Why is my Defender's clutch mooing?

[Johnny G-Pipe]

Hello

Our new to us 01 Td5 Defender 110 has taken to 'mooing', when the clutch is engaged at start up. It then quietens.
My wife drives it mainly. Once she said she couldn't get it into gear, but today she says that she's struggling to find a couple of gears...

The car has a main dealer warranty. Does this sound like something wrong with the clutch release mechanism or something? Is there a 'throw out bearing' or summat? I don't know much about a clutch..

Thanks in adv!

Cheers

[Arif110]

Is normal apparently - mine bought from new - does this too.

Trouble with changing gears?

Normal too. Winter can make the gearbox feel 'stuck' - plus it is much more speed-sensitive than a normal car's - e.g. you can't throw down into 2nd from third, until road-speed is truly close to matching. And downshifting into 1st - need to almost come to a standstill.

Upshifting - if it improves once the car's warmed-up and driven for a good while - then you have no problem. Ideally to check - you need to lift one end, diff-lock disengaged (!)- and ensure that the wheels don't turn when the clutch is being pressed.

Texaco MTF94 oil in the gearbox will help alleviate the normal sticky action.