Might I suggest a conversation with Austen at Bell Engineering who is the Guru of Freelander transmissions. I would imagine he could point you in the right direction.
I have a 11 plate which has had both a new transfer box at 42k and rear diff at 60k so they do have an achilles heel. That said once sorted they are trouble free provided the replacements have the uprated bearings.
Sounds like your dealer hasn't got a clue, though the benefit is you will have had a new drive train!

I once had a Ford Granada company car that had a strange vibration around 50mph, not a lot but noticeable and you could always drive through it. Every time it went in for a service the dealer would have another look at it, they checked everything, swapped tyres and wheels, checked wheel bearings etc and got nowhere then one day a big rattle developed and a CV joint in a rear half shaft had thrown a wobbly. They replaced the half shaft and the vibration disappeared. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

After reading this, is there any good way to diagnoze a worn driveshaft joint?

One that is not withing a outer casing if worn.

Put on ramp and just twist it, or put on ramp and get the "other" mechanic to drive backwards and forwards a little and then listen and watch. Anything really worn should be obvious and possibly ping or similar noise like a clunk/click.

Alas computers can't do that for you so modern mechanics are stumped or so it would seem.  FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

It's important when testing CV joints that the wheel is off the ground and the joint is free to move (and handbrake off) as the car might stop in a position where the joint is still under some torsion and you won't always feel any play. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

CV's test used to be full lock and power on in a car park, if knacked they click like a machine gun going off. FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

I suppose it depend on how far it's gone and which end of the half shaft. We had an inner front CV on an FL2 go and all we had was a vibration at speed at times. If it's at the wheel end of the half shaft the full lock test should show up more easily. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Our transfer box died at quite a high mileage (150k), when I stripped it down the splines on the drivers side front drive shaft were also shot, still working but probably for not much longer. Could be the same fault on yours


Take a look here for pictures -

http://www.freel2.com/forum/topic26133.html Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

Unbelievably I still don't have my Freelander 2 back.

The garage diagnosed a broken diff in the gearbox on Monday 26th February. They advised that the breakage meant it was only driving one front wheel, which it won't do, and the clank/slap was the noise of it transferring drive to the rear wheels only. Hmmmmm.

They advised they had ordered a used gearbox unit (this is an independent garage who underwrite their own warranties), on Monday 26th.

Then the snow came ......

It's now Monday 5th March and they are advising that collection and delivery from Kent has been seriously delayed due to late collection and delayed delivery due to backlog.

Bought the car on the 1st February, Identified the drive train issues within 5 days, and then it went into limp mode after 10 days.

It went into the garage on Wednesday 21st February (having already been back for a morning the week before to plug it into the computer for the limp mode and diagnose the clank/slap noise) and if I'm lucky, it will be back on Wednesday 7th - a whole TWO weeks after leaving it there.

I have extended the original 30 day warranty on the basis I have had ten days use out of it.

I'm not going to be unprofessional and name and shame, but I'm sorely tempted.

I should have asked for my money back days ago, but my wife is adamant she wants the car back because she loves it!

BSR67

It sounds like the garage is doing it's best for you and they have been very honest in explaining what is going on and what is causing the delays - the weather in Kent has not been very helpful in this matter.

Why would you name and shame a garage that has absolutely no control over the weather or delays to courier deliveries as a result.? The whole country is about a week behind where it should be due to the snow!

[quote="BSR67"]

RogB wrote:

Beggars belief what can actually lie beneath.

that was a common thing on the FL1 if the VCU started to sieze or the rear diff clunked on power take up, by removing the prop shaft (and the inline VCU and bearings) you made it front wheel drive only and the IRD and rear diff would last a few more years.

I ran my first FL1 with prop shaft removed for about 6 months, lots of inadvertent front wheel spin at junctions but better MPG. I would never have sold it on without telling a new owner though and it actually got marked as an advisory on the MOT that it was missing. I took it to Austen @ Bell so the VCU and bearings could be replaced and ran it for another year or so before the gearbox started on its way out.

dondiddy wrote:

Why would you name and shame a garage that has absolutely no control over the weather or delays to courier deliveries as a result.? The whole country is about a week behind where it should be due to the snow!

Time to cut your losses and find another one your wife will love. FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current