TD4 Auto Problems - HDC, Power, Kickdown

Hi all, hoping someone might be able to help.
Just bought a 2002 TD4 ES auto, and on road test just round a roads etc all seemed good. Was advised sometimes when you turn on ignition the Amber HDC light stayed on, bu if you switch off and restart, it goes out - which is true. So not sure if this is an issue? or connected with other 2 problems.

On driving home, car was performing well along a roads, then onto M25 for around about 60 miles total? Then got towards M11 and noticed seemed to start lacking power struggling to do over 75ish. It seemed to struggle more if you put your foot right down, rather than just lightly on the accelerator? Especially sluggish on uphill inclines. This is when i then noticed other problem with kickdown. In that if you kickdown pedal it just revs high but does not change gear, just plods as it was but revving its nuts off.

Managed to get back, 150 miles still in 3 hours. Seems odd, as previously said, first 1hr ish seemed fine driving.

Not sure if these are all related or seperate faults? Any light on the subject would be greatfully received. I can then try and fathom whether it is going to cost a lot to rectify, or whether i need to go and drive it through the guys front door.

Apart from these faults, the car is great.

Oh, one last thing, the CD Changer was'nt working and case wouldn't eject and was reading "no cartidge", so i took it out and found one of the trays and cd were stuck. Managed to get case off and free cartridge. Cartridge now ejects freely, but reading now says "no CD" so i guess the changer is kaput. Anyone know best place to get one of these?

Cheers

Tudds

jtudds said:

Hi all, hoping someone might be able to help.
Just bought a 2002 TD4 ES auto, and on road test just round a roads etc all seemed good. Was advised sometimes when you turn on ignition the Amber HDC light stayed on, bu if you switch off and restart, it goes out - which is true. So not sure if this is an issue? or connected with other 2 problems.

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Amber HDC light should come on as a test only when ignition turned on, the extinguish after 3 seconds or so. Should never stay on unless there is a problem.

jtudds said:

On driving home, car was performing well along a roads, then onto M25 for around about 60 miles total? Then got towards M11 and noticed seemed to start lacking power struggling to do over 75ish. It seemed to struggle more if you put your foot right down, rather than just lightly on the accelerator? Especially sluggish on uphill inclines. This is when i then noticed other problem with kickdown. In that if you kickdown pedal it just revs high but does not change gear, just plods as it was but revving its nuts off.

Click to expand...

I have the same problem heading into Essex. Joking aside, how does it perform in manual or sport mode ? The revving thing when you kick down is normal(ish). When cruising at speed, the torque convertor in the autobox locks up to provide as close to zero slip as possible, for greater economy. When you kick down, the gearbox gets ready for a change and disengages to the torque convertor lock up, thus introducing a degree of slip briefly, causing the revs to rise. Shouldn't be excessive though.

jtudds said:

Managed to get back, 150 miles still in 3 hours. Seems odd, as previously said, first 1hr ish seemed fine driving.

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Might be worth having the fluid changed in the auto box, did make a bit of difference to mine when I had it done.

jtudds said:

Oh, one last thing, the CD Changer was'nt working and case wouldn't eject and was reading "no cartidge", so i took it out and found one of the trays and cd were stuck. Managed to get case off and free cartridge. Cartridge now ejects freely, but reading now says "no CD" so i guess the changer is kaput. Anyone know best place to get one of these?

Click to expand...

Ebay have quite a few, or if you wanted new, try Duckworths. Depending on your head unit, this would work out about £60

Welcome to the forum, good luck with your problems.

Thanks Optimus,
Will be dropping it into garage on Thurs to have a look.
The HDC light has'nt done it since.

The kickdown definately doesn't work at any speed? If you hit pedal to floor quick, there is no gear change, no speed increase, just high revving? Again, just driving A roads, seems to drive well and change through gears ok (apart form kickdown), but seems to get a bit more sluggish after 1/2 hour or so? Which is why i wonder if they are related, eg when pulling out junctions or starting off and you put your foot down, it seems to become more sluggish and power loss?

checked ya ATF levels?

Hi there
I had the same problem as you with kick down. I had the fluid changed in the auto box, did make a big difference to mine and have had no more problems.

Best regards Steve

OK, been into LR specs to day and been on the diagnostics reader.

Carried out updates to engine and gearbox ECUs and picked up suspect fault caused by low fuel pressure. Advised that fuel pump needs replacing and would be around £200-£250, and quite common doing around 3 a week.

I asked which one, tank or wheel arch, and they said there was no real way of checking but both around same price? (So you saying £200 luck guess on one, and if incorrect another £200 for right one?). Then said to leave it a couple of weeks to see how it goes, and if it gets worse they should be able to gauge which one it is, and also might have been cack in filter which may sort itself out.

I then drove it back to work (late again), and tried the kickdown, and it appears to be working. But have not had chance yet to try for power loss at 70mph to see if that is still issue.

SO, not sure if problem solved by maybe them cleaning fuel filter, then becoming sketchy once i showed questioning and reluctance on fuel filter, or whether ECU updates have helped? Also, if it is low fuel pressure, is there anything else thats common, and i need to check first, before i go splashing out 200 notes on a pump?

Slowly getting there, and thanks for all your help.

Hangon a minute They're asking you to change a fuel pump but they don't know which one to change so they'll toss a coin to decide which one to do?? They're taking the ****. surely it's a case of hooking a pressure gauge to the pump and seeing what the fuel pressure is.

dont know how handy u are, but my tank fuel pump went down at christmas, and I kept getting quotes which were £250 ish, untill I rang John Craddocks, Cannock, West midlands, you see them in all the landy mags, anyway, I got one from them, ok non genuine, but fookin looks the same, £110 all in!!, also if its the high pressure fuel pump( lift pump), theres a guy on ebay who sells genuine ones, I think when I was gonna buy one he was doin "buy it nows" for about £70 or a bit less if i remember right!

you could do both pumps for what you've been quoted, if you cant fit them yourself, find someone who can, slip em a drink and ur sorted!!, if you was local Id do it for ya!!

OK. Spoke to techie at the main stealers. He gave an easy test to try, by sticking car in neutral and flooring pedal. If it goes right round its most likely air flow sensor or similar, if it doesn't its fuel. Mine only gets to about 3500rpm, so more confident in the assessment of being fuel pump. However, he also said vehicles with the pump in the rear wheel arch only have ONE fuel pump, NOT two (not one in the tank, just a sender). So why i'm told after paying for test that its one of my fuel pumps, but don't know which one???????

Anyway, managed to source a fuel pump for £70 so happy with that, awaiting for it to arrive. Whilst waiting, today i thought i'll try replacing fuel filter (just to check), plus if gonna replace pump later may as well filter as well. So rang local parts supplier, and after confiming details of inline filter etc was told they had one, so promptly set on the case of removing my pump/filter assembly (what f in muppet designed that? they should have their testicles branded with a hot poker). Got it all out and on a bench, the took Mrs car to get the filter- WRONG F IN ONE. So morning spent dissasembling and putting back for nothing. At least i got some practice for when the pump comes i suppose. Will update after replacing to see if its cured.

PS Thanks Caravan Doc, very kind offer to do pumps, much appreciated and welcoming to find proper gentlemen still exist. Cheers mate.

SORTED. Fitted fuel pump and relaced filter, now runs like a dream. Hopefully all good from now on. Managed to get CD Changer sorted as well.

jtudds, just like to know for reference how many miles the car/fuel pump had done before failing?
cheers.

Hi chaser. Sorry for delay, been away for a few weeks.

The car has done 80k and is a late 2002. I cannot say whether the pump had been in from new or not though?

Thanks for the feedback. I'll put some dosh to one side ready, ours could go in the next twelve months then......

Got exactly the same kickdown problem, when it first happened I was on the motorway at about 65 mph and needing a burst of speed to get me out of crowded lanes whilst overtaking wagons. I kicked down and nothing, quite the opposite it slowed down putting me in a hairy situation, scary !!!!.
Land Rover must know of the problem and acknowledge it in some kind of newsfeed
Thanks for the above info regarding the possible fix’s

Hanksy said:

Got exactly the same kickdown problem, when it first happened I was on the motorway at about 65 mph and needing a burst of speed to get me out of crowded lanes whilst overtaking wagons. I kicked down and nothing, quite the opposite it slowed down putting me in a hairy situation, scary !!!!.
Land Rover must know of the problem and acknowledge it in some kind of newsfeed
Thanks for the above info regarding the possible fix’s

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A lot more information is needed.
What engine TD4 or V6?
What year vehicle?
When was the gearbox fluid last changed?
How long has it had this fault?

LR won't publish a news feed on a random fault, on a vehicle which has been out of production for over a decade.