Freelander 2 help

[insanelewis21]

Morning ,

I have a 63 plate freelander 2, i haven't had it for that long.

I put a set of TOYO open country ATs on it and have done a few days at Slindon safari.

We were there Sunday just gone and the car did great and drove home flawlessly. However, the car is telling me the battery is no longer charging
and i have error messages for the TC and stability.

We did hit a pretty big muddy puddle, was deeper than i thought. Is it a case of just jet washing the whole engine bay down and hoping its just mud in the sensors and where it shouldn't be, or is there something more going on here.

Many thanks

[RazerSauber]

Call a breakdown service or take it to a garage. Jet washing an engine won't help and is likely to force water into places it hasn't got already.

[OverSteery]

insanelewis21 said:

Morning ,

I have a 63 plate freelander 2, i haven't had it for that long.

I put a set of TOYO open country ATs on it and have done a few days at Slindon safari.

We were there Sunday just gone and the car did great and drove home flawlessly. However, the car is telling me the battery is no longer charging
and i have error messages for the TC and stability.

We did hit a pretty big muddy puddle, was deeper than i thought. Is it a case of just jet washing the whole engine bay down and hoping its just mud in the sensors and where it shouldn't be, or is there something more going on here.

Many thanks

I assume they light started at the same time? If so probably connected?

If the ABS light isn't on, then it's not likely to be wheel sensor - which is a shame.

Definitely do not pressure wash the engine bay.

Get the codes read - either with a cheap OBD reader, or some a local garage.

[insanelewis21]

why not? the whole engine bay is caked in mud, i have always jet washed my engines for the last 15 years.

there are literally queues at the local jet wash down the road from the local off roading site full of muddy 4x4s.

especially to get the mud off and out of all the radiators and inter coolers that get completely blocked with mud.

Its soo muddy i reckon a garage wouldn't even look at it.

i could be wrong though

[insanelewis21]

OverSteery said:

I assume they light started at the same time? If so probably connected?

If the ABS light isn't on, then it's not likely to be wheel sensor - which is a shame.

Definitely do not pressure wash the engine bay.

Get the codes read - either with a cheap OBD reader, or some a local garage.

no strangely the car drove home for hour and a half absolutely fine. The next day the charging error came up, and today is the TC and Stability errors too.

[stevemcs]

Are you sure you haven’t drowned the alternator?

[eth2190]

Sounds like the alternator is contaminated with mud and the other errors are just a result of the low voltage. You could try washing it as worst case it needs a new alternator anyway.

[loskie]

or an earth strap is clinging on for dear life

[InitialDave]

I've caused these symptoms in the same circumstances by filling an alternator with mud.

[Gtom]

I bought a mk4 golf last year with a dead alternator and before I got round to fitting a new one I cleaned the car with my recently purchased karcher hot pressure washer.

The engine ended up looking like new and the alternator started working. 2k miles later the alternator stopped working but that was only because the engine it was attached to stopped working too.

[insanelewis21]

thanks, im going to give it a shot, someone on the landy forums suggested whacking it with a hammer to loosen all the dry mud out.

but its in such an awkward place you can get any swing on it.

Im now thinking that off roading a daily isnt the one lol

[Decky_Q]

The sensor warnings are a red herring, a low battery causes all kinds of misreadings. If you can get it charged up and started, check the charge coming from the alternator, use a battery tester to check if the battery is good. If as suspected it is the alternator, I would wash it with a garden hose rather than a pressure washer let it dry completely and test it again.

If you have a 15mm spanner and an allen key to release the tensioner, it's easy to take the alternator off the freelander and clean it on a bench.

[insanelewis21]

Decky_Q said:

The sensor warnings are a red herring, a low battery causes all kinds of misreadings. If you can get it charged up and started, check the charge coming from the alternator, use a battery tester to check if the battery is good. If as suspected it is the alternator, I would wash it with a garden hose rather than a pressure washer let it dry completely and test it again.

If you have a 15mm spanner and an allen key to release the tensioner, it's easy to take the alternator off the freelander and clean it on a bench.

ok cool, my brother is with the RAC and he said it has a smart alternator and to disconnect the sensor of the terminal see if that helps.

at this stage, i think im just going to clean it up and get it into a garage, im working the next 7 days.

going to wash it down with my battery jet wash as its much less pressure.

[insanelewis21]

Happy to report a hot low pressure pressure wash has seemed to work. Its been running for more than half an hour and i have been for a drive and there are now no errors coming up, so it must of been the mud.

I think if i am to keep off roading it needs to be in a car that isnt as valuable and doesnt need to be driven every day lol.

[eth2190]

Yeah mud plugging gets old pretty quick. I sank my Jeep WJ in a mud hole last year and had to take the seats and carpet out to clean everything properly. Took about two days. Lesson learned.

[LightweightLouisDanvers]

Off topic but how do you find the Toyo AT tyres on the Freelander 2?
Have used GG AT3 and Conti Cross Contact ATR currently. Will be needing replaced coming into next winter.