TD5 advice

[benthegardener]

Have finally conceded that it might be time to upgrade the land rover to something a bit newer. I'm looking at a couple of 110 Hi Cap TD5's. Replacing an old Hi Cap with a 200tdi Disco motor in it.

I've got an old mag with a TD5 buyers guide in it, so I'm Ok more or less with what I'm looking for but I wondered what peoples experiencees were with high milers?

I have an 04 one to look at but over 215k on the clock, and two 99 ones with just over, and just under 100k on it. Don't know if I'm better going newer but higher milage, or older lower milage.

Any thoughts?

Thanks Ben

[Tanuki]

As in all things, "It Depends".

Driven unsympathetically and unmaintained, you can render almost any LR product mechanically-worthless in 60,000 miles. With a sane/sympathetic driver and keeping on top of a proper maintenance-program they can pretty much go on forever.

Things to watch out for:

Listen to the electric in-tank fuel pump. If it screams and/or makes gurgling sounds budget for both a new pump (go genuine - the cheap ones don't last!) and a set of new copper washers on the injectors.

Look at the rear crossmember: the steel on TD5 chassis is a bit thin and can end up looking like lace if it's been used a lot on mud.

Look down the back of the engine for signs of diesel leaks: the fuel-pressure regulator [on the rear side face of the head near the brake-servo] is a regular fail. A bugger of a job to get to - again, use genuine parts (£160 or so) because the 'budget' ones don't last.

Brakes: check the discs for corrosion - the pistons in the calipers are prone to seize and this leads to uneven rust-patterns on the disc surface. Also, the air-vents on the front vented discs fill up with mud/rust causing you to no longer have vented discs - the discs then overheat/warp and cause evil steering-shimmy. The front discs warp in any case if you're doing a lot of heavy towing: I generally find a set of genuine pads lasts 20,000 miles on the front and 30,000 miles on the rear.

Turbo: the wastegate is known to stick - this can either give horribly lethargic performance (if it sticks open) or if it sticks shut you get spectacular performance for a while until the ECU detects the overboost and switches into 'limp-home' mode when acceleration becomes glacial and top-speed embarrassing. Removing the heatshield and wiggling the wastegate-actuating arm sorts it out.

Shock-absorbers: treat the standard ones as 50,000-mile replacement items. When a bit 'tired' they are a prime cause of steering 'death wobble'. I fitted yellow gas-pressurised Bilsteins to my 90 a while back and the improvement was definitely worth the extra expense.

[neonovice]

As above.

Also check for diesel in the sump. Heads can crack / go porous. £1000s to fix.

[neonovice]

Don't be put off though.

Td5s are very good, quite a leap from a 200tdi conversion.

[welshsurferdude]

Had my td5 110 for 100k

Isn't used gently and used off road. regularly thrash it but do change oil every 6k, and full service every 10k,

Been remapped with full width intercooler so shifts rather well up to nearly 100mph. just as happy bumbling along at 50mph.

On the whole its pretty reliable, just treat injector seals/loom as service items due to oil seeping to ecu plug, keep it clean every so often and it'll be fine.

[benthegardener]

The high miler 04 one was, despite the assurances of the seller, probably one of the roughest I've ever seen. It had had welding done, a new rear cross member I suspect a front end bang at some point as there was repair work at the front. The fuel filter was suspended by the fuel lines. The engine wouldn't start. There was oil leaking everywhere. The one I'm replacing is in better condition.

Good job I bought a return train ticket, just in case!