Workshop
Faults & fixes
Describe what your Land Rover is doing, pick your model, and see the likely causes with suggested fixes, how hard each one is and roughly what it costs.
65 faults
- ElectricalMedium severity
Starter motor clicks but does not turn
Single click when turning the key, slow cranking.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III · 90 / 110 / 127 · Defender2 fixes - SteeringMedium severity
Steering shimmy and wander on leaf sprung models
Steering wheel shakes or the vehicle wanders across the road, particularly over ruts and at speeds above 40 mph.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III4 fixes - Gearbox & transferMedium severity
Td5 dual mass flywheel rattle and clutch judder
Rattle at idle which goes away when the clutch is pressed, judder when pulling away, clunk on switching off.
Defender · Td52 fixes - ElectricalMedium severity
Td5 immobiliser stops the engine starting
Engine cranks but does not fire, or will not crank, and the alarm LED flashes rapidly.
Defender · Td53 fixes - EngineMedium severity
Td5 low power or limp mode
Sudden loss of power under load, often at higher boost. Clearing the fault after turning off restores power temporarily.
Defender · Td54 fixes - EngineMedium severity
Tdi low power or black smoke
Sluggish acceleration, lots of black smoke under load, turbo not spooling.
90 / 110 / 127 · Defender · 200Tdi, 300Tdi4 fixes - Gearbox & transferMedium severity
Transfer box oil leaks and diff lock warning light stays on
Oil dripping from the transfer box, the diff lock warning light stays on after disengaging, or high and low range is hard to select.
90 / 110 / 127 · Defender3 fixes - HeatingMedium severity
Wet passenger footwell or sweet smell (heater matrix)
Damp passenger footwell, sweet smell of coolant, misting windscreen, coolant loss.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III · 90 / 110 / 127 · Defender2 fixes - Axles & drivelineMedium severity
Wheel bearing play or rumble
Rumbling or droning that changes with speed, wobble in the wheel when rocked top to bottom, uneven brake pad wear.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III · 90 / 110 / 127 · Defender3 fixes - Chassis & bodyMedium severity
Windscreen frame rot
Rust in the bottom corners of the windscreen frame, water leaks.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III · 90 / 110 / 127 · Defender2 fixes - ElectricalMedium severity
Wipers slow or not working
Wipers slow, stop mid sweep or do not park.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III · 90 / 110 / 127 · Defender2 fixes - Gearbox & transferMedium severity
Worn propshaft universal joints
Clunk on take-up, vibration that increases with speed, squeaking under the vehicle at low speed.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III · 90 / 110 / 127 · Defender3 fixes - Fuel systemLow severity
2.25 petrol hard to start when hot
Starts fine cold but struggles to restart after a run, especially in warm weather.
Series II / IIA · Series III · 2.25 Petrol3 fixes - Axles & drivelineLow severity
Axle pinion oil seal leak
Oil on the propshaft flange and axle casing near the nose of the differential. Dropping axle oil level.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III · 90 / 110 / 127 · Defender2 fixes - Chassis & bodyLow severity
Bubbling aluminium body panels
White powdery corrosion and bubbling along panel edges.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III · 90 / 110 / 127 · Defender2 fixes - Gearbox & transferLow severity
Crunching gear changes on Series gearboxes
Grinding when engaging second or third, especially on quick changes. Series I and II have no synchromesh on first and second.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III3 fixes - EngineLow severity
Diesel hard to start when cold
Long cranking on cold mornings, white smoke on start, rough running for the first minute.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III · 90 / 110 / 127 · Defender · 2.25 Diesel, 2.5 Diesel, 2.5 Diesel Turbo, 200Tdi, 300Tdi, Td53 fixes - Chassis & bodyLow severity
Door frame rot
Rust along the bottom of steel door frames, door skins bubbling.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III · 90 / 110 / 127 · Defender2 fixes - Fuel systemLow severity
Flat spot or poor running on carburettor V8
Hesitation when accelerating, rough idle or poor fuel economy.
Series III · 90 / 110 / 127 · 3.5 V82 fixes - ElectricalLow severity
Fuel and temperature gauges read wrong
Gauges read high, low or not at all.
Series I · Series II / IIA · Series III · 90 / 110 / 127 · Defender2 fixes
This is general guidance gathered from owner experience and workshop practice, not a substitute for a workshop manual or a qualified mechanic. Costs are rough parts-only guides. Brakes, steering and suspension work affects safety, so if in doubt have it checked professionally.