General The workshop Adventures of Phoebe the Freebie...

[Geobloke]

I am a sucker for a Green Oval and I deserve all that I get for it.

However, this is Phoebe my 2009 Freelander 2 HSE. I have owned her for 3 years or so now and she has been incredible. Reliable. Fuel efficient. Comfortable. A delight to own...



But, in the life of every Green Oval there comes a day when stuff must be repaired, it's inevitable... In this case cruising back from a nice drive to Nottingham, just about to roll on to the drive and Boost... MIL lamp comes on... Ha... and Bugger... Next morning I have a good look around and find a split hose to the intake manifold. Meh... It was bound to happen at some point.

And down the rabbit hole we go... Being a second hand car I have no idea whether the timing belt has been replaced and given her progressing age and mileage now is the time to do it because to get to the intake hose stuff needs to be removed and you might as well remove a few more things and do all the jobs at the same time.

So the jobs that need doing are:

1. Silicone intake/turbo/intercooler hoses as all of them are soft and hellish oily.
2. Timing belt, tensioners and water pump
3. Might as well flush the coolant system then...
4. Replace the auxiliary belt too...
5. Engine acoustic cover sound proofing disintegrated, might as well fix that too...
6. Starter motor has to come off, been on there a while, might as well refurb that too...
7. Oh look the front brake pads and discs are almost ready to replace, add it to the list...
8. Bugger it might as well do a full service as it has been a year now..
9. and chuck in the haldex oil and filter too.

That should do it for now...

This is my first time working on a transverse engine and it is weird changing the timing belt through the wheel arch and goodness why does the whole front end need to come off to do any work of these things Crazy world...




So, last weekend I got everything in bits and the timing belt replaced, but had to draw up as I forgot to buy a replacement crank shaft bolt. That arrived today along with much of the rest of the parts.



Tonights jobs were the acoustic cover and starter motor. Actually the contacts in the starter weren't too bad, pitted but not bad.



All I need now are a few hours over the weekend to finish the timing belt, flush the coolant, oil change and Haldex filter and oil change. Then to find someone with a fault code reader who can cancel the MIL lamp and other faults.

 

[Geobloke]

Ok I have bought in to the new anti corrosion boy on the block, Lanoguard. I have seen a lot of reviews from Oz and NZ and I am willing to take the punt on the natural alternative to waxoyl. I have been a waxoyl fan for many years but always hated how chemically it is. Needs must at the time though.

Now that I live on someone else's farm and an organic one at that this naturally produced product that is biodegradable makes a lot of sense. How good it is we will see in the year or so to come



I am intrigued by the grease and look forward to using it to protect the bolts nuts and exposed electrical contacts on the vehicle. That and not having to heat the stuff up in order to use it...

But first it is out with the wire brush Well actually the first thing is to finish the timing and servicing on Phoebe

 

[Geobloke]

Well it has been quite the adventure with Phoebe over the last month. MIL lamp popped up on the way back from a long run. Investigation uncovered a split hose to the throttle body.

So, the timing belt change went well. It is not overly complicated, just awkward. At the same time the water pump and aux belt were changed. Coolant flushed and re-filled. Oil and filter changed. Fuel filter changed. Air filter changed. Front brake discs and pads changed. Front callipers cleaned up and slides lubricated. Chassis and arches cleaned and Lanoguarded. All intake hoses replaced with silicone items.

Fingers crossed for the first turn-over of the engine... Phew...! Well sort of... The throttle body began screeching like a banshee. So, replaced that as well. So silent now, and shuts off beautifully now too.

Service indicator reset



Fancy "performance" brake discs... No more brake judder and blimey she stops well now...

Then chatting with a random bloke who was asking for directions we got talking about Freelander's and what I was doing to mine. Mentioned that the only thing I can't do is check and clear the MIL lamp and codes and did he know of a garage locally that had diagnostics... Oh I have one he says... Think it might be in the car... Ten minutes later he comes back with a code reader What a fortunate meeting What a top bloke

Anyway, MIL Lamp extinguished and codes checked. Only two found:

P0480 Fan 1 Control Circuit
P0380 Glow Plug/Heater Circuit A

The first was interesting as it occurred to me that I can't remember the last time i heard the fan on. It took 3 seconds to find that the signal wire to the control unit had perished, corroded and almost broken. Chop, strip, solder, heat shrink, sorted... Fans are working again and the AC/Heater is working perfectly again...



The glow plugs are a different matter, the fuses and relays are A-OK... Soooooooo probably one or more dead glow plugs. Goodness they are in a sod of a place to get to on the TD4 engine.

Anyone replaced the glow plugs on this engine? Hints... Tips...?!

 

[Geobloke]

Good lord is there anything more exciting than adaptive headlights in fog...?! It's as close as you can get to automotive light sabres

 

[Geobloke]

Well I think this expansion cap might not be sealing very well...



The rubber o-ring has just gone slack over time. All sorted now with a new cap.

Next job are the glow plugs, which I suspect are dead as a Dodo or a flock of Dodo's...

 

[Big Sandy]

Anyone replaced the glow plugs on this engine? Hints... Tips...?!

Found these whilst looking for something else, thought they might be of interest.

Freel2.com - View topic - My Glowplug Replacement

www.freel2.com

And

Freel2.com - View topic - GLOW PLUGS replacement and how to change

www.freel2.com

First link has a pictorial.... Second is a "simpler" way of doing it. Apparently.

 

[Geobloke]

Amazing. Many thanks BS

It has been a while since I have been in to a proper hardware shop, not many of them about these days. Popped in to get a couple of stop/tail bulbs for Phoebe...



Lucas bulbs in cardboard boxes The only thing missing was an old dude behind the counter with a brown shop keepers jacket on

 

[Geobloke]

The weather today began with me realising the Freelander's glow plugs "really" aren't working...

Always the first cold morning of the winter that shows the problems

Still it's turned in to a fabulous autumnal day, blue skies, crisp air and time to walk the dogs in the frost Now to go look up how to replace the glow plugs...[/ATTACH]

 

[Geobloke]

Well, glow plugs and gaskets on the way and not a moment too soon. It has been below 0 degC for most of the week here in the morning and poor old Phoebe has not enjoyed starting cold.

But once started she's a peach, with a little under 135k miles on the clock she is still capable of posting 40mpg over an hours worth of mixed driving. Not bad for an ageing lady, not bad at all.

Go Phoebe

 

[Geobloke]

Sudden loss of all power

Well that was not much fun. Driving home from the station this afternoon. Pull out from some lights, down the road, put foot down and....


...Nothing... No acceleration at all. Foot to the floor, change gear and nothing.

Managed to roll slowly under power in to a nearby carpark thankfully. When I pulled up and stopped the idle was ridiculously lumpy, barely keeping the engine going. Revs would die then pick up to keep the engine going. Eventually there was quite a lot of exhaust fumes blowing back under the vehicle. Showing to me that the ECU was dumping fuel in to the engine to keep it going. No MIL lamp.

First thought was balls, I have the dogs with me and am miles from home. Best call someone to get us home.

Turned engine off.

Sat down.

Took a drink of water...

...MAF... Wonder if unplugging it would help. Sorted. Engine started perfectly and ran beautifully.

So, the MAF in a Freelander 2 TD4 has a huge part to play in the governance of the engine it would appear.



Not really heard of it happening often, Is the Freelander 2 known for its MAF failure?!



Oh and yes we got home safe and sound. Will take a lookout the sensor tomorrow.

 

[Big Sandy]

Did you unplug and then replug?

Never had the lumpyness and fuming with a failed MAF sensor, but very definitely the loss of power and sluggishness. To the extent that every vehicle we came across that was a slug, bang in a new MAF.

When you consider its mainly just air pressure/flow its measuring, it kind of makes you wonder why they go wrong. I mean, a lamda sensor, or exhaust gas sensor yes, you can see how they could go wrong.... But just air?

You going to fit a new one?

 

[Geobloke]

Well pulling my TD5 MAF knowledge I can say that they degrade over time, sometimes due to performance filter oil contamination, sometimes due to dirt or just because it is a thursday...

Again to the best of this knowledge this MAF has done to 123k miles or so. Perhaps it has given up the ghost. Or perhaps there is something else going on. Being that the radiator fan exciter wire spontaneously corroded and broke, perhaps the MAF wires have done something similar. I will check them over in the morning and give the sensor a darned good clean.

After that if nothing changes it is probably down to replacing the sensor. It is weird that it suddenly happened. Not a gradual decrease in performance. Weird. Not impossible, but weird.

 

[Big Sandy]

Aye, never had one just go wrong in a one-er like that either, they usually just go imperceptibly, and one day you wonder where your acceleration went.

I think my maf must be like that. I'm struggling to get going myself these days.

 

[Geobloke]

Oh my Sandy. I tell you what, pop over and I will clean your sensor at the same time Got me one hell of a Karcher that'll blast out those cobwebs

 

[Geobloke]

What a stunning evening here in North Wales. Decided to pop out with the dogs for a walk around dusk and ended up at the top of the Wayfarer.

Beautiful track on a beautiful evening, what could be better eh Have to say don't underestimate the Freelander 2 for green laning super competant even when lifting the odd wheel

 

[Geobloke]

Well no workshop adventures, just adventures of the photographic sort Beautiful foggy day today so I decided to drag the dogs up a local hill to see if we could get above the clouds. Amazing and being above the clouds just never gets old

Here is a few of Phoebe above the clouds

 

[Big Sandy]

Shame you couldn’t park Phoebe on a hump so it looked like she was flying above the clouds! Crackin pics though

 

[Geobloke]

Shame you couldn’t park Phoebe on a hump so it looked like she was flying above the clouds! Crackin pics though

Ha yes that would have meant trespassing, but the photo would have been great

This is a stunning part of Wales, a forgotten and often by-passed part of Wales. I really hope it stays that way, unspoilt and mostly peaceful... RAF and pheasant shooting aside

 

[Geobloke]

Well it has been a while since I have commented on ol' Phoebe. She's been marvellous, such a super vehicle that very rarely anything goes wrong with her. Honestly the Freelander 2 is the unsung hero of the LR fleet.

Anyway. Yesterday morning I had a spare few moments and decided to adjust the handbrake lever as it has kept upwards too much. No problem, pop the centre hatch to expose the adjustment nut for the cable. Well that's where the morning began to slide away as there was almost no movement in the cable at all.

Off with the wheels. The adjuster was super stiff on both sides and the shoe expansion levers were almost seized solid. I haven't been in here before so whomever replaced the discs and shoes did not use any anti-sieze at all on the linkages. Goodness it was a mess inside the drums. Those shoes have definitely been partially engaged for a long time given the amount of burnt brake dust in the drums. Eeeeeeshk. The disc/drums and pads will need replacing in the next 12 months or so, but will last a little longer.

So all repaired now. But whilst I was there the calipers were cleaned up, painted and re-greased. all of the metal work was wire brushed and lanoguarded (I really wish they would tint this stuff black). Oh and since the paint was out the rear exhaust muffler (visible under the bumper) got a new coat and looks invisible again.

That was a much longer "quick job" than anticipated, but it is done now. Plus the brakes feel great, really great.




Long live the Freelander 2....

 

[mikeau]

Expect you could dissolve some black boot polish or similar in the lanoguard..?