[Something strange is going on.......]

Around €10,000

[Something strange is going on.......]

Thanks Ralph. The ciggy lighter still works fine which is a puzzle because I thought that they were on the same circuit. What a pain in the neck. Why do these thing all seem to happen at the same time?

Anyone want to buy a nice 200tdi LHD with a dodgey clock...................?

Ged

[Something strange is going on.......]

I noticed yesterday that my dash clock had stopped working and after a bit of fannying about noticed that the courtesy light had also packed up. This all appeared to stem from the No 1 20A fuse having blown. I went to replace it but there was a big spark and the fuse blew again immediately. I tried verious things but each time I went to replace the fuse it blew in a shower of sparks. I am at a loss as to what is going on as I have not touched any of the electrics since fitting my CD player about a year ago.

Also the new oil pump I fitted over the weekend seems to make a right old rattling noise on start up. After about a couple of minutes it seems to settle down but it is a bit alarming. The pump is a non-genuine item so I don't know if this is a case of a you-get-what-you-pay-for.

Thanks,

Ged

[Whats going on with my oil pressure?]

Cheers Grant. I had thought about the gauge being faulty which was why i asked whether the pressure switch/light was independent of it. As Ralph said, the two work independently of each other so I presume that because the gauge reads low AND the light occasionally flickers then they are both most probably correct. The gauge is a mechanical one.

Thanks for your input,

Ged

[Whats going on with my oil pressure?]

Thanks very much Ralph. I really hope that the cam is OK as I couldn't face stripping the engine. I have been out this mornng giving the 110 a bit of a trial and the oil pressure does actually seem to be fairly improved. I don't know whether this is due to the oil pump or simply a the thicker oil and a new filtre. I Still don't understand why the pressure fluctuates so much when cornering though - lh bend and needle drops, rh bend and needle rises over 40. Will have to see how it goes over the next few days as I've got a couple of pretty long journeys ahead.

Thanks again,

Ged

[Whats going on with my oil pressure?]

Thanks Ralph. Sounds like it could be a whole heap of trouble then! Other than the cam isse, is there anything else that I should be checking in your opinion?

Ged

[Whats going on with my oil pressure?]

Cheers Ralph. I have looked at your photos and very helpful they are too. My oil gauge is capilliary fed so I don't know if this makes a difference. Also do the oil pressue light and gauge operate independently of eachother or are they linked. I ask this because the light flickers occasionally when coming to an abrupt halt although the gauge does not necessarily give the same information.

I realise that I may be making more out of this than I should, however what concerns me is that the pressure has dropped so markedly over the past 6 months. If it had always been this low I probably would never have noticed it but the sudden change worries me.

I'll have a look for the bearing sleeve as you describe Ralph. Assuming it has moved, what is the solution?

Ged

[Whats going on with my oil pressure?]

Thanks Jim. Do you happen to know what kind of a job this is to resolve?

[Whats going on with my oil pressure?]

Hi,

Following an earlier thread that I posted about oil pressure, yesterday I changed the oil pump on my 200tdi together with a new filter and oil which I have changed to 20/50 from 15/40. I have to say that it has made not one jot of difference and that after start-up when the pressure needle leaps to the top of the gauge, it then settles back to about 20psi. How depressing is that.

I used to have pressure well over 45psi and over a period of about 6 months it has dropped further and further down and oscillates up or down according to whether I am going around a left-hand or right-hand corner - sometimes registering zero!

I recall that Western mentioned about the condition of the oil cooler which could affect the oil and make too thin if not properly cooled. What I don't understand is that this should surely only be an issue once the engine has warmed up - not straight after start-up when things are ice-cold still. There does not seem to be excessive play in the turbo which another poster suggested so I am really at a loss as to what to do next. Oh yes, and by the way, an 11mm socket and extension bar falling from the sump onto ones head does REALLY hurt.

Ged

[200tdi Sump]

Thanks very much for the heads-up.

Ged

[200tdi Sump]

Hi,

I'm shortly replacing my oil pump and am not sure if the 200tdi has a sump gasket to replace. The Haynes book says replace where necessary but this suggests that some are not fitted. I cannot see any evidence of one on the vehicle so could it just be a case of joint sealer? The pump comes with a small gasket and sealing ring but these are obviously where it mounts onto the bottom of the block.

Ged

[Fuel Gauge]

1993 Defender 200tdi: Travelling back from work today I noticed that my fuel gauge was reading zero and the empty light was illuminated. The needle flickered about a bit but for all intents and purposes it flat-lined. The tank was filled the day before yesterday so I know that there is fuel in it. I have a reserve fuel tank under the passenger seat (around 25 litres) and when I switch over, the fuel gauge automatically reads whatever is in the reserve tank. The gauge seems to function corretly when the reserve tank is in use but as soon as I switch back to the main tank the needle drops to zero. I have checked all of the accessible terminals and they seem fine. Is this a case of a dogey sender unit? How easy is it to change and about how much do they cost?

Thanks

Ged

[Oil pressure query]

Thanks Forklift - thats very interesting and the lesson in oil is very much appreciated. I am going to change the oil pump (for €80 its not really an issue) and see how it goes. When I refill the system after the oil change I will use my usual oil to see if the new pump has made much difference. I have had a look at the rad fins and they look pretty good to me. My 110 was expedition prepared some years ago (prior to my ownership) and includes a fine metal grille behind the plastic grille which seems to filter out a lot of the cr*p that usually ends up jammed in the rad. I will also check the turbo and see what I find there.

Thanks very much to all.

Ged

[Oil pressure query]

Thanks for clearing that up Ralph. Presumably then the entire rad/cooler assembly has to replaced as one unit then.

Ged

[Oil pressure query]

Hi,

I've not noticed any particular fuel smells in the oil and I am pretty fussy (anal?) about the 6000 mile oil change. The level of the oil is pretty constant and I've pretty much stopped all leaks (other than one from the transfer box).

Ralph, I didn't quite follow the connection between the fins on the radiator and the flickering oil light? Do you mean the oil cooler? Sorry, its probably me being a bit thick or too much cheap wine......... Is it possible to clean the cooler out? I wondered if the flow of oil through the system is being slowed down by clogged oil ways etc. Where is the sender located?

Thanks

[Oil pressure query]

Well I've just ordered a new oil pump so will be fitting that shortly. I have noticed that together with a drop in pressure and the occasional flickering of the oil light when I brake sharply that the general temperature of the oil has increased. this leads me to suspect that the pump may not be circulating the oil as quick as it should. Will wait with bated breath and a bucket of Swarfega!

Ged

[ADRIAN FLUX 4X4 INSURANCE]

When I lived in the UK I always insured with NFU (National Farmer's Union) - really good service well-priced and I highly recommend them. incidentally they also insured my two spaniels (not to drive the 110 before anyone gets any bright ideas) for about a 1/3 of what the so-called specialist pet unsurers wanted.

[How much is enough??]

ThankJon. Just trying tomake you feelat home!

Ged

[How much is enough??]

How easy is it to change an oil pump on a 200tdi and how do you tell if its worn?

[Rear Cross-member - generic part]

Sounds like I'm being stuffed. I didn't think that it was that expensive at the time given the hassle of removing the tank, sorting out the tow bar etc and its not a job that I could do myself anyway. A day trip to the UK is not on the horizon - I've not been back for nearly 3 years and frankly the thought of UK roads terrifies the cr*p out of me.

I suspect that the garage is being caution as they have not done one before - familiarity and all that. I'll see if I can negotiate a bit!

Ged

[Rear Cross-member - generic part]

Thats interesting Les. Do you mean to say that this job would only cost about 220GBP in the UK?

[Have you heard of these folk?]

Anyone ever dealt with or heard of Coast & County Land Rovers? What's their reputation like?

Ged

[Rear Cross-member - generic part]

Thanks for the heads-up Steve.

[Rear Cross-member - generic part]

Thanks to all for the advice. Out of interest, in the UK how much would you expect to pay a garage to weld this rear X-member in place (excluding the cost of the part). My local garage has quoted for 2 days work €700 (about 480 GBP) so does this sound about right?

Ged

[Rear Cross-member - generic part]

Thanks very much Les - as they say, a picture paints a thousand words. Mind you, why on earth these aren't included with the x-member I don't know and certainly no reflection on your welding skills either but it does look a bit of a mess at the rear end.

The main issue in France is that the law is (apparently) very unforgiving on inappropriate welding and if such is discovered during the equivalent of the MOT (Control Techinque) the tester can notify the appropriate body and criminal procedings entered into. Hence the reluctance of the garage to carry out the work. This may be a case of 'Plan B' and plate the chassis.