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nickc

Member Since: 10 Jun 2016
Location: North London
Posts: 19

1995 Defender 110 200 Tdi CSW Epsom Green

Much reduced fuel usage & erratic idling when v cold

Hi

I have had my 2007 2.4 TDCI 110 (150k miles on clock) nearly a year now and all has been great. However at xmas I drove to Scotland and all was fine on the journey up. However a few days later whilst it would start ok it was idling very erratically when cold and on initial driving it would suddenly lose all power and at times even stalled. It would re-start OK and then was fine when warmed up, it was like this for at least 1.5 weeks. At the time I was going to take it to a mechanic and get it looked at when I got home.

However it drove back to London ok and as the weather warmed up the problem seems to have disappeared. But when I recently drove to Cornwall at Easter and I noticed that the fuel consumption has dropped dramatically (though weirdly only on the second half of the fuel gauge onwards) i.e. I used to get 200 miles on the first half of the fuel gauge (and still pretty much do) and then 180 to 200 miles on the 2nd half (based on a full tank), but on the way down I only got 117 on the 2nd half (and it was similarly poor on the way back).

Having taken it to my local Land Rover garage today they plugged it into a diagnostics box but found no faults and in the first instance they recommended I change the fuel filter (which was previously changed last Aug). I was also told (by BEll Auto Servises) it could be the vcv so I have bought one but not got it fitted yet (as my local garage said I should start with the filter). Whilst I will change the fuel filter as suggested, having looked at number of threads etc I am really concerned it could be an injector problem....

Is anybody able to tell me:
- if they have had similar problems and if so what the cause was?
- if it is injectors how I might diagnose this and how serious/costly it might be?

Also I need to take it to the continent at the end of May, any advice on whether this issues sounds serious enough to jeopardise that trip would be much appreciated.

Many thanks

28th Apr 2018 6:18pm

williamthedog

Member Since: 29 Dec 2012
Location: south wales
Posts: 3441

I would replace the vcv valve first. Your symptoms sound very familiar.

28th Apr 2018 6:48pm

nickc

Member Since: 10 Jun 2016
Location: North London
Posts: 19

Thanks, funnily enough that's where I started, as following the BAS advice I asked both of my local Land Rover garages to provide me with a quote for doing just that, but both started going on about 'don't I want to diagnose the problem etc..etc' (one even put me onto his specialist injector guy who baffled me with talk of 'back leak tests'...)

It looks like I just need to ask them to fit the thing and then go from there..

28th Apr 2018 7:02pm

williamthedog

Member Since: 29 Dec 2012
Location: south wales
Posts: 3441

Fit it yourself, it only takes 20 minutes to do. OK your supposed to do a pump relearn but it will run a lot better than its doing at the moment without a pump relearn. You could always take it to the garage for them to do the relearn. Quite a few dont bother

28th Apr 2018 7:13pm

nickc

Member Since: 10 Jun 2016
Location: North London
Posts: 19

I didn't realise you could fit it and not do the re-learn, so (assuming I can get the thing swapped over - as I appear to have an extra non-flexible pipe (looks like something connected to the manifold) just behind the unit that is not shown on most the images associated with the vcv) it will definitely run (as I really can't afford for it not to)?

Many thanks

29th Apr 2018 8:09am

Nevillerover

Member Since: 14 Feb 2015
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 224

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Sumatra Black

I replaced the VCV myself due to similar symptoms, two local independent garages were unable to do the pump learn as it kept saying temp was too low so I gingerly drove it around for a few weeks expecting something to go pop but nothing happened, it runs like a dream, no problems, main problem is it wants to go too fast, at 80 mph I have to rein it in.

2nd May 2018 8:19pm

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