Can't get above 55mph in 5th gear

Don't know - all was well until noticed LR Defender CSW starting to struggle. Can only drive in 4th or 5th gear and really struggles (with foot down flat on accelerator) if left in lower gear. Highest I can get is 55mphLearner drivers, lorries, milkfloats - all starting to pass me. Queues forming behind me in single lanes - not how it's suppossed to be.Complete novice and first problem we've had. Can see something dripping underside of engine - toward back. Can anyone advise?

sounds like fuel problems to me , first job check what that leak is , if its diesel get it sorted pronto .... secondly check your fuel filter and air filter ...

and sounds like it needs a good service ....

p.s . make sure your gettin full throttle ...

My LR90 200tdi struggles to get above indicated 55 but I believe that's because I've got 35 inch tyres and it mucks up the speedo calibration.

I'm regularly coming up behind people on the motorway thinking why are you doing 45-50 mph on a motorway you idiot but I think my 55 is about 70 judging by the speed of other traffic.

If my cigarette lighter socket worked, I'd put my old tomtom in the car and see what that said...

Sorry I can't add any advice re the engine but I can't imagine that it can be in the best of health with more than a little oil dripping from it.

Who was it who said "if there's no oil under it, there's no oil in it!"?

Is the engine smoking? It could well be that your turbo hose has a split in it. As for the fluid leaking, does it smell of diesel? It could be coming from the engine and then being blown back along the chassis when driving around.

let the handbrake off

55mph sounds good to me i wouldnt do much more than that with my hooge mud tyres on..what tyres/engine do you have

When you say you can only drive in 4th or 5th, what do you mean? You have no drive in the lower gears, or it just doesn't pull very well at higher engine revs?

As above, what engine do you have? I guess this problem has only begun happening recently, not due to a change of tyres etc?

Lift pump, had this with the Disco a couple of years back, would let it do most things normaly but not rev over about 2300rpm, which in 5th is about 55mph.

ill say it again now then.. if you need one i have on, off a 12J, although i have a sneaky but easily corrected feeling they are the same on the tdi's?

Ahh the 200tdi is the same, but not the 300.

Well it's been pourin' with rain here in Cambridgeshire so I was too chicken to go out and get wet. Just to clarify - have a 2.5 300TDi and have had no problems previously and nothing has changed. Was doing 70mph no problem. The only thing we did different was to tow a small trailer - ever since then - if driving then struggles in 1st, 2nd and 3rd - feels like something is trying to pull it back type of sensation - goes really slow - almost grinds to a halt. Have to put it into 4th or 5th gear to make it go - and 55 is the fastest I can get with foot fully down on accelerator. Any slight incline then a real go slow and I have to change the gears down. Will have a look at recommended suggestions tomorrow and get back to you - thanks for the tips!

Brakes on the trailer?

jammed transmission brake?