Thread: Preventative Repairs and upgrades

in my experiance the 300 tdi is already a reliable go anywhere type of motor

Sorry

I meant the vehicle as a whole.

Problems like cam belts letting go and expansion bottles letting go and destroying motors , axle breakages , suspension problems , body mounting points cracking. Anything like that.

Problems I've had on my D1 (thus things that could be prevented I guess), are power steering pump and heater core leak.

I'm interested to hear how many others have had these problems? That could give you an idea of whether it's worth performing preventative maintenance on these items.

Things I've had to do over the last 13 years (above and beyond normal maintenance items)
Powersteering Box (just replaced), Heater Matrix (now disconnected), dipstick Tube (cracked), fuel pump (cracked), Expansion Tank, Window ECU (re-solder), Door lock springs (both rear doors and tailgate), Water pump x 2, Gear selector bush, Stop Light switch, Rear Pinion Seal, Fuel spill hoses (split), Oil Cooler Lines (cracked), replaced head gasket and replaced head after new bottom aftermarket radiator hose let go 5000Kms later.

not sure how common these items are but just my experience

Cheers
Chookie
'98 300Tdi Disco - 233Kms

That's the type of stuff I'm looking for guys , thanks

Stay away from Zeus gears - more trouble than belts!

#1 is to fit a decent water temp guage
EGT guage is also a good idea
R380s run very hot - fit a/upgrade the oil cooler and run a good quality synthetic oil.
Change the head gasket at 250k km before it fails (unless you have done this already)
Do oil analysis on the engine oil regularly (see Rick130's posts on bearing issues)
Brass plugs as mentioned.
Carry spare hoses and a spare viscous fan hub.

Originally Posted by Chookie

...dipstick Tube (cracked)...

I had to braze mine up. I though I may have been the only one...