Escape

Al, the Defender is definitely more like a Lotus Elise, a TVR would be way to plush and powerfull (and not as easy to drive). 🙂 Actually, the bare bodywork inside the Elise does remind me of my Defender with the floormats etc removed. Couldn't agree more on the touchscreens. I was playing with a midsize rental excavator a few weeks ago and spent about half an hour going through all the menus in an attempt to have the radio play some rock or metal instead of schlagers... Filip

I'd get the starter rebuild, if you can find a good place locally. A lot cheaper and will last just as long as a new one (possible longer given the poor quality of some current items). Filip

That’s exactly my point. I’m not knocking the new Defender as a vehicle. It looks great overall. And I can we’ll see me owing one as a used example in years to come. But it would be replacing my Range Rover or a Discovery. It would not be replacing a Series or proper Defender. I agree the new one isn't really a replacement for the old one. Although in the 21st century, a lot were bought as lifestyle vehicles and not for their working or offroading capabilities. My point is that the Jimny can't be compared to the old/real Defender, it's certainly no better replacement than what JLR have designed. It may look familiar, but it's no working vehicle. Fun to rent while on holiday on some island, or throw around a pay and play site, yes. Less suited for everyday work, think big Ifor trailer on a muddy construction site, something the new Defender will handle easily. Or even just a horsebox on a wet field. Filip PS: I wanted to counter your claim the new Mini R50 was a small car (I always call them Maxi), but I stand corrected. It's actually shorter than a 90 and lighter (in base form) than my Esprit...

Try http://new.lrcat.com/ Most is in English

Outer edge of the cap: 80.8mm, inside edge of the rim: 69.5mm. Measured on a Vogue with rubber(ish) center cap.

I too am curious about the 2nd level of terrain response and just what it will allow the driver to do. The guy at the presentation seemed knowledgeable enough. But he also realized he wasn't going to sell me one, so concentrated his attention on a yuppie couple that was in the car with me. They seemed far more interested in all the gizmos on the touchscreen I was moaning about... He did claim the screen would be easily operated even with wet/dirty/gloved hands... I'm sure the Defender will feel special to drive. You have the command driving position I love about (most) Land Rovers. And it didn't feel so heavy like a RRS (mind you, I can only comment on the perception inside a stationary vehicle, we were told we'd have to wait until May before we could drive one. But we could already order one and sign a cheque...). Really a different league to the Jimny, that felt like a small and cheap toy when I tried one earlier this year. It'll probably be fun in it's own way, but really can't be compared to a Defender. The new one is clearly designed for long, comfortable drives at good speed, much like the first Range Rover was a huge step up from the Series. Filip

Did you replace the injector seals and O-rings? And check the wiring loom for oil? Filip

I got to see the new Defender up close today and take a seat behind the wheel, all stationary of course. It pretty much confirmed my expectations. It's overall quite a nice car, I like the design cues from the original like the rear door. The rear LED lights are not to my liking and look even stranger in real life. The front does look OK, modern but with more or less traditional layout. The dash is better than in the Tdci, but I hate the touchscreen (I always hate the things) and can't believe that will be of much use offroad or with dirty hands. Then again, everybody seems to want the bloody things, so it's only logical they've put one in instead of nice sturdy buttons and a DIN radio. I was surprised there's no separate button for the terrain response, you have to use the temperature dial after chosing the right setting on, you've guessed it, the touchscreen... The electronic diffs can't be selected manually, you just have to hope the terrain response makes the appropriate choice. The brochure mentions the settings can be customised, maybe that will prove usefull. I wasn't convinced by the driving position, a bit lower and more laid back than expected. Which strangely made the interior feel less spacious than in the TD5 we drove there. You do get ample room for your arm and shoulder and even a place to rest your elbow without opening the window. Gearstick seems well placed despite looking like a it was taken from a van, but as it's an automatic it's rather pointless. Exterior looked clean and well finished, the checker plate actually is a plate, not a sticker. Front bumper is too low, but one of the packs includes a cut-off version. The towing eyes are a nice feature, a lot easier to reach than the old ones hidden under the bumper or rear crossmember. I'm baffled those can pass pedestrian safety regulations! I have no doubt it will be a very capable vehicle. It was presented on GoodYear Wrangler muds on 20", I'd prefer smaller rims but they did look the part and will get the job done. A lot of nice and well designed details in the interior, like grab handles and luggage hooks. I'm sure there will be a lot of potential buyers. I certainly wont be one of them, too modern and too detached. Again, I'm well aware I'm far from the audience LR has aimed the Defender at. Still feel a bit sad it's not the icon it could have been, and at the same time happy to have owned a Defender TD5 while it was still a driver's car instead of a lifestyle statement. On the new one you can get an 'urban pack', to help you tackle the school run. I guess that says it all, no doubt it will be a very popular option... Filip PS: I must stress I don't want to come over as to negative. I really do think Land Rover did a good job, it's just not for me. And time will tell if they can convice a lot of new customers, or just compromise Disco/Range sales.

Do you need the diameter inside the rim, or the outside diameter of the cap? I can measure both, but not in the Shop until tomorrow. Filip

With an LT230 in difflock, the handbrake trick should work fine. But I'd be carefull with a viscous centre diff as you don't want rear braking bias on a steep descent! Just feathering the foot brake would also give you better control, unless you're well trained in using the handbrake on the move. 😉 Filip

Paul, Snagger is right, if you have both wheels of an axle off the ground, you should be able to turn them through the open diff. They will of course spin in oposite directions and some resistance will be felt, but not too much. You should certainly be able to spin a wheel fast enough to check for sticking brakes, bearings etc. Filip

That's not entirely accurate. The P38a autobox does have a different shift strategy in low and high, and will use lock-up when possible in all gears when in low, instead of just in 3rd and 4th. The manual mode allows you to hold a gear, preventing the box from shifting down while in low. In high you can only limit the upshifts. This can be quite useful as you often want to hold a gear while crossing some sections. I can also echo @BogMonster in that with an autobox I sometimes have a hard time to determine if the wheels are spinning (and digging) or it's just the torque convertor. Never ran out of power though, and the upside is you can load the torque convertor to get a better start. Still prefer a manual, which is why I'm going through the (considerable) trouble of converting my P38a... Filip

You could have a leaking NRV, that will allow air to escape from the bags if the pressure in the tank is lower. Try running the compressor with the door open to build some pressure first, or better yet, fill the tank with a mains compressor (via the pipe to the top of the dryer). It does make some sense for the system to try and level the car as soon as possible, because a level ride height will give better handling (and looks), provided there aren't any (big) leaks resulting in too low a ride height. If a hard fault occurs, getting the car on the bumpstops may not be the most comfortable option, but it is the safest. It will force the driver to slow down and avoid handling problems that could arise when one corner or one side is significantly lower than the other(s). Filip

The fact that they're BMW? I have nothing against Bimmer road cars, but try to stay far away from any Land Rover with a BMW engine, especially the P38 and L322.

Yes, but only if Santana will provide an official document to sanction the upgrade... On the plus side, little chance of anyone noticing. Same with the 200tdi. As long as you don't intall a V8, they wont be able to tell the difference.

That's not really accurate. LR was doing OK in the 90s, but suffered from the problems faced by British Leyland/ Rover Group as a whole. BMW never had any interest in Land Rover, they wanted the Mini brand and some 4x4 technology to get their X-range launched. It's no secret they did little good for Land Rover... Ford got the company straight again. But they made a poor decision when in need of cash for their core business when the crisis hit to sell Land Rover along with Jaguar, Aston Martin and Volvo. All brands that have done better than Ford themselves.

Just to add, in Bhellgium there's no permanent live in the 7-pin connector either, as that pin is used for the mandatory rear fog light, just like in UK. If you don't want to take out the seat (which I can fully understand!) to charge, can't you reach a permanent 12V under the bonnet? Like the alternator or a relay? I use that to connect the charger to the Elan and Excel, as it's easier than getting to the battery in the trunk. Filip

It sounds like some relays were wired incorrectly, possibly the starter relay as well. If the chatter is enough to engage the starter, that will create a large start current, enough to cause a voltage drop. So you should be looking at the starter relay, not the alternator. Quick test is to remove the starter relay (after starting) and then measure battery voltage. As Fridge says, it could be the earth, with a bad earth from another relay or accessory causing a stray current through the starter relay. Filip

Max, hadn't noticed you're also from bhellgium. Unfortunately, that means you're very limited to what can legally be changed on your car. Unless you want to go through a helluva lot of red tape... So no disc brakes and no engine swap. Although a 200 or 300Tdi would probably pass scrutiny. As said above, a good service to make sure everything is at least up to spec should be first on your list. If you're not too far away, you're always welcome to come to our Workshop near Leuven for a chat and to have a look at Chulla. Greetz, Filip

Yours is a diesel, right? Then I'd look at the breather/oil separator between valve cover and intake hose. If that's blocked, you're likely to get a bit more splashing. Or you just need a new seal on the cap.

I don't think this was posted here yet. I'd say it's pretty much bang on the money, and echoes/counters a lot of what has been said here: https://www.evo.co.uk/opinion/22767/it-s-time-everyone-woke-up-to-the-fact-that-the-new-land-rover-defender-needs-to?amp

That all sounds terribly complicated! It's a good thing the new Defender comes with an autobox and you only need to play around with a touchscreen if you feel the need, and the electrickery will magically do everything for you! Just kidding Max, you'll soon figure it out once you're driving and it wil become second nature. Enjoy you car (and maybe add some more pictures, so we know what we're talking about). Filip

We also have an annual MOT for trailers over 750kg MTM. Doesn't seem to do much for the dodgy electrics though...

It doesn't look too bad. I'll probably hate the interior for being to modern. But it might very well turn out to be one of the few new cars I'd actually consider (most of them would just have me buying a train ticket...). Filip

We'll take another look at the MAF. The readings are normal, including when it's in limp moden after starting (ca50kg/hr at 700rpm). Disconnecting the MAF didn't make a difference either (to the running/starting that is, obviously the readings did change), but if it's in the wiring, that is to be expected. Filip