Bear with the odd order of this. There are two service items on Haldex, the oil/filter and the pump mesh filter. The 1st is hard work, the 2nd is a marathon you may wish you didn’t start. And I’m going to be a heretic hear and say you MAY not need the mesh service …. Read on.

If you live near Bell Engineering or another good independent, get them to do it!

But if you really want to do it yourself……

1) why might you decide not to do the mesh service? Everyone you’ve ever seen on here has recommended it. And shown you filthy pictures of their gunked up mesh filter. No one has done (or reported) what I’ve done. I changed my fluid and filter and put the mesh into the too hard basket (I have the impossible fat flange needing prop shaft removal.). I drove it a couple hundred miles and went abroad for 3 months. I came back still fretting about what was lurking in my mesh filter. So I bit the bullet and decided to do it properly! The pictures might surprise people. Not bad at all. Yes, some gunk, but by no means clogged. 52,000 miles/10 years. Definitely not done before. Mixed use. Roads, towing, launching, shopping, some off road. I had asked Borg Warner if new oil could dissolve gunk. No reply. Either way. But the oil contains Boric Acid. Among other cleaning agents. I do wonder if the gunk has been dissolved. People say it’s particles, but it’s not, it’s “jelly”. So that’s my half penneth.

2). If you DO still want to do it, be aware that removing the propshaft is a royal bitch. Even with a windy gun it took ages. I totally mullered the bolts - you will need new. Front was easier, bolt wise. But then both ends were seized onto the haldex and front diff. Soaking, banging. Eventually resorted to drive to free one, and then the other still would not let go. Bang, soak, bang. The front one is really hard to access. More experience, better tools, yup I’d have been quicker, but it’s still a royal PITA. You have to remove both ends of the prophase; don’t think that taking off one and dropping the cross members might help you get away with it. Nope; save the effort, cross members stay on. Just take out two bolts on each holding the shaft. Getting the haldex out after all that is relatively easy!!

3) But you’re not done yet. You’ll need a steering wheel puller to get the collar off. And a windy gun to remove the nut. You don’t need the special tool for this.

4) some online guides give you wrong advice on refilling. (Frenchies road trips). You fill, switch on ignition for 5 minutes, fill again. Then removed 70cc. Frenchies gets away with it, because he doesn’t remove 70cc. Turn the pump on took up about 120cc. So Frenchies is about 50cc under I guess. I’m actually going to drive around for a bit and recheck the level. After all this effort I want to get it bob on!!

Pointless adding my opinion at this stage, because people all differ in their approach, but given my now very low future miles, I will do fluid change every 2 years. Oil and filter every 4. In my mind the mesh filter after 8. The oil change alone is easy and there’s a case for doing that annually, especially if you do more miles. The filter is hard work. And I’ve survived 10 years/50k without issue.

I mention the 3 months layup, because that might have added to the time to dissolve the gunk. The inside of the Haldex housing had a small amount of surface gunk. Not much. The pristine gauze is after cleaning, obviously.

Footnote:- Boric Acid is an anti fungal. Now that makes sense. This gunk could be fungal growth.

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Interesting that you mention Boric Acid.

I think its main job is to increase the viscosity of the oil (its very slippery) and if it gets too hot it breaks down, coating the surface in very (almost diamond) hard Boric Oxide, with a residual of water.

It is as you say antifungal, and is used on all surfaces, including human skin.

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/08/nano-boric-acid.html

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/2...%20appears

PS I always wonder why these car gearboxes and engines are not designed to include channels/outlets that would enable reverse flushing. Also why external filters and magnetic traps are not part of the design.

I expect that the 'Cost of Non Conformance' was not that great from the Car Makers point of view.

Once the costomers are doing their own service and repair at zero cost then the sums change. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 77k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

Last edited by IanMetro on 26th Aug 2024 9:29 am. Edited 2 times in total

It was just the one ingredient that was listed and indeed it’s used for “personal fungal care”. Was a totally off the cuff theory on my part!

I think pull and replace 500ml every year and you’ll be good. (It’s hard to get more out and that just makes your 1L bottle go 2 years. Nice and easy. Rinse and repeat.

Your mention of Boric Acid led to some interesting reading for me, I did not realise that so many things were added to the oils we used.

On the ease servicing aspect, I always wonder why these car gearboxes and engines are not designed to include channels/outlets that would enable reverse flushing. Also why external filters and magnetic traps are not part of the design.

I expect that the 'Cost of Non Conformance' was not that great from the Car Makers point of view.

Once the customers are doing their own service and repair at zero cost then the sums change. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 77k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

Bottom line. No manufacturer any more wants a car to last 200k miles and 20-30 years. It used to be a badge of honour for the likes of BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar and Land Rover. But now it’s just bad for business. And the modern world is rather “instant”. Anything beyond 10 years your average punter thinks is amazing. We live in a disposable world. Which is ironic when everyone talks sustainability. Running cars for 20-30 years is the epitome of sustainability. A new electric car has to travel 70k before it breaks even on CO2 vs keeping an old ICE car going.

So would Boric Acid be any good for toe nail fungus??? just wondering? 2013 FL2 XS.
Defender 90 300 TDi.
Defender 90 300 TDi CSW.
1964 MGB Roadster.
1944 Willys MB "Jeep" with bullet holes. (gone)
17 hand Irish Drought Thoroughbred (mostly lame)
Nagging Old Boiler.

Rommel
Is this personal, or are you about to make your fortune flogging old engine oil for Foot Baths? FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 77k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

I'm surprised at the lack of gunk on your pump. This was mine about 70k miles.
Done a few haldex oil changes since and it's never been like that since.
The Tiguan we used to own was similar when first done as well.


 Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

I was surprised too. Hence my theory or gunk dissolving in new oil. If you are doing a regular change now it wouldn’t build up for the same reason.

IanMetro wrote:

Rommel
Is this personal, or are you about to make your fortune flogging old engine oil for Foot Baths?

 2013 FL2 XS.
Defender 90 300 TDi.
Defender 90 300 TDi CSW.
1964 MGB Roadster.
1944 Willys MB "Jeep" with bullet holes. (gone)
17 hand Irish Drought Thoroughbred (mostly lame)
Nagging Old Boiler.