deeja: I have a 2004 Landrover Freelander. I can say it is a good and durable car. The parts are a little expensive more than the other cars but that is the cost I pay for durability. The parts are more readily available in Lagos compared to other parts of the country. The 2004 series uses an air flow meter so fuel consumption is okay for me in comparison to other SUVs. I use an average of N5000/6000 every week in Lagos because of the heavy traffic. Without heavy traffic, I use an average of N3000 a week. Every car has their own issues and Freelander model is not an exception. Overheating is the problem associated to Freelander series.
I did the following to prevent overheating
1. I told my mechanic to adjust the fan to start working immediately I start the engine.[size=18pt][/size]
2. I make sure I check the water level daily or weekly and I use radiator coolant to top the water level.

Since I got the car last year, I have not experienced overheating. The highest temperature so far has been 41 degrees.


If you have any other inquiries, please let me know.

thegame: Wait o, I'm a lil confused here o. Doesn't the fan start working immediately you start d engine on all cars? Why do you carry it out as a special task again?

deeja: 1. I told my mechanic to adjust the fan to start working immediately I start the engine.
2. I make sure I check the water level daily or weekly and I use radiator coolant to top the water level.

Since I got the car last year, I have not experienced overheating. The highest temperature so far has been 41 degrees.

Siena:

It's bad practice to have your fan running constantly. Manufacturers have the fan operate at a preset temperature range for a reason - for the engine to operate at the most efficient range. A cold engine uses more gas, as the CTS will allow the engine to run richer. This cold enrichment is normal during the warm-up phase. The idea is for the engine to reach optimum operating temperature as quickly as possible.

An over-cooled engine is just as bad as an over-heated one - running at 41 degrees is really bad! A cold engine will naturally have more fuel going into the cylinders. This will cause "bore wash". This is a process by which excess fuel washes the oil from the cylinder bores. This will promote piston ring / cylinder bore wear. The result is an engine that burns oil and smokes due to excessive blow-by. The engine will also become incredibly thirsty. Eventually, performance will drop due to compression loss, which will lead to difficulty in starting, especially when the engine is hot.

Having the fan running constantly is as bad as having the thermostat removed. These cars are used in Arizona, Texas, Nevada etc, where the ambient temperatures are higher than that ever experienced in Nigeria, they don't overheat in these hot countries, the only reason overheating starts once they land in Nigeria is due to poor maintenance. The average user in Nigeria runs his / her car on water, no coolant mix. Water has a lower boiling point than the ideal 50/50 coolant / water mix.

Back to the topic of this thread - the 2004 Landrover Freelander with the 1,8 Rover K-series engine is not the most durable in the range. All Rover K-series engines are prone to cylinder head gasket failure, due to their very design. The block is aluminium, with steel cylinder liners. These liners are held in place at the bottom of the block by thick rubber sealing rings. These rings break down, causing the liners to sink. The tops of the liners then no longer maintain an adequate seal and contact with the head gasket, causing exhaust gases to enter the cooling system. This then pressurises, causing overheating.

75% of the time, a failed head gasket takes the cylinder head and block with it, an expensive repair. The petrol 2,5 V6-24V is also from the same Rover family, designated Rover KV6. Same weaknesses as the 1,8 version, but even worse, as there are two headgaskets to deal with, assuming that's all the issues are, and the complete motor isn't toast.

The only engine worth going for is the late 2004 onwards model. A 2,0 turbo diesel was always an option, though it was also a Rover unit. From late 2004 / early 2005 the 2,o Rover diesel was replaced with BMW's excellent common rail turbo diesel. A brilliant unit, which is the same reliable BMW diesel as used in the BMW E46 / E60 (320d / 520d).