Greg-g
I was experiencing all the same frustrations as yourself with my 2003 TD5 Auto. I tried a multiude of things over an 18 month period, and did improve the performance slightly with every modification. But it was still frustrating to drive, and because of the high revs using a lot more fuel than it should.
I ended up having a bespoke tune, and the guy who tuned it told me that the problem was the torque converter, and that I could get an uprated one from Ashcroft transmissions, but he did not know the costs involved. I contacted Ashcrofts and was pleasantly surprised at the cost of the replacement UPRATED T/C. I then spoke to my local landy specialist who quoted me 8 hours labour to fit the T/C and replace the oil filter and seals.
I bit the bullet and placed the order with Ashcrofts. The new unit was with the garage the next day and I booked the car in. At this point I still hadn’t told the missus! The day came to pick the car up, and I was very apprehensive, not knowing quite what to expect.
If only I had done this 12 months ago was my first reaction. The car now drives more like a car than a truck. The amount of pull in that TD5 engine is amazing. The stall point of the new T/C is 2200rpm. This means that your normal drive is between 1600 and 2200rpm. Where I live in the UK it is very hilly so you can never settle at constant revs, but now she just purs along effortlessly.
I also tow a 2.5tonne box trailer every weekend. What a joy this has become. The throttle usage is now very slight, and if it does have to change down a gear it is hardly noticeable as the revs only go up by a few hundred. The fuel consumption has gone from an average of 22MPG to 27MPG across all different driving conditions.
I have since re-seated both the sunroofs and roof bars, bought a new radio, replaced the front discs and pads, replaced the air suspension bags, bought new rubber mats, and am about to fit new spotlights. Previously I would not have considered lavishing that much attention on my working truck, but now she is such a pleasure to drive that nothing is too much.
I hope this will encourage you and anyone else who is experiencing the same to get the job done, as it completely transforms the vehicle. I know this is all a bit of a ramble, but if you need to ask anything technical please do.
Hope this helps.
