Discovery Black Smoke & Power Issues, Need Help!

Hey there! I have some experience working on cars, and your symptoms sound very familiar. I had a similar issue with my 2020 Land Rover Range Rover (also with a gas engine). The symptoms you're describing are exactly what I dealt with, black smoke, sluggish acceleration, and that annoying rough idle. Turned out my fuel pressure regulator was shot. Had to take it to my trusted mechanic who spotted it pretty quickly. The repair set me back about 250 Euro, but it fixed all those issues completely. Before jumping to conclusions though, could you tell us: How many miles/kilometers are on your Discovery? Have you noticed any fuel smell? Has your fuel consumption increased lately? These details would help confirm if you're dealing with the same problem I had. From what you're describing, it really sounds like the same issue, but best to be sure.

Hey! My Disco has 195,761 KM on the clock, and I actually just started noticing a slightly stronger fuel smell recently. Fuel consumption has definitely gone up, I'm using about 15-20% more than usual these past few weeks. Had my last service just 3 months ago but I guess things can still go wrong. Thanks for sharing your experience with the fuel pressure regulator! That's really helpful and actually makes a lot of sense given what's happening. I'll definitely get that checked out. Would save me a lot of headache if it's just that and not something more serious. Did you notice any warning signs before it completely went bad?

Hey again! Yeah, based on those details you shared, it's sounding more and more like the same fuel pressure regulator issue I had. Actually, I did notice some warning signs before it got really bad, started with occasional hesitation during acceleration, especially on cold mornings. Then it gradually got worse over about 2-3 weeks. With my Range Rover, it was around 180,000 KM when this happened, so pretty similar to your mileage. The fuel smell you mentioned? That's exactly what tipped off my mechanic. He said when the regulator starts failing, it often leaks a bit of fuel, which explains both the smell and the increased consumption you're seeing. One quick tip, when my issue started, I actually tried cleaning the mass airflow sensor first (waste of time in my case!). Went straight to the regulator after that and boom, problem solved. Running smooth as butter since then. Given how similar our situations are, I'd bet good money you're dealing with the same thing. Just make sure to get it sorted soon, driving with a bad fuel pressure regulator can mess with other components if you leave it too long. Let me know how it goes when you get it checked out!

Thanks so much for all the detailed info! That's super helpful, especially knowing about those early warning signs. Come to think of it, I did notice that morning hesitation but didn't think much of it at the time. Really kicking myself now for not getting it checked sooner! I've actually just booked my car in for tomorrow morning at my mechanic's. Mentioned everything we discussed, and they agreed the fuel pressure regulator is likely the culprit. They'll check it first thing. Really hoping it's just that and not something more complex! Thanks again for sharing your experience, definitely saved me from going down a rabbit hole of unnecessary repairs or trying unusual fixes like that mass airflow sensor cleaning you mentioned. Will update once I know what's what. Fingers crossed it's as straightforward as yours was!