It’s easy to see leaks – oil and grime under the steering box.
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Rear calipers can stick on, or get full of mud and seize. Very often owners don’t notice brake problems. If the ABS light won’t go out, that’s commonly a simple earth fault. There should only be rust at the outside edges. If the vehicle has a raised suspension drive it for a while to see how you get on. Serious deterioration of bushes can result in a degree of rear steering as the axles get out of alignment. Make sure the Land Rover handles precisely and goes where it’s pointed. The rubber bushes on the rear shock absorbers seem to go but they’re only pence, easy to change. It’s mostly DIY, and can make big improvements. Typically there’ll be wear, but it’s all fairly simple stuff apart from the A-frame balljoint. If you’re looking at a tow-vehicle, do the kangaroo test by going on and off the accelerator.
The gearbox shouldn’t feel sloppy and should be generally quiet, though you may hear just a little transmission whine from the transfer-box. Always check the flywheel – if there’s a lot of movement on it, replace it. Symptoms include vibration through the gearlever that’s not attributable to engine vibration, harsh or uneven clutch take-up. There have been cases of Td5 dual-mass flywheels cracking, or failure of the cushioning springs. You could change it but a lot of customers just put up with it if they can. Check the seal at the back of the transfer box, as oil gets on to the handbrake.Ĭlutch noise could be caused by the clutch spigot bush. The R380 gearbox and LT230 transfer box are old favourites and have been thoroughly debugged. Symptoms include rough running and oil visible when you pull the ECU plug off. Oil is drawn through the bundle of wires by capillary action, works its way to the ECU plug, gets on the plug’s connectors and the electrical connection is spoiled. Some replacement radiators were suspect quality and developed joint leaks, so check the radiator.įinally the old favourite: injector-harness, which goes right under the engine’s cam cover, connecting to electronic injectors. Check where the pipes clamp, under the water pump, for wetness and colour from antifreeze stains. If the job hasn’t been done, do it as preventive maintenance.įuel pressure regulators are a typical Td5 issue, they leak – there’ll be a smell of diesel, and wetness down the back of the engine.Ĭrank position sensors sometimes go faulty, causing bad running, but they’re cheap to replace. Bolts should have been fitted with a thread-locking compound but often weren’t. Check the service paperwork to see if earlier engines have been fixed.Ī bolt retaining the oil pump sprocket can come loose – sprocket comes off, no oil, goodbye engine. Steel dowels were used from VIN 2A622424. This could disturb the head gasket seal, resulting in coolant loss and overheating. The heads were originally positioned with plastic dowels, which meant the casting could move fractionally.
Check the paperwork to see if early vehicles have been rectified. Engines with a number starting 15P don’t have problems, and vehicles with ’52 registrations or newer will be ok. The engine might run-on after switching off, which can be very serious. A symptom is diesel in the sump the oil level rises and the dipstick smells dieselly.
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However, DIY repair is straightforward.Ĭylinder heads crack around the injectors on vehicles with engine number prefix 10P. The diesel filter is under the rear wheelarch it’s quite common for its bracket to break off. There’s enough torque to make frequent gear-changing unnecessary. ENGINEĬompared to the previous 300Tdi you get another 11bhp and 26lb ft thanks to clever injection technology. Discuss prospective buys on our message boards, too.įor a full low-down on what the experts look for, take a look at our LRO Buying Guides.
Here are our top tips for buying a Defender Td5.