Member Since: 29 Jul 2020
Location: Kirchstetten
Posts: 96
Our "Feuerstuhl" a 2006 HSE TDV6
Hi together
I'm quite a time around here, and asked a lot of questions and found a lot of help, but I never introduced my never ending story about our Family car.
in 2020 my wife wanted a 7seater car for the family.
we were searching all type of cars, espesially NOT english ones. A couple of years ago I was deep into RRC restoration/modification but I got rid of them, and swore that I will never ever own a english car again....especially no Land Rover.
But, thats how life goes. My wife fell in love with this D3 when we found it and we had to buy it.
And honestly, I fell in love with the concept of the car as well.
So we bought it in 2020 with 186000km on it.
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We ( our should I say my wife?) were pretty happy with the car, but I found some issues pretty soon.
Beside small things like the not working Radio unit there were more concerning things like bad cold start behavior.
I also own a Landcruiser so I wasn't familiar with this very common issue.
So I started investigating and as it is with Land Rovers...if you start searching for problems, you will always find problems
found bad injectors.
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bad map sensor
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bad EGR valves (stuck open on right side)
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a lot of rust
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and many other things....
So I started to repair the car over several months..... always just small steps. Money was quite a point after the purchase of the car itself. especially the price of the new injectors gave almost a heart attack.
And after the investment of all the time and money, a mayor blow happend:
here the standard D3 picture which every D3 owner has:
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On our family vacation a fire started during the drive on a mountain road. The left cylinderblock catched fire.
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I already showed Pictures here in the forum when it happend.
The fire destroyed all the plastic bits and pieces the wiring loom timing belts air suspension AND the brand NEW Injectors.
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Anyway....NEVER give UP!! NEVER SURRENDER!!
From that day on was the new name of the D3: "Feuerstuhl"
Which is colloquial for a "burning hot rig"
So I started rebuilding it
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And when I'm already so deep into the engine, I also wanted to replace the Glow Plugs
And yes, as you all guess right, 5 of the 6 Glowplugs cracked during removal.
One Glowplug was espacially nasty.....it cracked 3 times!!!
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a the end the tip remained in the hole, and I had to get really creative to remove it without taking of the heads.
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During this work I got so of this cramped full engine compartment that I decided that my engine doesn't need all of this complicated stuff.
I removed the EGR valves including all the cooling stuff.
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And with these things removed, it is much easier working on the engine. And besides this, I found some tools from the pre-owner which where stuck down in the engine compartment.
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If I would loose so many tools in the engine compartment, I wouldn't have any left.
I guess these tools where responsable for some rattling noises since the beginning.
But, finally I got all sorted out and the car was running again.
I did some fine-tuning on cylinder balance by interchanging the positions of the injectors
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at the end it was running fine,.......and I had absolutly no Idea where which injector was, is, or will be
After that I had annual MOT test. And they found that I have to replace the steering rack because of to much play and the rear wheel bearings.
I have changed some wheel bearings in my life, but never ever was it so hard to remove the axle shaft from the bearing!
The 20ton press was on its limit!
and nothing moved at all
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not with heat, not with cold, not with hard blows of the hammer.
I even tried to loose it with a demolition hammer
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It really took me several days and many attempts to remove them
And when they where out, I couldn't find any reason why they were so hard to remove.
The steering rack was pretty easy to replace, besides the fact that the new one didn't work and I had to replace it again.
after that I passed MOT without issues.
Since the beginning when we bought the car it threw a side-impact-sensor fault from time to time.
I always repaired this fault with hard kick against the door-panel. But now this didin't work anymore.
after a short search I found the reason for this fault. The wiring loom in the door is broken.
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If you look, you will see that every single wire is broken. Ok....I didn't had the patience to replace/rebuild the whole wiring loom, so I just replaced the two wires of the sensor and live with some funny errors like that the right mirror moves when I take a hard turn to the left. and that my windowswitch doesn't work as long as I drive a right turn. however...could be worse.
after a couple of weeks my downpipe cracked.
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finally the car got a good sound
replacing the pipe was not really funny. the screws on the turbocharger are really hard to reach.
All the time driving the car (when it was driving), I found the automatic transmission didn't shift smoothly enough. And there was a light oil leak at the oil pan and the cable which goes into the transmission.
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So I did a oil change.
But, attention at all you kids at home! even when you let the oil run out of the oilpan for hours....there is ALWAYS some of the oil left in the pan! remember!
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a couple of months, or weeks, or days (time is shifting in my memory) the next issue on the highway
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The oil leakage pipe from the injectors broke and spilled diesel on the engine block. An easy fix.
After that a mayor event happend. I guess my Landcruiser got mad on me, because I always worked on the D3. So he decided to give me a little reminder of his number 1 car status and jumped from a jackstand when I was below it.
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And finally we had our first family vacation with the Feuerstuhl
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The next winter arrived, and I thought I was save because I already changed all glowplugs before, but never underestimate a Discovery.
The car was hard to start when it was cold. I found that 2 of the 6 glowplugs didn't work again!
WTF? When I checked my old records, I found that I bought just medium priced spare glow plugs in OEM quality......I guess chineese OEM quality
They looked like this:
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I changed to high quality Beru glow plugs. Luckily the old ones where still easy to remove.
Then the EPB started to give me a hard time. The switch wasn't working, but the brake engaged and disengaged automatically without problems. It was a broken wire. Nothing to hard, just hard to find
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After a while the timing chains started to rattle really loud during startup. so I guessed the springs in the tensioners where weak. and yes, they where weak, but I found some other issue as well (as always)
the timing chains wher not on there marks!! the timing was ok, but the marks where not lining up with the marks on the chain. I think its not really a problem, but gave me a hint that the preowner had already worked on it and was not a "high precison" guy. and when I removed the camshafts I was really worried about the engine and the future of it and me.
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The bearings where in no good contition!
How can this happen? and how bad is it?
I found some help here, and more or less the tenor was to not be too worried about it.
Worried about Oil pressure loss in these bearings I build a oil pressure gauge. (there is a thread about it here)
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But, it is like a wise man here told me.....a gauge will never give you peace of mind!
The gauge showed me that the oil pressure is pretty low. I cannot change the bearing situation on the camshafts (this would mean to change the heads) but I can change the bearing situation on the mains and the conrods. maybe they are woren out as well. and I can change the oilpump. maybe this also helps.
so I started to open up the engine from below the car.
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The bearings showed good wear, but not tooooooo bad.
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The crank seems ok.
after installing the new bearings, and partly re assembling, I found that the screw on the front of the crankshaft didn't fit. after some research and great help from this forum it showed that the crankshaft and most likely the block itself are from 2014 and not from 2006 like my car.
I guess it already had a spinned bearing or broken crankshaft. and they changed the block and the crank but not the heads what would explain the bad crankshaft bearings.
Anyway, I used FAI bearings which are for old blocks (pre2009) now I had to remove them again and installed KING bearings which are for newer blocks.
After all, now its running again! I haven't done a prober long testdrive, but on a short slow trip it was running fine.
Now we are ready for new adventures! Lets see what time will bring!
Sorry for typos and bad grammar. I'm just an austrian guy and was alway bad at languages.
I will corrrect them when I find them!......
cu on the trails!
31st Mar 2022 10:34 am
Moo D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 14487
What great write up. There is never a dull moment with a LR. D4 HSE EU6 (Known as Jeeves)
New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!) Sold
Sold Volvo XC90 R-Design (known as Basil)
Sold - D4 HSE (Known as Gerty)
No longer the Old Buses original owner
231,000 miles and counting
05 S manual owned from March 2005
D4 Face lifted
Still original injectors and turbo
V8 Front brakes
BAS Remap, Allisport Intercooler and deCat
EGRs blanked
T-Max split charge
Hanibal Expeedition rack
Prospeed ladder
Duratrac tyres
IID BT
BAS FBH control
31st Mar 2022 10:54 am
LeighW D3 Decade
Member Since: 31 Jan 2006
Location: Brisbane, AUS
Posts: 920
Yes Fuxl, that is a great write up. (But don't be too concerned. A few English as first language forum members destroy much more written word than you have. No offence to other forum members intended.)
You have in your short time covered so many of the problems that a D3 purchaser can expect. Don't get me wrong, they are great cars, but the lingering legacy of cost-cutting engine design and other design foibles can weigh heavily on your pocket. Mine is on its third engine.
However all in all, I think the D3 provides the best in all round driving experience when it is running well. Better than many later brands and models.
But thanks for your informative write up.LeighW
The old girl is on her third engine...
* first ran a bearing (design failure in original engine)
* second had a failure of the water outlet on top of the engine (pls check yours)
31st Mar 2022 11:50 am
V8man
Member Since: 01 Jan 2021
Location: Dunno i was just following the satnav😳
Posts: 288
Fantastic informative write up. 1996 Defender -died (now in landrover heaven😇)chassis to ashes , rust to dust !
2004 Defender td5 gone
2012 Evoque gone
2007 D3 V8 HSE
Wow. I hope I don’t experience all this with non. Nice way to increase your tool set. I think I’ve only found the odd socket still attached.
Also you seem to have recovered from your accident with the land cruiser. I hope you weren’t too badly hurt. It’s a great fear of mine with the weight of these things. Many many axel stands and spare hydrolic jacks in play for me.
Well done sir!
31st Mar 2022 5:50 pm
James W
Member Since: 27 Mar 2008
Location: Riyadh, KSA
Posts: 3079
Really enjoyed reading this, very impressed by your story and your patience!
Thanks D4 XS, gone, much loved, never forgotten
2018 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography - Gone to someone with less sense and more time to enjoy it
2016 Toyota Hilux Invincible - Liberating experience
31st Mar 2022 6:24 pm
Grunders
Member Since: 30 Apr 2011
Location: Manchester
Posts: 2334
Great write up and great patience… well done If it ain't broke... Take it apart anyway, how else you gonna find out how it works
31st Mar 2022 6:32 pm
galwaygreen
Member Since: 30 Oct 2011
Location: plymouth
Posts: 6525
crackin write up...thanks for sharing
31st Mar 2022 10:53 pm
kajtzu
Member Since: 10 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6771
Great write up, I read it with a lot of interest.
Almost lost myself laughing at the tools the previous owner had left in the engine compartment
2nd Apr 2022 12:25 pm
ronp
Member Since: 29 Nov 2006
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 15272
Excellent explanatory write up.
But I have just one technical question:-
What shampoo did you use to get the oil out of your hair
...... always on the road less travelled 🚧
< ‘tis but a mere scratch …….. it’ll polish out.
2nd Apr 2022 1:10 pm
Fuxl
Member Since: 29 Jul 2020
Location: Kirchstetten
Posts: 96
A simple answer to the technical question:
Brake cleaner! Lots of Brake cleaner!
The panacea and deodorant of the modern man!
actually, there is already a new story about our Feuerstuhl.
I think nobody believes my storys about this car, because it is statistically implausible that all of this happens just with one car in such a short time.
I did my first proper testdrive after the bearing change. Rolling around in the village was no problem, but I wanted to see what happens when I ask for some power. So I went on the highway.....
90kmh...all fine
110kmh...all fine
130kmh...all fine, sounds good
140kmh...........BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM
I almost had a heart attack! debris raining down all over the highway.... (actually, it was looking pretty cool)
the explosion emerged from the front left fender. and the rotating wheel dispersed the particeles in that pretty awesome looking flower shaped cloud that spread over all 3 lanes.
after the first "heart attack" moment, and the second "woooow thats cool!" moment came third "OH ! what just happened" moment.
I thought that the engine has just spit out all the pistons, BUT.......the engine was still running! And it sounded absolutely fine. no weird sounds, no smoke, all fine.
When I stopped at the side of the road I found the problem immedeatley.
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The fender flare got loose, and was sucked into the wheel arch. and there it got vaporized by the wheel.
I checked for all of the screws and clips.......they are all in place and fine.
So I guess it was spontaneous self destruction
Anyway...the engine is still running! so I'm still happy!
4th Apr 2022 8:40 am
classic kev
Member Since: 12 Feb 2021
Location: Mold
Posts: 207
That is some story, you are a trooper without doubt . I think most would have cut their losses and walked away. Good job, I hope you can now enjoy your car and only need to do routine maintenance. BTW there is no known cure for Land Roveritis, it attacks the central bank balance through the wallet and is also known to cause a form of insanity that includes self-harm - working for hours in the cold, skinned knuckles, lacerations, bumps and bruises, occasional burns and that sort of thing. Sounds like you got it bad
5th Apr 2022 11:54 am
altblech-schrauber.de
Member Since: 15 Feb 2021
Location: Lingen
Posts: 26
Du hast fast so viel ärger mit deiner Gurke wie ich mit meiner hatte
Great write up! We all know the pain.. Driving the worlds most reliable car
7th Apr 2022 7:35 am
grzesiul
Member Since: 11 May 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 6415
and people who recognize this vehicle reliability are only ones buying it as they know it will deliver them everywhere and always unlike Toyotas
7th Apr 2022 8:01 am
Bicycle repairman
Member Since: 18 Sep 2019
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 188
Fantastic effort, brilliant story of man and machine! Even though I always use axle stands at home I always shove the wheels under the car as added protection. Glad you're all mended and enjoy the fruits of your labour with many more happy miles in your Disco.D4 GS let the retro fit begin
Heated steering wheel
Aftermarket TPMS
Double Din head unit satnav and TV
Reverse Camera
Cubby fridge
Door panel upgrade
Mood lighting
Digital Dash personalised
Back lit sun visors
4.5 Facelift front, rear and memory mirrors
Stainless bumper tread plate
6 pot Brembo conversion
HSE heated memory seats
Retro fit auto lights and wipers
LR 663 Defender alloys
275 45 20 GG AT3s
quarter of a D3
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of this cramped full engine compartment that I decided that my engine doesn't need all of this complicated stuff.
Ok....I didn't had the patience to replace/rebuild the whole wiring loom, so I just replaced the two wires of the sensor and live with some funny errors like that the right mirror moves when I take a hard turn to the left. and that my windowswitch doesn't work as long as I drive a right turn. however...could be worse. 
There is never a dull moment with a LR. 
