Thread: The New Defender

Yeah ASPW is a bit inconsistent and favours grand judgments over keeping an open mind.

...But given the new Defender reportedly has 85 ECU’S! (compared to 1 ECU in previous Defender) which he doesn’t even mention, it would be interesting to hear from some independent mechanics on the luddite vs techwiz debate RE field maintenance and predicted reliability in remote area world / Aus travel conditions. ..,Maybe new Defender electrickery is all super robust and more reliable than old. ...Is this possible in long term remote travel conditions? Or is the old Defender still better in these situations?

Originally Posted by scarry

I can't wait to see some reviews after the vehicle has been driven and put through its paces,either by owners or motoring journalists.

All the reviews have so far been pretty meaningless, full of guesswork,looking at spec sheets,pics, and LR's vids.

Around 10 UK mags had a good ride/thrash in it prior to release, all released articles including topgear.

Originally Posted by SpudHeadTed

Yeah ASPW is a bit inconsistent and favours grand judgments over keeping an open mind.

...But given the new Defender reportedly has 85 ECU’S! (compared to 1 ECU in previous Defender) which he doesn’t even mention, it would be interesting to hear from some independent mechanics on the luddite vs techwiz debate RE field maintenance and predicted reliability in remote area world / Aus travel conditions. ..,Maybe new Defender electrickery is all super robust and more reliable than old. ...Is this possible in long term remote travel conditions? Or is the old Defender still better in these situations?

If you look at the reliability of D3,D4, RRS L320, RRS 494 and FFRR L405 you won't find many problems with the ECUs. The D3 had a problem with the positioning of the transfer case ECU (the connectors could get wet too easily) and the canbus setup (cascading faults often due to the taillight bulbs) but the the later ones have very few problems. I've owned a 2005 D3, 2010 D4 and now a 2014 RRS. The electrical problems I've had have been minor although annoying. The D3 remote and central locking gave problems due to a wet connector caused by a blocked sunroof drain and air suspension errors due to a sticky valve. The D4 gave engine check light errors due to a poorly installed auxiliary fuel tank not sealing and then had a check engine light due to a dirty throttle body 3 years later. The RRS has had no electrical problems.

If the wiring is well protected and the ECUs are rated for immersion I think the system will be quite robust.

Originally Posted by blackrangie

Around 10 UK mags had a good ride/thrash in it prior to release, all released articles including topgear.

Yeh but none of them drove it, it was still under plastic, and even the dash was still covered.

Originally Posted by SpudHeadTed

Yeah ASPW is a bit inconsistent and favours grand judgments over keeping an open mind.

...But given the new Defender reportedly has 85 ECU’S! (compared to 1 ECU in previous Defender) which he doesn’t even mention, it would be interesting to hear from some independent mechanics on the luddite vs techwiz debate RE field maintenance and predicted reliability in remote area world / Aus travel conditions. ..,Maybe new Defender electrickery is all super robust and more reliable than old. ...Is this possible in long term remote travel conditions? Or is the old Defender still better in these situations?

An ECU can be as simple as a switching circuit.

The last defender had a few - ECU, Alarm, ABS/Tc

It’s a broad description and includes phone module, entertainment module etc.

Of note - it’s almost always a mechanical failure that takes out a vehicle out bush.

Originally Posted by cjc_td5

Yeh but none of them drove it, it was still under plastic, and even the dash was still covered.

But what you meant to say was that none of them drove it under Australian conditions, a far cry from driving it in the green & pleasant land".

More LR wasted OZ Junkets I guess. Negative? Moi? You bet.

Originally Posted by DiscoClax

I don't mind watching ASPW generally. He's done some really interesting stuff and he's really passionate. But he does get a fair bit wrong and he does carry some stong prejudices so you need to filter for that. He admits most of them.

Big brakes have got zero to do with towing, for example. Function of vehicle weight and performance. The trailer will brake itself and isn't part of the equation. That's why the higher performance versions get the bigger brakes and vice versa.

Most "serious" owners will have diagnostic gear and do their research so they can sort out the majority of issues with basic spares and gear. I can't imagine owning any late model anything without diagnostic tools.

Yep, I agree. Tyres also - the sidewalls are not smaller than that on a Disco1 or 2 but the Defender has a much larger rolling diameter, but that was almost a deal breaker for him. Mind you, he lost me totally when he said he hasn't seen the new Defender yet and initially I switched it off there..

He also hasn't heard of a Nanocom and he obviously has never worked on a modern vehicle such as servicing etc.

Originally Posted by Slunnie

He also hasn't heard of a Nanocom and he obviously has never worked on a modern vehicle such as servicing etc.

...this is what it would be great to hear more about from those in the know...
How much ‘back to base’ electrical fault finding AND REPAIRING can be done out bush?

ASPW’s knowledge as a mechanic is clearly pretty slim, but then that’s the majority of us who are not mechanics. ...in the past being a Defender owner would turn you into a mechanic to some extent LOL ...will this be the case with new Defender?