Freelander 1 2005 TD4 Freestyle Starting Problem

Hi Everybody,

I wonder if somebody could give me some help?
I am having problems starting my Freelander.
When i turn the key the engine fires up as normal for a few seconds and then dies.
During the time it is running, the accelerator pedal doesn't seem to have any effect on the revs whatsoever.
Eventually anywhere between 2 - 20 tries it will kick in properly and keep running and then all is good - apart from a very slightly rough idle.

I bought a little ODBII tool - the wifi one that costs about £5 from amazon and it shows all sorts of information, apart from any output from MAF. I wasn't sure what this should report or even if the tool wasn't working properly so i bought a more expensive ODBII tool, a Foxwell NT301 for around £50. This also didn't show any output on the MAF graph.

Would a broken MAF sensor give me the problems I'm having or am i barking up the wrong tree completely?

Thanks for taking the time to read the post

ps - If it is the MAF sensor - is this the correct straight replacement?
Amazon product

You can unplug the MAF to prove it is faulty.
No that MAF you pictured won't be correct.
Unplug it first and see if it starts working correctly. If so, get the correct replacement MAF.

Nodge68 said:

You can unplug the MAF to prove it is faulty.
No that MAF you pictured won't be correct.
Unplug it first and see if it starts working correctly. If so, get the correct replacement MAF.

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Great, thanks for your reply.
Would a faulty MAF have similar symptoms to those i'm having?

tylerd said:

Great, thanks for your reply.
Would a faulty MAF have similar symptoms to those i'm having?

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A bad MAF can cause a verity of running issues.
The other thing that could cause starting issues is the high pressure pump regulator O ring.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-X5-3-...488359?hash=item4d519961e7:g:PTQAAOSwqu9U3zfY

Try unplugging the MAF. But the MAF doesn't affect the startup. Only once it's going does the MAF kick in. This would stop it running and also give a rough idle.
If once it's running and you leave it ticking over, does the tick over settle down after about a minute? If so, you have a sticky injector.
Mike

Skinny Mike said:

Try unplugging the MAF. But the MAF doesn't affect the startup. Only once it's going does the MAF kick in. This would stop it running and also give a rough idle.
If once it's running and you leave it ticking over, does the tick over settle down after about a minute? If so, you have a sticky injector.
Mike

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When i turn the key, the engine starts and the revs wobble heavily under 1k for a couple of seconds and then it dies. It will do this quite a few times and then when it works the revs seem normal and the accelerator starts to work. Once it is running it seems fine apart from a very slight rough idle every now and then - the rough idle can happen 30 mins+ into a drive when i pull up at traffic lights - its only a very slight wobble but makes the car judder a little.

How would i fix a sticky injector. Would it need replacing or would an injector cleaner in the fuel do the trick?

Thanks

That's more likely as @Nodge68 says, a faulty MAF rather than a sticky injector.
But I wouldn't rule it out.
If the injector has not been playing up for long, then good quality fuel and a good dose of injector cleaner will help(double dose it) if it's been a while, take your car to a Bosch diesel specialist, and they will remove the injectors and service them.
But do try the MAF unplugging first, takes minutes and will give an immediate answer as to wether it's faulty.
Mike

It could also mean your fuel filter is starting to clog up and/or your fuel pump might need attention. It depends if you know if it was serviced/Changed

Thanks for the replies.
I have (tried to) carefully clean the MAF, along with any other sensors i could find.
I put some premium Diesel in with a good dose of redex and have run it for a few miles - nothing has made a difference yet.
I have ordered a fuel filter - the one that fits above rear wheel - so will be changing that on Thursday when it arrives.

tylerd said:

Thanks for the replies.
I have (tried to) carefully clean the MAF, along with any other sensors i could find.
I put some premium Diesel in with a good dose of redex and have run it for a few miles - nothing has made a difference yet.
I have ordered a fuel filter - the one that fits above rear wheel - so will be changing that on Thursday when it arrives.

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Good luck with that, it's a horrible job.
I watched a guy doing it on Youtube from below and tried it that way but it was really hard to confirm all the connections were back in correctly and I'm still not convinced it is back in properly. When doing the pump I think I'll go through the wheel arch after removing the plastic arch liner.
Any other suggestions from the experts would help our OP and me.

Alibro said:

Good luck with that, it's a horrible job.
I watched a guy doing it on Youtube from below and tried it that way but it was really hard to confirm all the connections were back in correctly and I'm still not convinced it is back in properly. When doing the pump I think I'll go through the wheel arch after removing the plastic arch liner.
Any other suggestions from the experts would help our OP and me.

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Go through the wheel arch - it's only three screws/scrivets. The front pump bracket bolt usually undoes but the rear can be a sod. If it won't undo, drill out the rivets holding the pump tray, then bend the bracket down to release. Replace with a cable tie when you put it back in.

Be prepared to 'drift' the fuel filter out with a suitable long bar.

Hi, so today I have fitted a new fuel filter under the rear wheel arch (which was a little awkward but manageable) and also a new maf sensor. I also removed the egr and cleaned it - it was caked with hard black gunge inside. Slightly different problem now. When the car starts and I try to rev it, it literally takes a couple of seconds to get to around 2k rpm. Once the revs eventually get higher and the turbo kicks in (about 5-6 seconds after putting my foot down) it revs responsively at higher revs. If I let it drop back down to idle it is slow to build up revs again. I have read that the ECU needs to adjust to the new reading? Is that right? Do I need to reset the ecu somehow? Any help gratefully received.

Thanks,
James

Where did the MAF come from. What make is it.
Did you clean out the inlet manifold too. If not, you need to
Mine is a little sluggish at low Rpm when cold. The TD4 isn't a fast revving engine anyway. It's a bit of a plodder really. Check all the vacuum pipes though. Holes in the vac pipes will reduce vacuum available for the turbo vac servo, until the revs climb enough to overcome the losses.
I can't find any definitive answers as to the ECU needing time to learn new sensors. I didn't think it did learn there parameters though. Vac pipes would be my guess

I went to EK spares and gave them my reg number when I bought the part new. Not sure what the brand is? It was the whole assembly rather then just the sensor (the oval black plastic assembly with the sensor in it)

Are the any pipes in particular I need to check? I did give the ones at the front a quick check when I was cleaning the egr.

It isn't being a plodder, I wish it was. It is un driveable at the moment. I put my throttle flat to be floor and then a couple of seconds later the revs start to climb. It's not just sluggish, it's got a satellite delay ;-)

Normally MAF sensors other than genuine Bosch are rubbish.
I have a budget MAF that works best with my synergy MAF compensation turned on. It's signal unboosted is a little low, but better than a dead MAF.
The common vac pipe to split goes from the vac accumulator, over to top of the engine, down the back to the turbo solonoid. If this is split, the turbo will be on minimum boost until the vacuum builds with revs.
Definitely clean out the inlet manifold too. You'll be shocked at how choked up it will be.

The egr solenoid pipe was knackered on both my 02 cars right where it comes out of the solenoid..
That is the pipe that goes from the vac reservoir to the egr activator thingy at the front of the engine below the EGR.

Hi,
Firstly, thanks to everybody for their input, I really appreciate everybody taking time out of their lives to try and help me.

So i have just done a couple of quick tests.
With the new Maf connected (electrically) the car starts on 2nd attempt every time but wont rev.
If i unplug the new maf's electrical connector, it takes 4-5 attempts to start the car, but once its started - it revs normally.
if i plug it back in - starts but no revs

Does this rule out the vacuum hoses being a problem and point more to a substandard/fauly maf sensor?

Thanks,
James

What happens if you plug in the old MAF?

Nodge68 said:

What happens if you plug in the old MAF?

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When I plug the old MAF in it is the same as when I have nothing plugged in

I have found a used freelander bosch maf on ebay for £15 - it says in working order - so for £15 i'm going to give it a shot - it should arrive this week sometime.