Bought a TD4 fixer upper and have a few questions

Just bought out second Freelander this week after the wife managed to park our last one in a field after a journey through a dry stone wall in the snow last year. Been using my motorbike all summer but decided to get another Freelander for the winter so hunted down a very cheap (£800) 2005 3 door TD4 that needs a bit of TLC.

It has 3 main issues that I think I know the fixes for but want to run it past you knowledgeable folk on here first before I splash out any cash on parts:

1) Clutch pedal has to be almost pushed into the floor, really low biting point. It changes gears no problem and is perfectly driveable but the pedal sometimes sticks down and has to be lifted back up with my foot. Would I be right in thinking it needs a new Master Cylinder?

2) Engine runs absolutely fine apart from on initial start up it will fire up, run for a few seconds then cut out with a puff of white smoke. It will start straight back up again but with a big cloud of white smoke and then runs and starts fine all day unless its left for more than a couple of hours then the stalling and smoke again.
Does this point towards a duff injector(s)?

3) Last of all the rear tailgate window is stuck up and I get 4 beeps when trying to lower it but no movement. I can hear the motor running when I select up and the usual noises from the tailgate handle but the window doesn't move. Assume this will require a new regulator? If so I understand the window has to be lowered slightly to access the bolts, any ideas how to do this when the window will now move down?

Glad you've got a new project!

1. sounds like a hydraulic problem - either the master or slave. Hopefully the master, as the hydraulic release on the Td4 manual is annoyingly inside the bell housing! If it's like my ZTT, the master is usually the problem but can be topped up

2. Not come across this one before - white smoke and stall? No idea? Hopefully someone can give a better explanation than that! Have you got access to a diagnostic code reader? A 2005MY will be EOBD compliant

3. Sounds like some kind of regulator fault - best take off the inner door card and have a look before ordering new parts. Strange stuff happens - like bits of wood wedged in to keep windows raised...

Good luck - look forward to hearing how this project develops!

On the stalling issue, my auto kept stalling when pulling away, started straight back up but would stall several times, once moving it was fine, turned out to be the MAF, unplugged it and it ran great (just a bit smokey under load)

Thanks for the suggestion, Ill have a look at the MAF

As already said the clutch issue could be the master. If replacing it make sure you use OEM or a top quality replacement. I believe cheap aftermarket masters are the cause of many low bite point clutches. I say this because I replaced the clutch in my TD4 with a good quality one. Then when bleeding the master failed so I bought a replacement from ebay which came in a Brit Part box and I've had a low bite point ever since. Not bad enough to annoy SWMBO so I haven't done anything about it but it would annoy me if I was driving it all the time.

Quick update on this ref the stalling and smoke on start up.

So far ive changed the air filter, PCV Filter, 2 x vacuum hoses, glow plugs and fitted an EGR bypass as well as running with the MAF disconnected.....its still no better

What I have noticed is that when I set off for work at 05:00 in the morning and the weather is colder it starts fine doesnt stall and no smoke but if left for a few hours any other time of the day when the temperature has warmed up the stalling, lumpy idle and smoke appear again on start up!

The only thing that I can see thats different is that on a cold morning the glow plug light comes on and once it goes out I wait a couple of seconds and it starts with no issue and no lumpy idle. When the weather is warmer and the glow plug light doesnt come on I have the staling / smoke and lumpy idle when it first starts? Any ideas why??

This is probably completely unrelated but ive also noticed that my temperature gauge never gets above a quarter on the gauge although the heaters etc all work absolutely fine, is this normal or could the 2 things be related or am I just clutching at straws

Elv73 said:

Quick update on this ref the stalling and smoke on start up.

So far ive changed the air filter, PCV Filter, 2 x vacuum hoses, glow plugs and fitted an EGR bypass as well as running with the MAF disconnected.....its still no better

What I have noticed is that when I set off for work at 05:00 in the morning and the weather is colder it starts fine doesnt stall and no smoke but if left for a few hours any other time of the day when the temperature has warmed up the stalling, lumpy idle and smoke appear again on start up!

The only thing that I can see thats different is that on a cold morning the glow plug light comes on and once it goes out I wait a couple of seconds and it starts with no issue and no lumpy idle. When the weather is warmer and the glow plug light doesnt come on I have the staling / smoke and lumpy idle when it first starts? Any ideas why??

This is probably completely unrelated but ive also noticed that my temperature gauge never gets above a quarter on the gauge although the heaters etc all work absolutely fine, is this normal or could the 2 things be related or am I just clutching at straws

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Don't think it is related as faulty thermostat is a common fault. do a search for faulty thermostat and you'll find loads of threads about how to bodge a Renault 5 Gates thermostat into the top hose.

Elv73 said:

Quick update on this ref the stalling and smoke on start up.
....
This is probably completely unrelated but ive also noticed that my temperature gauge never gets above a quarter on the gauge although the heaters etc all work absolutely fine, is this normal or could the 2 things be related or am I just clutching at straws

Click to expand...

That could be the clue that you are looking for. The temperature gauge uses the signal from the coolant temperature sensor and that same signal determines the glow plug usage during startup. Even when the glow plug light is out, the EMS uses them to help the start process and the lumpy idle etc could be because the EMS thinks the engine is hotter than it actually is and so is not using the glow plugs. Try unplugging the coolant sensor so that the EMS uses default values and see if that sorts the starting problem.

blodge said:

That could be the clue that you are looking for. The temperature gauge uses the signal from the coolant temperature sensor and that same signal determines the glow plug usage during startup. Even when the glow plug light is out, the EMS uses them to help the start process and the lumpy idle etc could be because the EMS thinks the engine is hotter than it actually is and so is not using the glow plugs. Try unplugging the coolant sensor so that the EMS uses default values and see if that sorts the starting problem.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that, I had read somewhere on here that it could be related but couldnt find the post again. I do have a new coolant sensor to install just havent had time to do it yet. Job for the weekend I think!