Helppppppppppp

[ShellNStef]

Hi people my partner and i have purchased a 1998 I Freelander and since purchasing it have read lots of bad reports are others having any dramas? or is it a case of all cars can have there problems. Feeling down :( Take care and Be Safe Michelle & Stefan Tassie

[George130]

I have never owned a Freelander but there does seem to be issues with some of the engines. Good luck and others will be along soon to tell everything about them.

[101RRS]

What model Freelander 1.8 petrol or 2 L Diesel.

If it is a 1.8 Freelander - be scared - very scared - but then again if it has lived this long it may have been fixed. Do a google, but before you do, have a bundys first and a good sedative.

If it is the 2 litre Diesel - you should be right just check condition of the Viscous Coupling regularly as they can fail and cause other damage. These are very good - I have one :cool:

Garry

Oh PS - there are some nasty Freelanders haters here, but don't listen too them as many drive those ancient dinosoaurs called Defenders :twisted:

[ShellNStef]

UMmmmmm ERRRRRrr ... Garry its a 1.8L Petrol... im suddenly feeling sick in the tummy:o

[George130]

If it's that bad it might be worth putting your location in your profile. Then people can suggest your local specialist.

[discowhite]

should have bought one of these;)



ancient dinosoaurs called Defenders


then it'd only be the bundy makin your tum tum sick:wasntme:

cheers phil

[AndyRevill]

UMmmmmm ERRRRRrr ... Garry its a 1.8L Petrol... im suddenly feeling sick in the tummy:o

Ooops - we had a 1998 1.8 XEi - biggest problem was the head gasket - a big known problem.

You might be lucky - as someone else said, by now it might have already been fixed - if you bought yours in Launceston it might be my old one :)

Apart from that we had no other major issues

Andy

[ShellNStef]

I did some reading on the net and it seems the head gasket is a known problem round the 60 000km mark, i have no idea how accurate that is however this ole girl is in good nic and is way passed the 60 000km mark its done 140 000 Fingers toes and what ever else i can cross that it will be ok. We bought it from Hobart and its a Freelander I. Anyway thanks for the advice always willing to listen and chat with others.:D Michelle & Stefan

[Defender=1st]

iam from Tassie also. dont know a thing about Freeloaders just wanted to post. sorry i cant help. Ps. buy a Defender
Regards Adrian

[AndyRevill]

I did some reading on the net and it seems the head gasket is a known problem round the 60 000km mark,

I reckon ours would have been around that mark when it blew - if yours has done 140k either it's been done or you got a good one :)

enjoy it!

Andy

[101RRS]

The problem with the 1.8s is caused by the thermostat. It is not correctly influenced by the actual temperature of the engine and when it finally realises that the engine is getting hot and opens it sends cold coolant from the radiator to a very hot engine which causes thermal shock to the the head - remember we have always been taught not to put cold water in a hot engine - well this is what the thermostat does. If the head gasket hasn't blown from the hot engine then it will from the thermal shock - the problem is this is often not noticed and if the engine gets really hot the cylinder liners slip destrying the engine. This problem also happens to the MGF and the Lotus Elise which also have the same engine - it is less of a problem though.

Engines normally last between 30,000k to 100,000k and it happens time and time again - good servicing is no preventative. So the odds are that this has already happened to your car at least once.

The fix is a modified head gasket, a modified termostat system and very regular maintenance of the cooling system and never, never allowing it to get hot. This apparently fixes the problem.

There is also a design issue in the drivetrain of pre 2000 models. All cars AWD cars with viscous couplings have different front and rear diff ratios. In your model the difference is too great and the VC has to work hard to compensate with the result that it fails at about 130,000 km and locks up causing tarnsmission windup. This causes the IRD (Transfer Case) to fail with expensive results - though a VC is 1 1/2 times the cost of the IRD. The only way of stopping this is to check the VC every few thousand km and replace if suspect or replace the IRD from a later model (I have done this after mine failed).

See http://www.ashcroft-transmissions.co.uk/category_8.html

Fore warned is for-armed and all is manageable just as most of the Landrover design issues are managable.

Overall the car is great.

Garry

[ShellNStef]

Thanks for the Info Gary however how do i check the viscous couplling? And what do i look for? Stefan

[beforethevision]

Gary is very accurate with regards to the car. I have a 1.8 and love it to bits. literally.

If you are concerned about it, check that is has the remote thermostat fitted to reduce cooling issues and has the new coolant tank and cap. Apart from that, the cars including engine are hard to break. If you do alot of mud work, check the timing tensioner occasionally.

Thea gearbox is tough (for the power it has), IRD units only fail if the mounting bracket cracks, so get that checked, and the Vicsous Coupling starts to wear out by the 150oookm mark. Not that it will be a problem, just less rear wheel power. You can usually pick the VC dying in poor rear tyre wear.

The only thing i have found with it is it has an intolerance to muddy water ...... but remove the plastic cover on the ignotion leads (it holds water) and check the timing system regualrly and you are sweet.

Everything expensive that breaks on the freelanders is usually due to the failure of something cheap. So regular maintenance is your best friend.

When people tell you to buy a defender, remember what its like to have integrated aircon, good road handling, comfy seats.... i could go on :P


I have had mine into almost every constituent part now, so dont hesitate to ask.

Cheers!

[ShellNStef]

Has anyone ever thought of making a D Coupling device so its 2wd and 4wd when you need it ? How can i tell if it has a remote thermostat fitted? Cheers Stefan

[Blknight.aus]

while you pontificate over your intergrated air con and heater from the luxury of your comfortable seat supping a warm coffee from the cup holder in the dash lament on what it could be like if you had a bit more height to keep the belly out of the mud, the water off the top of the donk, enough room to fit a decent size set of tyres so you could have some decent gripping rubber on the rims and then a low range with a Center Diff lock to get the lashings of torque and power that the donk has got onto that slippery stuff instead of having to go around the long way...

Ponder also the fact that once youve gotten to where your going that clean up is a simple as opening the doors and applying the hose......

While your slaving away with the carpet shampoo and the vacume cleaner that laughing sound and crack thhhst noise you hear will be the defender drivers poping the tops on one of the many cartons of beer that we picked up dragging toymotors and pootrols out of the same bog hole you just knew you couldnt cross.

ahhh a defender, Earning the driver more than his fair share of the free beer and making life simpler in the aftermath.

[101RRS]

Thanks for the Info Gary however how do i check the viscous couplling? And what do i look for? Stefan

Mark the front of the VC with a white line and mark the rear of the VC with a white line, so that both lines line up - then take the car for a short drive - if the VC is serviceable the lines should no longer line up because the VC has provided the required slip.

What I do is put the car in 1st and release the handbrake and chock the front wheels - jack up the drivers side rear wheel so it is off the ground. Either remove the rear wheel or just the little centre hub cap - put a large socket (I think it is 1 1/4") on the hub nut with a breaker bar or large socket bar. Take up the tension in a clockwise direction then apply a heavy but steady pressure in a clockwise direction to the bar - the wheel should very slowly turn which is the VC slipping. Steady pressure is required - jabbing at it will not work. I do this every 5000km.

Other symptoms can be odd tyre wear on the rear tyres - saw toothing. I never had this problem. As the VC is basically locked there will always be some tightness felt in the drivetrain when making tight turns however when reversing it is obvious but if the VC has failed - when reversing on full lock it will feel as if the handbrake is on and indeed indeed may cause the engine to stall - however a little binding is normal.

Garry

[101RRS]

Has anyone ever thought of making a D Coupling device so its 2wd and 4wd when you need it ? Cheers Stefan

It is called a Viscous Coupling - despite all the hype a Freelander is really a front wheel - 2wd drive vehicle until when the front wheels slip then only then do the rear wheels engage fully. On the bitumin only 10% of drive goes to the rear wheels and this is just because of the inbuilt friction of the VC.

Garry

[mcrover]

Best fix for a Freo is to accidently set it on fire, a News paper and ciggy butt does well, and claim the insurance lol.:wasntme::wasntme::wasntme:

Too much of a time bomb in my opinion BUT if everything is done I have heard they can be relativly reliable or at least as much as a TD5.:wasntme:

The 300tdi engines have their problems aswell but I think it is a lesser evil than gambling on a freo.:D:D

I have a couple of freinds that have had them 1x1.8 1xV6 and both had heaps of elec problems as well as the usuall engine replacements and VC replacements so hope you earn a good quid.

The Disco is a great compromise between the Defa and the freo, can do most of what a Defa can do but you have comfy interior great air con, elecy wimdows and nowhere near the problems of the freo.

The only plus's for a defa is more ground clearance standard and more luggage space and the hose out capability but all this is a trade off to comfort.:wasntme:

Ive made a mistake in buying a Jeep (ZJ Grand) which I lost nearly $10k in repairs and change over to a Carolla so dont feel bad, we all make mistakes lol.:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:: mad:

Get rid of it and buy a disco, Freo's are for people who like public transport, walking and have freinds in the towing industry lol.:D:D:D:D

No offence guys but just do a search for freelander problems and spend the next week reading about horror stories like I did to find info for one of my freinds and it is not a good sign.:wasntme:

[abaddonxi]

Send a PM to Justinc
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/z/index.php?z-profile=justinc

He's in Kingston, he fixes Land Rovers, probably seen it already.

Welcome to the forum.

Cheers
Simon

[101RRS]

Too much of a time bomb in my opinion BUT if everything is done I have heard they can be relativly reliable or at least as much as a TD5.:wasntme:

The Disco is a great compromise between the Defa and the freo, can do most of what a Defa can do but you have comfy interior great air con, elecy wimdows and nowhere near the problems of the freo.

My Freelander has been far more reliable than my disco - the electrics in particular and things do not fall off it. Build quality is better in the Freelander. I have had 2 discos over a long period and a freelender and owned both at the same time and can make a reasonable comparison.

The freelander is no where as bad as people say and most who say a lot haven't owned them - having said that the 1.8s were a worry but that was mainly because Landrover refused to address the issue until it started to impact sales and it was too late.

Gazzz

[EchiDna]

potentially stupid sugestion, but if the problems typically related to the thermostat... er can't you just run the engine without one and let it warm up before use in cold weather?

[DiscoTDI]

Its funny all the opinions you hear, I had a Discovery that was 2 years old and spent 17 weeks of last year in at land rover getting fixed, and I had a 1999 Freelander that gave me absolute trouble free motoring for 2 years and has gone on to give my parents good service, the only real fail has been the gear linkages (the only reason I got rid of it is because I got a job which required me to move and I got a company car, I should have sold the disco and kept the freelander). Its funny how such a supposed crap vehicle gave me better service than a 2004 discovery.

Freelanders are a great vehicle to drive and I would say are the most capable in their class, what some people dont understand is that not everyone likes defenders and finds them a little cramped to drive. The Freelander requires some TLC if you have a petrol one or a pre 1999 with the VC, but if you like it you will drive it. I have had 7 Land rovers and the worst one that I have owned is a Discovery series 2.

[Turtle61]

Stefan,

I have the 98 Flandie diesel. It had it's share of problems with the previous owner (good friend of mine) under warranty including the VC. Cracked rear diff housing was driver error (high speed over rocky ground) and failure to check it on their way back from the Corner Country.

It is ageing now so a bit more TLC is required to keep it in top condition inside and out. Major hassle I have right now is the tailgate handle which decided to remove itself from the rest of the door...

It is a REAL 4WD. Those Land Rover enthusiasts (aka nuts, fanatics etc) who own a Freelander are man (or woman) enough to admit they do not need low range for day-to-day work and family holidays. Freelanders are as good off-road where low-range is not required as any other Land Rover and do it in style. They are a good compromise between what SWMBO and me wanted for a family 'car'. I still have my old Series II for the real off-road work and play.

I guess the only draw-back I find with the Freelander is lack of accessories and if they are available they are VERY pricy. A snorkel would be nice to keep the dust and sand out of the filter and what I found on the web is mainly for the later models (2001+). Tyre choices isn't bad either.

--- Irek

[mcrover]

No low range, very little ground clearance and you would have to be crazy taking it somewhere that the RACV/NRMA couldnt get to it with a tow truck.

If your talking top in it's class, what about the subi Forester, reliable, about an inch or so more clearence and has a resale value.

I know we all love our cars and defend our decisions to buy them and I also realise there had to be 1 or 2 freo's that left the factory that didnt break anything for a while but the truth of the matter is that they are not as good as some people make out and if you were to look at buying a S/H car you would steer clear after know what you know now.

97/98 D1 was the last reliable/ bomb proof disco they made, Fenders went a bit sideways with the TD5 but everyone knows how to fix these problems these days.

S2 Discos can be troublesom but much less than Freeloaders.

By the way, No low range means not a 4 wheel drive, means it's all wheel drive and that means built for hwy not for bush, this doesnt say you couldnt make it up the howqua track to frys hut or even to where Craigs once stood but we wouldnt bother taking one down to UJH as it would was down the river and wouldnt make the climb out.

[beforethevision]

Irek, YEP!!

I have removed the door handle from the rear door by accident. A little to much force and a little too little time for the latch to release.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

iam from Tassie also. dont know a thing about Freeloaders just wanted to post. sorry i cant help. Ps. buy a Defender
Regards Adrian


while you pontificate over your intergrated air con and heater from the luxury of your comfortable seat supping a warm coffee from the cup holder in the dash lament on what it could be like if you had a bit more height to keep the belly out of the mud, the water off the top of the donk, enough room to fit a decent size set of tyres so you could have some decent gripping rubber on the rims and then a low range with a Center Diff lock to get the lashings of torque and power that the donk has got onto that slippery stuff instead of having to go around the long way...

Ponder also the fact that once youve gotten to where your going that clean up is a simple as opening the doors and applying the hose......

While your slaving away with the carpet shampoo and the vacume cleaner that laughing sound and crack thhhst noise you hear will be the defender drivers poping the tops on one of the many cartons of beer that we picked up dragging toymotors and pootrols out of the same bog hole you just knew you couldnt cross.

ahhh a defender, Earning the driver more than his fair share of the free beer and making life simpler in the aftermath.



How do these in any way help?:(

[mcrover]

How do these in any way help?:(

They offer a very good suggestion, BUY A DEFA Lol.

[101RRS]

They offer a very good suggestion, BUY A DEFA Lol.

If you like driving a dinosaur that virtually no one buys new these days anyway :eek:

There is a good market in second hand fenders but if the new car rego figures are an indicator - vitually no one is willing to buy them new.

This thread is getting into an argument along the lines "mine is better than yours" :o

Good stuff - at least we have answered the original questions raised by the thread before hijacking it with baseless emotive comments. :cool:

[cartm58]

don't let anyone fool you, every land rover model range rover, discovery, defender, freelander has expensive repair issues lurking, just read the posts relating to TD 5 engines, Range Rover P38 repairs.

its a question of get a good mechanic, get regular servicing, replace before repair required and enjoy your life savings disappearing into repair bills if you don't

[mcrover]

If you like driving a dinosaur that virtually no one buys new these days anyway :eek:

There is a good market in second hand fenders but if the new car rego figures are an indicator - vitually no one is willing to buy them new.

This thread is getting into an argument along the lines "mine is better than yours" :o

Good stuff - at least we have answered the original questions raised by the thread before hijacking it with baseless emotive comments. :cool:

Resale value, something a Freo will never have lol

As far as the mines better than yours argument, Mine will always be better than yours Gary as long as were talking Landrovers but really Im just taking the ****, you guys are so much fun to stir up as there is soooooo much you cant defend with a free lander that this is what ends up happening.

Dont get upset Gary, one day you will go back to a real Landy, one that you dont have to pray to every morning to make it go....
LOL LOL LOL LOL

So I take it Gary that by purchasing a Freelander you loose your sense of humor, is it the climate controled air con that sucks it out of you or the continully draining bank account lol.

[jimbo110]

They offer a very good suggestion, BUY A DEFA Lol.
Not everybody needs to tow 4 tons, cross deserts and climb mountains, they bought a vehicle that suits their needs. I wouldn't push them into buying a Defender, just as they couldn't push me into buying a Freelander. We should be here to help them, not rubbish their choice of vehicle :(

friends dont let friends buy freelanders

[scrambler]

No low range, very little ground clearance ...

If your talking top in it's class, what about the subi Forester, reliable, about an inch or so more clearence and has a resale value...

By the way, No low range means not a 4 wheel drive, means it's all wheel drive and that means built for hwy not for bush, this doesnt say you couldnt make it up the howqua track to frys hut or even to where Craigs once stood but we wouldnt bother taking one down to UJH as it would was down the river and wouldnt make the climb out.

Much as it pains me to agree with mcrover...

if chosing between a Subaru Forester and a Freelander I'd take the Forester. Well, I did last time and I think I'd do it again.

But I do disagree (whew) on the "real" 4wd issue. The issue isn't low or high range - it's the combination of driven wheels, gearing, axle articulation, ground clearance and approach/departure/rampover angles. Ideally you want 4 wheels constantly being driven, low gearing, good articulation and as much ground clearance and angles as you can get.

The Forester has a good drive system. Freelander's isn't as impressive. Apart from that, neither was designed for off-roading. The Falcon ute with raised suspension and LSD is more capable off-road than either (or so I'm told). I've heard of a standard commodore ute making it up Cape York. The credentials of the Freelander, and Forester, have more to do with what an owner is prepared to do than design for the off-road environment.

I've had a Forester on Fraser - it did better than I thought but I wouldn't do it again without raising body and springs and fitting extra skid plates. For the cost of the mods I bought a Series Landie.

But who can cast the first stone over a car that costs too much money to keep on the road, that you pay out on because you love it despite its shortcomings, and that does everything you want it to?

Not me. I suspect not anyone here :D

[Blknight.aus]

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift View Post
How do these in any way help?
they back up what I was once taught early on in my life from an engineer

Let Function dictate form.

If you do it the other way you'll spend forever patching it to make it do what its ment to do in the first place.

funny how the series, Stage 1, county, perentine and defender all do about the same thing and look about the same... yet the range rover, discovery, freelander, disco 2, freelander 2 and the vouge all look markedly different but still do about the same thing. Look impressive in carparks :P

which nicely highlghts the second collary of "let function dictate form"

which is

If it aint broke Dont fix it

[Pedro_The_Swift]

they back up what I was once taught early on in my life from an engineer

Let Function dictate form.

If you do it the other way you'll spend forever patching it to make it do what its ment to do in the first place.

funny how the series, Stage 1, county, perentine and defender all do about the same thing and look about the same... yet the range rover, discovery, freelander, disco 2, freelander 2 and the vouge all look markedly different but still do about the same thing. Look impressive in carparks :P

which nicely highlghts the second collary of "let function dictate form"

which is

If it aint broke Dont fix it


my question still stands,,,,

[mcrover]

they back up what I was once taught early on in my life from an engineer

Let Function dictate form.

If you do it the other way you'll spend forever patching it to make it do what its ment to do in the first place.

funny how the series, Stage 1, county, perentine and defender all do about the same thing and look about the same... yet the range rover classic, discovery 1 Are almost as good as a fender off road but look better and, freelander, disco 2,Later model rangies, freelander 2 and the vouge all look markedly different but still do about the same thing. Look impressive in carparks :P

which nicely highlghts the second collary of "let function dictate form"

which is

If it aint broke Dont fix it

Just thought id fix your post up there Dave, you left a few words out lol :o:o

[loanrangie]

I think the bottom line is keep the regular maintenance up and be prepared for some big outlays when they DO happen, not if. The freo could have been a great car but really you'd have to be nuts to buy one if you have any idea about vehicle mechanics. Hopefully Shellnstefget plenty of mileage out of theirs, you couldnt do better than take it to Justin Cooper LR to have it serviced/repaired from all accounts.

[HAK]

I had one with the 1.8 petrol motor I bought it with 40,000km and it ended with 180000km so in three years clocked 140 000km with the only problem being a plastic throttle body which was changed and no problems other then that and this thing was thrashed I owned it prior having my daughter and was immature enough to be a boy racer

Barley ever serviced

It went from NSW to WA to VIC 5 times and QLD once

So don’t worry till it poos it self then start to worry

[Blknight.aus]

my question still stands,,,,

ummm

ever seen a freelander that AINT broke? :o

[mcrover]

I had one with the 1.8 petrol motor I bought it with 40,000km and it ended with 180000km so in three years clocked 140 000km with the only problem being a plastic throttle body which was changed and no problems other then that and this thing was thrashed I owned it prior having my daughter and was immature enough to be a boy racer

Barley ever serviced

It went from NSW to WA to VIC 5 times and QLD once

So don’t worry till it poos it self then start to worry


Good to see you grew up and so did your car :D

[Pedro_The_Swift]

I had one with the 1.8 petrol motor I bought it with 40,000km and it ended with 180000km so in three years clocked 140 000km with the only problem being a plastic throttle body which was changed and no problems other then that and this thing was thrashed I owned it prior having my daughter and was immature enough to be a boy racer

Barley ever serviced

It went from NSW to WA to VIC 5 times and QLD once

So don’t worry till it poos it self then start to worry


ummm

ever seen a freelander that AINT broke? :o


see above,,
:angel:

[ShellNStef]

Thanks Everyone for thier views, especially the ones that own freelanders your information and experience is extremley valuable. I respect everyones point of views however at the end of the day we all choose a vechicle that suits our needs and wants, as someone said "you purchase a vechicle for your needs and not everyone wants to climb mountains ect". We are more informed of the problems that may or hopefully may not arise.
Freelander owners keep in touch!!

Be Safe and Take Care On The Roads All

Michelle & Stefan:)

PS bad news travels fast..... Lets hear some "GOOD" stories about them!

[DiscoTDI]

I never actually bought the freelander to be an off road vehicle, I bought it because it was a diesel, got 14kpl and could pull the family around town in comfort.
I found out its capabilities quite by accident you see I went on a weekend away with a few people in here and low and behold the Disco was playing up so I took the Freebie. Everyone who went on that trip came back with a different view of the Freelander, you would be surprised what you can do with them and if you want a real testiment to the freelander, talk to camellandy;)

[101RRS]

Resale value, something a Freo will never have lol

As far as the mines better than yours argument, Mine will always be better than yours Gary as long as were talking Landrovers but really Im just taking the ****, you guys are so much fun to stir up as there is soooooo much you cant defend with a free lander that this is what ends up happening.

Dont get upset Gary, one day you will go back to a real Landy, one that you dont have to pray to every morning to make it go....
LOL LOL LOL LOL

So I take it Gary that by purchasing a Freelander you loose your sense of humor, is it the climate controled air con that sucks it out of you or the continully draining bank account lol.

Certainly not upset just enjoy a rousing discussion. As far as praying every morning to get it too go - that is one thing I have never had to do with the Freelander but I often did with my Discovery - it and the NRMA got to know each other very well.

As you can see in my signature block - I have owned a number of Landrovers over 30 years (only 2 years without one in that time) - and indeed have a series one as well as the Freelander at the moment and have owned 2 series 1s over the past year. As well, I owned both my Discovery and the Freelander at the same time for over two years - as such I am one of the few people on the forum who has owned one but also owned another landy at the same time. I am happy to accept comment from people with experience with the car but just a little less tolerant of people who make comment without ever owning one.

While some people have had a bad experience, most who have actually had one speak quite highly of them.

Landrover have aimed their cars at different markets - the Freelander is aimed at the town market and it does it well - it was the best selling 4wd in Europe for many years - the Defender does not sell well in Australia, the Disco and RR does reasonable well - they all have their roles - oh and while a Freelander might not have as good resale as a Fender it is actually better than a Disco - not by much but it is better.

Endat

[Disco Steve]

Certainly not upset just enjoy a rousing discussion. As far as praying every morning to get it too go - that is one thing I have never had to do with the Freelander but I often did with my Discovery - it and the NRMA got to know each other very well.

As you can see in my signature block - I have owned a number of Landrovers over 30 years (only 2 years without one in that time) - and indeed have a series one as well as the Freelander at the moment and have owned 2 series 1s over the past year. As well, I owned both my Discovery and the Freelander at the same time for over two years - as such I am one of the few people on the forum who has owned one but also owned another landy at the same time. I am happy to accept comment from people with experience with the car but just a little less tolerant of people who make comment without ever owning one.

While some people have had a bad experience, most who have actually had one speak quite highly of them.

Landrover have aimed their cars at different markets - the Freelander is aimed at the town market and it does it well - it was the best selling 4wd in Europe for many years - the Defender does not sell well in Australia, the Disco and RR does reasonable well - they all have their roles - oh and while a Freelander might not have as good resale as a Fender it is actually better than a Disco - not by much but it is better.

Endat


Now, Now. there is nothing wrong with either off these cars. as stated above they all have there advatiges and disadvatiges.

[beforethevision]

Im not selling mine anytime soon put it that way... Unless of course its to the insurance company after a rollover :p