emeye

Well I finally managed to get my freelander to a garage to replace the fuel filter along with some other jobs, but unfortunately whilst there have been some improvements the car is not 100% It now starts without problem, but the idle is lumpy and the throttle response is sluggish, especially so from cold - when you press the throttle there is an initial delay before the revs shoot up and it always feels underpowered. I feel I have to rev it much harder than should be necessary to make reasonable progress! Everyone seems stumped - coil, dizzy, rotor arms, leads, plugs, injectors and inlet manifold have all been changed as has the coolant temp sensor. I have read that the aftermarket coolant temp sensors can be dodgy, but I'm reluctant to throw more money at the problem, especially to replace a new item! Could I be sucking in air somewhere? Could it be the plastic throttle body? Any suggestions? Cheers.

Turned out to be a dodgy connection to the starter motor - my mechanic mate sorted it in a couple of mins.

Just got my 1999 1.8 Freelander back after having the rear fuel filter and some water pipes replaced it ran fine for a few days, but last night it wouldn't start. All the dash lights came on and there was a click as I turned the key but nothing else. The car locked and unlocked with out any problems. Lights came on with no prob. I checked the fuses etc and then I disconnected and reconnected the huge multi-connector that goes into the side of the silver box under the bonnet (guessing this is the ECU?) and it then started and I got home OK. Unfortunately this morning I had exactly the same problem, but unplugging/replugging the connector made no difference - I've tried the other key/keyfob but still the same problem. So, could a wire or earth strap have come loose? Could it be the immobiliser? Help.

How did you get on? On my T reg the wiring loom under the carpet below the rear seats had been damaged by the seat post rubbing on them. You couldn't tell as the plastic was OK, but moving the wire allowed the car to run.

My freelander 1.8 has experienced similar issues - I have difficult staring sometimes and lack of power - if it's a '99 or before problem it could be the filter in the rear fuel pump needs replacing - there is a land rover bulletin for it. See the think in this thread: http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=49047&st=0&p=445354&hl=+freelander%20+fuel%20+filter&fromsearch=1entry445354

I quite like the exterior! But the interior is a complete let down. It should have had new seats etc. Strange comments about it being similar to a Nissan Skyline etc I'd be interested in the engine conversion and how it was done, but also surprised by the comments that the drive is terrible with 4wd - I think that's just an excuse for the transmission not being able to support all the extra power and torque.

Michael P - Stalybridge, Cheshire (nr. Manchester)

haha. I was wondering what the hell this was - I thought it might be a cold weather warning as it doesn't always do it.

Not sure if this is a similar problem to the one I experienced with my 1999 1.8 petrol freelander, but may be worth a look - Mine would not start one morning and luckily the recovery guy who came used to be a land rover technician. On mine the fuel pump is accessed by lifting the carpets under the rear seats. He managed to get it started my wiggling the wiring loom under here. It looks like the seat support had been resting on the loom and caused a break in the copper but the plastic around the wire was undamaged. Hope this helps, but obviously yours is a diesel and may be completely different!