The Defender thread

caprilicious

lol at the cough sounds like ye have had a nice selection of the Defender so far

Sorted on the doors - found a repair kit instead on ebay (I had been looking at ebay.ie instead of ebay.co.uk and was finding nothing initially) so going to try that instead of replacing the whole doors.
Delighted at that, difference between spending about €40 on replacement metal channel for the end of the doors or €300+ for full replacement doors :eek:

101sean

Mmmmm V8 hybrid, nice

Caprilicious, how's you're welding or have you got very deep pockets? Second row doors on a series or Defender can be silly money, I think you are going to struggle with this.

If it's just the bottom frame, you can get repair sections from YRM (they also do B & C pillar repair sections)
http://www.yrm-metal-solutions.co.uk/020--door-repair-section-19-p.asp

101sean

Posts overlapped! Is the ebay source YRM anyway? The repair channel from YRM is £15 for 1.5m

caprilicious

Thanks Sean, pockets are getting shorter at the moment with this 109! as it is I'm dipping into the money I need to replace my daily runner to get bit for this project.
He'll end up with a 109 that's like a 2012 reg and I'll end up with a pushbike at this rate

Delighted that you can get repair kits for a good price like that, I was having minor heart failure looking at the price of replacement doors. The joys of Landrover

Bearcat

Just bumped into my old girlfriend today being the green 90 v8. Needs a new bulkhead and a load of work.....only on farm work now. Has an LT77 box, high lift cam v8, great sound and an alcoholic on petrol.

Welshsurfer

Hi there

As the title says im after a defender td5 so does anyone have one or know of one for sale? Im based in Wales but can fly over for right one! must have a decent spec ie boost alloys etc but will consider basic if cheap enough

Many thanks!

Kenny

MidlandsM

Have you had a look on www.donedeal.ie Kenny?

Welshsurfer

I have indeed, but need to sell my current 90 first so thought id try on here as well for anyone thinking of selling or know of one

There is a very nice 90 and 110 on there but have to wait til i get funds from the 90 sale!

101sean

Any reason for looking for one here? You'll get far better choice and condition where you are.

Defenders aren't plentiful here and a lot of enthusiasts are allergic to the electronics so looked after TD5s are even scarcer.

O.A.P

I agree with Sean there is much better choice in the UK. Have you another reason for wanting an Irish one?

Welshsurfer

Yes there is a better choice in the UK but the demand for them is ridiculous! prices are very high in the UK but the demand for ROI ones doesnt seem to be as mental and thus, prices are 30-50 per cent cheaper than the ones in UK like for like.

101sean

True enough, Land Cruiser is king here :rolleyes:

Pigeon Reaper

My defender has been slow to start lately. I've replaced the battery but it still takes a minute or two on the glow plugs to get her to fire up. Would new glow plugs improve this? I notice it alot more once the temp drops below 8C.

dantastic

What engine have you?
You should be able to start without heating glow plugs down to pretty cold anyway. Also, the glow plugs heat up in a couple of sec, wouldn't take anywhere near a minute.

When it has started, will it run properly then?

Is your fuel pump working properly?

The new battery - what amp is it - is it new-new? Try one morning and attach jump leads and wire in a second car. Leave the second car connected to the battery for a few minutes and then try to start - skip any heating of glow plugs, just start.

The starndard recommended defender battery is not sized properly, luckily you have a good lot of space in the battery box. If it starts properly with the jump leads go and get a bigger battery, something 700A+ from a tractor...

101sean

What engine? Tdi's are generally good starters needing very little plug, older engines definitely need them working. Does the starter turn it over rapidly enough and does it run OK otherwise?

As the plugs are parallel wired you could be down to just one working and the light would still show. I'd install a new set, cheap enough. One problem you might have is leaving a bit of broken plug in the head, happened to a couple of lads recently, one of them ended up taking the head off.

101sean

Hi Dan, great minds think alike!

Pigeon Reaper

The engine turns over well and it's running fine once it starts. I'll check out the plugs and see if they need replacing. Thanks for the info.

roman0red

Hi Guys

I'm having a probelm with the Wipers on my Td5 - intermittent poition not working - replaced the relay switch P/N AMR2341 but now the fuse keeps blowing - its a 15amp fuse - Suspect its s short somehere - any ideas before I start ripping out the dashboard?

Cheers & thanks in advance for any advice

101sean

This is what RAVE says about the intermittent, check the wires for shorts. Then check the switch and the park switch on the motor. Do the wipers hesitate to move on the other settings?

Intermittent Wipe
Moving the wash/wipe switch to the intermittent wipe position allows power to
flow across the switch (C0278-3) to the windscreen wiper delay ECU (C0303-1)
on a white/green wire. When this signal is received by the ECU, it switches the
path to earth (C0303-4) on and off approximately every 5 seconds on a black
wire. An intermittent feed is then supplied from the ECU (C0303-2) to the
wash/wipe switch (C0278-4) on a yellow/light green wire. Power flows through
the switch (C0278-1) and supplies the wiper motor (C0030-3) on a blue/light
green wire. The wipers operate at slow speed.

roman0red

101sean wrote: »

This is what RAVE says about the intermittent, check the wires for shorts. Then check the switch and the park switch on the motor. Do the wipers hesitate to move on the other settings?

Thanks Sean
Let me provide a little more detail ....initially intermittent position wasnt working - it was either on or off - now wipers dont work at all -either intermittent or normal/fast speed so as you can imagine in the current climate there s a lot of squinting goin on in the cockpit '
I replaced the relay switch as I had a similar issue two years ago and replacing the relay fixed the problem. Now that I've replaced the relay - the fuse blows each time I activate the wipers - intermittent or full.
Cheers

Slidey

It sounds like there is a dead short in the motor.

To rule out the wiring, unplug the loom from the motor. If you no longer blow the fuse it is down to the motor.

101sean

If it's blowing the fuse, it does sounds like either the motor is kaput or a wheelbox is seized. TD5 wiper motor and wheelboxes are different from previous models despite looking the same.

roman0red

Slidey wrote: »

It sounds like there is a dead short in the motor.

To rule out the wiring, unplug the loom from the motor. If you no longer blow the fuse it is down to the motor.

Thnx slidey - il giv that a lash. I presume locating the loom will be straight forward ? Bit of a landy DIYam me

O.A.P

roman0red wrote: »

Thnx slidey - il giv that a lash. I presume locating the loom will be straight forward ? Bit of a landy DIYam me

The motor is just in front of the passangers left knee, behind the hand grip on the dash. Its a bit fiddly to get at but its not rocket science, its easy to unplug when you have found it.

Moffett

Hi guys, I feel kind of guilty pitching in here with so few posts to ask for advice. I read boards but don't post often. I am off on a mini tour of Ireland this Friday to view 4 Defenders. I have taken the day off and, could probably see a few more if I waited until Saturday, but I'm away the next two weekends so...I'm visiting two dealers and two private sellers. The problem is I have a graw for this one:
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/commercials/2701260
It doesn't make the most sense but it's by far the nicest looking...and a car should have a certain wow factor no? I have asked for a quote on an AA inspection just incase I do like it. The seller seems decent, though it would seem he got it to flip it, there is no history ( it's ex UK Authority ) and he will not be about to show it himself....any pointers for me?
...I've owned a few classic cars in my time, good bad and indifferent. This will be my first Land Rover. I have driven a rickety van every day for the last year which would make a defender feel like a Rolls!...the other main contender is in a dealship in Portumna with waranty (03 TD5) etc. for the same cash. It is a more senisible option, but if sense was the primary concern I'd be looking at an Auris maybe....any advice ye would have would be apreciated. I'll let you all know how I get on.Thanks!

caprilicious

She's a nice looking motor alright Moffett, I can definitely see the appeal.

Personally I'd be more inclined to go for the one in Portumna with warranty - Its newer in the years, if its coming from a garage with warranty I assume you might not get the AA to inspect it?
So there's €250 saved straight away for you to customise it to the way you want it.

Pity I wouldn't practice what I preach, I've bought so many troublesome car's over the year going with my heart instead of my head

Moffett

That'smy problem, I've had a bad run of 'clangers'....if I buy another, I will have proven myself to be an automotive chump/idiot...this is why i decided I needed a Defender!...yeah, I'll not AA Check a yoke on a forecourt but, I feel an attraction to the silver one. It's clouding my judegment. I can handle a good many DIY repairs, but not a cracked head etc. etc. I was shocked at the price of TD5 cylinder heads and the general lack of secondhand engines. I need to get this right. Bu I want the silver one...

O.A.P

Never buy with your heart buy with your head. A defender will not feel like a rolls no matter what kind of car you are used to. I have driven only two defenders that had a lift added to the suspenison and they were both pigs to drive on the road I think most if not all of the lifted ones are the same, so what do you want to use it for?
Drive them in every gear both low and high range and use the difflock. Get under all of them and have a good look for bad rust or damage to the chassy. While your there look for oil leaks from the transmission (drive train) and give both propshafts a good shake, they will have a little play but if its to much the u-joints might need replacing.
The best advice I can give you is bring someone who knows landrovers with you. Good luck.

Mech1

Hi all, looking at this one in England http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Defender-90-300tdi-Lowered-Reserve-Best-Ebay-3-DAYS-ONLY-/280817571824?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item41620817f0 what do you think?
Anything I should look out for when inspecting?
Thanks

Moffett

Cheers for your advice OAP. I have driven both series and Defenders, my van has failed power steering, leaking doors, a broken exhaust and no radio ( you wouldn't hear it anyhow )plus some other issues all int he space of one year. It has been serviced but is simply passed it's sell by date, tbh, it was when i got it, but I was given it for free. It will cost ITRO €800 to get it's DOE on the retest, which is more than it is worth. I thinkthe DOE tester went easy on me to be honest. This and the factor that my wife has a car ( and I have a classic that runs the odd time...)has pushed me towards the Land Rover, which has been an itch I've been meaning to scratch for a long time now. Believe me, any Defender would drive like a rolls in comparison to my van. My van has never failed to start, stop or run as it always has. This is why a TD5 worries me a little. The lift is a 'factory special editon'...?...probably not accurate information. I would trust an OE lift. I know you should buy with your head and not your heart, but also you shouldn't buy if your hearts not in it?...I would plan a daily round comute of 15miles. Towing a car transporter about 10 times a year, filling the back with stuff most weekends and a small bit of greenlaning...and also keeping the back clean enough to camp in from time to time. I am VAT reg'd etc. What I need to do, is establish if the silver car is a good example in comparison to the three others and hopefully the AA can sus out a TD5?