freelander ird unit

What the hell's and IRD?

Independant Rear Diff? Intelligent Rear Diff? Insulated Red Doorbell?
The Freelander like many new 4wd's relies on many electronic driving aids this could be.

Tell us more about your model and what happened? What was it doing after it broke? Just before?
Auto or manual? Diesel or Petrol?

$7000 is a high cost for one component on any car to fail - most parts are rebuildable unless they are purely electronic in which case they are usually much cheaper..... Have you got a second opinion?

Dunno much about the Freelander from its traction/electronics features.

I'd recommend you ring Ritter Automotive if you're in Melbourne or your Land Rover Dealer.... (or if you did aspecialist in one of the capital cities).

Google.com.au search gets you

intermediate reduction drive (IRD) (http://www.worldoffroad.com/vehicles/freeland.asp)

The IRD requires no servicing and its lubricant has an expected life of 10 years.. (http://www.used-car-prices.com/reviews/Land-rover/Freelander-review.html)




Try the Freeloader forum
http://www.freelanderliving.com/bb_board/default.asp

or http://www.freelanderowners.com/forum/index.php

From another forum. It doesnt sound like a 1 off, from a search of this site!
http://www.freelanderowners.com/forum/showthread.php?s=68fdf6d26ea33696307419201f56f4e0&threadid=921&highlight=ird
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Here goes:
I bought a 1999, 1.8 Petrol Land Rover Freelander on 31 May 2002. You can imagine my excitement when I bought the car - it was spotless inside and out, had a full service history, only 97000km on the clock.. the list goes on....

I have been a Land Rover fan for many years... and eventually I managed to earn enough to FINALLY buy one. I phoned Land Rover SA that afternoon before I signed the financing contract and specifically told them that I am purchasing a second hand Land Rover, and whether there are any known bugs or problems that I should look out for. They assured me that the price I am paying is a good price, and said that they don't know of any known problems on that year car.

Well, needless to say, I bought the car and off I went. Two weeks ago I started to hear a very loud "clacking" noise when I reversed. Thinking it was the CV Joints I took the car for repairs that same day. It took two weeks to find out that it was the IRD transfer box!

I started to phone around for a second hand one (as I am definitely not prepared to pay R23258.21 (±2400 US Dollars) for a new one) - and to my shock and horror EVERY dealer, scrapyard or mechanic that I spoke to told me that it is a VERY common problem on my year model Freelanders!!

What bothers me about this whole problem is that whenever I phone to ask for a transfer box, they reply immediately "Ohh, for a Freelander? No sorry, no stock at the moment, we sell about 4 every month". They also tell me that the "problem" with the Transfer box/ cases in Freelanders was fixed in 2001.

Other than the "jockey pulley" or something in the alternator that has to be replaced - I havent had any other major problems with my Hippo... I have been on numerous 4x4 tracks here in RSA and regardless of all the money I have spend - I STILL LUV IT!

My question is - If this is such a common problem with Freelanders (and yes, my warranty expired one month after I bought the car - at which time I had no known problems) - WHY did Land Rover not pull these cars back?? Shouldn't this problem have been fixed by Land Rover at their own cost, the minute they realised there was a problem with the transfer boxes?????
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