Black Smoke & DPF Issues: Freelander Diesel Problems

Hey there! I've got some experience working on similar cars, as I own a 2004 Land Rover Discovery diesel, and previously had a Defender. Your symptoms sound very familiar, I dealt with almost identical issues last spring. Had black smoke, poor performance, and that annoying engine light. After taking it to my regular workshop, they diagnosed a severely clogged DPF that wouldn't regenerate properly. The repair wasn't cheap, cost me around 1,325 Euro, but they had to deep clean the DPF system and replace the pressure sensor, as it was completely shot. Since then, the car's been running like new. Quick question though, what's your typical driving pattern like? Short trips can often cause DPF issues. Also, what's your current mileage? This info would help me share more relevant details from my experience. If you want, I can tell you about some preventive measures I've learned to avoid future DPF problems.

Hey, thanks for sharing your experience! That sounds really similar to what I'm dealing with. My Freelander has 101077 KM on the clock, and it had its last service about 3 months ago. I mostly do longer drives, so I'm quite surprised by these DPF issues. I was hoping it would just be the sensor, but after reading your post, I'm preparing myself for a bigger repair bill. Did you notice any immediate improvement in fuel consumption after the repair? Mine's drinking fuel like crazy right now. Would definitely appreciate those preventive tips you mentioned. Always better to avoid these problems in the first place!

Hey again! Yes, the fuel consumption improved dramatically after the repair, that was actually one of the first things I noticed. My Discovery went from being a proper fuel guzzler back to its normal consumption. Must have dropped by about 25-30%! Speaking from experience, these DPF issues can be really frustrating. Since you're doing longer drives, that's actually quite odd, usually sees these problems with city drivers. But sometimes it can be down to the quality of fuel or oil you're using. After my repair, I switched to a better-quality diesel and started using low-ash oil (as recommended by my mechanic), which has helped a lot. As for those preventive tips I promised: Make sure you get up to proper operating temperature on each drive, Every couple of weeks, take it for a good 20-minute run at steady higher revs, Keep an eye on your oil level (overfilling can cause DPF issues), Stick to the service schedule religiously, Consider using fuel additives designed for DPF cleaning One more thing, after my repair, I installed a DPF monitoring gauge. It's been really helpful in catching potential issues early. Might be worth considering once you get yours sorted. Let me know how you get on with the repair. Hopefully, it won't hit your wallet as hard as mine did!

I can complete this conversation from's perspective: Thanks so much for all this detailed advice! The fuel consumption tip gives me hope, I'm really looking forward to not spending a fortune at the pump anymore. I'll definitely follow those preventive measures you suggested, especially the one about the higher revs run. Never knew about the low-ash oil thing either, so I'll ask my mechanic about that. That DPF monitoring gauge sounds like a smart investment. I'll look into getting one of those once everything's fixed. Would save me from going through this headache again! I've booked the car in for next week, so fingers crossed. I'll stick to better quality diesel from now on too. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and tips. It's definitely made me feel better about tackling this issue. I'll probably be channeling my inner mechanic and keeping a much closer eye on things from now on!