Hello All,
I've just purchased a '96 90 Defender 330TDI and am having a few teething problems.
I picked the vehicle up on Saturday and by Sunday the alternator pulley had come loose causing the belt to come off. I realised there was a problem when the battery light illuminated and the power steering stopped working. After pulling up (about 400 yards later) I opened the bonnet to find coolant splattered all over the engine. The vehicle was returned to the garage (a well respected specialist) and a few hours later I was told that the alternator had been replaced and the engine succesfully pressure tested. Do you guys think that there could be any damage to the engine ? Do you think it's worth getting an independant garage to check it over ?
Also, sometimes when changing gear (usually from second to third and forth to fifth) I can feel and hear the gears 'crunch' into position and also (not necessarily in the same instance) I hear a different 'crunch' when releasing the clutch. The garage technicians say that they couldn't find any problems and I was made to think that this was due to how I was driving. This is the first time I've driven a Landy (although I've covered several 100K miles across the UK using various vans at work) so I'm not really sure if this is a defect with the vehicle.
And finally, since the garage 'replaced' the alternator, there has been a constant squeak coming from the engine - is this just temporary or is it worth worrying about ?
As you've probably gathered, I'm no Land Rover expert (although more than willing to learn) so help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Chris Cox
Leeds - UK Land-rovering for about 230 miles.