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| jk84 Member Since: 17 Feb 2015 Location: Wherever my Defender takes me... Posts: 720   
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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 |
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23rd Aug 2016 6:38pm |
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| Ranger Member Since: 17 Nov 2011 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 75 
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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.
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23rd Aug 2016 7:26pm |
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| simon67 Member Since: 18 Jun 2015 Location: west sussex Posts: 569  
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 , better sell mine quick then  |
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24th Aug 2016 8:10am |
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| couplands Member Since: 31 Aug 2011 Location: Peak District & Cornwall Posts: 1826 
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Did I miss something Jaro, are you buying a TD5 to add to the fleet..?
Cheers Simon |
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24th Aug 2016 5:35pm |
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| jk84 Member Since: 17 Feb 2015 Location: Wherever my Defender takes me... Posts: 720
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Well Simon, I realised I can use a 110 HT, for most sensible reasons naturally - at least that's what I tell myself
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  MY15 Aintree 110 SW - for sale - https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic82781.html
MY16 Santorini 90 HT - sold |
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24th Aug 2016 9:17pm |
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