• Welcome to the Land Rover UK Forums

    You are currently viewing the site as a guest and some content may not be available to you.

    Registration is quick and easy and will give you full access to the site and allow you to ask questions or make comments and join in on the conversation. If you would like to register then please Register Now

Freelander 2 Digital Radio

I've just found this thread via Google as I'm also trying to figure out this DAB mess. I've just picked up a brand new Freelander 2 HSE TD4 today (16 miles on the clock) and it came with the Premium 6CD audio system as expected. I also have the FM / Digital button on the radio and the manual has serveral pages on how to tune in to DAB digital radio stations if you have a Premium audio system. But I can't get it to work. When I press the FM / Digital button it just toggles between FM1 and FM2.

The landrover.co.uk web site clearly states that DAB radio is standard on the HSE model.

On this page:
http://www.landrover.co.uk/gb/en/ve...d-specifications/technical-specifications.htm

Audio System - Digital radio (DAB) is shown as standard on HSE models.

On this page under the Audio systems tab:
http://www.landrover.co.uk/gb/en/ve...ecifications/entertainment-and-technology.htm

"In addition, you could choose DAB digital radio (standard on HSE), and optional rear seat headphone sockets which allow rear seat passengers to listen to their own music."

To me that suggestes that DAB digital radio is standard on the HSE and an option on other models.

So the big question is: it's now April 2009 and it seems like DAB is still not actually here?? How can Land Rover get away with this? :(
 
timo_w2s said:
I've just found this thread via Google as I'm also trying to figure out this DAB mess. I've just picked up a brand new Freelander 2 HSE TD4 today (16 miles on the clock) and it came with the Premium 6CD audio system as expected. I also have the FM / Digital button on the radio and the manual has serveral pages on how to tune in to DAB digital radio stations if you have a Premium audio system. But I can't get it to work. When I press the FM / Digital button it just toggles between FM1 and FM2.

The landrover.co.uk web site clearly states that DAB radio is standard on the HSE model.

On this page:
http://www.landrover.co.uk/gb/en/ve...d-specifications/technical-specifications.htm

Audio System - Digital radio (DAB) is shown as standard on HSE models.

On this page under the Audio systems tab:
http://www.landrover.co.uk/gb/en/ve...ecifications/entertainment-and-technology.htm

"In addition, you could choose DAB digital radio (standard on HSE), and optional rear seat headphone sockets which allow rear seat passengers to listen to their own music."

To me that suggestes that DAB digital radio is standard on the HSE and an option on other models.

So the big question is: it's now April 2009 and it seems like DAB is still not actually here?? How can Land Rover get away with this? :(
Click to expand...


Great ressurection of the thread ---- I often wonder if anyone else out there is miffed by it, and if there have been any releases or comments from LR on the matter.

I can only assume the Units do have the necessary Hardware to 'Tune' in to DAB - wtf would you put a Button on the Radio if it didn't.

Anyone else out there heard anything on the subject ?
 
andy_duncan said:
I can only assume the Units do have the necessary Hardware to 'Tune' in to DAB - wtf would you put a Button on the Radio if it didn't.
Click to expand...
While looking at the manual last night I noticed in the fuse section it mentions fuse FD3 (10A) is for DAB and sure enough that fuse is in the car. The interesting thing is that other fuses mentioned in the manual for things that we don't have are not included in the fuse box. It would seem to suggest that the hardware is there otherwise why bother having a DAB fuse and a "digital" button on the radio?
 
We picked up one of the last remaining new SE's the other day - and I have the same problem. Trouble is, as they don't make the SE spec any more, it's hard to find an actual specification list for it to see if it should have DAB.

It does indeed have the button on the Premium Sound System, and upon following instructions in the book using the Auto button it does not work just as you describe.

I may indeed take this up with Land Rover unless you guys have any other ideas?
 
Just got a new Freelander SE, did not expect DAB in the spec but but like others here I would like to have it dealer added if possible.

Does anyone know if the headunit is an Alpine design?

Alpine's retail head units often had a seperate DAB accessory tuner that could be added behind the dash. When you added the tuner box DAB would appear in the source list and work as expected. This kind of setup would make sense and is used by other manufacturers as DAB is only used in certain countries (The Americans have their own digital radio tech, XM/Sirius).
 
Hi.
I have just ordered a Freelander 2010 model GS spec (to be delivered next week) and have paid an additional £200 for optional DAB as the only one in the UK in my colour choice is fitted with DAB so rather than wait until January for a factory ordered unit I accepted this one. Having read all these posts regarding problems with DAB I wonder if I have made a big mistake or have they now got it right? I told the dealer I had concerns and had heard DAB in vehicles was not yet quite right but he said he couldn't comment either way as he had no experience of DAB. I now know that it is fitted standard in the HSE spec so the dealer must have some feedback on it.
Am I concerned for no reason as these threads are now out of date?
I will report back next week when the vehicle arrives.
 
If you paid extra to have DAB I would think it will come with DAB... right? Surely... :eek: (mind you, when I saw it written on their web site that it came as standard on the HSE model I also believed that!) I look forward to hearing your experiences!
 
If you are talking about reception... I have had an aftermarket DAB tuner with cheap convertor box in my Sabb for 2+ years, across Hampshire reception is 99.9% of the time perfect even with this less than ideal setup.

I have driven to Scotland and Wales with DAB on all the way, Planet Rock kept playing perfectly without a single dropout to Scotland and only a 30 second dropout a I went past some sort of military radar thing on the way to Wales. IMHO nothing wrong at all with DAB coverage so unless you are on a small Island you should get good reception.

Back to topic, according to the Digital Radio site the Freelander DAB unit is "Dealer Fitted"?!?
 
After having ordered the vehicle without DAB the dealer rang to say the only one available in the UK in the colour of my choice was factory fitted with DAB, hence the additional cost of £200.
I am intrugued to know if anyone has any good experience of the Land Rover DAB system as most of the posts on this forum are pretty poor!
I will know next week once it arrives and post comments (good or otherwise).
 
Thanks for this.
The DAB on the new GS Freelander is a £200 optional extra. This vehicle is brand new and is being delivered from a dealer in Cheshire to the dealer in Lincolnshire who I bought it from. It was in Cheshire already fitted with DAB but I am unsure as to whether it has been fitted by the dealer in Cheshire or if it was factory fitted before being delivered to Cheshire.
Planet Rock is my interest in DAB so it's encouraging the system in your Saab worked OK.
I'll let you know how I get on next week.
 
Having now had the vehicle for almost 4 weeks I have found DAB works excellent UNTIL you drive in heavy rain or a thunderstorm whereupon it loses reception intermittently.
Other than that all very good, in particular the ability to Bluetooth all contacts from the phone into the contacts in the vehicles audio system.
 
I bought a Freelander 2 SE on 4th December 2009. (In fact, just in time for the snow. How smug was I)
It was a 58 plate first registered on 17th November 2008.
Salesman told me about it's features including the digital radio.
You know where I am going with this one.
The digital /DAB bit didn't work. Having returned to the garage for rectification I was advise that a digital radio was not fitted despite it having a FM/Digital button and the hand book describing how it all works.
I was told it was fitted to later models BUT they would ask Land Rover to clarify.
On my Land Rover experience in a 59 plate Freelander, the DAB radio was working and it looked exactly the same as the one fitted to my car.
Where do I go from now?
 
Mmm, I would guess you pull up a chair and wait for this thread to realight (like I just did) but hope for resolution.

I doubt it hough sadly.

Has anyone heard anything official from LR about this and existence of the Hardware inside the units ( I still can't believe they would of installed a stereo with the button / label that did not have the hardware inside.)
 
We know officially that it is just a module box and a different aerial. The big problem is that LR refuse to retrofit, they could but they wont.
 
Not sure. On one of the forums someone who had added DAB gave the LR partnumbers. You are looking at about £300 parts and at a guess £200-300 labour burt LR still maintain that it cant be done so I guess you would need a renegade dealer or independant that knows what theyre doing.
 
Krobar said:
Not sure. On one of the forums someone who had added DAB gave the LR partnumbers. You are looking at about £300 parts and at a guess £200-300 labour burt LR still maintain that it cant be done so I guess you would need a renegade dealer or independant that knows what theyre doing.
Click to expand...

DAB would have been nice to have but I think I'll pass at £600 plus trouble finding someone to fit it... ;)
 
I have the Freelander2 XS (Sept/09), once again no DAB, I want to complain to L/R, anyone have a direct email address, unable to find on site
David in Snowy Derbyshire
 
Back
Top Bottom