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| tact Member Since: 03 May 2013 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 16   
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 Click image to enlarge Proud new owner of a 2013 DCPU (SALLDHSR7DJxxxxxx) - "Manny" (from "Ice Age") |
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30th May 2013 4:05pm |
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| familymad Member Since: 13 Dec 2011 Location: Bucks Posts: 3481  
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Lush. 1951 80" S1 2.0
1995 110 300TDI 1995 90 300TDI |
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30th May 2013 4:08pm |
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| SGH Member Since: 27 Sep 2010 Location: Hellingly-Sussex Posts: 1527 
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30th May 2013 4:40pm |
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| Innuendomaster Member Since: 29 Mar 2013 Location: South East Posts: 230
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sweet Ride, but I am biased as I have a 110Dc |
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30th May 2013 4:59pm |
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| CR Member Since: 28 Jan 2010 Location: Ireland Posts: 947  
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looks great
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30th May 2013 5:32pm |
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| GUM97 Member Since: 05 Feb 2012 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3555 
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Lovely
An engine to TDi for!
"Land Rover- Proudly turning drivers into mechanics since 1948" |
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30th May 2013 6:12pm |
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| JSG Member Since: 12 Jul 2007 Location: Berkshire Posts: 2412 
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Nice
Looks great in a more classic configuration. John
http://www.hampshire4x4response.co.uk 2011 Tdci 110 CSW XS |
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31st May 2013 4:31pm |
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| tact Member Since: 03 May 2013 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 16
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Time now for some observations that I suppose won't be found in the brochures or online. How its been living with a Defender in the family.
First some background - It was my wife's suggestion to even consider a Defender. Prior to that I was torn between: a. Committing to the necessary time to do a "project truck", something a man can be proud to drive, or b. Admitting I just cannot devote that kind of time to a personal project and so settle for the more emasculating experience of owning a new hilux. (I had a hilux many years ago - before they morphed into what they are today) The Defender, once my wife chipped in her thoughts and pre-approval, was a godsend middle ground compromise. Not as emasculating to own/drive as a new hilux and also not demanding a huge chunk of my life up front such as a "project truck" surely would. So the new addition to the family is as mentioned in other posts/pics a MY2013 Defender 110 dual cab pick up. Apparently the bits are fully imported as flat packs and assembly is in the Inokom plant in Kulim, Malaysia It comes with whatever Land Rover Malaysia deem is needed for the Malaysian market. Meaning that the full range of Land Rover option packs and different specification levels available elsewhere in the world - are just not available here. It also seems to have some local content. So translating that into a feature list it looks like this: 2.2l variable nozzle TDCI "puma" engine 6spd gearbox, two range transfer case, full time 4wd with centre diff lock Central locking and immobiliser with alarm Power windows (front only) Leather seats (local content? Not LR "half leather" kit?) Air con Basic radio/cd player Fitted with Conti Cross Contact AT tyres that are about 32" in size (235/85R16) The engine is supposed to be much quieter and smoother than past models. That I cannot verify as I have no experience with recent past models. It is still noisy inside the cabin. Regards running the beastie in - I am applying a moderate version of the "drive it like you stole it from zero km" school of thought. That means I am driving it pretty hard, loading the engine reasonably heavily without over-revving or lugging the engine. Restricting throttle to between 1/2 and 3/4 as well as limiting revs to 3800rpm in the first 1600km is the first stage of my running-in regime and this has translated into surprisingly spirited performance on the road! The stated engine specs are 360Nm @ 2000rpm and 90kW @ 3500rpm. (Compare to Toyota 13BT apparently rated 217Nm @ 2200rpm and 89 kW @ 3400rpm. Source: Wikipedia). The driving position takes some getting used to. Given the bumpy ride on-road and for sure rougher ride off-road, it is actually comforting and stabilizing to have the right side door pillar and window sill just millimeters from my right shoulder and right arm. Apart from a brief excursion offroad in a nearby paddock (just to see that CDL and low range box work ok) the vehicle has done all it's 1100km thus far on-road. That's two and a bit full tanks of fuel. A full tank of fuel is 75l. Am calculating more accurate fuel consumption figures just as a benchmark going forward. The run-in regime means I am pushing the vehicle hard(ish) and that's meant tearing hard through some twisty tarmac roads at speeds from 20km/h up to around 130km/h staying within the self imposed limits. The conti's seem to be predictable in how they break traction and slide on the road. No sudden letting go and so no fear of awful consequences that would accompany a sudden weight shift mid corner. They make a "deep throated" hollow noise at any speed when tortured into drifting sideways across tarmac in a 4 wheel driven slide. (Slides induced by excess speed in the corner, not the engine power breaking wheels out!) The gearbox still has a few rough edges on up shifts to 3rd gear. Can feel that settling nicely already. All other gearshifts are smooth whether fast or slow. The 6 speed box includes a rather low 1st gear and 6th is a good high overdriven gear. Unless on the freeway, or starting up a steep hill, it's only gears 2 through 5 that get a work out. The ECU seems to do some odd things with engine revs between gear changes. I understand that this "throttle positioning" in normal driving is all about emissions controls. The are some other odd little ECU presets I am discovering slowly, like how the "idle jack" feature can surprise you at times. E.g. While hoping to move very slowly, inching (millimetering? in metric) forward, slipping the clutch even in 1st low, checking I can fit under a bulkhead in an underground car park - just as the clutch was nearing fully out the clutch pedal position sensor told the ECU it's out and the ECU decided idle speed rpm needed a boost. So the vehicle lurched forward and caught me by surprise. I didn't know about the idle jack feature before this. Searched out good info from this site and others explaining how idle jack works and why its a feature. Now I know... (To be continued...) Proud new owner of a 2013 DCPU (SALLDHSR7DJxxxxxx) - "Manny" (from "Ice Age") |
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12th Jun 2013 3:00am |
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| tact Member Since: 03 May 2013 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 16
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Had mentioned the 6th gear is an overdrive gear. Translated to on the road reality - 2000rpm equates to just under 100km/h. 2000rpm is also where peak torque is measured. So it's right in the happy zone cruising on the highway. (No long cruises at fixed speed while running-in)
Whilst the engine seems happy at speeds above 100km/h I gotta say that the suspension is not at all your typical roadburner running gear. There is an element of vagueness and sway in the high speed handling department. It is ok in a straight line, and doing normal overtaking or lane changes. But any sharp steering input at speed, dodging potholes or errant road users, provokes significant sway. Maybe I just need to get used to that. (Comparing to memories how my old hilux used to handle highway speeds) At less than highway speeds, around the city, there isn't too much body roll, but it's certainly there. Given the vehicle's intended purpose is not related to speed, slaloms, and good manners on tarmac there is nothing here to complain about. The vehicle's ride height, befitting its real purpose offroad, of course contributes to on-road handling issues. Speaking of ride height. As noted previously the standard factory fitted rubber/rims combination is just over 32" (815mm) measured diameter. The spec sheet says axle ground clearance is 250mm (9.8") and minimum underbody clearance is 314mm (12.36"). That all translates in real life to a vehicle size that, when parked next to a medium sized sedan, has the roofline of the sedan about the level of the Defender's window sills. The shoulders of the driver of the sedan are roughly the level of the Defender's heavy steel ladder chassis. With so much weight up so high, riding on coil suspension front and rear that is supposed to give good articulation offroad - a little body roll and handling vagueness at high speed can be expected. More to come... Proud new owner of a 2013 DCPU (SALLDHSR7DJxxxxxx) - "Manny" (from "Ice Age") |
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12th Jun 2013 3:14am |
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| dgardel Member Since: 30 Nov 2008 Location: Veneto (Heart & Head) Posts: 3586 
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Welcome on board!
look here http://sdrv.ms/13APVJC Discovery 5 td6 HSE Stornoway Gray Outback Engineering Limited Edition
IID Pro MV License |
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12th Jun 2013 7:17am |
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| tact Member Since: 03 May 2013 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 16
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Very nice resources you have assembled there. Thanks for making it available! Proud new owner of a 2013 DCPU (SALLDHSR7DJxxxxxx) - "Manny" (from "Ice Age") |
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12th Jun 2013 8:51am |
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| CR Member Since: 28 Jan 2010 Location: Ireland Posts: 947
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really great report
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12th Jun 2013 10:50am |
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| tact Member Since: 03 May 2013 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 16
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Thanks, CR. Kind of you to say/ Proud new owner of a 2013 DCPU (SALLDHSR7DJxxxxxx) - "Manny" (from "Ice Age") |
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22nd Jun 2013 1:46am |
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| tact Member Since: 03 May 2013 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 16
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So here is a cultural education regarding driving in Malaysia, more specifically - driving in KL city. In a Defender.
Probably the overarching rule of the road in KL is "me first". The "me first" attitude overrides even basic right-of-way rules in the traffic code. It is so strong that if you were to give another road user an even break, extend a simple courtesy and let the other guy go first, even if he technically has the right-of-way - well the shock of doing that will cause the other bloke to faint at the wheel or suffer a panic attack not knowing whats happening and likely cause several traffic accidents. Forget the traffic code. It's only published to provide a text on which to examine new drivers and give a reason to fail some of them some of the time. Outside of the driver testing process it's irrelevant. A few other simple and internationally recognized standards are also totally irrelevant to driving in KL. Things like stop signs, lane markings, signaling intentions etc... All pretty much irrelevant. Failure to recognize this fact of driving life in KL can actually get you into a lot of trouble. For example, if you actually used a turn signal to change lanes - every other driver will take that warning of intention as a challenge and move to block you any way they can. Me first. Now to Defender specific examples: Expect drivers stuck in a lane moving slower than yours to hurl themselves into your path without warning. If they do happen to look to see if the lane they want so bad is clear (rare!) and see a normal sedan bearing down on them they don't stop, no hesitation. Me first. I have noticed that since I started driving a Defender - on those rare occasions when a driver takes a look as he begins to move lanes - seeing the Defender they pull back into their own lane pronto! Nice. ME first. Next example is centered on how the Malaysian "me first" works in barely moving traffic jams. Malaysians have a skill for turning a 2 lane road into 6 lanes of vehicles. All trying to "me first". You can be hours in this kind of jam where vehicles are almost touching and moving inches at a time. If there is some physical obstacle, like a tunnel or underpass entry, that forces the 6 lanes to merge somewhat - people inch forward using a "no eye contact" strategy. Everyone knows it and plays it - "If I don't make eye contact with you, then I don't see you. And if the front of my vehicle is so much as a millimeter ahead of your's if we bump its your fault, you hit me". I find that when I am driving the Defender there are not a lot of people who will try to play this game and barge in on me. Being able to shift in/out of low range on tarmac is nice in these situations. Love having a centre diff. Couldn't do it with my old hilux unless I was sure the front hubs were unlocked to avoid transmission wind-up. So without driving like a road bully at all, the Defender's bulk and presence, and perhaps the fear that the brakes may not work well in such a vehicle, does make other drivers rethink "me first". Not always. But occasionally. Proud new owner of a 2013 DCPU (SALLDHSR7DJxxxxxx) - "Manny" (from "Ice Age") |
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22nd Jun 2013 1:47am |
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| tact Member Since: 03 May 2013 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 16
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A few days back I took my new DC out to a nearby "offroad park" to do some gentle testing, let her stretch her springs etc.
I discovered, when testing out break over angles, it's the transmission brake drum that bottoms out first. Decided I better get underneath and scope that out more some day. So I did that. Spent a little time on my back under the DC taking time to have a good look at whats under there while its still in relatively clean/new/undamaged condition. My (almost) 5yo son joined me and made sure my look-see was focussed and comprehensive. "Dad, whats that?... and whats that? Whats that big roundy thing do? Why did you block the wheels? Why are you twisting the long black tube thing back and forth? Can I try that?" So he has now heard the terms "differential", "backlash", "UJ", "transfer case" and more - and he knows roughly what they mean or what they do. He is keen and interested. He actually built his own defender out of Lego bricks. I'll upload a pic one day. Back to the topic: I find that yes - the transmission brake will be the lowest point of a 2.2l MY2013 Puma Defender (not sure about other models) in specific situations. It is not the absolute lowest point of the vehicle. That seems to be a crossmember a few feet forward of the transmission brake drum. So in relatively horizontal movement this crossmember will ground first on, or plough over, high spots before the transmission brake drum gets there. But going over a relatively sharp apex, ramp over, the crossmember can clear the ramp peak as its closer to the front wheels. Then as the front wheels start to descend the further side of the peak - the apex of the mound will then find the transmission brake drum the low hanging fruit. Other situations that would see the transmission brake drum grounding would be: - if the vehicle sank to the sills into slop (mud/sand) while stationery or moving forward very slowly. The brake drum would be even better at its job retarding the vehicle's movement. - rock crawling. There is a chance crossmembers etc pass over a rock obstacle, lifted as the front wheel rides over, but the obstacle will be high enough to strike the brake drum a few feet behind. Similar situation to the need to know where your diff centres are and driving to avoid grounding them. - reversing. Driving backwards the lowest point seems to he the transmission brake drum. Does anyone know of a guard for this? Or a strategy other than replacement with a smaller diameter disc brake? Proud new owner of a 2013 DCPU (SALLDHSR7DJxxxxxx) - "Manny" (from "Ice Age") |
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22nd Jun 2013 1:55am |
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