Freelander XEDi 2.0 tick over problem

Hi there

I have a R reg Freelander, L series 2.0 litre diesel.

It has an intermittent problem. On tick over rather than idling nicely at
about 750 to 800 rpm it races ever so slightly up to 1000 rpm. Additionally it
sometimes varies rpm at tick over just as if the driver is gently tapping the
accelerator pedle.never racing above 1100 rpm.

The car drives and pulls normally and starts every time.

Reving the engine for a while usually fixes it.

I have also found air in the fuel filter. bleed this out and it's OK for a
while.

I have changed:-
Hand priming pump
fuel rubber hoses in the engine bay
Fuel filter

I have looked for diesel leaks:-
along the main fuel lines, none.
at the tank sender unit, none.
in the engine bay, none.

I have inspected the air mass meter, looks ok but who knows.
I have pulled off various plugs to the sensor units to ensure they are clean
and dry, they all were.

Air is getting into the fuel filter from somewhere, but where?? I am
considering swapping the duel pipes from the tank to the engine bay but these
are peculiar to Land Rover, funny plastic bayonet fittings and hence will cost
many ££££'s.

I don't think air is getting into the injection pump, cos if it was it would
not start. When I bleed the system at the bleed nipple on the injector pump it
comes out clear of air.

This Freelander is now getting on a bit. It's done 90000 miles ish.

So any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Martyn

"Martyn Asker" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi there
>
> I have a R reg Freelander, L series 2.0 litre diesel.
>
> It has an intermittent problem. On tick over rather than idling nicely at
> about 750 to 800 rpm it races ever so slightly up to 1000 rpm.
Additionally it
> sometimes varies rpm at tick over just as if the driver is gently tapping
the
> accelerator pedle.never racing above 1100 rpm.
>
> The car drives and pulls normally and starts every time.
>
> Reving the engine for a while usually fixes it.
>
> I have also found air in the fuel filter. bleed this out and it's OK for a
> while.
>
> I have changed:-
> Hand priming pump
> fuel rubber hoses in the engine bay
> Fuel filter
>
> I have looked for diesel leaks:-
> along the main fuel lines, none.
> at the tank sender unit, none.
> in the engine bay, none.
>
> I have inspected the air mass meter, looks ok but who knows.
> I have pulled off various plugs to the sensor units to ensure they are
clean
> and dry, they all were.
>
> Air is getting into the fuel filter from somewhere, but where?? I am
> considering swapping the duel pipes from the tank to the engine bay but
these
> are peculiar to Land Rover, funny plastic bayonet fittings and hence will
cost
> many ££££'s.
>
> I don't think air is getting into the injection pump, cos if it was it
would
> not start. When I bleed the system at the bleed nipple on the injector
pump it
> comes out clear of air.
>
> This Freelander is now getting on a bit. It's done 90000 miles ish.
>
> So any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
>

Hiya Martyn,
It sounds like you've already got the answer - it's pulling air in
somewhere. This would not necessarily result in a diesel leak so that may
explain why you haven't found one. I guess it must be pulling air in
somewhere between the tank and the filter so it might be worth a gentle
tweak up on any connections in that line. As you say, the tank sender units
are expensive, about £180 on my Disco plus fitting. Mine failed at about
150,000 miles, but I got a leak first with no air coming in. It was the
smell that alerted me.

Hopefully someone who knows what they're talking about will contribute
shortly.....


TonyB

In article <[email protected]>, "TonyB" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>"Martyn Asker" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Hi there
>>
>> I have a R reg Freelander, L series 2.0 litre diesel.
>>
>> It has an intermittent problem. On tick over rather than idling nicely at
>> about 750 to 800 rpm it races ever so slightly up to 1000 rpm.
>Additionally it
>> sometimes varies rpm at tick over just as if the driver is gently tapping
>the
>> accelerator pedle.never racing above 1100 rpm.
>>
>> The car drives and pulls normally and starts every time.
>>
>> Reving the engine for a while usually fixes it.
>>
>> I have also found air in the fuel filter. bleed this out and it's OK for a
>> while.
>>
>> I have changed:-
>> Hand priming pump
>> fuel rubber hoses in the engine bay
>> Fuel filter
>>
>> I have looked for diesel leaks:-
>> along the main fuel lines, none.
>> at the tank sender unit, none.
>> in the engine bay, none.
>>
>> I have inspected the air mass meter, looks ok but who knows.
>> I have pulled off various plugs to the sensor units to ensure they are
>clean
>> and dry, they all were.
>>
>> Air is getting into the fuel filter from somewhere, but where?? I am
>> considering swapping the duel pipes from the tank to the engine bay but
>these
>> are peculiar to Land Rover, funny plastic bayonet fittings and hence will
>cost
>> many ££££'s.
>>
>> I don't think air is getting into the injection pump, cos if it was it
>would
>> not start. When I bleed the system at the bleed nipple on the injector
>pump it
>> comes out clear of air.
>>
>> This Freelander is now getting on a bit. It's done 90000 miles ish.
>>
>> So any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>
>Hiya Martyn,
>It sounds like you've already got the answer - it's pulling air in
>somewhere. This would not necessarily result in a diesel leak so that may
>explain why you haven't found one. I guess it must be pulling air in
>somewhere between the tank and the filter so it might be worth a gentle
>tweak up on any connections in that line. As you say, the tank sender units
>are expensive, about £180 on my Disco plus fitting. Mine failed at about
>150,000 miles, but I got a leak first with no air coming in. It was the
>smell that alerted me.
>
>Hopefully someone who knows what they're talking about will contribute
>shortly.....
>
>
>TonyB
>
>
Thanks Tony.

I made a new type of bleed nipple for the fuel filter today, rather than the
crappy landrover nut.

It made bleeding the system a whole lot easier.

So we will see.

Tks

Martyn