Classic Q&A
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QI’ve just bought a 2003 Freelander Td4 pre-facelift model with 93,000 miles on the clock, and one owner, albeit a farmer’s wife. When it first starts, it smokes a lot. The smoke is grey/blue, but it clears after a while. It drives perfectly, and there is no noticeable lack of power. The engine oil is thick, but is black with no nasty other colours in it. The Freelander had been stood for four months when I picked it up, and it will be having a major service with Forte flush and Forte additives. But before it’s serviced I’ll wait for your reply, just in case it’s bad news.
There are endless jobs: the rear tail door handle is stuck up and I have ordered new springs and wiring repair kit for it, the driver’s window motor works but the window stays up, so I’ve ordered a new mechanism, and I also ordered drilled/grooved brake discs with new pads. I did buy the car cheap. J Meadows, Cornwall
AThe mileage of 93,000 shouldn’t be a problem on a Td4 Freelander You are wise in getting a major service done right away, though I don’t know whether flushing the oil will be necessary unless the oil is very old, and the engine should not need any additives if it is properly serviced and in good order. Ideally, the service should be done by a Land Rover dealer, a good independent specialist or at least a garage that is familiar with the vehicle type.
The grey/blue smoke on start-up, clearing later, could be due to engine wear, though I wouldn’t expect that at this mileage. The most likely cause is a defective depression limiter valve. This is part of the engine crankcase emission control system (preventing oily fumes getting into the environment). It is an inexpensive item that should be changed as part of the service, but is often missed, so check with your garage that they will replace it. Its housing contains a valve, plus an oil separator or filter which will be blocked. You can replace just the filter, but I recommend replacing the complete assembly – it’s cheap enough, and easy to change.
The tail door handle release is a common problem. When the new parts are fitted, apply a little grease for protection, and apply a squirt of liquid grease from an aerosol up inside at service times to keep the mechanism working freely in the future. If you are new to Freelanders, remember to pause a moment for the glass to drop slightly when opening the tailgate.
It seems the cable in your driver’s door has failed, so the new mechanism should sort that. We showed how to fit this (to a front passenger door) in LRM Technical March 2014 issue.
Back issues are available to order – see page 207. Ed Evans