Freelander Fuel Issues: Black Smoke and Rough Running

Hey there! Some experience with cars here. I had a very similar issue with my 2002 Land Rover Discovery with the 2.0L gasoline engine. The symptoms you're describing sound exactly like what I went through, black smoke, rough running, and those annoying unusual stalls. My issue turned out to be a defective high-pressure pump. The repair set me back about 1510 Euro at my trusted mechanic's workshop, but it fixed everything completely. The fuel consumption went back to normal, and all those nasty symptoms disappeared. Before we jump to conclusions though, could you share: Have you scanned for error codes? When was your last fuel filter change? Does it happen more when the engine is cold or warm? The Freelander can be tricky, but knowing these details would help narrow things down. Let me know, and I can share more specific advice about what to look out for!

Thanks for your detailed response! My Freelander has 88157 KM on the clock, and I just had it serviced last month. I've got the error codes scanned, showing P0171 (System Too Lean) and P0172 (System Too Rich). The issue seems worse when the engine is warm, particularly after about 15-20 minutes of driving. The fuel filter was changed during the service, but the problems persisted. What you mentioned about the high-pressure pump is interesting, did you notice any particular sounds before yours failed? I'm hearing a slight whining noise too, which I probably should have mentioned in my first post. I might take it to get the pump checked out based on your experience. Did you notice any warning signs before it completely failed?

Hey again! Good to hear back from you. Sounds way too familiar, my Discovery had those exact same codes before things went south. The whining noise you mentioned? That's what really caught my attention because it was the same telltale sign I had before my pump went completely bust. In my case, the whining got louder over about two weeks, especially when accelerating. Started as a subtle whine but got more noticeable. Then one day, while driving home, the car just threw a complete tantrum, jerking, smoking, the works. Not fun at all! Since you mentioned your Freelander has similar mileage to what my Discovery had (mine was at about 85000 KM when it happened), and with those identical error codes, I'm even more convinced it's the pump. The fact that it's worse when warm also matches my experience exactly. Quick tip though, before you go replacing the pump, might be worth checking the fuel pressure. My mechanic actually showed me how the pressure was all over the place when we tested it. Would've saved me some headache if I'd checked that first. Is your whining noise getting any louder? That's usually a good indicator of how urgent the repair might be. Don't wait too long though, I learned that the hard way when mine finally gave up in the middle of nowhere!

Thanks for that thorough explanation! Yes, the whining noise has definitely gotten more noticeable over the past few days. It's especially loud during acceleration, just like you described. Really good to know about your experience with the Discovery, seems our issues are almost identical. You know what's funny? Just yesterday, while driving to the store, my Freelander did exactly what you mentioned, full-on tantrum with jerking and black smoke. Nearly gave me a heart attack! I'll definitely get that fuel pressure checked first before jumping straight to replacing the pump. Better to be sure than sorry, right? I'm kind of worried now about it failing completely like yours did. Think I'll book it in with my mechanic first thing tomorrow. Don't fancy being stranded somewhere with a dead engine! Really appreciate you sharing your experience, it's given me a much clearer idea of what I'm dealing with. Fingers crossed it won't cost me too much to fix, but at least I have a better idea of what to expect now. Thanks again for all your help!