help with my 05 freelander 1.8 litre petrol

[chris chapman]

Hi All ...

I am having a major problem with my 05 freelander 1.8 petrol.

Im no mechanic and this is my first freelander i have bought, the problem is that i can drive a few days without a problem and then all of a sudden as I'm driving the freelander starts to jerk a little and then just cuts out - if i attempt to restart it immedistely it just swings the motor but will not start. I leave it for 2 or 3 min and then restart it and it fires up immediately again , i drive for another 2 miles and the car repeats the process ... the last time being yesterday on the M3 !!! the car stopped 6 times before i managed to get back to Basingstoke !!

its almost as if it feels like their is a cut out sensor just switching the motor off or maybe the petrol pump not pushing the fuel through !! im just taking a shot in the dark here, other days i can ride perfectly with nothing happening and then all of a sudden the process starts again, the car temperature gauge is perfect and the freelander is not overheating ... please help !!!! does anyone know a good mechanic in basingstoke that can help me ...

 

[WLJayne]

Welcome to the forum . Sounds like a tricky problem, I haven't heard of much like it. You're in luck though I believe some of our most knowlegable members live in the Basingstoke area and I'm sure they will know a good place to get it seen to.

Will.

 

[chris chapman]

Hi Will,thanks for the welcome, hopefully someone can help. I will share the solution once the diagnosis is made

 

[Diesel Do]

Could be something along the lines of your crank sensor breaking down? Any warning lights? Had codes read?

 

[chris chapman]

I had the local repair shop have a look, they ran diagnostics which gave them petrol/air mix problems/errors but nothing else that could be causing the symtoms I'm getting ... no warning lights coming at all .... seems to jerk before engine cuts out, almost seems like no petrol is getting through .... hell i don't know !! if the repair shop cant find the problem i really got my back to the wall on this one .

 

[Diesel Do]

Ah! Crank sensor tends to leave no errors! If the signal stops it just assumes its stalled or something! Obviously it's a bit of an educated guess but they also tend to break down with heat, so long trips. But are fine when cold, short trips! Something to look at

 

[chris chapman]

Thanks Diesel Do, will take it in tomorrow and have them look ... cheers for that

 

[Rob Anybody]

Hi Chris
Had a 1.8 FL that would cut out ocassionlly, would also sometimes 'hunt' slightly on tickover. eventually a mechanic noticed that diagnostics showed the second lamda sensor giving a very constant reading (1st sensor reading was fluctuating normally) Tickover hunting was being caused by the engine managment system switching beween lean & rich (presumably because it was getting a false reading from the 2nd lamda sensor) Changed 2nd lamda sensor, car ran ok afterwards, tickover more even & didn't cutout again.
Might be worth checking out.

 

[Diesel Do]

Hi Chris
Had a 1.8 FL that would cut out ocassionlly, would also sometimes 'hunt' slightly on tickover. eventually a mechanic noticed that diagnostics showed the second lamda sensor giving a very constant reading (1st sensor reading was fluctuating normally) Tickover hunting was being caused by the engine managment system switching beween lean & rich (presumably because it was getting a false reading from the 2nd lamda sensor) Changed 2nd lamda sensor, car ran ok afterwards, tickover more even & didn't cutout again.
Might be worth checking out.

Not sure you've been told the truth there! The first lambda (pre cat) looks for O2 in the exhaust gas, if it sees some it richens it up if it doesn't it leans it off. It constantly runs rich lean rich lean which gives a fluctuating voltage, this is correct operation! The second lambda (after cat) again looks for oxygen but there should be none coming thu the cat so it should give a pretty constant reading, it's to check the system is working!

 

[Rob Anybody]

Not sure you've been told the truth there! The first lambda (pre cat) looks for O2 in the exhaust gas, if it sees some it richens it up if it doesn't it leans it off. It constantly runs rich lean rich lean which gives a fluctuating voltage, this is correct operation! The second lambda (after cat) again looks for oxygen but there should be none coming thu the cat so it should give a pretty constant reading, it's to check the system is working!

How constant is 'pretty constant' the one on ours was not fluctuating at all, at any engine speed. As I said once I fitted the new sensor it ran better and no longer cut out on us. If the 2nd sensor is giving an incorrect reading would the engine management system adjust the fuelling etc to try and get the reading correct?

 

[Diesel Do]

That ones not really there for fuelling it's more fore checking the system works! The first one is for fuelling! Readings taken after the cat aren't much use to the ECU cos the gasses are changed by the cat, if it thinks the emissions system is faulty it may put it to a preset map to protect the cat from damage? In which case it could make it run rough

 

[Rob Anybody]

That ones not really there for fuelling it's more fore checking the system works! The first one is for fuelling! Readings taken after the cat aren't much use to the ECU cos the gasses are changed by the cat, if it thinks the emissions system is faulty it may put it to a preset map to protect the cat from damage? In which case it could make it run rough

Ok, well thought it was worth posting as it seemed to sort ours

 

[Diesel Do]

Ok, well thought it was worth posting as it seemed to sort ours

Not saying it won't make a difference, every system has its quirks, just that I think you were mislead as to what the two sensors actually do

 

[Rob Anybody]

Not saying it won't make a difference, every system has its quirks, just that I think you were mislead as to what the two sensors actually do

Ah.. I was not told what the sensors actually did or controlled. I was shown the static reading of the 2nd sensor on the diagnostic equipment when it was connected to the car and as the tickover settled down a bit after I changed the sensor I presumed (as I said in my 1st post) that changing the sensor had also improved the tickover
Prehaps should also say that the sensor was a pattern part fitted after someone damaged it trying to pinch the cat, the one I fitted was a genuine LR one

 

[Diesel Do]

If it was flat lining at an unexpected voltage it may well put it into a preset map which cos it hasn't then got fine control, may make it mess around!

 

[Mantamad]

Does the engine run fine until its warm? if so it could be the IACV - Idle air control valve playing up, it allows extra air into the engine when cold but closes as the engine warms, if it fails in the open position then the car can run rough and cut out.

 

[chris chapman]

Hi Mantamad

Correct, the engine works great when cold, just when it gets hot the engine just starts to jerk/miss fire and then cuts out !!