Damn Freelander

Get it checked out, might be something simple. Get your battery checked in this weather too.

I just had the voltmeter on it.

Not running 12.5 volts across the battery.

Running 11.5 volts across the battery.

Defo not charging!!!!

Could be a knackered battery cell ........... Richard

Whats the output at the ends of the alternator charging circuit with the battery off the car?

Don't know i as can't get to it.

The engine bay space is so tight in the car that everything on the drive belt is a nightmare to get to.

Thats why it took 7 hours for the specialist to change the water pump.

I guess it will be the same story for the alternator as well.

:o(

I hope so.

battery is just over a year old and it was a particulaly cold night leaving a goo layer of frost.

I hope it is the battery that suffered. saving me 500 quid to get the engine out again.

7 hours to change a water pump?? what sort of specialist is that a tree surgeon ? ;-) oddly my neighbour has just (this morning) had his Freeloader TD4 trailered away as his WP has given up in a cloud of steam I had a mind to do it for him ( using up the 2007 hols this week ) glad I didn't volounteer if that is the case. I would have checked in RAVE before offering though. Its the second time he's had it in the dealers this month, last time for the brakes binding badly. Dealer " its because you have been using it offroad sir!" the brakes had clogged up with mud this occuring because once a week he takes his lad to football down a 50 yd gravel/cinder track with puddles seemingly the splash is enough to clogg the works up it never did when I used to take the scooby up.... daily.

Derek It doesn't count as offroading if you don't get mud on the roof!

No ...... it is much easier, for example (without air-con)

Working under vehicle;

1. Remove three bolts securing coolant rail to sump/engine block

1. Disconnect alternator wiring plug, and undo nut securing thhe battery cable to the alternator

2. Unscrew the three retaining bolts and remove the alternator

Refit is a bit more complex because of drive-belt re-tension etc. So ...... labour charge shouldn't be too much ....... mind you the alternator (if it is that) is about £175 ....... so you need to make sure it is that.

Richard

With a cold morning and a duff cell I doubt you could start the engine.

11.5v with the engine running does indiacte a dead or disconnected alternator rather than a duff cell. Lead acid cells are a nominal 2v so a duff one should bring the on load voltage down to nearer 10.

Easy test measure the voltage with a decent load say the headlights on with the engine not running. 10v or ther abouts and you have a duff cell, anything around upper 11v or 12+ is acceptable.

If you mean with it running Nige, then it's not something you want to measure - running an alternator without a battery connected is a guaranteed way to make sure you need a new alternator.

Thanks for that Richard,

The plastic cover is still off the Belt end, all i can see is the pull on the end of the crank staft and the Air con compressor.

Hi Derek,

Unfortunatly the water pump on the Freelander is made inaccessible by all the other bit around it and the engine mouting which is about 2 inched from the end of the pulley.

I did say there was about four inches clearence, and then i looks yesterday! lmao

The guys in garage said that the mad to drop he engine off the mounts and lower is down to get to the bottom water pump bolts, and then jacj it up high enough to get to the top ones.

Obviously they would have had to undo all the engone mounts, the exhaust would have had to be disconnect, etc etc etc, just to make the engine movable.

Then the same to put the new pump on and connect everything back up again.

The garage has been there for 30 years and only do landrover repair and service. They are not a central dealers. Apparently this was the first freelander water pump they have done.

I tryed Roberts Country Vehicles, at doncaster, they also had never done the freelander waterpump.

Hopefully the Battery will be buggered now, I'm waiting for the car to de-frost so i don't watse the power left in the battery getting the windows clear, them i will pop it down to them.

Just been up the road with the freelander.

Its the alternator that has burned out down one side.

Bugger.

Repair kit?

Scrappers

Hopefully not, say him having just bought a new one for the DII at =A385= .50

• VAT (Genuine part). It was frosty again the other morning an it wouldn= 't start again...

eh? Wot's 'rong wiv a can o' squirt 'n a scraper? Frost inside is a bit = of begger though.

I'll be asking Dave when he gets the car back how much labour they charged for the job. Can't say I'm overly surprised IME a lot of front of the engine jobs on LR's are a collosal PITA due to the amount of kit they fit in there personally I hate changing drive belts on the Disco (200tdi) its easier to remove the air filter pipe to get access to the adjustment under the alternator when using a spanner ( unless you have a slim ratchet spanner which makes it a doddle) and dont get me started on the idler pulley on RRC's Derek

The procedure is different if you have air con ........ Richard