Land Rover 200 & 300 TDi 6,000 mile Service
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Checking and Topping-Up Cooling System
The cooling system is a critical part of the car and neglecting it can cause serious engine damage. Whatsmore, such a failure will most likely occur during the first real onset of winter or on the annual long, hot summer journey to your holiday destination since these extremes of temperature aid either freezing or overheating.
The coolant used in the system comprises at least fifty percent water and this, without special additives, can either freeze solid or cause internal corrosion leading to leaks or blockages. Luckily all the right additives to prevent freezing and corrosion are contained in modern MEG Antifreeze mixture and this will be added to the vehicle from manufacture. However its properties degrade over time and for this reason the antifreeze and water mixture in the system must be renewed every two years without fail!
 DIFFLOCK TIP: Your antifreeze must be compatible with aluminium engines and be of a Mono Ethylene Glycol type for maximum longevity and protection. Our Ovoline MEG Antifreeze meets these requirements and is in fact ideally suited to all engines |
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If your coolant mixture is less than two years old, and so doesn’t need changing, you should at the very least check its level and strength.
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For TDI engines, check that the coolant level in the expansion tank is level with internal indicator as per the diagram below: Top up if low |
| DIFFLOCK TIP: Never unscrew the coolant filler cap (or loosen a coolant hose) on a hot engine because the system is pressurised and you may be sprayed with scalding steam or coolant. Never top-up with ordinary water because this will dilute the special antifreeze in the coolant, promoting corrosion inside the engine and increasing the likelihood that the engine will freeze up in winter. Either buy or make up your own ready mixed solution of one part Antifreeze to one part water. If you need lots of coolant to top up the reservoir then you may have a leak somewhere or the filler cap may be faulty. Go back and look for those tell-tale signs of antifreeze crystals around the system. A serious or persistent coolant leak MUST be fixed as soon as possible. |
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| DIFFLOCK TIP: If you suspect your coolant loss is due to a head gasket problem, get a local MOT testing station to ‘sniff’ the coolant with an emissions tester. This will instantly detect combustion gasses polluting the coolant and is a sure sign of a blown head gasket or cracked cylinder head |
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Whilst you have the filler cap off, you should also check your coolant strength (it may be too dilute!) with our inexpensive Antifreeze Tester. This at least will ensure there is sufficient concentration of antifreeze to prevent corrosion or costly frost damage.
Draw solution up into the tester several times to equalize the temperature of the instrument and then take a reading of the float level and coolant temperature. These two figures are then cross-referenced on a simple chart to find the point at which your coolant solution will start to freeze. It couldn’t be simpler!
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Simply draw up coolant solution into the Tester and read off the float level and temperature to work out the freezing point of your coolant |
Checking and Renewing Drive Belts
You also need to check all the driving belts for the following:
- Ageing - crazed or cracked surfaces
- Wear – fibre tufts sticking out, highly polished surfaces, any sign of contact on the bottom of Vee shaped belts
- Damage – chunks missing from any part of the belt, cuts
Given the position of the belts it’s not always easy to see the belts’ whole length but don’t try to turn the belts using your fingers since it’s very easy to get flesh caught between belt and pulley and this is VERY painful. Note that whilst these belts are very durable we recommend you should replace them at least every 60,000 miles and you MUST inspect them carefully after EVERY offroading trip without fail.
You also need to check the tightness of the belts. It’s possible to have belts that are either too tight or too loose. Too loose and the belt will slip and squeal, too tight and it will wear out the bearings on the pulleys over which it turns. Needless to say, at all costs avoid having the belt too tight since alternators and water pumps (with worn out bearings) are expensive to replace!
| DIFFLOCK TIP: If you are removing any type of drive belt (perhaps to carry out work on the engine) and intend to refit the same belt afterwards, ALWAYS mark its direction of travel on the belt before removal. That way you can refit it exactly the same way round since it will have worn to suit this particular direction |
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There are a couple of different types of belt in use - adjustment or replacement of these is as follows:
200 TDI Engines
200 TDI vehicles are fitted with Vee shaped belts that push on their sloping sides to turn pulleys. These belts can be checked for tightness according to the amount of movement that can be produced by pushing against a certain place with the thumb. Note that this is quite a crude measurement and for the reasons already mentioned, it’s better to have the belt a little too loose than too tight.
There can be up to three Vee belts fitted. Adjusting the tightness of these belts is a little fiddly and requires that all the fixing and adjusting bolts are first loosened.
Start with the power steering belt. Firm thumb pressure in the direction of the Arrow, midway between the power steering pump and the water pump, should produce approximately 5mm of movement.
 If the tension requires adjusting, then first slacken fixings 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6. The power steering pump pivots around fixing Number 1 and should be eased outwards to tighten the belt, or inwards to slacken it. If the belt requires replacement then move the pump inwards until it is slack enough to be lifted over the pulleys.
Note if the alternator belt requires replacement do this NOW since it fits behind the power steering belt and so the power steering belt must be removed to fit a new alternator belt.
| DIFFLOCK TIP: Tensioning the power steering belt is far, far easier if you first remove the alternator (BUT leave its belt in place behind the power steering belt!) and move it aside (you don’t need to undo the electrical connectors). We used a lever against the pump mounting bracket and timing cover lug (leave the steel fixing bolt in place) to GENTLY move the pump outwards in order to achieve the correct tension. If you do this be VERY careful not to apply too much force and NEVER lever against the power steering pump body |
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 Hold the tension on the belt and tighten fixings 5 and 6 to lock the pump in position and then tighten the pivot fixing 4 (torque for fixings 4, 5 & 6 = 25NM).
With the power steering belt tight you can now replace the alternator and loop its belt back on its pulley.
As can be seen, firm thumb pressure in the direction of the Arrow, midway between the power steering pump and the alternator, should produce approximately 4mm of movement.
 This time around you can set the belt tension quickly and simply using our Alternator Belt Tensioning Tool. Double check that the fixings 1, 2 & 3 are loose and that the alternator is free to slide in the slotted bracket between fixings 1 & 2. Then fit the Tensioning Tool around the body of the alternator and use a 1/2” Drive Extension Bar and Ratchet to move the alternator outwards until the correct belt tension is reached. Holding the tension on the belt, tighten fixing 2 first, followed by fixing 1 and finally fixing 3 (torque for fixings 1, 2 & 3 = 25NM).
Finally, if you are lucky enough to have air-conditioning on your 200 TDI, you need to check the tension of the air-conditioning compressor belt. You can’t push this belt inwards because it rests against the water pump pulley. However, grip the belt between finger and thumb and apply pressure outwards in the direction of the Arrow, midway between the air-conditioning compressor and the alternator. This should produce approximately 8mm of movement.
 If the tension needs adjusting or the belt replacing, then slacken the clamp fixing 1 on the tensioner pulley and move it outwards to increase tension, or inwards to loosen the belt. When the tension is correct hold the tensioner pulley in position whilst tightening the clamp fixing 1 (torque = 25NM).
300 TDI Engines
300 TDI engines are fitted with Serpentine or ‘S’ belts. The tension on these is set automatically by a spring-loaded tensioner pulley and cannot be adjusted. However, if the belt requires replacing then fit a 15mm Socket and Ratchet on the pulley wheel and apply leverage anti-clockwise to release the belt tension and ease the belt clear of the pulleys. Be careful, the belt tensioner will spring back down if you release it too fast - so gently does it!
Whilst you have the belt off, spin the tensioner gear and that of the large idler gear (on the front timing cover) by hand and listen/feel for coarseness or uneven running. A very free spinning, noisy gear has more than likely got worn bearings and should be replaced.
 Follow the diagram carefully when putting on the new belt since it snakes about and it’s easy to get it wrongly routed. Don’t forget that the belt tensioner pulley runs on the back of the belt (smooth side). Once the new belt is correctly routed, simply lever back the tensioner once again and allow it to spring gently back onto the belt. The spring-loaded tensioner pulley now keeps the belt tight and no further adjustment is necessary.
If you are lucky enough to have air-conditioning on your 300 TDI, you need to check the tension of the air-conditioning compressor belt.
The tension on this belt is set by a similar tensioner wheel but it is NOT spring-loaded. Instead, the three tensioner retaining bolts must be slackened and a 1/2” Drive Deflecting Torque Wrench used to apply an anti-clockwise torque of 35NM to the tensioner. Hold this torque steady with the wrench whilst tightening the three retaining bolts (torque for retaining bolts = 25NM).
| DIFFLOCK TIP: Next time you are in an empty car park, wind down the windows and drive slowly around in a circle with a full lock on the steering. Repeat this with the opposite lock on. Did you hear any squealing? If so the power steering belt is most likely loose or worn. Was there any kick-back through the steering wheel? If so, you may have a problem with a CV joint in the front axle so get it checked. Now drive straight ahead and turn on absolutely everything electrical including headlights and heated screen. Is there another squealing noise from up front? If so, your alternator belt is most likely worn or loose |
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Checking and Topping-Up Brake Fluid
Locate the top-up reservoir for the hydraulic brakes. Check that the fluid is between the maximum and minimum marks on the reservoir and if necessary top up with fresh Ovoline DOT 4 Brake Fluid. DO NOT spill brake fluid onto your vehicle’s paintwork since it will strip it clean off! Always use a Funnel and wipe off any spillages immediately.
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Allow the brake fluid to drain out of the float chamber of the level indicator before removing it fully, otherwise it will drip all over your paintwork |
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Top-up with Ovoline DOT 4 Brake Fluid to the ‘MAX’ mark on the side of the reservoir |
| DIFFLOCK TIP: Brake fluid absorbs water vapour from the atmosphere and this eventually affects its performance and that of your brakes. Never re-use old brake fluid. Always top-up with new fluid that has been stored in its original airtight container. If you need lots of fluid to top-up the brake reservoir then check it regularly every time you take the vehicle on the road. If the level continues to fall it’s a sure sign that you have an extremely dangerous leak somewhere and it must be fixed by a competent mechanic IMMEDIATELY |
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Checking and Topping-Up Clutch Fluid
Locate the top-up reservoir for the hydraulic clutch. Check that the fluid is between the maximum and minimum marks on the reservoir and if necessary top-up with fresh DOT 4 Brake Fluid (the fluid is the same as that used in the braking system).
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Top-up with Ovoline DOT 4 Brake Fluid to the ‘MAX’ mark on the side of the reservoir |
| DIFFLOCK TIP: Tip: If you need lots of fluid to top-up the clutch reservoir then keep a close eye on it for the next few weeks. If the level continues to fall it’s a sure sign that you have a leak somewhere and it will need to be fixed by a competent mechanic as soon as possible |
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Checking and Topping-Up Power Steering Fluid
Locate the top-up reservoir for the power steering system. Check that the fluid is between the maximum and minimum marks on the filler cap dipstick and if necessary top-up with fresh Ovoline ATF Type DII Fluid
Top-up with Ovoline ATF Type DII Fluid to the ‘MAX’ mark on filler cap dipstick
| DIFFLOCK TIP: If you need lots of fluid to top-up the reservoir then keep an eye on it for the next few weeks. Most of the power steering systems we have seen leak so don’t get too worried about the need for an occasional top-up every few thousand miles. If the level falls below minimum every week or so it’s a sure sign that you have a more serious leak somewhere and it will need to be fixed by a competent mechanic as soon as possible |
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Checking and Topping-Up Screen Washers
Locate the top-up reservoir for the windscreen washers. Top-up with fresh fluid (a mixture of ordinary water and a special screen wash) to within 25mm of the reservoir top. NEVER use water alone since this will smear on the windscreen rather than ‘cut’ through grime and will also freeze in the winter - you’d never drive with your eyes shut so don’t stint on using proper screen wash! The mixture can be varied between summer and winter months so follow the screen wash manufacturer’s instructions.
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Top-up with Screen Wash mixture to within 25mm of the top of the reservoir |
Checking and Draining Fuel Filter
Diesel engines inject fuel into themselves at very high pressures. This pressure is generated by a precision component called an injection pump. To avoid costly damage it is absolutely essential that the fuel entering the pump is not contaminated with dirt or water, so your vehicle has some special parts that prevent this. One is called a fuel filter and the other is called a fuel sedimenter.
The fuel filter can be located under the bonnet next to the clutch fluid reservoir. You don’t need to replace the fuel filter for the 6,000 mile service, but you do need to drain off any contaminants that have gathered in the bottom of it. Hold a small container beneath the filter and unscrew the drain plug at the bottom of the fuel filter a small amount until fluid begins to drain out. Once pure, clean, clear diesel fuel flows out, free of water globules or dirt, then retighten the drain plug
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Unscrew the fuel filter drain valve and allow fluid to drain until pure, clean, clear diesel fuel flows out free of water globules or dirt. Then retighten the drain plug |
Checking and Draining Fuel Sedimenter
Now locate the fuel sedimenter, which is under the vehicle mounted on the chassis near the fuel tank, and repeat the drain procedure as per the fuel filter. Its drain valve is plastic, an awkward shape and can be stubborn so gentle persuasion with an 8” Adjustable Wrench DF338 may be needed.
 
The sedimenter drain valve is an awkward flat shape and very stubborn so ease it gently backwards and forwards with an 8” adjustable wrench to work it loose
The sedimenter can simply be drained using the drain valve (until clean diesel emerges) every 6,000 miles, but should also be dismantled and the internal filter element cleaned in paraffin or white spirit every 12,000 miles (see 12,000 mile Service).
| DIFFLOCK TIP: The TDI fuel system should be largely self-bleeding but the lift pump should be used to prime the system first. It operates on a Cam, so if you pump it and it feels sloppy (not pumping) you need to rotate the engine a little at a time until the Cam turns round to the pumping position and you can feel resistance (ie fuel pumping) at the lift pump lever |
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Checking Air Filter, Housing and Hoses
Now back to the engine bay and the air filter. You don’t normally need to change the air filter for a 6,000 mile service but you absolutely must check its condition and that of all the associated hoses. If the filter is dirty it needs changing but this is rare at 6,000 miles unless the vehicle is being worked in dusty, arduous conditions. Check though that it, and the hoses, are not torn or damaged in any way since this will permit highly abrasive, silicon-loaded dust into the engine and promote rapid wear.
Unclip the Air Filter Housing and, where fitted, unscrew the knurled nut to remove its end cap and expose the filter.
Check the condition of the rubber dump valve in the bottom of the filter housing. It should be unblocked and the rubber lips undamaged.
While you have the filter housing out, double check the mounting rubbers that hold its retaining straps in place since these are prone to failure, allowing the housing to vibrate noisily
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Check the rubber dump valve is not blocked and that its lips are undamaged. Below it, either side (arrowed), can be seen the mounting rubbers for the filter housing straps. These rubbers are prone to failure and so must be checked and replaced if they have separated |
Refit the air filter (or fit a new one if necessary) in the housing and refit the housing to the vehicle.
 DISCLAIMER: Repairing and servicing vehicles should never be attempted unless you have appropriate professional training and are suitably qualified. If you are in any doubt about the work you intend to undertake you should consult an appropriate professional vehicle mechanic. Additionally you should always read and follow any relevant manufacturer’s manuals and safety instructions in full BEFORE attempting any work on a vehicle. To the extent permitted by English law, Difflock Ltd accepts no liability for any loss, damage or injury arising as a consequence of any of the advice provided. |
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