muddyplugger

I can give you my experiences with my 1999 TD5 Disco. (I have owned it 4 1/2 years) It has now done 128,000. The bug bear for me has been the wheel sensor (ABS/HDC/TC), I still havent fixed it yet but, they are prone to throwing spurious signals from the wheel sensors/a wheel sensor which lights up the dash and then can fail the MOT. Obvious check though when buying. The was an inherrent fault on the radiators in the early models, recognised by LR but not recall. New Rad for me was £100. The fuel pump wore out about 3000 miles ago, bit of a pig to get to (not as bad as the defenders), but pricey item £200 odd if I remember correctly. I've had a new viscous fan about 5000 miles ago, dunno if its specific, just my experience. It required a new starter motor at about 110,000, again could just be an age thing. Otherwise, its been pretty reliable! Apart from the missus filling it with petrol last month, but it recovered. Oh yes, and the aircon packed in about 80,000, but thats what windows are for eh? B)

Ok, anyone had their Mach 5's nicked along with some gold spray paint from their boot?

If you are going to buy all this at Billing, then you must consider if you it all fit in the back of a Defender, because no doubt you will want me to bring it all home for you!!

Billing is Friday 21st till Sunday 23rd. Myself and Onions will be there if anyone fancies a pint?

mmm.... brand new user, no feedback. Why would anyone take a photo of the odometer through the window? If I was taking a few shots of my vehicle I would open the door to take the photo! Unless I didn't have the keys! Ask for a visit, they'll show their true colours then.

Don't use a naked flame, like wot I did or you'll end up with no eyebrows, a spectacular rocket and a black oily garage ceiling! Oh yes, I got through about 8 or so litres on the 90. Still cleaning up the mess 6 months down the line. My tip - do it some where other than your property.

Hiya Julian! Congratulations on your purchase and whilst I'm not an authority on this I'd thought I'd throw in my two penneth to get the thread on a roll! I believe the ball joint you are describing also clonks going round corners too. Yes, there is a certain amount of play in the transmission, what is 'normal'? I don't have the answer in physical measurements but I'm sure someone will. I always worry with transmission clonks its not the gearbox mainshaft and the transfer case input gear! Sorry to put a downer on it! I am using the head in the sand approach to my LT77 box! Good luck mate! PS. fill in your profile.

I used these people, seemed the cheapest when I was hunting around: http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/

She wont!!! Infact I think it would be cheaper if I fill it up from now on! Maybe that was the idea???

This weekend took the Defender up to Weardale - Had a great time! Only bent the bumper and ripped off the towing electrics! Result!

Thanks to all for the above! Really really! It all works now (except what knackers in the next ?00miles) - which I hope isn't the fuel pump as its brand new and only done 500 miles! Heres how I/we (Mr Onions helped) did it. 1. Drained the tank through the filler with a jiggle drainer (no anti-syphon system unless I punched through it). 2. Removed the 'quick release' fuel line from what I believe to be the fuel pressure regulator on the block (pictured below) 3. I then turned on the ignition to allow the fuel pump to spew out the remaining petrol until it was empty. (only did this for 20 second bursts as I wasn't sure if I was going to break something else.) 4. Filled it with 20 litres of diesel and then ran it though as above until pure diesel arrived. 5. Replaced the fuel filter. 6. Primed the fuel system in a hotchpotch way - 3 x 20 second bursts on the ignition and listened for the air escaping (or thats what it sounded like). 7. Crossed my fingers and started her up with a few pumps of the throttle. It started second or third time, few puffs of black smoke and then clean. I then bunged in 1/2 bottle of the redex diesel treatment stuff in, and filled it up with £70 of the correct fuel type! So far so good! I have done it the best way I could, and I'm sure if given to Land Rover then, as was pointed out it would have new fuel lines and a respray by now!! Please be warned - Apparently it was my fault for going off roading yesterday and leaving the (now forgiven) Mrs Muddyplugger with the kids as they distracted her when she filled it up!! At least now I have 2 years worth of premium unleaded for the lawnmower!!!!

Thanks chaps, I am off to syphon out the petrol, I will attempt to purge the system by removing a fuel hose from the engine, I have a new filter, I bought some diesel injector cleaner/treatment, then as you say brim it with diesel and cross my fingers! Keep the suggestions coming and I will keep you all posted. It may take me till tomorrow as I can't straighten my arm due to trappped nerve in neck this morning! Oh joy!!

She does feel guilty! and no wonder. I have had a look in the workshop manual, and it recons to remove the viscous fan toget the rocker cover off! Is that right? I know these manuals, they love being overcautious, and then the manual recommends using special LR tool LR-12-154/1 to take out the injectors. Can I take off the fuel hose as close to the injectors as I can (wherever that may be) so to clean it all out? Or am I best dismanting the lot? Yours dauntingly, Anth.

OK, I have worse case senario here. The TD5 Disco has been filled from near empty with aprox 20 litres of premium unleaded. It has also been driven for aprox 15 miles (how come it managed that far is anyones guess). It was only this morning when it wouldnt start and chucked out black smoke that I asked the qusetion to the (now late) Mrs Muddyplugger, "you didnt put petrol in this did you?" OOOPS! So, damage is done, I am off to drain the tank and get a new filter, but what sort of salvage can be done? and how to I now get the petrol out of the lines and prevent further (!) damage? I have to try and make the best here so what needs to be done????

Sounds like the Turbo working (Normal) to me.

You still got problems with leaky and rattling sunroofs James? I've heard a product called Sikaflex is good at helping a good seal between the glass and rubber, but the rain drains through the inner channels and if it is leaking there, then I think you'd best buy a bucket! Seriously, Land Rover issued a technical fix for this, but I cant find it off hand, (NB did involve removing most of the vehicle!)

I did exactly that James on my Series III lightweight, bolted it to wipermotor cover/housing.

I use 5W/30 semi-synthetic in the 200tdi and the TD5.

Ah ha!! Thats the fella I've been looking for!!!!! But, its just tonight Ive just gone and drilled and tapped the orig sender and re-threaded the new sender to fit inside (didnt have the right tap for 1/8NPT). All good info though!

However, the TIM sender is 1/8NPT which comes with 3 adapters, (and for me) none of which fit the Disco engine!! Adapter thread far too course (UNC?) I haven't seen this adapter - tell us more!! I have just dug out a 3/8" 24TPI UNF tap (the closest match I had to fit 1/8NPT ) and I recon I'm gonna try tapping the thermostat top housing. Keep us posted mate!

My friend (who is registered blind) owns his car and is the registered keeper, however as he doesnt own a licence, his girlfiend insures the car in her name (he goes through girlfiends too quick, and the next one might not have a car so, he needs his own car really!). He has had one instance where the insurance company said he needed to insure the car, and put his girlfiend on as named driver! He pointed out that as he couldn't see awfully well he was unable to get a driving licence, he might not be eligable for insurance. "Ah" was the reply! He has been a registered keeper of a car for 15 years and other people insure it, so I dont think it can be a problem. My vote = LEGAL.

Thanks Western, The original gauge always showed HOT! I renewed the thermostat and by chance it needed a new radiator too (300tdi Rad oddly enough), so I assumed the gauge/sender was mismatched! I will have a go at drilling and tapping one of the blank holes to fit new sender. For info: The original/old one is on the left and replacing with the other.

In theory - Yes. You can certainly buy aftermarket roofracks that will fit both the D1's and D2's. However my Brownchurch rack that I bought for the Disco 1 (six or seven years ago) doesnt fit my D2. Damn it! I offered it up a few years ago and the legs/brackets on the gutters were a little tight so the doors would close! (wouldnt be a problem for your way round though)

It is not me! Honest! The Defender originally had a TD engine, so I assume it had the TD gauge, so maybe the Defender 200tdi gauge/sender is 3/8UNF thread too, and thats why it fits, however I have an aftermarket gauge now (well two, the first one was a bit bling and I couldnt read it in daylight), so I WILL carry this through and fit my new gauge and undersized sender!!! (even if I have to rebuild the engine around it!!!)

I am getting as sick as a chip with my residual problem of temperature senders/matching gauges etc. Just as a bit of background, my defender has a 200tdi disco engine, but the sender did not match the gauge and if anyone else says take the original gauge and sender from the disco I will kill them! The problem is that the Disco thermostat housing has a 3/8 UNF (I think) temp sender, whereas the defender and all aftermaket ones I find have a 10mm UNF thread. NO-ONE in the world has an adapter. FACT Anyhow, I have decided to tap the thermostat housing cover and put my new (second new one) 10mm temp sender in the top, where the aircon would be. Does anyone know what the part number is for this?? My EPC doesnt like my notebook, and I dont have the 200tdi Disco in the hundred or so RAVE Cd's I seem to have! I want to get a new housing incase I stuff the tapping process, being into aluminium and all! Grateful for advice. (Except - 1. buy a capillary gauge. 2. fork out 10million quid for a Racetech gauge. 3. What you need is a OEM defender gauge!)