Stupid badly engineered TD5 rubbish

[thermidorthelobster]

Took the Disco in this morning to get the head gasket done.  (It's got 92,000 miles on the clock.)  Apparently the head is cracked and I need a new one...  just over a grand for the part, plus the fitting of course.

It seems to me like TD5 head gaskets go fairly regularly after about 80,000 miles.  And then of course there's the K-series head gasket problem on the 1.8 Freebie.  And the slipping liners on the 4.6 V8s which seem to go almost like clockwork after 90,000 miles.  And the porous blocks on the 4.0s and 4.6s.  And not to forget the belt alignment problem on 300TDIs.  And the oil bump bolt failure issue on the TD5.

I love Land Rovers and this is my fourth.  But I'm beginning to think the trade-off for having one is to have an engine that is almost guaranteed to cost you significant amounts of cash when it's gone over 90,000 miles.  Are we Land Rover owners being daft for accepting engines which seem only to be designed to last a few tens of thousands of miles?

It's all very well Land Rovers lasting for dozens of years, but the price of this seems to be major engine work, unless you have a 200TDI!

To distil this rant down into a single comment...  why do we accept engines which regularly fail after 90,000 miles?

[Steven]

300TDI we have, had it since 115,000, now up at 141,000 and had nothing done or go wrong at all, honestly (except exhaust and keeping it serviced). We love the damm thing!  :) Theres been an electrical problem thats why it ain't at me house at the moment buts that electrical.

[thermidorthelobster]

Well, I'm beginning to wish I had one too  

[Steven]

Well, I'm beginning to wish I had one too  

I bet, lol! Especially now you've been quoted that price  :shock:  
 :lol:

[L90OOK]

Dave, Dave, Dave...200Tdi's are the way forward...your just upset cos you sold yours...after trying to drown it too...
Only problem with the 200Tdi's is the nuts behind the wheel :roll:  :lol:

I sold my Td5 with 77,000miles on the clock & never had a problem....even managed to pull 5 Tonne of 101 off the A30  :smack:

[Devon-Rover]

best we got out of an engine was 246K out of a TD.

And then i dunno the intergalatic mileage that my petrol has done.

The only problem's i have know on the TD5's was the afformentioned Oil bolt issue and the use of nylon dowels to keep the head aligned they would allow some creep in the head thus causing the gasket to blow. But IIRC there is Steel dowels availible to rectify that.

[thermidorthelobster]

and the use of nylon dowels to keep the head aligned they would allow some creep in the head thus causing the gasket to blow. But IIRC there is Steel dowels availible to rectify that.

That's what I thought, but Steve the mechanic was very adamant that the dowels don't affect the failure of the gasket - he says gaskets creep anyway, regardless of the dowels.  Either way, the new head is going to have the metal dowels.

[Devon-Rover]

mmm right.

Tis another take on that matter.

I know of a garage in cornwall who will fit as course steel dowels to any TD5 that they have in that is having a head done and has the plastic dowels.

[Evilgoat]

I have pondered this. The German engines I'm used to routinely deliver 200K+ without missing a beat and some exist that have passed double that.  This is why I'm curious about the 110 vs Hilux issue and the Sole reason I still dont have a green oval.

Before anyone chimes in that these engines dont get the punishment, they do. Several of the Ex Rally URQs, cars from Pikes Peak etc have ended up on the roads and despite being tuned within an inch of their lives and then thrashed, they are still going.

Its not Just Audi either. Volvo, Saab... its a long old list, it does seem that LandRover are down with Ford and the others in terms of engine life expectancy.

[J B]

the cambelt alignment problem is eay fixed with a "shouldered" bottom cog and idler, imho the 300tdi is the best engine land rover produced, and cheap to fix if it does go wayward, unlike the costly td5

[Range Rover Blues]

My Cavallier has done 180,000 miles with just a head gasket failure in it's life.  I have heard of them doing more than twice that....

But then I also know of a guy who got 185,000 out of a 1800 iCVH, just by looking after it.

There does seem to be some truth to what Thermid is saying though, most engine wear out, rather than break spectacularly.

[L90OOK]

thermidorthelobster has had some more bad news...whilst taking the injectors out aparently one just crumbled  :shock:  at £400 a go you don't want that happening too many times!

I'm sure he will be along soon to give us an update...unless it's finally turned him to booze :lol:

[clbarclay]

Maintenance and driving style can pay a big part in engine life, during testing VM range rovers could do 250 thousand miles, but most get overheated long before then.

And then I remember the old golf with its 1.6 diesel, that got nothing but use and abused and the engine was still going strong at over 280 thousand miles and if anything was going stronger when we sold it than when we got it.

[thermidorthelobster]

I'm sure he will be along soon to give us an update...unless it's finally turned him to booze :lol:

Don't even get me STARTED!    

[thermidorthelobster]

Just picked it up.  It's running quite nicely, but

THE BILL  :shock:

Let's just say it's not a lot less than I paid for my first 200tdi Discovery, 5 years ago when they weren't given away with shreddies.

I keep hearing that Land Rovers are cheap to repair.  Well, mine damn well isn't.

[L90OOK]

At least it should be good for another 90,000miles  :lol: ....sorry :oops:

Better go on another overland expedition to get over the shock  :P

[thermidorthelobster]

I would, if I wasn't having to sell the carpets to pay for the damn truck

[dazliss]

Makes my misfortunes seam insignificant really...... But mine is approching 90,000 fast :shock: At least she sailed through the MOT

[chaosego]

what is so special about an injector to make it cost£400 quid each i would be in tears if it was £400 for all five!!! the people who rate the td5 must have too much money they loose out on depreciation cos no one wants them and to keep on the road you need to frequent post offices with a balaclava ... pah long live the tdi!! :P

[clbarclay]

The injectors in a TD5 are not typical simple injectors.

A quick google found this on the DOC site
http://www.discoveryownersclub.org/tech/td5engine/#ele

[johnpirate]

I got a 200Tdi thats done 148000miles Running fine now.I thought it was a gonner a fortnight ago but it turned out to be the headgasket gone on an oil way so it dragged oil into the pots.My old series 2 petrol had done  200thou plus when it finally needed to come out.I used to have a 1600 OHC Sierra as a taxi that had 245000 under its belt when the car dropped to bits around the engine.The engine got put in another car I dont know how much longer it did but it was at least 12 months thats 50thou more.

[ward998]

i have just got my 2000  v8 series 11 back after having brand new engine fitted, my old one 66,000 miles cracked block so i replaced the whole thing, this is after ripping out air suspension and havin 2" lift after so many probs with air bags and compressor. but i still love my disco even thou im skint. :D  :D

[Guardian.]

had and got lots of landovers of different types, and they like all landrovers let you down at some point no matter how old or new!
if you want reliability buy jap, but its just not the same as driving a landrover, particularly a defender, there is nothing else like it in the world.

[Range Rover Blues]

I think European emissions legislation has forced LR to go down the electricery path to meet the new laws, but I can't see TD5s being repaired in the bush in20 years time.  Not with injectors that are so intolerant of contamination.

It remains to be seen how reliable the new range of engines will be, the Trnsit 2.4 for example.  Transits have lost their reputation for reliabilty recently too :roll:

[snorkley]

my td5 disco 2 ive had for 3 years now,its done 122,000 and never missed a beat,never uses oil or water and it been chipped,it gets thrashed up and down from scotland to surrey regular i would say its been totaly reliable apart from the usual stuff discs and pads etc,my mate owns a garage and most of his work on moderns cars is electrics and heads gaskets,the worst offenders french cars and plenty other makes,so land rover aint alone,go visit some other makes forum,its pretty much the same problems

[davidlandy]

personally I would never buy a landrover product for my road going car , as a play thing fine, but for on the road I prefer the Audis/VWs of this world. I do a lot of miles and need something reliable.

[ChrisV8]

:( I have the answer to all this, get rid of LR engine put in bullet proof Jappy diesel !!!! Got 3 all go like trains with big mileages on them !!! :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[CNorman]

Are the heads on a td5 Steel then or Ally.

If they are aluminium then surelly you cant use steel allignment bolts.