If you are mental of buying a Land Rover Freelander there are a few things that it is worth checking on any Freelander you are considering.
As with all cars there are confident issues that are tasteless to each particular make, and the Freelander is no exception. To help you to make the right decision with your Freelander buy we will point out what needs checking with the:
Hydraulic Press Brakes
Freelander Engine;
Freelander Drive Train;
Freelander Body.
1. The Freelander Engine
a) Head Gasket
i) In the assistance History
One of the traditional issues with the 1.8 petrol Freelander is the head gasket. Originally a particular layer head gasket was fitted and these tended to blow by 70,000 miles, often quite a bit before this! The first thing you need to find out is if the head gasket has ever been substituted on the vehicle, and if so was a modified multi layer head gasket used. If it is not documented that a modified multi layer head gasket was used then there is a occasion that you could face the same question again within 70,000 miles of the turn - don't assume that if the head gasket was done at a Land Rover dealer then a modified multi layer head gasket will have been used, we have seen them with particular layer gaskets after being repaired at a Land Rover dealership.
How much will it cost?
If the head gasket has not been changed, or you have no evidence that a modified multi layer head gasket has been used then you should be budgeting nearby £400 to have a routine turn of the head gasket before it blows - if you wait until it blows you will be spending more than this!
ii) On the Freelander
To check if the head gasket on the Freelander has not already blown, check for oil residue in the water reservoir bottle (left hand side under the bonnet), and take the oil cap off and check if there appears to be any water mixing with the oil.
The other issue that can cause head gasket failure is the water pump or any leakage in the cooling system. Check that there are no signs of a water leak. Be aware that the precise coolant for a Freelander is red, so the water in the water reservoir bottle should look pink.
How much will it cost?
If the head gasket has failed you are seeing at £500 upwards to get it fixed as you will need to have the head cylinder skimmed and pressure tested. The actual cost will depend on either the water pump also needs replacing (circa £50 supplementary to have this done), and if the head cylinder has cracked under the pressure, if this has happened you will need to buy another head cylinder - another £80+ if you get a used one, and in the hundreds if you get a new one.
b) Cam Belt
i) In the assistance History
The 1.8 litre petrol, L series 2.0 litre diesel and 2.5 litre V6 petrol Freelanders all have cam belts that should be substituted at the 72,000 mile service. If the Freelander you are inspecting buying is close to, or has past this mileage and there is no evidence that the cam belt has been changed then it is extremely advisable that you have this done as soon as possible. A snapped cam belt can completely destroy your machine and you will be seeing at a complete machine rebuild rather than a routine cam belt change.
How much will it cost?
A routine cam belt turn will cost you under £200 for a 1.8 litre petrol Freelander, £350 for an L series 2.0 litre diesel Freelander and £450 for the 2.5 litre V6 petrol Freelander.
ii) On the Freelander
Without taking the cam belt cover off it is difficult to tell if there is wear to the cam belt. If the cam belt has snapped you will easily know - the car will not go!!
How much will it cost?
If the cam belt on the Freelander has snapped you are probably seeing at an machine rebuild. Depending on the damage done you are seeing at upwards of £1,100 for a 1.8 petrol Freelander; £1,400 for a 2.0 diesel Freelander; and £1,800 for the 2.5 V6 petrol Freelander - so make sure you turn the cam belt in a timely manner!
c) Warning Lights
i) On the Freelander
Warning lights are on the dash for a calculate - something is wrong! The main warning lights on most Freelanders are the machine warning light, hill descent control (looks like a car going down hill), the Abs and the traction control light. Please note that the Abs light does not extinguish until you are interesting transmit (not in reverse) at a confident speed - so as you pull off gently this light will remain on until you get some speed up.
There are a lot of sensors on a Freelander and often the warning lights are on because of a malfunction on one of the sensors. The only way to know what the question is is to put the Freelander on a diagnostic machine, and even then it can take a lot of sorting out. seeing the root cause of a warning light being on can be very time interesting and costly.
How much will it cost?
Putting the Freelander on a diagnostic machine will cost nearby £50. Once you have a diagnosis, sorting the question out could be a nice uncomplicated fix, but it could run into hundreds of pounds and a lot of time!
2. The Freelander Drive Train
a) Viscous Coupling Unit (Vcu)
i) In the assistance History
The viscous coupling unit (Vcu) is a sealed unit on the prop shaft that supports the four wheel drive function of a Freelander. All Freelander 1 models have a viscous coupling unit (unless the prop shaft has been removed, rendering the Freelander a two wheel drive vehicle).
The viscous coupling unit is a sealed unit which contains a viscous fluid. As the viscous fluid becomes thicker it over time the viscous coupling will come to be stiffer to rotate and this will put a strain on the whole drive train of the Freelander. Hence the viscous coupling unit is an item which should be substituted regularly, at about 70,000 miles. If there is no article of having the viscous coupling substituted and the Freelander you are buying has done 70,000 miles or more then you should be inspecting replacing this immediately.
How much will it cost?
A reconditioned viscous coupling unit, which has had its viscous fluid replaced, is nearby £250 (add an extra £30 if you replace the bearings at the same time, which is recommended), and fitting is about £50.
ii) On the Freelander
Since the viscous coupling unit is a sealed unit it is difficult to know if the viscous fluid has come to be too thick - it is not like the oil where you can pull out the dipstick and see how it looks. If when you drive the Freelander it feels as if it is retention back or as if the brakes are binding, then this could be the viscous coupling showing immoderate signs of wear. It will be especially noticeable when reversing on full lock.
Once the viscous coupling becomes stiff there is a lot of strain put on the whole drive train. If the Freelander is still driven as normal it will finally damage the Ird unit (transfer box) and the rear differential - then things get easily expensive. Ordinarily if you can hear a clunking noise from the front of the car as you go nearby corners then there is a good occasion that there is damage to the Ird.
How much will it cost?
If you are lucky and the only damage that has occurred is to the viscous coupling unit then the cost will be the same as a routine replacement. If, however, it has caused damage to the Ird then you are seeing at approximately an extra £550 for a reconditioned Ird unit, plus fitting at nearby £300 for a 1.8 litre petrol Freelander; £400 for an L series 2.0 litre diesel Freelander or £600 for a 2.5 litre V6 petrol Freelander or Td4 2.0 litre diesel Freelander - and that is assuming no other damage has been done, so make sure you replace your viscous coupling unit in a timely manner!
b) Differential Centre Bush
i) On the Freelander
Wear to the differential centre bush on the Freelander is something to look out for, although it is not a major item that should stop you purchasing a good vehicle. If you go underneath the Freelander and push the prop shaft at the back by the differential to see how much play it has. If there is a lot of play then it is advisable to get this changed as soon as possible.
How much will it cost?
The differential centre bush and fitting should not cost more than about £80.
3. The Freelander Body
a) Window, Doors and Sunroof
i) On the Freelander
Unfortunately it is quite tasteless on the Freelander to have problems with the windows, doors and sunroof - so check these things.
If the sunroof does not work quite often the best thing to do is to take out the fuse and leave it shut! This way you know you will not end up with a sunroof half open that you just can't get closed again. If the sunroof on the Freelander does work then make sure you open and close it ordinarily to stop it ceasing up.
Check that all the doors open and lock on the fob. The first click of the fob will open just the drivers door, the second click should open all the doors along with the tailgate one.
Check that all the electric windows work - in some models all windows are electric whereas in others the rear windows are manual. Remember that the tailgate window also goes down, there is a button in the centre front that controls the tailgate window. In increasing to this if you press and hold the fob then instead of occasion the doors it should bring the tailgate window down. To put the tailgate window back up you need to either put the key in the tailgate door lock, turn and hold it until the window comes up, or use the button inside the Freelander. Do note that the key does not open the tailgate door, this can only be done from the fob, the key is just for controlling the tailgate window.
How much will it cost?
If your windows are not working this will cost nearby £50 to £80 depending on which window has the problem. If you cannot hear the sound of the motor when you press the button it is worth checking the fuses before going to the price of getting a garage to look at fixing it.
Fixing the doors of the Freelander would cost you more than the windows as new parts are Ordinarily required. And as for the sunroof - I would just leave it closed!
Buying a Land Rover Freelander? What Should You Look Out For? Hydraulic Press Brakes
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