I have recently ordered a new SD 4 FRL 2 hopefully it will arrive before the end of the month.
At the weekend I decided to remove the K & N filter and the synergy tuning box on my present Freelander. I must admit that I have really enjoyed my 3.5 yrs experience with the car, but admit that I thought that the excellent drive and performance was a factor of the car and had nothing to do with either the synergy box or the filter.
Well the last few days have shown me to be totally wrong the FRL is now quite different still good but the auto box changes less frequently and the car seems to be a bit noisier. I am not a fast driver but prefer a more sedate cruising ride at the moment I do not feel this is the case the car is now like a diesel whereas before there were times when it was hard to tell if the engine was on.
Previously I would just have a light touch on the pedal whereas now the touch lasts longer, I definitely am not as impressed with the car as I was before the weekend. I was not really keen to have the box reprogrammed for the SD 4 due to it already having 190 hp, now I am not so sure. There again it could be the filter that makes such a big difference but I cannot see this.
Anyway I have sent the box away for reprogramming and at the moment I think I will let the new FRL bed in then take it from there.
I was a bit reluctant to write this as I know there are a lot of members against tuning boxes who are probably more technically qualified than I will ever be but my experience has been nothing but positive and had even recommended it to my son who has a 10 FRL 2, unfortunately he may be about to lose .
Apologies for going on and on but I just wanted to share what has happened to me and try and give some idea how the car has changed dramatically and I would not hesitate to do the same again if the clocks were rewound Fuji White GS 12 privacy glass leather retrim

I wouldn't touch the new one with any modifications !
Licence for Landrover to refuse warranty !
The FR2 is a totally different animal to the FR1 and the only thing in common is the name and 4WD
Enjoy the new one as it is.

Hi Brian
You will find the SD4 a totally different animal, persoanlly I would see no need to change or meddle with. Premium diesels certainly make it feel much smoother and more powerful, I tend to alternate tankfuls, currently at the end of a third tank of supermarket fuel, had some vouchers, saved about £15, was it worth it, definately not, the car is more noisy and lethargic. The naysayers will tell it the stuff is snake oil, personally I see and feel the benefit, try it yourself and I am sure you will then realise it is a peach

Taz

The auto box only has a torque limit of 450Nm and the SD4 puts 420Nm through it, attempting to further tune the engine and risk damage to the gearbox is madness.

not sure if any tuning firm has done an sd4 yet, so it may not be possible at present.

If you like the box why not buy a td4 fit the box and save ££££'s? At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Surely you have test driven the SD4 and therefore know what to expect. 2015 BMW
2012 Freelander 2 GS Red (gone)
2004 Discovery TD5 Landmark Silver (gone)
2000 Freelander XEDi Red (gone)
1996 Discovery 300TDi S Blue (gone)

Yes I have had a test drive and I did comment that I felt the sd4 was not as smooth as my own however this was put down to the demonstrator only having 1k on the clock and my own just being run in with 33k.
I am obviously concerned about the torque figures however the guy upgrading the box points out that the max torque is still within the 5% tolerance level and would probably only be a problem if the car was thrashed. As I said earlier I want the extra in order to further improve the ride I am not wanting to drive round with my foot down on the floor. I am totally convinced that the acceleration is def smoother if you do not have to use as much throttle and the engine quieter. I must add that the guy upgrading the box is not a salesman but someone who has spent most of his life carrying out this kind of work and is well respected on the web as an expert in this field.
I am grateful for your comments and if I was honest I expected the kind of comments that you have made basically because they are of a responsible nature I suppose I was hoping that perhaps someone had experienced something similar with an sd4 which may have been interesting to read.
Once again thanks for your comments, at the moment I think I will play it by ear and see how things go. I do feel however that there will be a serious temptation to try the box for a short time, whether I resist this or not time will tell!! Fuji White GS 12 privacy glass leather retrim

Last edited by chrisdeeming on 8th Mar 2012 8:03 pm. Edited 1 time in total

i thought correct me if i'm wrong max torque comes at about 2200rpm ? so you wouldn't need to thrash it to damage it ?

Just checked lr its even lower at 1750!!