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jk84



Member Since: 17 Feb 2015
Location: Wherever my Defender takes me...
Posts: 720

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Aintree Green
Td5 buy guide
I've done some research on here (thanks a million to all the seasoned members) and general web to see what to look out for when buying a Td5 and wrote down all the observations I found useful. Thought to share it on here in one place for other less experienced 'used Landy buyers' such as myself. Please feel free to add/correct me where appropriate. Will try my best to keep editing the original post with useful additions.

I hope to do more research on remedial actions and what they cost to help with the decision process and assessing the price of the truck being considered.



Frequent issues that can occur on Td5s and tend to be on the costly side to repair:

- Cracked cylinder head - symptoms: engine misfires; leaking oil draining from the engine; presence of coolant fluid in engine oil; presence of diesel in engine oil (dipstick smells dieselly); engine can run on after being switched off. TD5 engines starting with 10P seems more likely to suffer from this that the 15P ones.

- Warped cylinder head - symptoms: overheating in stop and go traffic and under load; rough idle at first start up after sitting for an extended period; white smoke out of the exhaust at first start up; boiling over and coolant out of the reservoir

- Blown head gasket - types of failure and symptoms:



- Distorted plastic dowels in cylinder heads causing issues with head gasket seal (steel dowels used from VIN 2A622424 onwards) - symptoms: coolant loss and overheating.

- Broken dual mass flywheels (DMF) - symptoms: start rattling just on biting point when pressing down the clutch; feel the rotational vibration through the clutch pedal; you can get them to hit the end stops (and get a metallic knock) if you tip in and out of the throttle aggressively in a high gear.

- Oily injector loom - symptoms: engine jerking and stuttering, eventually stalling; oil getting onto the red plug of the ECU.

- Front axle swivels corrosion and leaks.

- Worn out suspension bushes - symptoms: look for signs of excessive play and cracks.

- Rotten chassis - most likely places/where to look: rails of the chassis especially around the wheels (get under and check behind the wheels and where most of the road dirt ends up for structural issues; if the vendor allows you to, give it a smack with a small hammer around suspicious areas to see/hear if anything is crumbling away); rear cross member and where it attaches to the chassis (get under the truck and check from behind for excessive rust); outriggers (behind front wheels, especially if the truck runs with no mud flaps; in front of the rear wheels).

- Bulkhead rust - most likely places/where to look: footwells; around the side mirror mounting and window blocks (easy to cover up with filler so look for repainting); under the air vents.

- Other areas to check for excessive rust - the door frames; the storage boxes under the front seats; the protective cappings along the top and rear corners of the bodywork.

Check the service history to see if any of the above has been already addressed.


Test drive:

- Watch out for excessive play, pulling and vibration in steering when in motion; listen to excessive clonks and whines when changing gears; check low ratio and diff lock works.


Consider what life it had and where it has been driven:

- Coastal areas and damp areas (Lake District) Defenders tend to have more rust issues if not undersealed/treated. Heavy towing vehicles or those that towed boats often dipping the rear end in salt water to launch boats are more prone to problems.


Useful threads:
http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic35347....buying+td5

http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic39681....buying+td5

http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic29247....p;start=90


Glossary of technical terms and shortcuts:
http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic48651.html?highlight=glossary MY15 Aintree 110 SW - for sale - https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic82781.html
MY16 Santorini 90 HT - sold
Post #558378 23rd Aug 2016 7:38pm
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Ranger



Member Since: 17 Nov 2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 75

United Kingdom 2003 Defender 110 Td5 G4 LE Zambezi Silver
Early TD5's were prone to the cracked head etc. Had a 2003 110. Only problem was the fuel valve regulator which is well documented. Gearbox went which is also a known problem and a bitch to fix coz its huge! Rust wasn't any worse than any other Defender, had mine waxoyled etc, prevention better than cure. TD5 is a brilliant engine, easily mapped and serviced. I found the Nanocom to be useful. Had 2 TD5 110's and presently on a 200 TDI, would take a TD5 tomorrow if I decided to change.
Post #558388 23rd Aug 2016 8:26pm
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simon67



Member Since: 18 Jun 2015
Location: west sussex
Posts: 569

England 2004 Defender 90 Td5 HT Rutland Red
Censored , better sell mine quick then Rolling with laughter
Post #558524 24th Aug 2016 9:10am
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couplands



Member Since: 31 Aug 2011
Location: Peak District & Cornwall
Posts: 1826

United Kingdom 2001 Defender 90 Td5 HT Oslo Blue
Did I miss something Jaro, are you buying a TD5 to add to the fleet..? Shocked

Cheers

Simon
Post #558651 24th Aug 2016 6:35pm
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jk84



Member Since: 17 Feb 2015
Location: Wherever my Defender takes me...
Posts: 720

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Aintree Green
Well Simon, I realised I can use a 110 HT, for most sensible reasons naturally - at least that's what I tell myself Rolling with laughter Luckily, Tamara gave up when it comes to Land Rovers and my 'rational' arguments. Best to explain over a pint so hope to meet soon! I planned to get your approval anyway and even potentially get some assistance if I manage to identify a candidate. Challenge is to find sth within my tight budget and still requiring a limited amount of work cost wise, hence the research. Plus, I want a Td5, after hearing the sound of yours last time Mr. Green MY15 Aintree 110 SW - for sale - https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic82781.html
MY16 Santorini 90 HT - sold
Post #558726 24th Aug 2016 10:17pm
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couplands



Member Since: 31 Aug 2011
Location: Peak District & Cornwall
Posts: 1826

United Kingdom 2001 Defender 90 Td5 HT Oslo Blue
Sounds fun, like all things Defender at the moment prices are on the high side but it'll be exciting looking for the right one.

We're down in Cornwall in a few weeks so will drop you a message nearer the time.

Cheers

Simon
Post #558762 25th Aug 2016 7:05am
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