Jerking, Running Rough, Smoking.

[Oakmaster]

Defender 110 2015 Utility XS

I filled my tank up, with 2/3rds V Power on top of a 1/3 of an existing tank of Tesco Diesel.  We went 70 miles to Bristol Dual carriageways and Motorways - When we got close the engine started to 'miss', loose power intermittently, jerk (not violently) - We were moving flats for my daughter and made multiple trips across the city - then headed home.  The problems only seemed to occur at low speeds, Not low revs. Once we were heading home Dual carriageways and Motorways, no issues.

When I went to fire her up the next day she is very reluctant, clattering unhappily. We kangarooed down our short track, then down the single track steep hill we live on in 3rd using momentum to her her running. At the bottom of the hill she cut out and I got the engine management light. I pulled into a passing space. the engine had stared running in a very rough fashion, slow and ragged. by now it was POURING white smoke out the exhaust - so much so you couldn't see across the lane - people were stopping to see if I was OK? after a while it revved-up and I carried-on. now it was in some sort of limp mode not revving above 2000 RPM, and pretty gutless (but after a mile no more smoke)   after a few miles I stopped on a steep down slope, turned her off - then re started - All good, still had the Bristol hesitation, but the power was back, and I could rev it as much as I wanted. I nursed it into town, and after an hour of 'Cardio Rehab' It was very reluctant to start - but got me home despite the 'Bristol hesitation'.

I enlist the help of a friend who is very good with all things Land-Rover, and he suggests a problem with the fuel, We replace the fuel filter (preloaded with redex pump and injector cleaner) and put a gallon of diesel in the now half full tank.  It reluctantly starts, runs badly, makes smoke (much less than before) LR Mechanic Friend turns off the engine management light. says he thinks I must have filled it with Petrol.  the residue in the tray from changing the fuel filter has what might be construed as a petrol small, I'm not convinced.

The main question is this - If i had put 50 litres of petrol on top of 30 litres of Diesel - would it have run?  - unless you can advise differently it does seem like a fuel contamination issue - but I'm not sure what.

It is pretty galling that having pushed out the boat and put V-Power in the tank - this is the result.

 

Thanks 

 

 

[Junglie]

Could it be water in the fuel? It would be picked up from the bottom of the tank and I'm guessing the cold weather would exacerbate it...

But this may be a completely red herring.

[FridgeFreezer]

Do you have the receipt for the fuel - can you check if you put V-Power petrol or diesel in?

Also not unheard of for tanks to be mis-fueled, or have water leak into them.

[Oakmaster]

Yes - Its a possibility that the wrong fuel went in - But would a Puma 2.2 run on 60% Petrol?  for 150 miles?  

 

Edited January 23, 2023 by Oakmaster

[Eightpot]

Sounds like mis-fueling to me, easy done.  You can usually smell it in the tank or filter.  Some engines cope with it better than others, used to manage it regularly in my old Saab 9-3 (same symptoms as yours) and topping the tank with diesel worked (luckily I rarely put more than 30 quid in).  Some engines rely on the lubrication of diesel in the pumps etc, not sure on tdci - if in doubt drain your piesel out and refil. 

[sgnas]

Admittedly a much older design of engine, but I filled mine with petrol by mistake.

It ran with no problem for a few miles and it was only when I worked out that the reason the diesel had not foamed much on filling that I realised what I had done.

Dropped most of the tank into drums, drove to a different fuel station and refilled.