Mr Bean

Wasn't the rear diff gearing changed in the 2000 model upgrade?

That is correct. The air con will run when you point the air at the windscreen. The air con dries the air and helps to keep it mist free. The mpg will not be affected drastically IMO.

it will be interesting to see if it fixes the gearbox

It is a TDV6 in the range rover

There is a huge problem on the internet where it has become the place to offload poor quality goods and excessively charge postage and packing.

What type of Freelander do you have?

Most people who desire to take a Freelander off road will want to change the tyres, the Freelanders with 16” wheels have an advantage here, as there are several options. Stock form, a Freelander can squeeze a 225/75-16 although it may rub if heavily laden with cargo or rear seat passengers. A 225/70 is a safer bet if you often have rear seat passengers. In lifted form, the 225/75-16 is common and won’t rub. With the combination two-inch lift and 225/75 tyres, the Freelander will sport eleven inches of clearance underneath! If you have 17” wheels, you can either seek out some 16” or you are limited terribly in tyre options.

Thanks fir the reply, I did think about making some more or getting some made but i'm thinking stainless steel rock sliders will look good....

I'll check my in a bit ....when it stops raining!!

It will ruin the handling of your car and make it more for off-road use than on road use. What do you want more ground clearance, articulation or in arch clearance?

When you cool down hot air there will be a lot of moisture that will condense back to water.... The high the air temperature generally the higher the relative humidity.

STOP SHOUTING!!!!! Just talk like this....

I think you will struggle finding large AT tyres in an 18" size. How wide are your rims?

Well my side steps decided to snap at the brackets today. They had totally rotted through. The steps are still good but the brackets are scrap. And to top it all off half the rivnuts are knackered which will need to be drilled out and replaced with a bigger one. Does anybody where you can buy just the brackets or is it new side steps? I'm tempted to buy stainless steel just because they will last the life of the car. What are everyone's thoughts?

A sensor can fail and look totally fine on the outside. If the diagnostics point to that sensor it will be right to check the wiring and if thats fine then change the sensor. Also the wiring to the HDC switch on the gear lever can wear through and sometimes even snap.

Temperature issue aside many people tint their side windows and these go up and down without a problem. Generally though over time the heated rear window does cause some rippling and distorion. I would never use tint film on any car as i think it looks nasty!

TD4 is the best choice. Auto or manual its up to you as both are good, but the Auto is more expensive to repair if something goes wrong.

Engine wise it's pretty straight forward. Keep your eyes on the tyres. You need the same brand with the same depth on the same axle. If the front and back are different then the larger ones need to go on the back. Get underneath the car and check the bushes around the IRD. If you ever think the VCU has seized remove it and run the car in 2WD so you don't knacker the IRD and have much bigger expense. The rear door seals don't last long so check to see if the boot cubby box is full of water. Everything else is pretty standard wear and tear stuff. Does everything work on it?

As with most things it all comes down to what you want to use it for, A 2wd Freelander will be no mud plugger but it will be good at soaking up the motorway miles.

If it keeps sales on the increase than that should keep production in the UK which can only be good. Didn't people argue that a Land Rover without leaf springs wasn't "Proper"...how wrong were they?

Have you rang your local Land Rover dealership? what about http://www.paddockspares.com/

The side steps can be purchased from any accessory shop just look through the glossy mags for ones you like. The tyres i would replace all 4 with a good brand and get the balancing and tracking checked. Apart from those few jobs it sounds like you got a bargain at that price!!!!

Are you sure that model is correct? Td4 is probably the best buy and so is a manual version. Did you buy anything?

so all you need to do is unbolt the propshaft and VCU and hey presto 2wd? Simples!

To be honest they are not that unreliable as long as you buy one post 2001 and its a TD4 manual and never use the sunroof!!! To be honest i would go with the Mercedes as a more reliable option.