Black Smoke & Poor Power: Defender's Fuel System Crisis

Hey there! Had almost identical issues with my 2017 Land Rover Discovery (gasoline). The symptoms you're describing match exactly what I experienced, black smoke, poor acceleration, high fuel consumption, and difficult cold starts. Turned out I had a defective fuel injector. Got it diagnosed at the dealer after my regular mechanic couldn't pinpoint the issue. The faulty injector wasn't delivering the right fuel mixture, causing incomplete combustion. It was pretty serious since bad injectors can damage other engine components if left unchecked. The repair involved replacing two injectors and cleaning the others. The fix was solid, engine runs smoothly now, fuel economy is back to normal, and no more black smoke. This was about 8 months ago, no issues since then. Given your mileage and symptoms, I'd strongly suggest getting those injectors checked. It's not something you want to ignore or have fixed by someone inexperienced with Land Rovers. Hope this helps.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That's super helpful as I've been worried about taking it to the wrong place. Your Discovery's symptoms do sound exactly like what I'm dealing with right now with my Defender. Quick question, do you remember roughly how much you ended up paying for the injector replacement and cleaning? Also, has everything been running perfectly since the fix, or have you noticed any other little quirks? Really appreciate your input on this!

Hey again! Happy to help update you on the costs! I just got mine fixed last week actually, the repair bill came to 515.00 € for replacing the faulty injector. I know it's not cheap, but honestly, it was worth every penny. The error code showing "mixture too lean" is completely gone now. Since the fix, my Discovery's been running like a dream, no more black smoke, fuel consumption is back to normal, and those annoying cold start issues have disappeared completely. It's like having a different car! No other quirks have popped up either, which is a relief. One thing I'll mention, once you get it fixed, you'll notice the difference immediately. The engine response is so much smoother, and that worrying exhaust smell is gone too. Trust me, you'll feel better knowing it's properly sorted rather than letting it get worse. Let me know how it goes when you get yours checked out! Always happy to share experiences with fellow Land Rover owners.

Thanks a lot for all the details! Actually, I took your advice and finally got my Defender fixed yesterday. You won't believe it, it was exactly what you said, faulty injectors! Ended up replacing two of them and getting the others cleaned. The price was a bit higher than what you paid, but honestly, the difference in performance is incredible. The black smoke is gone, and it's running so smoothly now. Cold starts are perfect, and that horrible fuel smell has completely disappeared. You were spot on about feeling the difference immediately. Took it for a drive this morning, and it's like having a completely different car. The engine response is amazing, and I'm already noticing better fuel economy. Thanks again for sharing your experience, it really helped me make the right decision instead of putting it off and potentially causing more damage. Really glad I got this sorted!