Topbannana Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 First off I am sorry if the answers to these q's are hidden on the site somewhere, I have looked and then became bamboozled so hoped to appeal to your better natures My old man is a 1997 Freelander with all the attendant troubles of an old car. Could you possibly advise me of the best way to deal (or not deal if more appropriate!) with them so that he may keep chugging about and waking up the neighbours for a long time to come?! 1. Water leaking in boot- I know this is common and I have found a small tear in the rubber seal where it is supposed to fix to the body. I am astounded to think that this could cause my cubby box to turn into a mobile aquarium so is this the likely cause or should I look elsewhere? I also read about drilling a hole in the bottom so the water just drains away, is this likely to be detrimental in the long term? 2. Knackered clock- not too bad, I do have a watch but can I get a replacement cheaply? I looked on Flea-Bay and they cost almost as much as the car is worth! 3. Drivers door will lock using RCL button but not un-lock. I am now so used to it that it does not not bother me in the slightest but others seem to find it intensely irritating. I read about changing the solenoid? Is this tricky as I am very keen but woefully unknowledgable!! 4. Handbrake warning light flickers while driving. Had the car "plugged in" at the local LR garage and no faults showed up so perhaps a loose wire or something, if so where? 5. Hill descent does not engage (it did but now doesn't) Told it may just be a loose wire in the gearstick? Any ideas? Sorry to bombard you with my first post but we are now un-naturally attatched to the old heap and would like him to continue for as long as poss without costing ridiculous amounts of money. Thank you in advance, TopBannana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJIbex Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 Hi, 1. The seal is most likey to be your cause. Change it and then no need to worry about drilling holes. 2. Try main dealer and specialists for the clock, from memory I thought the were about £30 - could be wrong though as it was a couple of yaers ago I last checked. 3. Should be relatively simple but I've not tried on a freelander. 4. Check your brake fluid level / pad wear. 5. Likely as said to be a broken / disconnected wire by the switch in the gaer lever - simple to reconnect or repair. Mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nige90 Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 Hello and welcome, where are you based ? May be some friendly forum members nearby who could help out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotal Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 I think I read that a Rover 45 clock is the same and there is more of them in the scrapyard, check first as I'm only going on memory of what I've read - might be a cheaper source though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 If it's the same as teh Rover 45/25 clock, try pulling it out the dash, disconnecting for 10 minutes and reconnecting, worked for my brothers 25 many times... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Welcome along 1. Water leaking in boot They all leak through many and varied places, even if you fix that leak I'd advise drilling a ~5mm hole in the lowest piointand dabbing a bit of paint on the bare metal to stop rust. A touch-up stick will do but a blast of Waxoyl or Stonechip (both available in aerosol form from halfords or motor factors) is preferable. 2. Knackered clock If you get no joy with the scrapyard you could always just set your car stereo to display the time (if it's capable of it, most after-market ones are) or buy an aftermarket one from halfords etc. and stick that to the dash. 3. Drivers door will lock using RCL button but not un-lock. Is this tricky as I am very keen but woefully unknowledgable!! These days probably not tricky at all, you can even buy trim clip popping tools from Sealey (check eBay) and again probably halfords, as well as replacement clips if you break one. The hardest part of this sort of thing is working out how to get all the trim off and then back on again in one piece. 4. Handbrake warning light flickers while driving. Had the car "plugged in" at the local LR garage and no faults showed up so perhaps a loose wire or something, if so where? You need to smack your local LR garage in the head then, the handbrake doesn't have a brain last time I looked it's probably either a dodgy switch or poor adjustment. It could also be a loose wire. I've not been near the mechanism of one of these so can't say how tricky it may be to get at. Could be worth spending £20 on the Haynes manual to find out. 5. Hill descent does not engage (it did but now doesn't) Told it may just be a loose wire in the gearstick? Any ideas? None here, I'm not decadent enough to have HDC but I believe it's a popular problem with a fairly simple answer, probably what you said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topbannana Posted November 13, 2009 Author Share Posted November 13, 2009 Wow thanks guys, I suddenly feel empowered with all this new knowledge!! Firstly with regard to my leaking boot I will do as you advise to try and avoid a new seal. At the moment its fairly immaterial as there is so much water the spaniels are in danger of drowning if we turn a corner too fast. Once things have dried out a bit I will try and sort it, no time soon by the look of the weather! The clock as I said is not a big problem. I still have the original factory-fit cassette player (our son is fascinated by it!!) and a changer (thankfully under the passenger seat and not in the cubby box!!) so a new stereo is not needed. I am determined to do the door lock now, as soon as it stops raining! Taking the trim off will be easy as we removed them to replace the window cables which got stuck. I bought a kit off of E-Bay and did it myself. It took a long time and kept the neighbours amused but I managed it!!! Handbrake light is slightly more tricky. The garage plugged it in as it says that the light will come on if there is ANY fault with the brake system, luckily there was not. It has been MOT'd and serviced since the problem started so I guess the pads were OK then (no advisory notes this time!) Might just try and ignore it a while longer and hope it goes away! As for HDC, we only used it very rarely and to be honest the car is now so old and my only form of transport that I have started to treat him with a little more respect when trundling round the shoot. Probably will never use it but I will try wiggling the wires at some point. We live in Dorset and are already in posession of a Haynes manual. If anyone lives nearby it may be best not to mention it, I suspect my new career as a mechanic may be quite troublesome!! Once again many thanks for all your help. I will doubtless end up posting many more questions so please bear with my ignorance! TopBannana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRecklessEngineer Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Where abouts in Dorset? Anywhere near the Somerset border? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EggNChips Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 I think I read that a Rover 45 clock is the same and there is more of them in the scrapyard, check first as I'm only going on memory of what I've read - might be a cheaper source though? Yes it's almost the same as a clock of a Rover 45, only difference is that the 45 clocks are dark, where as the Freelander ones are light. Should work properly with OEM radio. The Rover 25 ones are different tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blippie Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 The older Rover 400 clocks are the same too but the digits are orange not green. The first thing to check - because it is the easiest - with hdc is to lift up the rubber gaiter and check that the wires have not come adrift from the switch. This tends to produce three warning lights on the dash, the three amigoes, so may not be the problem here. Cheers Blippie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinv8 Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 You guys are so helpful to a newbie woman, and unlike other forums Im on (pistonheads) you havent even asked for pictures first!! Well done chaps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
errol209 Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 you havent even asked for pictures first!! Well, we all know what a Freelander looks like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.