Disco 3 (LR3) Cold starting and other bits....sorry long.

Hi,
I hope someone maybe able to offer some advice on these problems. The car is a 2008 D3 diesel and belongs to my sister in the Dordogne. That's all I know about it.

Just had a call from her asking for some help with somethings that are causing her problems.
She's had the car now for, I think, four years. Just after she got it the crank snapped and a replacement engine was fitted over here. Cheaper to bring the car back than do it there.
This has never been a good starter in the cold since she's had it either with the original or the replacement engine.

Today though after a lot of effort it started in -3C, hardly cold. She drove it into town, short journey, and noticed some fumes/steam coming from below the engine bay, she said almost identical to the exhaust fumes coming out the exhaust pipe. There was no wind so it wasn't exhaust blowing back under the car. Ideas on this please ?
No signs of overheating or loss of water, she's had Land Rovers for over 40 years and can do the basic checks etc.

The cold starting, I've told her to get the battery and alternator checked out. That should be tomorrow. May well be an old unit that's on its way out.

A couple of days ago the HDC lit up on a flat road, she said it felt as though the car was running rough then.
She wasn't sure if a friend had been pressing control buttons but she's concerned about this sort of thing and has them covered over to stop fingers messing.
Again any ideas please....

Would battery problems cause any of this excluding the fumes from the engine bay naturally ?

She wishes she'd never sold the D1 she got rid of to buy this. Says it's a wonderful car but she worries every time she goes out in it in case something goes wrong with it again.

I'd be very grateful if anyone could offer even a little advice. I'm lost on D3's totally.

Thank you.....Graham

Engine bay fumes could be the FBH and its quite normal, the FBH exhaust tail pipe is under the front left wheel arch.

Cars are very very battery voltage sensitive and even a slightly weak one can cause all sorts of warnings to appear.

I assume she has the rotary knod on the std road setting, shoudlnt really make any difference but simple to check.

Well worth having a look at the D3 forum as way more info over there, https://www.disco3.co.uk/forum/index.php?sid=5fff20f3634b461367a0929bfbba230b

Agree with above, but cold start problems probably caused by failed glow plugs, known problem with D3 but they tend to snap when trying to remove them, so people just leave the failed ones in and put up with the car running rough after starting. Without the glow plugs working the car has to crank for a lot longer to get heat into cylinders prior to starting, which takes its toll on the battery and alternator, causing lots of fault codes.

Free fix is to get some hot water and lift the bonnet and pour the hot water over the coolant temperature sensor, this for some reason tells the ecu all is okay and the engine starts fine, again all on the D3 forum.

Thank you both for your help. I've sent your info over to my sister and hope she can get it sorted out.
I've told her the first thing is to get the battery sorted and the charging checked out. As for glow plugs, yes I've seen the cost to replace those. Not sure if she'll bother. It's cost her thousands now with the engine change and I'm almost positive that she's been ripped off with some of the normal servicing she's had done and last night was talking about getting rid.
I'll find out where the temp sensor is and send her some images of it if I can find them. She's handy but not sure if that's up her street.
Again thank you both.

Pics, no need to remove anything to get the hot water onto the sensor.

Just reading a thread on the D3 forum where a guy has wired a 5 ohm resisitor across the temp sensor wires via a push to make switch in the cab so no need for the hot water.

Thanks so much, my sister really does appreciate the help you've both given.