues

In fact, nothing wrong...

Maybe it's just a case of good servicing??? I bought mine at 89000km from and 83 year old Doctor (was 83 when he bought it in 2000) who had had it since new and had used it on his farm but mainly to tow his wifes horse float around. Since then oil in harness, harmonic balancer broke, fuel pump in tank broke. Other than that serviced (minor) every 5-7000km, some small oil leaks. Lots of mods gone on but running well. Now 110000km. I dont flog it but expect it to perform when needed and it does. Then again, this is my first Landie!!!!!! But then I look at how many are used in so many countries around the world and how so many are 30+ years old and still poking along and I feel OK, not too many other 4WD's out there with that history.:)

[DarrenR]

Don't take offence to the below as it is said with some tongue-in-cheek

Well after reading this thread I...
Had a good laugh/cry and thought "TD5 owners are true die hard Land Rover owners", after some of the problems some of you have had, most still come up smiling and saying something along the lines of "I love it, wouldn't have anything else".
Felt ill as I realised I too have a 4WD with the branding "Land Rover" on it.
Felt ill again thinking about some of the costs involved in repairs.
Then thought this was a dam good thread as it does give, as someone put it “a soldiers 5” on some potential issues that might arise on TD5’s.

To be fair to “other brands” of 4WDrives, I really wouldn’t want to compare market % sold to % of vehicle problems, somehow I’m guessing the Land Rover would not come out on top as the best.

But to end with a smile I thought “oh I have a 300TDi !!!!” (lol).
I’m not trying to stir anyone up, but can I do a “300TDi engine life” ? (I know, it will bite me in the ****).

Best regards
DarrenR

[catch-22]

OK I have read every post in this thread.

I have no doubt in my mind that there are issues with the LR TD5 but what I don't get it that with their issues, why you keep supporting them. I only ask as I might be (starting to change my mind now) in the market for one. A passion for a vehicle can only ever go so far. Cracked heads - surely this is unheard of in other cars.

I currently drive an Audi with over 75000ks. I have ever only had one issue. Engines last easy over 250ks.

Thanks a heap to the admins of this site. Without it, I would probably have to learn the hard way.

[tombraider]

OK I have read every post in this thread.

I have no doubt in my mind that there are issues with the LR TD5 but what I don't get it that with their issues, why you keep supporting them. I only ask as I might be (starting to change my mind now) in the market for one. A passion for a vehicle can only ever go so far. Cracked heads - surely this is unheard of in other cars.

I currently drive an Audi with over 75000ks. I have ever only had one issue. Engines last easy over 250ks.

Thanks a heap to the admins of this site. Without it, I would probably have to learn the hard way.

Actually, Audi s are reknown for killing the water pump, the complex system of cooling and then frying engines if not caught quick enough.

Also reknown for power steering failure, overheating in summer and for leaks from PS and from engine.

Also known for radiator cracking along seam and leaking.

I know I used to supply a repairer friend of mine the parts.

This was on TTs A4s etc...

Any forum such as this will have a whole list of faults.. The NisOta forums have tech sections on busted gearboxes, broken Turbos, destroyed engines, wiring faults, overheating etc...

Example... Nissans Patrol overheats and then shuts the AC down on a 35' day at 100km/h... What a way to travel.

No vehicle is immune... If it makes you feel better... Mines done 120,000 of the nastiest Kms.. Modified, chipped oversize tyres, rock hopping, mud, water all its life (it thinks its a fish) and has no oil leaks, no Loom issues, no fuel regulator issues, no cooling issues... nothing wrong....

[JDNSW]

I suspect that most (not the oil pump bolt) problems with the TD5 have their roots in poor maintenance, and some of this done by dealers! But granted that, there is still the problem that they seem to be VERY expensive to fix, and very intolerant of poor maintenance or mistreatment compared to earlier Landrover engines. I think, for example, of the 2.25 petrol engine, which will stand years of neglect and even occasionally severe overheating without either completely dying or even being all that expensive to fix.

BUT the TD5 gives you vastly better performance and fuel economy, and a lot longer interval between services, and longer and more reliable engine life (if no disasters) - and you don't get something for nothing. These advantages have come at the expense of an engine that is much more fussy about how it is looked after, and costs a lot more to fix when something does go wrong.

Although I believe that parts costs for modern Landrovers are often ridiculously expensive, partly because the cars are aimed at the luxury market with prices to match, but also because of short production runs compared to older engines - remember a lot of the design of the 300Tdi goes back to 1956, where the TD5 was a completely new engine.

John

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Hmmm... I've been meaning to put a bit of a summary of all this together. It would appear that the td5's have some issues

1. Oil pump bolt on earlier engines. Just plain nasty this one.
2. Oil in Loom. Nasty as well. Possibly not fixed even now. Fortunately not to hard to fix.
3. Head/radiator/cooling issues. I've got a hunch that these are tied up with the use of non-oat coolants causing overheating.
4. Electrics. Most problems appear to be around body earth or the throttle position sensor.
5. Fuel sensitivity. They like good clean (non bio) fuel.
6. Exhaust studs. Seems to be just one of those things.

Having listed these off I personally aren't deterred by any of them. Many of them can be avoided with good maintenance. Mostly they can be prevented from causing a Failure To Proceed (FTP) by just keeping an eye on your steed. :)

[DarrenR]

6. Exhaust studs. Seems to be just one of those things.


Do you mean exhaust manifold studs breaking?

If so, this is quite a common item on a lot of alloy diesel engines (alloy head, cast iron manifold, go figure). The Nissan Navara TD series engine are very common for this.

Best regards
DarrenR

[Graeme]

<snip>
3. Head/radiator/cooling issues. I've got a hunch that these are tied up with the use of non-oat coolants causing overheating.
<snip


I believe the root cause of the destruction of the head on my 99 TD5 was a faulty clamp on the radiator hose at the outlet of the head that allowed coolant to escape. It was a series of subsequent events that should never have happened that eventually led to the destruction of the head. Probably needless to say, I replaced the hose clamps on my current TD5 just before the end of its warranty.

[Shuffle]

At the risk of tempting fate and having an immediate melt down, I've had my 2002 Defender TD5 since new, now at 102,000 kms and (apart from the dreaded ABS modulator and the obligatory leaks and rattles), had my first engine problem last week with a loose connection to one of the injectors causing me to run on 4 instead of 5 cylinders - easily fixed. Apart from that I've had no engine problems at all, except when the local mechanic didn't do up the sump bolt properly and left a very slow oil leak, fixed in 20 seconds...

Had an S2 Disco TD5 for a while before that and also had no problems, although that one did a lot less kms, so (touching lots of wood) have quite a lot of confidence in the TD5s, but maybe I'm just lucky...

Every vehicle I've ever heard of has had a list of common problems, some worse than others, although LR and Jeep coming in at the bottom of a recent overseas (US, I think) warranty survey (as I recall, about 48% of owners had a warranty claim !) could be cause for some nervousness...

[furianer]

Customer Truck 98 TD5 220`000km on the clock untoucht so far, needs the manefold milled and some new studs in the head, no dramas, runs sweet.

Customer Truck 99 TD5 used for towing traillers up to 3500kg 220000km ok so far but needs a bit of work done to the bodem end of the engine, oiljet, thrustwasher and some other bits let go.

Friends Machine 99 TD5 160000km oil pump **** itself, good thing he stop the engine before any major damage happened.

The list goes on


Customers Truck 97 TDI 480.000km still going strong, second head, second set of injectors, :)

anyone around brisbane got a tdi for sale, let me know, the simple the better,

Richard

[DarrenR]

anyone around brisbane got a tdi for sale, let me know, the simple the better,

Richard

Richard,
Off topic but..
I spent about 6 months looking for a low km TDi, found one in Sydney (97 with 90,000km's on the clock), flew down there (flights are cheap), drove it back about 1500km's.

Prices seem to be a bit lower at the moment, a good time to buy, I looked online at these sites;
autoweb.drive.com.au
carpoint.com.au
carsales.com.au
carsguide.com.au
drive.com.au
motorpoint.com.au
tradingpost.com.au
ebay.com.au

Best regards
DarrenR

[catch-22]

tombraider (or is it Tom Braider :) )

Thanks for the info. You raise a good point. I am a member of two Audi clubs and I have never heard of any of the issues you raised. Not even on the ozaudi.com forum. In any case, it got me thinking about forums in general. Most people will, if they have experianced problems, post something up. That's more then likely the reason some of these issues seem amplified.

I am told that things changed in the '03 and '04 models (or was that '02 ??) and that there are less issues with these models. Not sure if this applies to the motors, however.

So which is the more refined model? from '02 or from '03?

[WildOne]

I just bought an 01 Td5 Disco yesterday, 157K on the clock, full service history with receipts for all work done to it, i hope.....
Slight oil seepage around sump, has had rear air suspension compressor and compressor air filter replaced, some work to leaking water pump and worn ignition barrel replaced.

Had mechanical check done and everything checked out fine. Will comment further when i do some mileage in it.

[Larns]

One word for you fellas..........."ISUZU":D :D :D :p :p :p

[easo]

03, 130 DC
80,203km
Cluch master cylender at 1700, Warrenty
Air con regas at 4000, Warrenty
Most recent starting dramas,
New Battery $150
Glow plugs $103
Crank sencor $185
Starter motor $648
Spelling lessons $Free
Trip to Wondonga ot see Blknight.Aus (Dave)
Priceless

Now working fine.

[ddkemp]

My TD5 is a 1999 model April Build, bought as a demonstrator,been brilliant.
160,000 clocked up, items replaced
headlight protectors
bonnet protector 3 times,they are so fragile
Auto gear selector(Electronic) cracked
Fuel Pump, real pain in ****..$700.00 just for the pump
Brakes as you would expect
only use synthetic oil (Caltex)
Oils and filters chaged every 10, k
No oil leaks
no squeals
bloody comfy
better last me till I can afford another one
Pulled a many horse float with two big horses
cruises beautifully at 110klms
averages about 830 per tank, mainly country travel
I always have in the back of my mind though, when will I have to fork out to fix her.
keeping fingers crossed.
Would have any of that Jap crap..to damn expensive to repair
Friend swears by them, but always getting things replaced or repaired which you would think would be relatively inexpensive, but TOJO's
need a big credit card.
David Kemp
S11 TD5
S1 Disco V8
S111 SWB

[Tote]

As a counterpoint I have just got a new BF falcon company car, my old one had the gearbox replaced 1 week into warranty, the front end was completely shot, had 2 sets of rotors in it and the seat broke. All in 160,000 KM I think the thing about forums bringing the worst aspects of a vehicle are correct. I wonder how many people joined here initially looking for the answer to a problem?
I can also directly attribute some of my issues to the Canberra dealer, particularly on my TDI

Regards,
Tote

[easo]

There has been some discussion that TD5's don't really last too long, and that they have numerous faults that develop after not too many k's.

So how about everyone with a high mileage td5 (ie over 100k) let us know how it's going. Please include a few details about.

1. How long have you had it?
2. Servicing?
3. Usage (towed the 3.5 trailer everyday)?
4. What has happened... ie head at 180k etc? OR is it all good?

Equally, please post if you are having a good run with it. I'd love to hear someone say I'm up to 300k and it hasn't been touched.

I think this could be very interesting :)

Is there going to be a evaluation of this data to find any common TD5 trends?

[greenmeanie]

g day all .bought my td5 disco 7 months ago with 179ks on the clock.have had to replace so far ,f r disc rotors and pads.fuel regulator,reg gasket,wiper arm.have added on arb bullbar spots,2"old man emu lift kit,homemade roller drawerand black scotchtint.does a bit of beach work and drags a trailer loaded with 2ton of jarrah in winter quiet often ,so far no dramas touch wood.!:cool:

[feraldisco]

If anyone wants a more objective comparison of the relative reliability of various automotive makes, get a hold of 'The Dog and Lemon Guide ' - a fascinating read. Unfortunately Land Rovers don't fare too well!

[feraldisco]

sorry - should have mentioned the above book is available from newsagents...

No affiliation...but it is the best read I've had for $25...Toyota is the only make that fares well for long-term ownership...too bad they're so bland and boring to drive...

[byron]

sorry - should have mentioned the above book is available from newsagents...

No affiliation...but it is the best read I've had for $25...Toyota is the only make that fares well for long-term ownership...too bad they're so bland and boring to drive...

I know the publication very well.......it's an excellent and accurate source of info.......as you say, too bad it's sooooo harsh on our favourite brand !!!!......

......they in all seriousness recommend that we should all be driving Toyota Corollas and try and not let ourselves get too excited about that "glorious" prospect!

.......A very good accurate buying guide though........tells you all the known faults of our beloved and all other brands too - totally unbiased.....they hate them all!

[mikecmb]

Hi guys been away for a while.

Mine has now done 99,000 ks only thing I have fixed is the leaky fuel pressure regulater. I service mine myself and do filters etc every 10.000ks.

I replace the fan aircon belt every 40,000ks

I thought my wheelbearings were going but turned out that my 18'' Goodyears were having a bad year and are no longer round. Its a pity because new ones are $370 each and the rears have about 10,000ks of tread left. I clean my wiring harness every few weeks with contact cleaner and my engine cover is permanently removed. My under bonnet plastics are all Armouraled and the engine bay is in brand new showroom condition.

Oops almost forgot I have a rear abs sensor playing up that I have to replace. The ABS still works just the warning light is on . Apparently you can buy them singularly now without the entire hub for $250.

NOw before I hit the submit button I am going to touch the wooden table.


MIKE:D

[Reads90]

My brother has a 2000 TD5 Disco
He has 290,000 K's on it (185,000 miles). The only thing that has gone wrong with it is a Turbo Hose But can't blame that as it what i call a service part
And he drives up and down the M3 every moring doing 320 K's a day at 145 kph all the way. Been doing this 5 days a week for the past two years.
And when its not doing that its towing his race trucks to events or the garage

[ak]

My brother has a 2000 TD5 Disco
He has 290,000 K's on it (185,000 miles). The only thing that has gone wrong with it is a Turbo Hose But can't blame that as it what i call a service part
And he drives up and down the M3 every moring doing 320 K's a day at 145 kph all the way. Been doing this 5 days a week for the past two years.
And when its not doing that its towing his race trucks to events or the garage

Reads90 that sounds pretty encouraging. So he has not even had the oil in the harness or head gasket problems?

[stony]

Hi guys. Mine is a 2000 auto Discovery. Bought it with 154k & a Service Hx. It now has 193k. I have put in a new radiator at 165k, and an Injector Harness at 175k. Doesn't use or leak oil but in the last 3 months the fuel pressure reg' and water pump have developed a leak, the auto needs an overhaul/changeover unit and the a/c TX valve needs replacing. All in I'm up for about $5,000 in repairs.:(

Despite these issues I am very happy with the truck & expect longevity from it. It is still a better vehicle than my Series 1 Discovery V8.

cheers

Daryl

[Reads90]

Reads90 that sounds pretty encouraging. So he has not even had the oil in the harness or head gasket problems?

Nah not yet. Talking to him last might he said he has had the rad changed. But that is it

[Andrew]

Hear Hear, I was allways told if you mess with the head , next you'll be doing the rings. If it aint broke dont fix it. You buy a car to drive not fix.

[CraigE]

A lot of stuff people talk about are what should be termed consumables anyway (clutches, master cylinders etc).
My 99 TD5 has 131,000kms on it and has had more stupid preventative issues than anything.
Oil in harness.
Check oil pump bolt.
Rocker cover gasket.
Sump gasket (good excuse to check oil pump bolt).
Normal belts.
Master and slave cylinders.
Needs new a frame ball joint.

Occassionally getting smell of hot coolant. Not overheating though. Not using any coolant or very minimal. May take off head to check dowels when time permits.
Anyone done this in their own shed?? Difficulty??
I have taken off and fixed numerous petrol heads and a few Mitsubisgi, Toyota heads and they are easy.
No local LR mech.

I have found mine good, just stupid things LR should have dealt with in the factory that would have added about $20 during manufacture.

At the end of the day all machinery wears. Being a diesel 500,000kms should not be out of the question with reg maint inc injectors, glow plugs, turbo bearings, water pumps etc.

Toyotas are far worse, we have a fleet of them. Try and get one of the hiluxes serviced at a country mechanic!!

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Toyotas are far worse, we have a fleet of them. Try and get one of the hiluxes serviced at a country mechanic!!
A freind went to the cape with a new hi-lux. It snapped a fan belt. Not the end of the world you would think as they had a spare. They re-fitted the fan belt but no go. So they towed it to toyota with tremendous hardship.

It turns out that the computer detected the fanbelt break and flagged some kind of critical code. It needed Toyota to clear the fault, and bingo she was away. If I owned a Hi-lux, I would find this very very discomforting. :o

[Graeme]

<snip>
May take off head to check dowels when time permits.
Anyone done this in their own shed?? Difficulty??
<snip>

I found the biggest hurdle was swallowing the cost of the gasket set and new head bolts, plus doing it to a vehicle not yet 4 years old and because the dealer stuffed-up in several ways.

I wouldn't do it to check the plastic dowels, rather, if it gets hot then try to prevent excessive overheating and do the gasket promptly. Make sure you read the procedures in the WSM first.

[rickyr]

Firstly great thread.

Tomeraider you mention two bokes with over 300k. That does not say .................................................. .................................................. ..........
Carn guy's someone has to have a Td5 with a few hundred on it by now???

I own an early 1999 Defender TD5, I now have 235000 km on the clock. Apart from early problems relating to the ECU my list of engine problems relates to a head gasket failure at 130 000 km due to a lack of water in the radiator just after a service, but lets not go there.

Location bosses melted (plastic!!), the head moved, and I have a steam engine. End result is a warped head. A quick 9 thou off the top, something landrover say you cannot do, and its been ok for another 100 000 km.

Since then my problems include three faulty computer looms (the last one is good) and a faulty fuel pressure regulator; and just recently a set of glow plugs.


It now has a reco box and t/case due to 5th gear noise (while the gearbox is out you just have to put a clutch kit in and new t/case bearings don't you?)

My bus is in at the panel beaters getting kangaroo imprints removed from three door, ouch $$$$ and a tidy up. Did I say its up for sale soon?

[CraigE]

Will probablly get the coolant sensor (engine saver) to alert any overheating.
Cheers
Craig

I found the biggest hurdle was swallowing the cost of the gasket set and new head bolts, plus doing it to a vehicle not yet 4 years old and because the dealer stuffed-up in several ways.

I wouldn't do it to check the plastic dowels, rather, if it gets hot then try to prevent excessive overheating and do the gasket promptly. Make sure you read the procedures in the WSM first.

[ddkemp]

Mine is owned from New, 1999 164,000Klms
First problem Replaced Auto trans selector( Cracked)
Fuel Pump Expensive inc flat top truck hire $1200.00 ( BOR Forest Glen)
Oil Pump nut Loctite done
Fuel Regulator ( expensive for a little Part) done last week
Thought I was going to up for a new Donk, after mechanic left expansion tank cap off and car started to get a little warm!!! checked and all OK.

Overall very Happy with Car, and is super Comfy Looks like new too inside and out.
I would buy another one with out question.Wouldnt buy D3 though.

David Kemp:)
S11 Disco TD5 seven seater Chipped, thrashes V8
S1 Disco 3.9 97 V8 SE..................so far pain in **** with silly little things going wrong, only 140,000Klms on clock, as new in and out
S111 SWB 2.25 Ltr Petrol...............going well, 50% rebuild

[mikesolo]

My 2003 defender TD5 has had the motor replaced, under warranty by landrover at 99470kms. Due to cracks in the cylinder block. the problem that the vehicle was having, was lack of power, I needed to change down to 2nd gear to go up a slight hill.
Landrover looked after me during this problem. I could not ask for more.
Motor was replaced with a new long motor, all at no cost to me.
Three cheers to landrover.
I will buy an other.

Mike :) :p

[BigJon]

.Wouldnt buy D3 though.

David Kemp:)


Why is that? We are finding them to be extremely reliable and competant.

[Sharpie]

I bought mine when it had 135000km a year and a half ago, got to admit lovely car to drive BUT !! trio of light problems all the time sick and tired of getting them reset and LR can't find a fault both my keys are on the way out oil leaks galore..

[Utemad]

I bought mine when it had 135000km a year and a half ago, got to admit lovely car to drive BUT !! trio of light problems all the time sick and tired of getting them reset and LR can't find a fault both my keys are on the way out oil leaks galore ari bags on the way out anf roof lining is fall down & so is the F%^&ing Sky. So anybody want my TD5. I've had enough!!!!

and after reading the review of the d3 i won't be upgrading or coming back either... so long !!

Sounds like the usual Land Rover problems. Nothing Td5 specific. I don't use dealers but from what I have read they are pretty useless. Best go to one of the specialist private places like Rick's in Nerang.

[thebanjo]

My '99 series 2 has just clicked over 245,000 klms. Oil in injector harnes up in the gulf arount 175,000. Water pump has had a microscopic leak since 2001 which leaves a deposit down the side of the block but I have only ever added coolant 3 times & then only very little. Turbo oil line gasket couple of times. CV joint boot x 1. Can;t open the back door sometimes. Anybody know what causes this?? Lost a couple of plastic wheel caps. Couple of cam cover gaskets.
Reliable as a Swiss watch. Run it on Castrol synthetic, now known as "Edge", 3rd name change in as many years. Change the oil & filter every 10,000 klms not 20,000. Never yet had to add oil. Tow an 18 ft. van and boat on top, Wagga to Merimbula, up the coast to Nowra, up over Cambewarra & Barrengary & home, 19.85 miles per gallon.
Have an engine oil analysis every 20,000 klms, results - perfect. I run Michelin XLT/AT's just rotated them last weekend & measured tread depth again while I was at it & they will be bald when they have run up180,000 klms. so I am looking at 150,000 out of them. They had 14mm tread depth new at 175,000. I have a chip upgrade also, by Triumph Rover Spares in Adelaide, & it was worth every penny I paid for it. One gear better off & much more flexible in the bush & around town. One thing I forgot, just fitted a fuel pressure regulator which was leaking. $387.00. Took it home & pulled it apart & just as I suspected, two 0-rings. 60 cents worth, all scuffed up. I'll keep it for a spare.
Have just boughtt discs & pads to fit, but I'm not complaining.
Who needs a Landcruiser ??

[Graeme]

My '99 series 2 has just clicked over 245,000 klms. Oil in injector harnes up in the gulf arount 175,000. Water pump has had a microscopic leak since 2001 which leaves a deposit down the side of the block but I have only ever added coolant 3 times & then only very little. Turbo oil line gasket couple of times. CV joint boot x 1. Can;t open the back door sometimes. Anybody know what causes this?? Lost a couple of plastic wheel caps. Couple of cam cover gaskets.
Reliable as a Swiss watch. Run it on Castrol synthetic, now known as "Edge", 3rd name change in as many years. Change the oil & filter every 10,000 klms not 20,000. Never yet had to add oil. Tow an 18 ft. van and boat on top, Wagga to Merimbula, up the coast to Nowra, up over Cambewarra & Barrengary & home, 19.85 miles per gallon.
Have an engine oil analysis every 20,000 klms, results - perfect. I run Michelin XLT/AT's just rotated them last weekend & measured tread depth again while I was at it & they will be bald when they have run up180,000 klms. so I am looking at 150,000 out of them. They had 14mm tread depth new at 175,000. I have a chip upgrade also, by Triumph Rover Spares in Adelaide, & it was worth every penny I paid for it. One gear better of & much more flexible in the bush & around town.
Have just boughtt discs & pads to fit, but I'm not complaining.
Who needs a Landcruiser ??

You're having a good run!

The rear door lock problem can be overcome by removing the return spring from the child-proof lock lever. The lock has to be removed from the door to do this and my experience is that you will never have the problem again.

[DiscoDan]

I bought mine when it had 135000km a year and a half ago, got to admit lovely car to drive BUT !! trio of light problems all the time sick and tired of getting them reset and LR can't find a fault both my keys are on the way out oil leaks galore ari bags on the way out anf roof lining is fall down & so is the F%^&ing Sky. So anybody want my TD5. I've had enough!!!!

and after reading the review of the d3 i won't be upgrading or coming back either... so long !!

Will you be selling privately?

PM me if you are;)

[Sharpie]

Will you be selling privately?

PM me if you are;)


yes it's listed

[D110V8D]

So now that you've told everyone how special it is how much do you expect to get for it?:p :p :D :D :D

[William]

I bought mine when it had 135000km a year and a half ago, got to admit lovely car to drive BUT !! trio of light problems all the time sick and tired of getting them reset and LR can't find a fault both my keys are on the way out oil leaks galore ari bags on the way out anf roof lining is fall down & so is the F%^&ing Sky. So anybody want my TD5. I've had enough!!!!

and after reading the review of the d3 i won't be upgrading or coming back either... so long !!

Doesn't seem to mention these things in the ad on carsales!!!:eek:

[CraigE]

I bought mine when it had 135000km a year and a half ago, got to admit lovely car to drive BUT !! trio of light problems all the time sick and tired of getting them reset and LR can't find a fault both my keys are on the way out oil leaks galore ari bags on the way out anf roof lining is fall down & so is the F%^&ing Sky. So anybody want my TD5. I've had enough!!!!

and after reading the review of the d3 i won't be upgrading or coming back either... so long !!

Roof lining is an easy fix, as are keys and would normally only be a battery or wear from abuse, oil leaks, you cant be serious, all rovers have all leaks, most 4x4s for that matter have oil leaks, let alone most cars especially at 135,000kms and yours now on 176,000kms. The air bags are the only real problem I see but is about normal for mileage. I would get rid of them and go coil. From what I read if these are you only complaints you are doing well,not nice but not show stoppers, pick up a Yota Cruiser with 135,000kms and see what dramas you have. At the end of the day its done a few Ks so you are going to have wear. Oh well I expect someone will get a bargain.

[Acorn1205]

Changed over from a Prado to a 2001 TD5 Discovery Auto with ACE about three weeks ago. Chalk and cheese how much better the Disco handles compared to the Prado(2003 model). Bought the disco from a dealer got the statutory and after market warranties. Used the warranty already by having it towed back to the dealer when the alternator died. Interesting watching how the dropping battery level caused different errors to appear whuilst I struggled to get the car home. All fixed now and still loveit. Just have to fit my prodigy so that I can tow my camper trailer.

[hagus]

Had mine for 16 months ,put 30000km on it so far. A lot in the Kimberley 40deg c plus, long drives no problems at all. Servicing every 5000 just to be safe given the tough going up here.:)

[hagus]

Der should add to that it now has 140000+ on it;)

[strangy]

Hi,
2000 TD5 Manual. Just over 195,000 second owner.
worked reasonably hard in central oz.
Radiator just started to leak. Bottom right hand side! Rocker cover gasket and spiggot bush. Oil in the ignition harness.

Still love it. Won't be changing in a hurry.

[disco_thrasher]

5teve; you do have a point about forums and help, but......

we're finding much description about td5 issues, enough to steer me away from ever going near one...

cheers, GQ

i bought my d2 td5 late 2000 model no ace ...in 05 it had 163000k on it had been serviced every 10k by a LR dealer..bought it from a travelling rep never seen the bush beach,,??????
and now 201000k ,,since it had many trip to LCMP Great Sandy NP Kenilworth forest
Lavuka ect ,,,, i had to change fuel regulator ,,have just noticed this year a slight leak from rocker cover gasket ,, and got a drip a week leak from transfer case ...Rick does my servicing ,,,,, i am very happy with it i suppose its like any car how you look after it and service it she will perform for you ....and not let you done
from kelvin:D

[howardeaton]

Bought my Auto Td5 in Dec 00. Now done 160,000. Done a little bit of off road stuff: Live in Perth: to the Bight twice; around Kal; through the Great Central & Top end.
Auto trans housing porous and leaked new: replaced;
Water pump went early: 50k.
Replaced both rear suspension air bags : one at 115K [Helpful dealer in Alice 05] other at 150K.
Fan went through the radiator on the Mitchell Falls Rd. Found great help from Rover service guy in Kunnunarra [05 but I think he is getting out of LRs.] He said the original viscous fan superceded by another part number and were not giving this not uncommon problem.
Had Water through the door seals in Litchfield: silly me: thought they would seal!
Just replaced all shockies: 150K; and fuel regulator: 160K. leaky o ring.
Serviced well every 10k by dealer til end 05 then by smaller independent service : I prefer that:you can talk to the boss who keeps track of the work and the guys who work on the car.
Problem now of tightening the oil filter enough to stop little drips.
Replaced single cd radio: once under warranty, wouldn't eject. Later same problem: gear on eject spindle came loose; Bradtot costed that little bit at $200 so I replaced it with a Kenwood. Harness connecter cost $18 from Super cheap.
So far car runs really well. but it seems good idea to see oz with other very expereinced memebers of LROCWA

[jbell110]

mines a 2000 td5 130 extra cab ex telstra had 109ks when i got it.
now has 146ks & i got the trifecta this week.
1st oil in loom 2nd exhaust gaskit [1 nut gone 1 loose]
3rd blown turbo. so while its apart going to replace all
hoses & check oil pump bolt. love the car even though
i carnt hear the radio over the wind noise and rattles.
my 96 4.0 se rangie has 332ks on it and runs sweet,
talking about high ks....

cheers Jeff

[Kalbee118]

Hi All, Great Thread. I have a 1999 D2 TD5 with 198k. Purchased 2nd hand in May 2002 with 13k on the clock yep nearly run in. Issues I've had:
40k Water pump weep - replaced under warranty,
115k Had oil pump bolt check was OK but now I know installation correct.
Vibrating noise just off idle - ACE Plumbing vibrating on chassis.
150k Noisy spigot bearing replaced and weeping g/b and t/c seal replaced while out for spigot replacement. Seals weeping since 100k service.
Fuel Regulator Leaking replaced. Should have read this much much earlier and replaced the seals
Slight loss of coolant but not consistantly - pin holes in radiator cores near bottom tank Radiator Replaced
180k Top Radiator hose rubbed through by flange on P/S plumbing got it in time.
195k hard Shuttle Valve fault in ABS Modulator - shuttle valve replaced.
198k Horrible squeal/grindy noise from under car ended up being DC joint unis almost completely shot! Uni's replaced with greaseable type.
Brake backing plates all crack now repaired.

Current issues;
Injector harness oil problem. Harness on order will fix myself thanks to great info from this site.
3 Amigos, but intemittent so could be sensor joins or brake squeal as I have Big Brakes Aus. slotted rotors and Bendix Pads on the front. Hope its not the ABS Modulator!
Clutch releasing very close to floor. TDi I had pivot in bellhousing wore thru trust bearing yoke in peak hour at 230k hmmm could be same here............

Had a mate drive my Disco out bush a short time back and he said it was better off road than any other vehicle he had driven. I love the Disco and better still so does the misses. She not to keen on the money I've spent in past year but.

All in all I can't complain to much as it is a 4X4!

Cheers Johnny R:cool:uch

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Welcome Johnny. Great first post :)

Sounds like you're having a good run there :)

[lofty]

I have a 99 TD5 with 195,000 km. It has been regularly serviced as per manufacturers recommendations. It still doesn't use any oil. The problems that come to mind so far include a water pump at 45,000, the oil into the wiring harness, the burnt out headlight switch and the starter motor soloniod. The air conditioning plumbing has been cracked/abraded through two times. I added a Kamar spare wheel carrier because everytime I came home from a dirt road trip, I had to weld the internals in the back door.
I had the oil pump bolt checked a couple of years ago and it did not have any Loctite on it.
I tow an Ultimate off road camper when travelling. All up it would weigh 1100 kgs roughly. I also don't pass many people.

Cheers
Lofty

[2002TD5Auto]

Hi

I'm new to this site and have an 02TD5.

Is there somewhere on this site which lists the issues the TD5 has and what really should be done as preventative care?


In other words a table which

1.lists the issue,
2.details a fix or not or a link to ideas to fix and
3.then whether it was an item the dealer should have picked up in routine servicing or not?
(ie to identify how to pin dealers down for glarring omissions)

Happy to prepare it in excel but I aint no mech.

This is such a helpful site - it would be good to have either a D2 or TD5 sticky as to common issues.

(I also want to learn how to rebuild double cardan joints)


Here's a list of things I've read here this morning which appear to be things to really watch out for:
(this is only an example but a table would be awesome)

1. 1.Oil in harness - 2.flush/replace harness - 3.???
2. 1.Radiator - 2.??? 3.???
3. 1. Double Cardan joints 2. ??? 3. Normal wear and tear.
4. 1. Turbo hoses collapse 2. ??? 3. Normal wear and tear
5. 1. Head warps 2. Fit engine temp indicator? 3. Abuse???
6. 1. Belts brake 2. REPLACE every 40K kms? 3. Normal wear and tear

Some things overlap but idea is to cacth things before big dollar problems if we can and also make the machine more reliable.

[stevo]

and you forgot the exhaust manifold leak;) most of the faults can be fixed yourself if you have some mechanical know how and info which is what this site is very good for.

[Dale-J]

from reading through this thread, the majority of td5's seem to be pre 2001, I'm just wondering if all these common issues were ever addressed by LR after 2001 to 2004?

does anyone know? or has anyone got a 2003 td5, which shares all these problem?

thanks

[abaddonxi]

from reading through this thread, the majority of td5's seem to be pre 2001, I'm just wondering if all these common issues were ever addressed by LR after 2001 to 2004?

does anyone know? or has anyone got a 2003 td5, which shares all these problem?

thanks

Sounds like it's time for a poll, Dale-J, great idea.

Cheers
Simon.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Hi

I'm new to this site and have an 02TD5.

Is there somewhere on this site which lists the issues the TD5 has and what really should be done as preventative care?


In other words a table which

1.lists the issue,
2.details a fix or not or a link to ideas to fix and
3.then whether it was an item the dealer should have picked up in routine servicing or not?
(ie to identify how to pin dealers down for glarring omissions)

Happy to prepare it in excel but I aint no mech.

This is such a helpful site - it would be good to have either a D2 or TD5 sticky as to common issues.

(I also want to learn how to rebuild double cardan joints)


Here's a list of things I've read here this morning which appear to be things to really watch out for:
(this is only an example but a table would be awesome)

1. 1.Oil in harness - 2.flush/replace harness - 3.???
2. 1.Radiator - 2.??? 3.???
3. 1. Double Cardan joints 2. ??? 3. Normal wear and tear.
4. 1. Turbo hoses collapse 2. ??? 3. Normal wear and tear
5. 1. Head warps 2. Fit engine temp indicator? 3. Abuse???
6. 1. Belts brake 2. REPLACE every 40K kms? 3. Normal wear and tear

Some things overlap but idea is to cacth things before big dollar problems if we can and also make the machine more reliable.

Try Common Threads;)

[DiscoDB]

Came across this interesting topic first started by Captain_Rightfoot 8 years ago.

Back in 2006/2007 people were discussing the sort of issues they had seen - typically up to 200,000 kms.

So 8 years later many would have clocked up another 200,000 kms if still on the road.

Would be interested to hear updates on the kms people have now clocked up.

David
'02 Td5 Disco @466k

[Slunnie]

Mine is now 240k I think. In the last 90,000 it has been oil and filters every 10,000km. I think in that time its been in once for a check of everything but otherwise travelling well. Don't hear about too many TD5s that are actually worn out.

Edit - I did a rocker cover gasket the other week.

[Yorkie]

Mine is at 332k recently replaced radiator but going well if not for a few minor murmurs. :)

[PTC]

Cheers for bringing back up this topic. It will be interesting to see what my car might do in the future. Its a 2003 model with only 130k on the clock. Still a baby.

[DiscoDB]

Cheers for bringing back up this topic. It will be interesting to see what my car might do in the future. Its a 2003 model with only 130k on the clock. Still a baby.

130k is just run in!


David
'02 Td5 Disco @466k

[BilboBoggles]

2003 260000k.. driven since new. Cost a bit in maintenance. Had a clutch flywheel and harmonic balancer. I allocate about 5k per year just for maintaining it. Just had it chipped and exhaust modded, much nicer to drivw now. But I expect that maintenance budget to blow out.

[DiscoDB]

$5k per annum is still not bad. A newer car would lose more just in depreciation. I used to budget $10k a year for fuel and maintenance (split 50/50), but this year increased it to $12k as I expect to be up for a rebuilt gearbox before I get to 500k.

Once above 250-300k I think you are wise to assume one major job per year and plan for this.

So must be some much higher km Td5's out there by now. People were discussing being between 200-300k 8 years ago. Or do high mileage Td5's get sold off and put to pasture!

[Slunnie]

The design was meant to see as a minimum 400k I thought. The engine was built to have a long life, not a regular life.

[Chilly]

1999 TD5 Defender with approx. 410,000kms

[TestbookT4]

I had a D2 TD5 Commercial in last week for service and MOT,(Annual inspection here in the UK) which has 235,000 miles,not KM on it.For me the interesting thing is that it is still all original,engine,autobox,transfer box and axles.
For nearly all its life it has towed to the legal limit weight wise and with no sympathy at all.It is just thrashed 6 days a week.Its worst faults were the front prop failing and beating a hole in the autobox sump pan...
It still goes very well,but leaks a drop of oil here and there.
My own TD5 D2 turned 100,000m at the weekend,but had a complete engine rebuild due to a bent con rod and worn cam/rockers.I have no idea what happened to it,I bought it needing "Attention" It now goes very well,uses no oil/coolant,I hope to get another 100,000 out of it...

[heggers]

Hi,
My 2000 TD5 Disco 2 has just passed 375000km. 'Ive had it since 260000.
Things done?
Had a gearbox rebuild (auto) changed the harmonic balancer and belt. Changed the fuel regulator, radiator, universal joints and serviced it regularly with Castrol oils. I towed my 6m boat and camping trailer regularly and do "get it dirty" when I get the chance.
I'm happy with how much it costs to run and service and it makes me smile regularly.
I think that like other motors, if you service it regularly and treat it well it will last. I have got a TD5 defender too and I just stripped the motor. 230000km and it shows no real problems apart from a leaking oil cooler caused by someone not using coolant.
The engine is good. It's tuneable and reliable.
Works for me.

[Islandnomad]

Mine is a 2004 D2a TD5 I bought it in 2009 with approx. 100,000kms.




I immediately did a service and the Oil in Harness and Injector washers/o rings
2010 did the doughnut as well as brake discs and pads all round
2011 had the fuel lines rub through on top of the tank and they were replaced
2012 did timing belts, belt tensioner and that big 140k service
2013 did the front drive shaft
2014 just put in at 160,000kms a new AMC Head and gaskets etc, shaved the manifold, 2 x Engine Mounts, Fuel Pump Regulator, Top hose and installed an Enginesaver thanks to my reading on here.
Further the 3 amigos have just appeared, will be putting up with them for awhile as I have just spent lots on the items above.

I've also been servicing it every 5000kms, just oil change and oil/air filters. This is my fourth D2 and hopefully my last, as I plan to keep it. I'm actually very interested in a preventative maintenance program to keep this vehicle going for a long long time, not sure if that's such great idea? But that's the current thinking! I love my Disco!!!!

[djam1]

Quite a waste of money and time servicing a TD5 at 5000km they have a very good oil filtration system.
Unless it takes 6 Months of course

[Islandnomad]

I had an issue with diesel in the sump. The frequent oil changes were a solution to try and prevent damage to the motor until I could afford a new head. As you can see above, it took me a long time to find the $. Had some health issues. It was pretty stressful driving around all that time with a dodgy head believe me. Anyway its done now which is a huge relief.


Having said that my new mechanic just said to me on Friday that if it were his car, he'd continue to change the oil every 5000kms even with the new head.

[djam1]

Why? they would have cleaner oil at 5000 ks than a Japanese 4x4 would have at 1000 ks

[Islandnomad]

He said that being a diesel, they dirty up the oil pretty quickly. That's all I can tell you, I'm no mechanic. Being cynical maybe he just wants the extra business, I really don't think so though, he's pretty highly regarded on here.


I do note that Landrover used to promote servicing these vehicles at 20,000kms when they were new, none of my mechanics have ever agreed with that, particularly for stop start city driving.

[PAT303]

Your mechanic doesn't know what he's talking about,all Land Rover Diesels post Tdi can run to 12K between changes easily,I personally think 15K is a non event. Pat

[Islandnomad]

With respect, I found my current mechanic on this forum, he is a highly regarded LR Specialist. I don't think that anyone who knows these vehicles and has specialised in them, could be accused of this "Your mechanic doesn't know what he's talking about".


I thought that good fuel, oil and air was "Preventative Maintenance 101"?

[Mick_Marsh]

Oil is cheap. Well, cheap compared to an engine rebuild.
I see no problem in over servicing. On many occasions I have instructed my Commodore mechanic to service items well before the due date.

WRT life of Td5 motors, I know of one that has been declared "deceased" and it hasn't done 100,000km. Sometimes circumstances get in the way of engine life.

[pibby]

.... continue to change the oil every 5000kms even with the new head.

note : not referring to your mechanic at all. check the oil yourself ie just pull out the dipstick and see how long it takes to darken up. at 5,000km in my td5 defender it was just starting to lose the golden colour. in my triton ute 2003/4 vintage it would be dirty in well under 2,000k. the filter in the td5 is a cracker (you can hear it spinning/slowing down when you turn the motor off). :)

[djam1]

To go back to the original post subject.
I wonder if there is a significant difference in engine life between original tune vs highly tuned?

[PhilipA]

I remember several years ago there was an interview with the head development engineer for the TD5 in LRO.

It was very interesting about the injection being a development of petrol injection as Bosch at that time did not have 5 cylinder injection pumps.

The other thing that stuck in my mind was that AFAIR he said that in the development team opinion about 155 Bhp was the reliable limit for the motor under testing. That has always concerned me when looking at remapping.
Regards Philip A

[trev]

335.000Ks no major engine issues. Reco head at 280,000Ks,other fairly minor stuff to be expected at those Ks,No towing since I bought it at 97,000Ks. Outback trips as well as city driving. Original auto.

Happy with the run I`ve had.

Trev.

[PAT303]

With respect, I found my current mechanic on this forum, he is a highly regarded LR Specialist. I don't think that anyone who knows these vehicles and has specialised in them, could be accused of this "Your mechanic doesn't know what he's talking about".


I thought that good fuel, oil and air was "Preventative Maintenance 101"?

With respect,if your mechanic told you your engine needs 5K oil changes or will last longer with 5K oil changes I'll tell both of you your wrong,Preventative maintenance 101,how many post Tdi engines are made U/S by wearing out?,nil,how many are made U/S by overheating?,crap loads,preventative maintenance starts there. Pat

[Islandnomad]

Pat, just sayin' what he said to me, "if it were his car". We were also talking about preventative maintenance and longevity. The cleaner you keep your oil, the lesser the wear, seems logical to me. As a mate of mine who's a boat builder says "it all depends on it's duty cycle".


What's U/S by the way?


I am of course tempted to stretch it out to 10,000 kms, as it will be cheaper, but cheap isn't always best long term.

[JDNSW]

U/S = "unserviceable".

Changing oil more frequently than is specified is unlikely to cause any problems, except cost, (assuming the work is done in a clean environment) but is also unlikely to provide any benefit.

Manufacturers over the last decade or two have spent a lot of effort in increasing maintenance intervals. In the case of the TD5 this includes the use of a very good oil filtration system and the specification of advanced (= expensive) engine oil.

John

[bsperka]

With older oils the base oil used to break down more easily under load than the new oils. Even with synthetic oils some bases are better than others. TD5 spec oil is B2; currently available oil is typically so better than required spec by 2 generations.
Owner's manual indicates to change oil every 10k under extreme use, which can include going across the Simpson or stop/start traffic.... basically half a normal change timeframe. Basic rule of thumb for all service intervals.
Big issue with older Toyotas and Nissans, as their oil change is 5k to start with. ...

[PAT303]

5K changes are needed for ''dirty'' engines such as the 2H,1HZ,3L,5L lift the rocker cover on them and there will be an inch of hard baked sludge surrounding the rocker gear,the 3L is used in the hilux and hiace and that engine will dirty it's oil to the point of it not being able to flow through the oil galleries and the motor will sieze,Honda petrol engines are the same,unbelievable performance but start missing oil changes or wrong type and good night. Pat

[PAT303]

Pat, just sayin' what he said to me, "if it were his car". We were also talking about preventative maintenance and longevity. The cleaner you keep your oil, the lesser the wear, seems logical to me. As a mate of mine who's a boat builder says "it all depends on it's duty cycle".


What's U/S by the way?


I am of course tempted to stretch it out to 10,000 kms, as it will be cheaper, but cheap isn't always best long term.

10K mate,don't worry about it,spend the money on good oil and filters instead of replacement,let the motor idle for a minute on cold start-up before loading it to let the oil circulate and your good,Penrite is the go for oil. Pat

[Islandnomad]

"With respect,if your mechanic told you your engine needs 5K oil changes or will last longer with 5K oil changes I'll tell both of you your wrong"


Pat I don't know, it seemed logical to me, but I hear you. So your saying that the TD5 engine does not benefit in terms of longevity (which is what this thread is about) from its oil being very clean, that surprises me but I'm no expert.


"how many are made U/S by overheating?,crap loads,preventative maintenance starts there. Pat "


Got to agree with you there too Pat, just installed an Enginesaver as it seems from my reading on here that overheating is the TD5's greatest enemy!


So what is the best oil to use I wonder? My last mechanic used Castrol Synthetic (which was expensive), my current mechanic uses Penrite.

[TonyC]

There is only one way to tell if your oil needs replacing.
That is by oil analysis.

Regular oil analysis will also give some insight as to what is wearing in the motor.

Over servicing runs the risk of introducing contaminates into the motor.

The TD5 is a direct injection motor (inherently cleaner than indirect or pre-combustion motors) and has a brilliant filtration system, it's oil is unlikely to need changing because it's "dirty" but rather because it "wears out"

As Pat said overheating is probably the biggest killer of any modern motor.

So a low coolant alarm and a proper temp gauge, with an over temp alarm.

Tony

[Disco Muppet]

Td5 has a fantastic oil filtration system as mentioned.
I do mine at 12k.
Penrite HPR Diesel No. 5.

[Islandnomad]

"Over servicing runs the risk of introducing contaminates into the motor" How can clean oil contaminate a motor TonyC????

[Disco Muppet]

To do a service, you're opening the system; via the sump plug, filter housings, etc.
More frequent services = more times the system is opened = greater odds that at some point a contaminant is going to be introduced to the system.

[Islandnomad]

Yep righto

[d2dave]

Over servicing runs the risk of introducing contaminates into the motor.



Never heard so much bull. Sure it probably does. But walking down the street raises the risk of getting hit by a car.

You weigh up the risks in life. Servicing or over servicing done properly and I don't believe there is such a thing as over servicing, far outweighs the miniscule risk of introducing contaminates into an engine.

Oil analysis is only done to reduce costs. I don't care what any chemist says. Oil that has done say 20,000 km and analysis says it is still ok, wont be as good as new oil.

[JDNSW]

To do a service, you're opening the system; via the sump plug, filter housings, etc.
More frequent services = more times the system is opened = greater odds that at some point a contaminant is going to be introduced to the system.

To give an extreme example of this, when I was working in the Simpson fifty years ago, we learned from experience that once an engine started using oil, it was time to order a new engine, as it was impossible to avoid the blowing dust and sand to do daily top-ups. Remember that in those days a litre of oil a week was not considered abnormal, and normally an engine using that much oil could remain serviceable for years. We found that topping the oil up every couple of days would lead to major bearing and crankshaft wear within a few weeks.

While this was extreme, there remains a probability that every time you put oil in, you also put contaminants in, and at some stage this will outweigh the advantages of more frequent oil changes.

John

[PAT303]

Never heard so much bull. Sure it probably does. But walking down the street raises the risk of getting hit by a car.

You weigh up the risks in life. Servicing or over servicing done properly and I don't believe there is such a thing as over servicing, far outweighs the miniscule risk of introducing contaminates into an engine.

Oil analysis is only done to reduce costs. I don't care what any chemist says. Oil that has done say 20,000 km and analysis says it is still ok, wont be as good as new oil.

It's not bull actually,Toyota and CAT will void your warranty if you over service them because you run extra risk of contaminates,oil analysis is a waste of time and money,just change the oil as per LR service requirements,you guys are over thinking it.One last thing about engine life,ask yourself why Holden and Ford six's easily see 750,000 - 1,000,000k's as taxi's yet struggle to hit 300,000 as a family car. Pat

[Aaron IIA]

One last thing about engine life,ask yourself why Holden and Ford six's easily see 750,000 - 1,000,000k's as taxi's yet struggle to hit 300,000 as a family car. Pat

The engine is always warm. The oil is always warm. There are very few cold starts.
Aaron

[PAT303]

And we have a winner. Pat

[d2dave]

To give an extreme example of this, when I was working in the Simpson fifty years ago, we learned from experience that once an engine started using oil, it was time to order a new engine, as it was impossible to avoid the blowing dust and sand to do daily top-ups.

John

Makes sense in the desert, but I can tell you in my shed at home any contaminates that get in my engine during a service would be that minute it would not matter.

[DiscoDB]

I stuck with the LR recommendation since new and only change oil and filters every 20,000 kms. Now up to 472,000 kms and only need a top up around 15,000 kms so minimal oil consumption (mainly oil leaks) and yet to see any mechanical issues from sticking to the LR servicing intervals.

Interestingly I find at around 18,000 kms I do see the oil pressure at idle drop - not enough for the low pressure switch to activate, but enough to notice the change on the Madman EMS as I set the low pressure alarm point up a bit. Confirms the oil does degrade as we would expect.

If people want to change oil at 5,000 or 10,000 or 15,000 then go for it. Oil does come with contaminates, but the filtration system would clean the oil up. I suspect at 5,000 kms you would be disposing of some good oil though unless you are only doing low kms a year and lots of short trips or operating in extreme conditions.

Have been considering if I should plan some additional maintenance once I get to 500,000 kms - such as a new oil pump (already replaced the water pump proactively).

And I am sure I read somewhere you should replace the Turbo with a VNT upgrade at 500,000. (-;

[Islandnomad]

Quite a waste of money and time servicing a TD5 at 5000km they have a very good oil filtration system.
Unless it takes 6 Months of course



This is the other issue not being discussed, and that's time. I only do fairly low miles approx 10,000-12,000 kms per year, in the city, so not many highway kms either. Does the oil degrade with time?

[DBKDISCO]

Hello,

I have a 2001 Auto brought it with 155,000km which currently has 225,000km.

To date i have had to change / fix the following.

Radiator
Radiator hoses.
Exahust mainfold gaskets / nuts - as warped
Uni Joints on front driveshaft - 165,000km
Front drive shaft - finally exploded 205,000km - luckly little damage to transmission
Fuel pressure reg
Head lining - stapled it back up.
Alternator belt
Alternator rebuild
Copper coolant pipe at the bottom, you know the one that leaks.

Current issues that are being monitored
Oil in the wiring harness - keep cleaning it when engine runs rough.
Battery going flat every now and again - cant locate fault.
Slight Oil leaks
RHF door lock, need key to open it now
I am an ex mechanic and do all my on servicing every 10,000km and repairs which i am able to do by myself.

At the end of the day its a 13 year old car and if you are going to use to go off roading and pull the family camper trailer things will wear out or break.

overall i am happy with it.

[Tins]

I remember several years ago there was an interview with the head development engineer for the TD5 in LRO.

It was very interesting about the injection being a development of petrol injection as Bosch at that time did not have 5 cylinder injection pumps.

The other thing that stuck in my mind was that AFAIR he said that in the development team opinion about 155 Bhp was the reliable limit for the motor under testing. That has always concerned me when looking at remapping.
Regards Philip A

Interesting. Nor to disagree, but mine has done 310K ( nearly ), and was chipped when nearly new, according to the documentation. Of course, it could be about to detonate....:eek:

[Tins]

was[/U] expensive), my current mechanic uses Penrite.

Stick with Penrite, IMO.

[landy]

MY99 Defender Td5 165K

Serviced once a year or on Km. Whichever comes first All servicing done by me.
All filters changed regardless inc fuel & rota filter. Filters are cheap, repairs usually not!
I used Castrol recommended full synthetic engine oil. ALWAYS a lovely black colour when changed and "appears" clean, if that makes sense.

I have owned the car 6 years and so far the engine has been fine. It tows the camper ok but would like a little more punch up hills.

The things/repairs I have done to the motor are:-

1. Oil in harness - caused misfire (and thats how I found AULRO, thanks guys)
2. Re-chipped ECU - Good mod. And so far has been reliable. I hope I'm not jinxing myself with this thread :o
3. Replaced Turbo hoses with silicon. To be sure! I had no problems otherwise
4. Replaced all hoses and thermostat. To be sure - As above
5. Replaced belt tensioner, My first dealing with BritPart @$#%!!!!
6. Fuel leak from regulator. It was just a loose fuel hose. Tightened.
7. Faulty Air flow meter - replaced.

Things that are due this service:-

1. Has snapped an exhaust stud at the rear of the manifold - I'm expecting to find a warped manifold.
2. I have to replace the hose under the exhaust manifold. I fixed a leak recently but I prefer to use the gen hose.

I'm also going to replace the injector seals before I have any trouble with them.

My advise though, if you do buy a Td5 and service yourself, get a Nanocom or similar. Worth its weight in gold.

Cheers

Nino.

[Tins]

MY99 Defender Td5 165K

Serviced once a year or on Km. Whichever comes first All servicing done by me.
All filters changed regardless inc fuel & rota filter. Filters are cheap, repairs usually not!
I used Castrol recommended full synthetic engine oil. ALWAYS a lovely black colour when changed and "appears" clean, if that makes sense.

Nothing wrong with Castrol. Oil should get "black" or it's not doing it's job. They put 'detergent' in for a reason. Engines are dirty things.

[Tins]

MY99 Defender Td5 165K


Things that are due this service:-

1. Has snapped an exhaust stud at the rear of the manifold - I'm expecting to find a warped manifold.

Oh, you will. I hope you have better luck getting the broken stud out.. EzyOut:censored::censored:

Does the Deefer have A/C?

[landy]

Yes has AC. Why? Please don't give me something else to worry about!!:o
Cheers

[Disco Muppet]

Sans AC makes it a bit easier to get the manifold off, no compressor and all that.
Not that difficult though.

[bob10]

MY99 Defender Td5 165K

Serviced once a year or on Km. Whichever comes first All servicing done by me.
All filters changed regardless inc fuel & rota filter. Filters are cheap, repairs usually not!
I used Castrol recommended full synthetic engine oil. ALWAYS a lovely black colour when changed and "appears" clean, if that makes sense.

I have owned the car 6 years and so far the engine has been fine. It tows the camper ok but would like a little more punch up hills.


1. Has snapped an exhaust stud at the rear of the manifold - I'm expecting to find a warped manifold.
2. I have to replace the hose under the exhaust manifold. I fixed a leak recently but I prefer to use the gen hose.





Nino.


Fwiw, get the manifold machined & de- web it. Don't stuff around with the snapped stud, if you can't get it out easily. There are mobile "stud removal " people who will come to your house, and do the job . Replace all studs [ before ringing the stud guy]


I assume you are talking about the " secret hose 'from the oil cooler to the radiator. If you have the up graded radiator, that hose can be removed, & the stub blanked off. Where the hose attaches to the new radiator, the hole is blanked off. Bob

[Ralph1Malph]

A quick comment on 'over servicing'. It is most certainly the introduction of contaminates that does the damage. That or tradesman induced faults - loose fittings, under/over filling, incorrect fluid etc.
I remember being part of a team that was assembled to try and find the root cause of a number of catastrophic transmission failures in a piece of kit. Turns out that failure was caused by lack of oil circulation in the trans, which caused the oil in the trans to overheat, often to the point of 'charring'. What caused the lack of circulation? A 'micron' filter was blocked in all cases. Blocked with lint. Lint that was traced back to rags used to wipe the dipstick on daily and hourly checks. Turns out the dip stick had a knurled cross hatched area to indicate fluid level. Wiping the stick snagged lint which was then dipped back in the trans. We changed the stick design as well as the check procedure to exclude cloth wiping. Fixed. No probs now for over ten years.

[bob10]

A quick comment on 'over servicing'. It is most certainly the introduction of contaminates that does the damage. That or tradesman induced faults - loose fittings, under/over filling, incorrect fluid etc.
I remember being part of a team that was assembled to try and find the root cause of a number of catastrophic transmission failures in a piece of kit. Turns out that failure was caused by lack of oil circulation in the trans, which caused the oil in the trans to overheat, often to the point of 'charring'. What caused the lack of circulation? A 'micron' filter was blocked in all cases. Blocked with lint. Lint that was traced back to rags used to wipe the dipstick on daily and hourly checks. Turns out the dip stick had a knurled cross hatched area to indicate fluid level. Wiping the stick snagged lint which was then dipped back in the trans. We changed the stick design as well as the check procedure to exclude cloth wiping. Fixed. No probs now for over ten years.


Sorry, nothing will convince me 5,000 km services are bad for the vehicle. I know about the diesel oils [ omd 112, oil mineral detergent, used on naval diesels] And yes, they are supposed to get black. The owner before me did those service intervals, 384,00 km's later, the only thing's going wrong are hanging off the engine. Fair wear & tear. Land rover drivers are meant to be slightly eccentric, that's my eccentricity. cheers, Bob

[Disco Muppet]

No one said "servicing your vehicle at 5000km is bad for it"
People have said "Servicing your vehicle at 5000km is a waste of money/oil/filters" (Which it is), and people have said "The more you service a vehicle, the more frequently you are opening the system, thus the greater the chances of contaminants entering the system, which CAN be VERY bad".
The Td5 had for it's time one of the very best oil filtration systems. Hence why Land Rover recommended a 20 000km service interval. Now I personally do mine anywhere from 10-15k kms, but DiscoDB on here has done it at 20k for as long as he's had it, and he's above 400k kms.
So no, there's nothing wrong with doing services at 5000kms, BESIDES the fact that you're throwing away oil that is perfectly good.
Oil and filters might be cheap, but there's no point short changing it.

[d2dave]

Blocked with lint. Lint that was traced back to rags used to wipe the dipstick

I have serviced hundreds of autos in my day. I have come across lots that had lint in the filters. In these case not enough to cause problems, but yes I have seen lots of this.

[bob10]

No one said "servicing your vehicle at 5000km is bad for it"






Poor choice of words, I must admit. However, I don't have a mistress, to throw money at, so I indulge my D2. Besides, the oil is not wasted. It goes into my son's clapped out dunnydore, saves him a bit of money. Bob

[bob10]

I should add to my last post, I understand I'm putting diesel engine oil into a petrol engine. It works, just doesn't work the other way around. At least it gets my boy to & from work, has for a while. He's saving for a new car, I'm trying to convince him a defender would be perfect for him. Bob

[Becnadam]

I've got distinctive cough lag and lack of power when revving engine and all of a sudden the revs climb dramatically. I've been told it's probably the ECU harness has oil in it but I haven't checked yet. Is it an expensive part? Hard to fix ? Whilst I'm at it I have a fuel light on constantly too despite the tank being full. I lead to believe the fuel sender unit in the tank is a simple job and part around $100? Any advice appreciated
Adam

[d2dave]

I've got distinctive cough lag and lack of power when revving engine and all of a sudden the revs climb dramatically. I've been told it's probably the ECU harness has oil in it but I haven't checked yet. Is it an expensive part? Hard to fix ? Whilst I'm at it I have a fuel light on constantly too despite the tank being full. I lead to believe the fuel sender unit in the tank is a simple job and part around $100? Any advice appreciated
Adam

Can't help on the fuel light, but can with injector harness. Not a hard job to replace. Firstly pop the plug off where it comes out of the head at the front drivers side.

If you have oil in the plug it is on its way to the ECU if it has not yet arrived.

Get a new engine harness and clean the oil from the main loom.

Have a read of this thread
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/89781-oil-wires-ecu.html

especially post number 10 and in the last post open the links at the bottom.

[Becnadam]

Thanks Dave,
I'm new at this 4 x 4 stuff have owned muscle cars and jap cars but no 4x4's i read that thread cheers. It didn't however say how much an injector loom is nor where to get parts? Is there a LR one stop guru shop on the east coast I can go to on the net and order up?
thanks again
Adam

[justinc]

Injector harness part number AMR6103, mario at roverlord offroad spares who is a membe and vendor on AULRO will be able to sort you out.

Jc

[bob10]

Thanks Dave,
I'm new at this 4 x 4 stuff have owned muscle cars and jap cars but no 4x4's i read that thread cheers. It didn't however say how much an injector loom is nor where to get parts? Is there a LR one stop guru shop on the east coast I can go to on the net and order up?
thanks again
Adam


Go to www.mrauto.com.au (http://www.mrauto.com.au) talk to Dwayne. They have a modified harness, stops the oil leaking. There is still residual oil in the lower harness, you just have to remove the ECU each service [ you do, do your own servicing? , at $100 an hour you save heaps doing it yourself, and it is easy]


There is an English web site, www.discovery2.co.uk (http://www.discovery2.co.uk) go to workshop, then injector harness. Bob

[Road Stone]

Mines done 118,000 miles (about 180k) and that's not considered much for a diesel.


Harness/sump gasket/rocker cover gasket/ FPR have been changed


Cheers, Jerry

[wayne]

300 000 km, oil in harness, exhaust manifold studs had on going issues with these so put bigger Nissan patrol studs, fuel block.
Vehicle started off its life lugging gear up the ski fields and I tow and carry heavy most days.
I try and service around 10 000 km but regularly do 20000 between servicing.
Still running beautifully

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Thread dredge here. [bigsmile] It's 11 years since I started this thread.

Still got the same car.. it's up to 120k now. It generally has had very few issues in the engine department (TOUCH WOOD). That I can think of.. had the Valve block replaced recently.. the only fail to proceed was due to a ECU relay in 2011. It's had the modified wiring loom. I replaced the MAF earlier in the year and that made it go like a rocket ship.

Much to a mate's disgust.. on a recent trip it consistently returned better fuel consumption than his new Puma 90, despite being in a bigger and heavier loaded car.

I've found it really does love the good stuff though .. full synthetic and BP ultimate are it's favourites. With these two it's good for 10.5 l/100 in fully loaded touring!

All up it's been a good motor. The only wish I'd have would be for a little bit quieter..

[Tins]

Thread dredge here. [bigsmile] It's 11 years since I started this thread.

Still got the same car.. it's up to 120k now. It generally has had very few issues in the engine department (TOUCH WOOD). That I can think of.. had the Valve block replaced recently.. the only fail to proceed was due to a ECU relay in 2011. It's had the modified wiring loom. I replaced the MAF earlier in the year and that made it go like a rocket ship.

Much to a mate's disgust.. on a recent trip it consistently returned better fuel consumption than his new Puma 90, despite being in a bigger and heavier loaded car.

I've found it really does love the good stuff though .. full synthetic and BP ultimate are it's favourites. With these two it's good for 10.5 l/100 in fully loaded touring!

All up it's been a good motor. The only wish I'd have would be for a little bit quieter..

10K a year?!?!. Keep that up and you'll wind up selling it for more than you paid for it!

[Captain_Rightfoot]

10K a year?!?!. Keep that up and you'll wind up selling it for more than you paid for it!

These days I pretty much ride my pushbike everywhere I need to go, and the wife drives the shopping trolley around. So, for the most part the Defender sits in the garage unused unless we are going away. For example, since we came back from a trip at easter... It's done 180k since then.. I guess 60k was out to the mechanic and back. [wink11]

So, I make sure I put the anti fungus stuff in the fuel, and I leave it hooked up to a trickle charger.

[scarry]

Thread dredge here. [bigsmile] It's 11 years since I started this thread.

Still got the same car.. it's up to 120k now. It generally has had very few issues in the engine department (TOUCH WOOD). That I can think of.. had the Valve block replaced recently.. the only fail to proceed was due to a ECU relay in 2011. It's had the modified wiring loom. I replaced the MAF earlier in the year and that made it go like a rocket ship.

Much to a mate's disgust.. on a recent trip it consistently returned better fuel consumption than his new Puma 90, despite being in a bigger and heavier loaded car.

I've found it really does love the good stuff though .. full synthetic and BP ultimate are it's favourites. With these two it's good for 10.5 l/100 in fully loaded touring!

All up it's been a good motor. The only wish I'd have would be for a little bit quieter..

Mine did 105K in eight yrs and i thought it was low mileage.

In fact one year we did more K's on one trip than the vehicle had done for the total year before.

If the stuff that hangs off the TD5 was as good as the TD5 itself,it would be a brilliant engine.

Mine used less fuel than the D4 ever does.

Should never have sold it,was one of the last of the D2a's.

[Tins]

If the stuff that hangs off the TD5 was as good as the TD5 itself,it would be a brilliant engine.



You got that right.