Freelander's Multiple Engine Issues, Help Needed!

Hey there! I've got some experience working on cars (some basic DIY maintenance and repairs). This sounds really similar to what I went through with my 2013 Land Rover Discovery. I had almost identical symptoms, black smoke, stalling, rough running, the works. After a couple of misdiagnoses, my mechanic found it was indeed a faulty fuel rail pressure sensor. Had it replaced for about 240 Euro and all those issues disappeared completely. In my case, the bad sensor was sending wrong readings to the ECU, causing all sorts of chaos with the fuel delivery system. I actually tried cleaning the sensor first (don't recommend it, waste of time), but ended up needing a complete replacement. Before I can give more specific advice, have you scanned for error codes? When did these symptoms first appear? Does it happen more when the engine is cold or warm? Btw, if it helps, the Freelander and Discovery share quite a few components, so the fix should be similar.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My Freelander is sitting at 126686 KM, and just had its service last month. Had it scanned at my local shop, they pulled some codes but weren't too helpful in explaining them. The symptoms started about two weeks ago, and it's definitely worse when the engine is cold, especially in the mornings. Your Discovery story sounds spot on, exactly what I'm experiencing. Good to know it was a straightforward fix for you. Did you notice any warning signs before the sensor completely failed? I'm hoping to get this sorted soon because the fuel consumption is killing me right now. And that black smoke is pretty embarrassing, to be honest!

Hey again! Yeah, looking back at my Discovery experience, I definitely noticed some early warning signs before things got really bad. About a month before the major issues kicked in, I started getting slightly worse fuel economy, probably didn't notice it right away because it was gradual. Then the engine started acting a bit funny during cold starts, but would sort itself out after warming up. Your symptoms and mileage are eerily similar to what I dealt with. My Discovery was around 130000 KM when the sensor went bad. Since you mentioned your Freelander just had a service, I'd actually be curious if the symptoms started showing up right after that? Sometimes these sensors can get disturbed during routine maintenance. One thing I learned from my experience, don't wait too long to get it fixed. I tried to "live with it" for a few weeks, and ended up spending way more on extra fuel than the sensor replacement would've cost. Plus, running with wrong fuel pressure readings isn't great for the engine long-term. Quick tip that helped me before getting to the mechanic: try to keep the tank more than half full. For some reason, my Discovery ran a bit better with more fuel in the tank when the sensor was acting up. Might help you too until you can get it sorted. Need any other details about what to expect with the repair? Happy to share more from my experience!

I'll complete the conversation from's perspective: Thanks so much for all this detailed info! That's really helpful about keeping the fuel tank fuller, I'll definitely try that. And you know what, now that you mention it, these issues did start pretty soon after the service. Maybe there is a connection there. I think I'll stop putting this off and book it in for repair next week. You've convinced me, especially about the long-term engine damage concerns. Better to fix it now than risk bigger problems later. The fuel costs alone are making me wince, I filled up twice this week already! Really appreciate you sharing your experience with the Discovery. It's given me confidence about what the problem might be, and it's reassuring to know it's likely a straightforward fix. I'll update the forum once I get it sorted out. Thanks again for all your help!