TD5: preventive maintenance list?

[MonLand]

I recently acquired (today....) a 2000 110 Td5 with close to 300KM (~185K miles) and would like to keep it as long as possible. 
i looked but could not find a definitive “here is the preventive maintenance you have to perform to avoid failure “ (there was a mention of a chain to the oil pump???). 
 

Is there an obvious list I missed somewhere? (Maybe I got the wrong keywords or a brain fart....)

[MonLand]

 carp.... this did not take long. Engine died 100 miles from starting point.... white smoke on a right-lame turn (highway exchanger)......

Edited June 16, 2021 by MonLand

[Bowie69]

Died? In what way?

 

[paime]

Any mayonnaise under the oil cap?

[MonLand]

Not sure yet if there is Mayo in there or not. 
 

died as in:

   - coasting along at 120km/h on the highway

   - reached a highway exchanger, took the right turn lane, let off the gas pedal (down to ~70-80km/h)

   - apparently at that point got white smoke in the back 

   - engine died and coasted to the emergency lane. 

   - engine does not restart (and does not “sound/feel good” during cranking).
 

that’s all I have at this time. I -hope- the failure was the CPS (being reading a bit) as it would explain the suddenly dying? Not sure if it explains the white smoke (which could be coolant or diesel? I’d assume oil would be blue.... but.... no idea if witness was precise)

[me being a few thousand miles from it does not help! :/]

 

will be picked up and towed tomorrow to a shop. Since it was just purchased, it feels prudent to have an official shop look into it in case the insurance decides to go after the seller. 

Edited June 16, 2021 by MonLand

[MonLand]

Ok. More data points:

   - engine started today (no hesitation starting)

   - rpm stay idle (no way get get more rpms)

   - engine sounds good when running

   - oil looks good (no Mayo)

   - coolant looked ok (just a bit low)

 

I think either fuel delivery or sensor (I still think CPS at this time).

Edited June 17, 2021 by MonLand

[Escape]

If the shop puts it on diagnostics, they'll be able to check the sensors. CPS is unlikely, that's also needed for starting and idling. My guess would be the drive-by-wire throttle pedal (or associated wiring).

[Snagger]

I’d imagine the white smoke was unburnt fuel from incorrect timing, since the engine was already running.  An intermittent fault on the CPS or the wiring loom between engine and ECU could cause transient errors like this, so that’s where I’d look first.

 

The biggest problem for Defenders is corrosion, both structure and skin, and especially where they meet.  A thorough wash of the underside, including inside the chassis sections, followed by a quality job of rust proofing the chassis, bulkhead, door frames and sill sections and door pillars will reap enormous rewards.  A proper job of all that will cost towards £1000, but will save considerably more if the vehicle is currently in good order.  The rest is a matter of routine maintenance - not just the engine oil and filter changes, but the usually ignored transmission oils and filters and the axle oils, steering system fluid (ATF Dextron 3) and flushing and replenishing the cooling system with a 50/50 mix of good antifreeze and distilled or at least soft water.

Wheel bearings, suspension bushes, dampers, brake parts and so on shouldn’t be done preemptively but should be done promptly when you have or suspect a worn or failed part.  Don’t skimp on quality as most pattern parts o are shockingly bad and you’ll just end up paying for parts and labour twice.  Avoid Britpart, as a rule of thumb, but if you can be assured they will be providing a respected brand, then their prices tend to be good - they’re a retailer with a long earned reputation for selling dire quality unbranded Chinese rubbish, but when they sell AE, Timken, Bosch, Valeo and other such well respected brands, then they’re fine.  If you have to deal with the common issue of seized brake callipers pistons, then instead of replacing the callipers, I’d recommend rebuilding the existing callipers with Zeus Engineering stainless steel piston kits (very good quality, and they prevent recurrence of the problem, which affects genuine pistons in as little as three years for road driven vehicles, and less for offloaded vehicles or with pattern pistons and callipers).

Tyres and dampers make a huge difference to the drive.  Don’t be tempted to think HD suspension parts make the vehicle more capable, handle better or drive more comfortably - they are only beneficial for vehicles that are usually very heavily laden.  Standard sized tyres are almost invariably best for handling, comfort, performance, economy and reliability.  Big tyres are a can of worms best avoided unless you have a very specific need.  Likewise, choice of tread is important, mud tyres looking great but having far worse grip on wet or slippery roads, much worse fuel consumption and a lot more noise.  Aggressive looking tyres and suspension alterations are the two most commonly mis-sold modifications, anything but the “upgrades” they’re marketed as.

Enjoy your Defender - they’re hugely capable and charismatic vehicles.  Please fill out the profile information on your account so we can give the best advice for you circumstances.

 

[monkie]

^^^That is a very comprehensive post. Follow that advice and you will enjoy owning your Defender. 

[Tanuki]

If it hasn't already been done, deactivate the EGR. You can buy kits for this but get the same effect for free just by disconnecting the wiring-loom plugs from the two vacuum-solenoids.

Change the brake- and clutch-fluid regularly - like every year. This will stop master-cylinder/slave-cylinder/caliper corrosion issues. Yes the calipers will eventually seize but they're cheap and you'll be taking them off every few years to replace the discs anyway.

Use the right antifreeze at 50:50 dilution. Don't mix different colour antifreezes if topping-up the coolant.

Change the gearbox-oil regularly. And use the right stuff [MTF94 isn't that easy to get these days alas].

Use decent quality filters [I did an autopsy on a "Blue Box" oil-filter here about 3 years ago, after I got worryingly-low oil pressure following an oil/filter change - the findings were disturbing]

Consider the copper injector-seal washers a 50,000-mile service-item.

Fit decent shock-absorbers - not the 'blingy' stuff sold to the off-road market. I put gas-pressure yellow Bilsteins on my 90TD5 over 100,000 miles ago and the transformation, particularly when towing, was impressive. A pair of these Bilsteins will cost you more than four blingy off-road-market dampers, which says something.

Apart from that, my biggest advice is 'sort out the little niggles' - that odd rattle/squeak, the door that doesn't always close cleanly first time, the juddery screenwipers. They won't actually make your vehicle last longer but they'll mean you want to keep it and use it rather than dreading your next journey in it.

[MonLand]

On 6/17/2021 at 4:18 PM, Escape said:

If the shop puts it on diagnostics, they'll be able to check the sensors. CPS is unlikely, that's also needed for starting and idling. My guess would be the drive-by-wire throttle pedal (or associated wiring).

Would the pedal wiring/stuff have cause the initial engine shutdown/no restart?

[MonLand]

On 6/18/2021 at 2:37 AM, Snagger said:

I’d imagine the white smoke was unburnt fuel from incorrect timing, since the engine was already running.  An intermittent fault on the CPS or the wiring loom between engine and ECU could cause transient errors like this, so that’s where I’d look first.

The CPS is an easy one to replace if I’m not mistaking. But what is the best way to diagnose (and not just throw parts to) the issue? Any specific loom that is notorious for/would typically have corrosion (or be shafted)?

[Snagger]

The TD5 wiring loom was oil contamination from the injector plugs working its way to the ECU.  A thorough clean with acetone, like brake cleaner spray, or better, electronics cleaner spray, of the loom (at least near each end and the plugs) and of the ECU and plug units of the injectors , plus a good clean of any other connections on the engine management system, may reap rewards.

Beyond that, I’m far from qualified to give advice - I am one of the old fashion types that hates electronics on vehicles, running alder vehicles with minimal electronic systems.

[MonLand]

A quick update: the engine harness had been repaired and the CPS sensor might have been defective. Harness got properly repaired (spliced replaced wire + plug), sensor was replaced. 
engine ran great for ~50 miles/80 km. 
now, when engine is warm, it feels like it is misfiring. I suspect injector harness needs replacing based on feedback I’ve gathered so far. 
Im investing in a Nanocom to learn more about what the ECU sees so I don’t throw parts at non-existing problems….

[Tanuki]

The injector harness [wiring under the cam-cover] is a favourite thing - mine went at about 70,000 miles and caused misfiring when warm. It can't be cleaned/repaired, replacement is quick and easy though.

Hard starting/cutting-out: I'd be looking at getting the injector copper-washers replaced - these have needed doing twice on my TD5 - if you continue to drive with failing injector-washers then you can get a buildup of 'black sludge' in the fuel tank [it's a mixture of soot, condensation and diesel - which can breed a fungus!] and this can block the fuel-pickup filter causing your in-tank fuel-pump to burn itself out. Yes, this happened to me... Edited August 5, 2021 by Tanuki

[reb78]

What Tanuki says^^^^ I would suspect copper injector seals with the symptoms you describe. Nanocom will be pretty useless for diagnosing that so I wouldnt wait to get one before replacing them. It will be good to know they are done in any case. Use genuine parts, not OEM and definitely not Britpart otherwise they will need doing again and replace the O rings at the same time whilst the injectors are out.

Easy enough job if you are methodical and you dont necessarily need the slide hammer in the pics - http://www.discovery2.co.uk/Injector Seals.html