Dezzie

Thanks for the reply Tanis8472. I bought the Lucas one for £110 + VAT. Yes, you're spot on. It was an exchange, I've got to take the old one back. Although, I'm not sure if the Rimmer Bros. "Genuine" one for £455.00 was a recon. Surely for that price it'd be a new one ? What a pain in the neck job. Never again ! Loads of stuff to get off before you can get to it. In the end I had to enlist the help of a mechanic mate. Apparently, with air con, the job is much worse. However, I'm a happy boy now the Freelander is back up and running. It's now on it's 'final' warning. That's a clutch last month at £375 and now the altenator. Cheers.

Hi everyone. Altenator just packed up on my year 2000 L-series Diesel. Saw loads of smoke, and smelt burning. Pulled over and lifted the bonnet to find the Altenator innerds glowing red hot. Obviously needing a new one now. What did Land Rover fit as standard ? Surely they wouldn't make their own. I've looked at a few on line, there is a LUCAS one for about £120.00, and cheaper ones for about £100. I've looked at RIMMER BROS. and their 'Genuine' one is £455.00, minus an £84.00 exchange. Any makes to steer clear of ? Thanks for any replies ................ Matt.

Hi ancientcameraman. Welcome to the forum. If you give your Freelander love care and attention, it'll give you good service. Had mine 5 years now, and still love it. A great family vehicle, which is brilliant in bad weather. I look after mine better than I look after the Wife ! Your VCU should have been changed at 70,000. So, in theory, it should be up for renewal again soon. With the Prop bearings ONLY USE GENUINE GKN ! I had mine done, and they fitted some £16.99 pieces of carp which lasted about 6 months. Same as the bushes, just use genuine ones. You'll probably need the rear diff mountings done, as these usually go way before 100k. Keep up the service regime, and only use good quality oil, 10w40 semi synthetic if you can afford it. I try to change my oil roughly every 5000 miles. Check your coolant / antifreeze level at least once a week, and keep some spare in the boot. LR recommend the pink stuff. Only change your tyres either in twos or fours. Never change one tyre, it could knacker up your diff, VCU and ultimately the IRD if your same axle wheels are spinning at different speeds. Try and make sure your spare is roughly about the same as your road wheels With the TD4, it has been known for the fuel injectors to fail once they get over 100k. So yours may have been changed already. Don't worry about the cambelt, it's a chain. Other than the injectors, the TD4 is meant to be fairly bombproof. The forum you're on is brilliant, but I also found this website really useful www.freelanderspecialist.com Like with all vehicles, maintenance is the key. Just try and spend 10 minutes each week checking fluids and tyre pressures etc. Best wishes, and enjoy your Freelander.

Hi guys, my year 2000 L-series engine Freelander has been 'feeling a bit different' lately. If my I.R.D unit was failing, how would I know ? What kind of noises would it make or how would it drive? If my I.R.D does fail, would the vehicle still work in 2 wheel drive with the prop removed ? Thanks for any replies................. Matt.

Hi guys. Thanks for all the replies. My motor is the 2.0 Di. (L Series engine). I think I'll just have to bite the bullet and fork out the cash. Most people have said that they didn't think this was too bad. Ah well, I guess I'll be 400 quid lighter by the end of the week ! Cheers.

Hi everyone. Clutch is getting desperate now, been putting it off for ages as don't do that many miles in the Freelander. (done 20,000 in 4 and a half years). Went to to see my usual mechanic, but he said it was too much for him (works on his own in a small garage with no lift). He told me to shop around, and be 'choosy' about the clutch kit that gets fitted. I'd be amazed if Land Rover make their own. Does anyone know whose clutches they used on Freelander 1's? I had a quote today of £395.00. (all in supply & fit inc. VAT). I asked which clutch kit this was, and the nice chap told me he only uses good quality clutches, which were either L.U.K, VALEO or SACHS. Is one better than the other? Thing is, I can get a SACHS clutch kit for about £100. (GSF are doing 35% off this week). So they want 300 quid to fit it ? ? ? Is it just me that thinks this is a bit steep? 300 quid for not even a day's work ? ? Is this right? Thanks for any replies. ........ Matt

Thanks guys, confirmed what I was thinking. You buy cheap, you buy twice ! Do Land Rover make their own Diff Mountings, or did they use 'GKN' or another brand such as that? I guess if I just ask for "Genuine", they'll sort me out. Cheers.

Hi all. I think I'm going to need the rear diff mountings changed soon, as I'm getting a 'clunk' sometimes when I change gear or pull away hard. I've seen them on the net, and done some research, but they vary in price quite dramatically. I've seen some for £70 each, and some for £50 for the kit of 3 ! Is it worth buying the cheap ones? I remember buying some cheap prop bearings years ago, and ended up changing them quite soon after. Any reccomendations? Any makes better than others ? Worth buying genuine? Thanks for any help. Cheers ......................... Matt.

Hi Western. That paint code chart was brilliant, thanks for that, really helpful. So on inspecting my V.I.N plate tonight, it says PAINT ; 602 JSJ Oxford Blue Mic 2ct 96-00 LRC.602 I would imagine the 602 refers to the last 3 digits, and that my 2000 Freelander is "Oxford Blue" then ? Thanks for the help ............................ Matt.

Hi everyone. Apologies if this topic has been covered before. I need to buy a 'touch up stick' for my year 2000 Freelander. I know where to get one from, but what colour is my Freelander ? ? ? I obviously know it's a dark metallic blue, but when I look at Land Rover colour code charts on the internet, there's about 10 different Blues. Where do I find the colour code ? Is it on the V.I.N plate ? Or in the service booklet ? ? ? Many thanks all ................................ Matt.

This is dopey question of the week ! When I bought my year 2000 Freelander L series Diesel back in 2010, it came with a full service history, and the previous owner (a friend) was very meticulas in his maintenance. He actually gave me, on purchase, a full brand new 5 litre container of 10w 40, and a brand new genuine oil filter. To be honest, I put them in the cupboard, and forgot all about them, and went on to have the vehicle serviced by a local garage. The vehicle is due a service again next week. Would I be able to use this oil that's been sat in the cupboard since 2010 ? Does it have a shelf life ? Does it 'go off' ? Would it still be usable, even though it has sat still for 3 and a half years ? It's brand new, and never been opened. Thanks for any help. Matt.

Hiya all. I've tried to ignore my Freelander 1 Diesel (L Series 2 ltr) juddering from standstill for too long now. I think I need to bite the bullet, and just get it sorted, before it lets me down in the middle of nowhere. I'm pretty certain it's the clutch. It judders from standstill, can occasionally be difficult to get into first gear, and crunches when you select reverse. My question is .... how much am I likely to have to pay to get it done (supply & fit) ? I realise this could vary depending on where you take it. Is it more involved than a normal 2wd vehicle ? Will it be a '3 part' clutch which includes the release bearing etc? Or is it different to the norm ? Can I just take it to any old place, or will I need to take it to a Land Rover (or 4x4) specialist? Many thanks for any answers ............................. Matt

Hi everyone. The ongoing saga continues with my VCU / Diff / propshaft bearings. So now, just needs the bearings replaced, - then "Job Done"! ! I've now located some genuine GKN propshaft bearings for about £37.00 each (£80.00 from Land Rover). Now, do I take it to my usual mechanic, who hasn't got a bearing press, and who will hammer them on, but - won't charge me very much ..... or .... Do I take the vehicle to a Land Rover specialist who have a proper bearing press, and will charge me loads ? Is it OK to 'tap' them on with a hammer ? How delicate could they be ? Anyone else done this ? Cheers for any help. ................................... Matt.

Hi everyone. Apologies if this has been covered before. I took the Freelander (2 litre Diesel - L series - year 2000) out of the garage after 6 months laid up, and gave it a damn good clean, as it was dusty, but had been in a dry garage. After giving the car a good wash and hose down, the following day I noticed that the passenger front foot well was absolutely soaking wet. The carpet was saturated. I'm guessing this happened when the car was washed, but where is it coming from ? Is this a common fault ? I've noticed that at the bottom of the windscreen, there is a thin black plastic trim. This was loose. Is water getting in here ? Thanks for any help. Matt.

Thanks a lot boys, that's really helpful cheers. That would explain why the window won't recallibrate, and also why the window doesn't go down all the way. The car's never had any accident damage, I know this because I know the previous owner. However;- A few months ago, I was waiting at a junction, when a Discovery hit my Freelander from behind. There was no damage whatsoever, but it did hit the spare wheel. To be honest, it was only a 'tap', and it left no mark. Obviously, it DID actually do some damage then. How do I get the window up, when the door will be open ? When I turn the key with the tailgate open, nothing happens ? Maybe I'll have to fix it with the tailgate closed, and sit inside the boot. Thanks a lot for the replies .................................. Matt.

Hiya guys. Would someone mind doing me a favour please ? Could someone measure how much glass is showing, when the tailgate window is down. I think mine is only going down about 3/4's of the way, which is what's stopping it from being recallibrated. Could you measure (in inches or mm - don't mind either) what the distance is, from the top of the glass, to the top of the rubber, when it's in the down position please. Thanks a lot Cheers ................................. Matt.

Hi EggNchips. Thanks for replying. It's a 5 door. Whoops, probably should have mentioned that in the first post !

Hi Defv890, thanks for all your help with this. It's driving me mad ! With the tailgate door open, when I roll the key, nothing happens. No movement at all. When the vehicle is locked, when I roll the key, the window stays up. Then, when I UNlock the car, the window beeps and goes down again. I've tried starting / stopping, locked / unlocked in all manner of different ways. In the 'handbook', it just says press the button and raise the glass. The window is now recallibrated. Any ideas or help very gratefully recieved. Don't make me reach for the gallon of petrol and the match ! Cheers all ....................... Matt.

Hiya Guys, thanks a lot for the replies, been most helpful, but still the window goes down. I put the fully charged battery on today, then put the key in the closed tailgate door barrel, and turned clockwise. The window goes straight up, no bother at all. It then beeps, BUT STAYS UP. I thought to meself "blimey - it's sorted ! - Fantastic !" Then I thought, "I'll start the engine and let it run for a while," as it hasn't been started for a few weeks. I unlocked the car ..... and guess what ...... the flamin' window goes down again ! ! ! ! What's going on ? When I press the dashboard button to send the window up, it beeps, and goes down every time. In the handbook, it says that something must be blocking it's travel. I've checked this, but there is no blockage. Is there a certain order in which I have to do things ? A pattern ? Is it something to do with the alarm ? When I open the tailgate door, the window will not work when I turn the key. As far as I know, the vehicle hasn't had a rear end shunt. I know the previous owner too, and he never had one either. However, it may be worth me having a look inside the tailgate door trim. Any other ideas or help ? Thanks. ....................... Matt

Hi everyone. Please can someone help me, before I have a nervous breakdown ? I took the battery off my year 2000 series 1 FL 2.0l Diesel as it's been standing for a few months now. When I reattached the fully charged battery, the tailgate window went down. Apparently, it's meant to do this. And now, thanks to another guy on here, I know it needs recallibrating. Details of how to recallibrate the tailgate window, are in the handbook. I've followed these instructions to the letter, but still the window gets to the top, beeps and goes down again. Am I doing something wrong ? Any help is very much appreciated. Can someone give me a step by step idiot proof guide. Thanks ........................ Matt.

Does anybody know, who Land Rover use for their bearings ? I'd be very very surprised if Land Rover make their own bearings. Surely they would just buy them in wouldn't they? The reason I ask ;- My prop shaft bearings have gone again, 3 times in 3 years. I've been told that in order to stop this happening, I've got to fit genuine Land Rover bearings. LR want £100 per bearing, and I think I need 2. Don't they use GKN or something like that ? If I could find out, perhaps I could dodge LR prices, and go direct and save meself some cash. Cheers .................... Matt.

Hi. Have you checked the corrugated tube of wire that links the main body to the tailgate ? Is this damaged or severed ? Also, when I took the tailgate interior door plastic trim off mine, there was a black click on wire connector behind the handle. This may have come adrift. Mind you, you'll have to open the door to get the interior trim off.

I remember when I first had my Freelander a few years ago, (2.0 litre diesel L- Series, year 2000) it had an annoying starting problem, just like you've described. It used to take ages to crank over, then when it did actually start, there was a smoke cloud to rival an atom bomb. This always seemed much worse in the Winter. Also, it used to idle very lumpy at standstill for the first minute, then was OK. All I did was change my Glowplugs. All of a sudden, it was like a different car. Started first click, no smoke, and idled lovely. The garage actually said that there may have been a chance that one of the glowplugs was actually broken (sheared). Might be worth doing this. Certainly cheaper than some of the things you've mentioned. Best of luck ...................... Matt.

Hi all. Got a year 2000 (V) Freelander station wagen (5 door) with the L series Diesel. For the last month, the car has sat in the garage, as I couldn't afford to Tax, insure and MOT it all at once. Also, there's a bit of money to be spent on it. So to cut a long story short, it's sitting in a nice dry garage next to my house, until the funds become available to put it back on the road. As it's been in there for a month, I decided it'd be a good idea to charge the battery, to save it from going dead flat and damaging the battery. So, last night, unhooked the terminals, put the charger on, left it on over night, checked it this morning, and a nice big bright "FULLY CHARGED" L.E.D was glowing. So, put the teminals back on and tightened them up. As I put the second terminal on, I heard the back window go down. I jumped into the drivers seat and turned the key to start the engine. Engine fired up no problem, first time. I pressed the button to send the tailgate window back up. It went straight back up, no problems. As it reached the top, a long loud BEEEEEEEP came from the dash board, and the tailgate window went down again ! I tried again, and the same thing happened, and again, and the same thing happened. I thought it was a 'fail safe', and maybe the car cover I had over the car was trapped in the back window, so I removed the car cover, but still, the window went up, beeped, and went down again. I tried it with the doors closed, with the doors open, I tried locking the car, then unlocking the car, I tried it with the engine running, and with the engine off. But still, the rear tailgate window goes down after the beep. Can anyone explain please ? Is it something I'm doing wrong ? Or is it something to do with the battery being off / charged ? Thanks for any replies ......................... Matt.

Hi G4FUJ. Yes, it's definitly 'do-able' ! I have the 5 door year 2000 FL which came with no roof rails. I was wandering around a Land Rover show back in 2011, and spotted some second hand roof rails for 30 quid ! Fitted them no problem, took about half an hour / 40 mins. Just make sure the kit is complete with the proper bolts, and the 4 plastic caps and the 4 little rubber gaskets Basically, prise off the little blanking caps on the roof, offer up the roof rail, make sure the little rubber gasket is in place, and send the bolt through into the roof (allan key). The pre-threaded holes are already there. Looks so much better with the roof rails on ! Have a look on E Bay. They're probably still available from your LR dealer to order, but they'd cost the earth ! Matt.