110 300tdi arrives tomorrow

Check the core plug under the exhaust manifold.

When I bought my 300TDi, the core plug had a tiny leak which I didn't spot. It also had a faulty temperature guage.

By the time I got back (240 miles) the water had drained out and the head gasket had cooked.

Cost of new core plug - 30p.

The 300TDi actually has a bit of a reputation for blowing its head gasket - so I would take the header tank lid off and check for bubbles and/or oil contamination. I also saw one recently that made a bubbling sound in the heater matrix when the gasket went. You could hear it inside through the heater vents.

Also - try to fnd out when the timing belt was last done.

Apart from that and the usual Landie checks - enjoy! It's a great engine and they should be good for 250k+ miles if looked after.

Henry

Got it? Any good?

Yep and it seems an absolute peach, drove it back from near Ipswich (240 miles!!) and it went like hell, everything is solid including 5 brand new O.E. LR doors and fuel tank, only thing I can find wrong is that I can't get the diff-lock to engage, the lever moves to the left but springs back again and the light won't come on. Any ideas what it could be? Could it just be due to lack of use? It runs very well in high range but is a bit rattly in low, hope the transfer box isn't up the swanny!

Andy

Seems to be en electrical rather than mechanical fault as there is no wiring from the diff lock switch or reverse light switch coming out of the transfer case. Bugger!!

My diff lock did the same thing. There's a bolt with a circlip on it that joins the linkage underneath - the circlip had come out and the bolt had falled off. I replaced with a new bolt and nylock nut. Interestingly, this linkage only controls the difflock - so it still engaged low ratio.

HAve you checked the oil level in the transfer box?

Henry

Sorry - my posting crossed with yours.

Get under the 110 and heck round the transmission tunnel. On my one, the wire (single, Black/Blue) to the difflock light has a bullet connector which is zip tied on to the side of the chassis. There is then a short length of wire (12") which goes between this and the spade connector on the top of the transfer box. Test it by shorting to earth.

The wire has to be somewhere - no one is going to reomve it all the way back to the instrument pannel....are they?

Henry

Don't worry about the warning light at this stage. The warning light does not react to moving the linkage but to movement of the fork that engages the diff. lock. The lever only sets up the conditions for engaging the lock but lock engagement/disengagement is not, necessarily, an instantaneous event. We've discussed this here many times before.

If, as you mention, the gearbox switches are unwired you can't expect warning lights anyway!

You'll need to get underneath and check the linkage. Something may have come adrift or siezed with lack of use. If siezed, liberally apply penetrating oil/diesel and work the lever until everything frees up. This may take some time.

My Diff lock on my TDI 300 disco never lit on the dash but seemed to work since the day I got it 24 months back

During the recent frosts I stopped at the top of a yard got out and walked down

The Disco slid all the way to the bottom ( brakes on and parked in gear )

Low box and difflock on I eventually got back up the yard only to find that the diff light was working and its worked as it should ever since

DieSea

Oh, I don't know, they are Landypeople after all!

Only thing I can find wrong is that I

Well the diff-lock is definitely working, tested by jacking a wheel, and with plenty of jiggling around the lever now behaves normally.

I just need to try and fathom out where the diff-lock light switch is meant to be fitted, there are 2 wires coming from a loom out of the chassis that have been terminated in ring connectors and fastened to the side of the transfer case via a 10mm bolt. I am guessing that these could be the switch wires as there is no other loom nearby.

Does anyone have a picture of where the switch should be please?

TIA

Andy

You have mail. A picture is worth.....