Puma Faults

[Allan]

Puma Problems
Is it just my imaginationor or are less Puma problems being aired lately. Since clutch kit and valve change (50cal Rattle) this vehicle is awsum. Makes me wonder are the faults slowly being rectified. I am off to Ningallo reef camping at the end of the week with my son in his mutch modified and loved 4.6 D1, a vehicle that he thinks will be my tow vehicle ......we will see, keep you imformed. also let you know what's bitting. This is one of the onlly real true hard assed camp areas on the Exmouth coast left. Big green logs have scr*8d the rest. The joys of Labour party bed palls. The station owners are fighting like hell to maintain these areas for people like us who enjoy wilderness camping and thay really need our support. At Nigaloo I can camp all week for $20 try that at Coral Bay. Please support these station owners, visit there web sites. Its a fight against the big developers. If they win you wont need a top of the line Landrover to sit in a carravan park, an Outback or God forbid a common hoar (Holden) will do and on school holidays The creem of your entertainment will be kids bend your airial, steeling your fridge or teen agers attempting to spread herpies or some other STD throughout the camp. I know we have wittnessed this at Corel Bay.tc.



Allan

[Grockle]

Late 08 and 09my trucks are better.

[Scallops]

Late 08 and 09my trucks are better.

I don't think this statement can really be justified - it seems to be luck of the draw regarding each vehicle. ;)

I mean - Allan has a later model - the one you are saying is better - but he's had all sorts of issues - hence his post that it's now going well (which is great news).

I on the other hand, have the first Puma Defender released in Queensland (and on AULRO - so possibly Australia) and it has been faultless. :cool:

[Scouse]

Late 08 and 09my trucks are better.We just did a brake vacuum pump on an 09 with less than 20K on the clock :(.

I don't recall another 09 doing one (yet) so maybe they are getting better.

[PAT303]

IMHO I think that we are going to see more nigglely faults in vehicles as they are getting technology that they really shouldn't have because of pollution reg's and safety etc.It's not just a puma thing,diesel's in general are giving lots of annoying faults. Pat

[BilboBoggles]

Based on my personal experience the PUMA is much better than previous Defenders, and I can't wait to get back into mine!

BUT in my personal opinion - MY Vehicle does have a serious issue with insufficient fuel filtration which appears to be common to many common rail diesels, that makes it easy to destroy or damage the fuel system with only a small amount of contaminated fuel. Land Rover providing a fuel filter that can only cope with 40cc of water before it's overwhelmed and allows water to pass is strange. The fact that they did not provide the early TD5 water in fuel warning system on a vehicle that you can cause $10k damage with a small amount of water is crazy! Gone are the days of filling from those 44Gal drums of fuel dumped by the side of outback tracks - you'd be bloody crazy to do that on this vehicle in it's stock form!

You'd also be crazy to exceed the stated wading depth for even a second - as you will get water in your fuel tank from the stupid breather system that is there on MY09 models. (Remember 40cc of water and you are likely to damage something). AND if you touch the breather system or the fuel fitler system Land Rover will initially reject warranty claims on anything fuel related, you would then be in a position legally to argue your mods did not cause the damage!

[PAT303]

I fitted an aftermarket filter on my defender when I bought it,if I buy a puma I will be fitting one on it too.You would have a strong case if they didn't cover your warranty as they say it is made for harsh conditions which you could prove it isn't.I have had a lot to do with LR warranty on my defender,all of the claims were because of the dealer work but LR were very good. Pat

[reeksyofoz]

the early TD5 water in fuel warning system

Excuse the thread swerve ... but what exactly is this? A dashboard light or something? :) Sounds like something worth knowing seeing as I have a '99 Defender and am about to head off for 6 months.

[one_iota]

Hell.... so there are faults...any lame brain searching this vault of knowledge through 200tdi,300tdi, Isuzu and Td5 realizes that "perfection" and "Land Rover" aren't words that should be used in the same breath.

I'm enjoying my Defender :D

The Puma version suits me just fine.:p

Just a pity about the 100,000 km/3 year warranty.;)

[BilboBoggles]

Excuse the thread swerve ... but what exactly is this? A dashboard light or something? :) Sounds like something worth knowing seeing as I have a '99 Defender and am about to head off for 6 months.

Orange warning light on dash. Looks a bit like a dripping funnel. I think it's meant to look like a draining fuel filter. It's easy to drain a td5 filter. Just crack the drain, close it, and then go through the priming sequence. Can't do that on a Puma at the side of the road without a special tool.

[Allan]

Loaded and ready to go .would you want to do it in any other vehicle? Faults, Who cares, nothing does it better, or looks as good. Its ****ing rain in Perth, my defender doesn't leak and its mid 20's and fine in Ningaloo. What else could you want. (A sail fish, big macs, tuna ect?)

Allan

[spudboy]

Late 08 and 09my trucks are better.

Like Scallops, I have an early one. No issues so far, but I do have a modified fuel breather (after reading of other's woes here) and besides we've been in drought for the last 2 years (last fortnight excluded) so no water ingress.

It's had the sump replaced under warranty and that's it (so far).

[justinc]

Loaded and ready to go .would you want to do it in any other vehicle? Faults, Who cares, nothing does it better, or looks as good. Its p...ing rain in Perth, my defender doesn't leak and its mid 20's and fine in Ningaloo. What else could you want. (A sail fish, big macs, tuna ect?)

Allan

Have a good trip Allan,

Way back when I lived over there, My cousin, brother and I did the Ningaloo reef road in my WB ute. 5 litre, TH400 auto and LSD. Left Coral bay and camped / fished all the way up to Yardie Creek, where we got 7/8ths of the way across with the foot flat (and the auto selector in 'S' for sand:D) and had to actually hit the brakes as we would've cleaned up a bogged Jackeroo on the exit ramp to the carpark! Well there we stopped, buried to the bullbar in sand, only to be told by the Ranger that we'd have to BACK UP and go back to Coral bay as we weren't supposed to be here in a 2wd vehicle. What a prat. He then drove off with the warning that if he found we had used any vegetation to stuff under our wheels for traction he'd prosecute us to the full extent of the law. Double Prat:mad:. Along comes Yardie Creek tours owner in a V8 110 county, hooks us up and drags us the 50 metres up to the gravel carpark. :D:):) We tracked him down in Exmouth and donated a carton of the amber stuff for his humanity, and enjoyed a few days in Exmouth before heading back down the coast. Really was one of the best camping/ fishing trips I have ever had, love that part of the coast.
Enjoy!!

JC

[Allan]

We call them "green logs". It has always been fisherman's paradise up there. We have been going up to Ningas since 1973 in various forms of Landrovers. Once did it in a Nisson "Poo role" and spent hours bogged on the beach in 40 deg heat. The following month we bought a 300 tdi Defender and now the Puma.

Allan

[lardy]

Allan, aren't they trying to build some silly arsed resort up there soon ?

I sposse that is what the people with the money call progress, and us mere mortals who like the simple things in life like beautiful scenery and the ability to catch our tea, call it a damn sham....er shame ..have a good old time Al don't forget some pics especially the one that gets away ;)

[Grockle]

Over here they do seem better as the mods for early trucks have been done on the line,but as others have said some early ones are fine,luck of the draw I suppose.and what and how they are being used and driven,most of yours are in a much harsher climate.