Since December my FL2 TD4e has developed what I can only describe as wheel wobble!

I don't think it's a wheel balancing issue, as the problem I have is across the whole range of driving speeds. I've had the car looked at and test driven by the dealer who claims it feels fine.

There is the odd occasion where it drives fine (like when first new) – this Saturday did a short a 7 mile journey (country lanes) to the nearest town, but after stopping and doing the shopping, it reverted back to lumpy and rough.

To try and give a better description of the symptom, it feels as though the wheels are loose (I’ve jacked each wheel and checked for any play in them), and rather than driving forward along the road, the wheels are tapping across the ridges in the tarmac. The result of this is vibration back up the steering column and steering wheel.
One other side effect of this is that the car seems to follow any ruts / camber in the road with sometimes a feeling like it won't respond to small input from the steering wheel, and induces a strange snaking sensation (almost stomach churning).

The wheel wobble / vibration continues even with the clutch in whilst coasting, and generally the engine is feels much rougher and underpowered than on the rare occasion where the wobble disappears, and the car accelerates as I’d expect it to.

Anyone had anything similar or any suggestions as to what this may be, so at least I can go to the dealer with a specific part I want them to investigate in connection with this problem, as it's driving me nuts.

Many thanks.

I have a wobbly feeling as well, I am planning to get it checked on the next visit.

If I am making a right turn slowly (like turning right on an intersection, accelerating slightly from a dead stop) the steering wheel tends to get harder and weaker under slight acceleration. If you get what I mean.

If I get past 40 - 50 km/h it turns to be a slight vibration.

I think this is a balance issue or a bad wheel/tyre, but I'll write on when the issue resolves. 2010 Freelander 2 Select TD4 auto....gone
2011 Freelander 2 TD4 auto ...current

I assume that you have had the wheels balanced and the alignment checked. I'm not an expert, but if it is happening at all speeds and can come and go, it surely is either going to be suspension or bushings. It wouldn't explain the performance issue, but that is the only other thing that is going to affect the handling in the way you describe.

Why not take it to Kwikfit or similar to put it up on their jack to get a second opinion. Hi Darling, I'll be home in 10 mins. If I'm not back, please read this message again...

I had a similar tale on my last car (not a FL) with lots of wasted re-balancing and shifting wheels & tyres around. The steering-wheel wobble was sometimes so bad that it was also raising false alarms on the tyre pressure warning system. After exhausting analysis of the front wheels & tyres we could see nothing obvious on the car or wheel hubs etc. We were about to move onto scrutinising the steering system when a decent dealer finally diagnosed the problem.

It was a front brake caliper - they did not say exactly which bit of it had failed but a brand new one gave instant results with a silky smooth steering-wheel and pin-point straight steering again.

I wish i'd pushed for the exact detail now ...but i was just about to sell it in order to get the Freelander <s>.

Brake caliper? That's interesting. I would expect a warped brake disc to be the problem, but not the caliper.

My car is just having 3800 km on it so I am waiting for next dealer visit for checking it. 2010 Freelander 2 Select TD4 auto....gone
2011 Freelander 2 TD4 auto ...current

Many thanks for the suggestions so far.

One wheel still has the manufacturers balance on (assume that one is OK and was balanced correctly) and had to have a new tyre within the first 4 weeks from new - puncture. The mobile tyre fitter managed to damage the alloy which they repaired. I asked him to balance with internal weights, but transpired he didn't bother to balance the wheel at all. Had that rebalanced - and needed lots of weights. (that's now got me thinking).

Brake calliper - yes an interesting one - worth a quick investigation of this and the disc. Never thought about the brakes, but this could explain the sensation I notice when crawling along in slow traffic - it feels like going over a small bump every few feet, which at speed is exaggerated creating what feels like wheel wobble.

Any other suggestions still welcome.

Wintermute wrote:

Brake caliper? That's interesting. I would expect a warped brake disc to be the problem, but not the caliper.

My car is just having 3800 km on it so I am waiting for next dealer visit for checking it.

I lost a wheel weight in the snow once and it gave similar symptoms.
Didn't know as the weight was on the inner side of the alloy. Got it rebalanced and all was fine.

What you describe could well be a faulty brake caliper which is not releasing. Have come across this fault on various makes and as intermittent difficult to trace.

1) does fault start after using brakes?

2) next time car shows fault, drive it (if safe) for a couple of minutes, stop and check for excess heat on front wheels. If one is significantly hotter you have cnfirmed brake fault. Dont touch the discs centre of wheel will show difference.

Retired after 30+ years with main franchise. All FL2's (3) Gone
2011 Mercedes C180 CGI Gone
FL2 GS Auto SD with heated leather, factory tints, alloy spare and a few other bits.

Thanks for the additional comments. I don't think it's brake related after all. Have checked the wheels after travelling and there is no heat on the wheel. In answer to the last point from Druand, it doesn't seem to start after braking.

Have noticed when icey (e.g. tonight) that the car is very skittish (normal or not I don't know) - it's only the S model so no electronics. Almost as though the back end wants to push past the front and overtake it (by going out sideways) - yes was going slow! Feels less stable in this weather than the CR-V I had before

Perhaps going to have to start by getting all the wheels rebalanced.

BTW - Have had the HDC problem where the car won't start - dealer reset the error messages (great soltuion) for this and said come back if it does it again. Had it happen twice in first 4k miles. Could this be linked?

Quote:

Have noticed when icey (e.g. tonight) that the car is very skittish (normal or not I don't know) - it's only the S model so no electronics. Almost as though the back end wants to push past the front and overtake it (by going out sideways) - yes was going slow

Blimey I thought that was just me imagining it. Mine does exactly the same.
In fact I feel distinctly unsafe sometimes when driving on snow/icy roads. It feels like the motor is about to do a fishtail wobble side to side.
I thought I was imagining it and have never had that on any motor before, unless I was losing control of course

It feels like when you get stuck inthose tramline depressions left in the road by big trucks wheels, usually at traffic lights.

sounds a bit like tracking out if it is following ruts and wobbling 07my Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Baltic Blue,Privacy Glass,Ebony black leather,Land rover detachable towbar,S/S Side bars,Climair wind deflectors,Bramble Rash,

Quote:

Blimey I thought that was just me imagining it. Mine does exactly the same.
In fact I feel distinctly unsafe sometimes when driving on snow/icy roads. It feels like the motor is about to do a fishtail wobble side to side.
I thought I was imagining it and have never had that on any motor before, unless I was losing control of course Whistle

Worth jacking up, spinning the wheel and checking the tyre for deformity.

Many thanks.

The lease company have taken it back to get their dealer to look into this as mylocal dealer seems completely disinterested in helping me out. I'll post an update on what they come back with.