ozzie1989

That's exactly what I'll aim for next time too! I was fitting a Bearmach belt (although it was stamped with a number that corresponds to a Gates manufacturing code). The genuine belt, whilst still fairly tight, went on like a dream! Lesson learnt... that's another thing I won't buy from Bearmach again!

Guys thanks! Yes routing is correct! I tried the 2 person method, even tried warming the belt up, you think you're getting close but everytime I turn the crank to try and get it to slip on - no luck, I have officially given up! I have ordered in a Genuine one this afternoon (that will probably cost me an arm and a leg) to see if that's any better than my pattern one. I'll let you know how I get on, currently vehicle-less!

Did a yearly service on the Defender today consisting of all oils, filters, rear shock absorber bushes (that was fun), lots of greasing and changing the drive belt. Easy - or so I thought! It has a tensioner, oh it will be just like the Ford take the tension off, belt goes floppy, slip off the old belt and slip on the new - oh no! Undid the tensioner as far as it would let me, only just about managed to slip the old belt off. Offered up new belt which appears roughly the same when off the vehicle and it won't go anywhere near it... it's like I need another inch or so! God forbid if I'd have tried to do it with the fan still on! I have already checked the part number stamped into the belt and it is for a TD5 with Air Con (no ACE of course) suitable for a Defender 04 which matches my vehicle perfectly. Before I go off into my "why can't this be as easy as our Ford" rant - are there any tricks, anything I need to know? Many thanks

My mate had a spray liner from someone (can't remember their name maybe Speedliner http://www.speedlinereuro.com) and he paid extra to have the 'Kevlar' version. Maybe a bit OTT for the back of a DC with shelves etc. but we've thrown (and dropped from a digger bucket) blocks, rocks, bricks - basically you name it - and it is still perfect today! I think it cost him £400 to do the back of his L200 pickup (and he had it colour matched to his wheel arches), but well worth it when you consider a few years on it's not even marked with all the abuse it's had!

You don't have to be moving to select Diff Lock but it is designed for this purpose. You shouldn't stop just to engage/disengage diff lock. If you see an obstacle ahead that might need it slide it in, when you've passed back out. That way you never forget and leave diff lock in and you're driving in a much more efficient manner than stopping and starting when you don't need to. As for Hi/Low then yes I do personally stop, or slow to a few MPH. On the move this takes practise, so if you're not sure stop for this one! Generally you shouldn't be swapping between Hi/Low anyway. I always drop into Low on a track, even if I need to use 4th low you shouldn't be speeding around anyway! I change back when on tarmac or open gravel roads. I see some people who stay in high until they really need low and keep swapping back and forth - there really is no point and it'll save your clutch in the long run!

You would be amazed at the number of people who look at me stupidly when I talk about greasing the UJ's reguarly! It's a servicable item (as is anything with a grease nipple, involving oil etc. etc.) and should be checked reguarly. I must confess I only grease mine every few months, if you off-road this should be more often!

If you shop online you will usually see a picture, it's easy to tell which ones stop short and which ones go right back. I can vouch for 'Mammouth' chequerplate, I bought mine from First Four (www.firstfour.co.uk) and it's the best I've had after going through 2 sets of the cheaper plate that just corrodes.

If you can take the head and all associated bits off, you should be able to put it back together in theory! Do you have anyone you can ask to help and give them some beer tokens etc? I find a helping voice (if not a helping hand) helps in the old confidence department!

Another vote for a warped manifold or broken manifold studs, once you've heared it once you will recognise it again and again. Open the bonnet and get someone to rev it up quite hard, usually (as landy andy says) it will only happen under certain conditions, but most I've diagnosed have done it at a standstill at high revs too.

Take the instrument binnacle off - 2 screws on the side at the top and 2 underneath all of 1 minutes work. There are a host of relays behind there, as well as lots of wires. Run the vehicle and see if you can pinpoint which one. You will probably be able to feel a dodgy relay clicking with your finger, if not a screwdriver to your ear resting on it.

I tried a Discovery one in my Defender before... It worked (as in the vehicle started and was driveable) but smoked a lot, didn't seem very responsive (could have been due to the mapping on the ECU) and also the temperature gauge worked backwards (although sometimes appeared to work ok but shot up into the RED for no apparent reason and back). I did code the injectors with my Nanocom before starting her up, and synced up the Alarm Unit etc. As I say it worked fine, maybe ok for emergencies but not so great for every day. I wanted it to experiment with mapping etc. but decided it wasn't worth the risk if it didn't work properly in the first place.

Next time you do change the fob, follow the correct procedure and you shouldn't have any issues... You can find the correct procedure here: "You'll need: A CR2032 button battery, LR recommend Panasonic. A small screwdriver to separate the two sides of the fob. Your Land Rover! > Sit in the drivers seat with the drivers door closed. Keep it closed for the duration of the battery replacement*. > Turn the ignition to position II, return to position 0 and remove the key. > Gently split the key fob casing into its two parts, taking care not to damage the rubber seal. > Slide the old battery out of the clip, avoid touching the circuit board or other components. > Insert new battery. Don't leave any finger prints on it which can cause premature discharge. > Push the two halves of the fob back together. > Operate the key fob at least 4 times to re-synchronise it with the car. It should lock/unlock. > Turn the ignition back to position II and check it will start. *The immobiliser has a passive re-arm function which activates within 30 seconds if the drivers door is opened. If you don't open the driver's door this period is extended to 5 minutes. If you only have one fob and the immobiliser re-arms during the battery change you have to go through the re-synchronisation, which involves turning the key in the ignition numerous times and opening/closing the drivers door repeatedly." Taken off the internet For now you will have to try the above, although I believe there is a resyncronisation procedure you can use if that doesn't work. What that is and where to find it I don't know - but a quick call to a LR garage may help.

A quick search on the forum came up with the following thread: http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=29539

How did it stop working? You can pair up key fobs with a Nanocom if you know anyone that has one...

Pumps can go... and if you are getting funny noises when you turn the ignition on (rather than a nice whirring) then it definately sounds like your pump! Either that or you have a dodgy fuel filter, or there is air getting into the fuel lines. See the other thread in this section by someone else which explains about changing a pump... I think there may even be something in the tech archive!