Defender TD5's Multiple Warning Signs Need Urgent Fix

I had similar issues with my 2007 Land Rover Discovery 3 TDV6. When my glow plugs started failing, I experienced many of those same symptoms, hard starts, black smoke, and warning lights. Took it to my regular mechanic who diagnosed multiple failed glow plugs. In my case, 4 out of 6 glow plugs were worn out and the relay was also defective. The whole system needed replacement as the old plugs had actually started deteriorating inside the chambers. It wasn't just a simple plug swap, they had to extract some broken plug tips and clean the chambers. The job took about 5 hours but completely resolved the issues. The starting improved dramatically, smoke cleared up, and warning lights disappeared. Your symptoms definitely point toward glow plug system failure. It's a serious job that needs proper diagnosis and careful handling, not something for a quick-fix shop. Make sure your mechanic has experience with TD5 engines specifically, as they can be tricky to work on.

Thanks for sharing that experience, really helpful to hear from someone who's been through it! That's exactly the kind of trouble I was worried about with deteriorating glow plugs. Would you mind letting me know roughly what you ended up paying for the whole job? Also curious if you've had any related issues pop up since getting it fixed?

Hey there! Following up on your questions about the repair costs and aftermath. The total bill came to 560.00 € for replacing the faulty glow plugs and relay. I know it sounds steep, but considering the work involved and the fact that they had to carefully clean everything out, it was worth every penny. I'm really happy to report that since getting it fixed, my Discovery has been running like a dream! No more black smoke, starts up right away even on cold mornings, and all those annoying warning lights are gone. It's been about 8 months now, and I haven't had a single related issue pop up. The mechanic showed me the old glow plugs afterward, they were properly worn out! Honestly, if you're experiencing similar symptoms, I'd say don't wait too long to get it sorted. The longer you leave it, the more chance there is of the plugs breaking up inside the engine, which could make the job even more complicated. Trust me, once it's fixed, you'll notice the difference straight away. The engine runs so much smoother now!

Thanks so much for all that detail! I bit the bullet and took it to a mechanic yesterday. You were spot on, it was the glow plugs, and three of them were completely shot. The mechanic showed me the old ones, and they were in terrible shape. Cost me about 500 for the whole job, including parts and labor. The best part? My Defender's running like new again! No more black smoke, starts up instantly, and all those warning lights are finally off. What a relief! The mechanic I found was actually great, super transparent about everything and even showed me what they were doing along the way. Funny how stressing about these repairs always seems worse than actually getting them done. Really appreciate everyone's help here, saved me from a lot more headaches down the road!