Freelander Heat & Defrost Issues, Coolant Valve Problems?

Hi there! As someone with some car repair experience, I had a very similar issue with my 2006 Land Rover Discovery TD4. The symptoms were exactly like what you're describing. Took it to my regular workshop and turned out it was a faulty cable connection at the water valve plug. Got it fixed for about 155 Euro, and the heating has worked perfectly since then. The mechanic also checked the entire heating system just to be safe. Before I can give you more specific advice, has your coolant level been stable? Are you hearing any unusual sounds from the heating system? Have you noticed any leaks under the car? By the way, I also owned a Defender before, so I'm quite familiar with Land Rover heating quirks. Let me know those details and I'll try to help further!

Thanks for the detailed response! My Freelander just had its service last month and has 59375 KM on the clock. The coolant level seems fine and stable, I check it regularly. Haven't noticed any leaks under the car, but there's this faint clicking sound when I adjust the temperature dial. I was hoping it would just be a connection issue like yours, as that sounds way less expensive than replacing the entire valve. My regular mechanic mentioned it could also be a heater matrix problem, but I really hope that's not the case. Did your mechanic mention how long it took to fix the cable connection? Just trying to figure out if I need to arrange alternative transport for work. Thanks again for the help!

Hey again! Thanks for those extra details. It really helps paint a better picture. That clicking sound from the temperature dial, I had that exact same issue with my Discovery! In my case, the cable connection fix took about 2-3 hours total. My mechanic had to remove some parts of the dashboard to access the connection point, but it wasn't a major teardown. I totally get your concern about the heater matrix, that was my biggest worry too! But from what you're describing (stable coolant, no leaks, clicking sound), it sounds very similar to what I experienced. The heater matrix usually shows more obvious symptoms like sweet-smelling fluid inside the car or foggy windows. One quick thing you might want to check, when you turn the temperature dial, does the clicking sound happen at specific points, or is it continuous? In my case, it was happening at specific points, which helped confirm it was the connection issue. Given your recent service and low mileage, I'd be surprised if it was anything more serious than a connection problem. My Discovery had almost double those kilometers when I had this issue. Let me know how it goes, I'm really curious if it turns out to be the same problem!

Thanks so much for all the extra info and reassurance! You've actually made me feel a lot better about this whole situation. The clicking definitely happens at specific points when turning the dial, exactly as you described. That's really encouraging to hear it matches your experience. 2-3 hours doesn't sound too bad at all. I can probably drop it off in the morning and pick it up after work. It's such a relief to know it might not be the heater matrix, that sweet smell and foggy windows you mentioned had me worried, but I haven't noticed anything like that. I'll get it booked in with my mechanic next week and specifically mention the cable connection issue you had. Really hoping it'll be a similar straightforward fix. I'll definitely update you once I know what's going on. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, it's been super helpful!