Freelander Rough Running + Black Smoke Mystery

Hey! I can relate to your situation. I had similar symptoms with my 2000 Land Rover Discovery last year. The black smoke, rough running, and high fuel consumption were exactly what I experienced. The diagnostic confirmed it was indeed a faulty lambda sensor heater. Had it fixed at a garage, and it wasn't just a simple sensor replacement. The mechanic found the wiring harness to the sensor was also damaged, which was causing intermittent heating issues. The whole job took about 3 hours, including diagnostics and repairs. After fixing both the sensor and wiring, my Discovery ran smoothly again, fuel consumption went back to normal, and the check engine light disappeared. It's definitely not something you want to ignore, a faulty lambda sensor can damage your catalytic converter if left unchecked, which would be a much bigger problem. Would suggest getting it checked soon by a garage that specializes in Land Rovers.

Thanks for sharing that, sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with! Glad to hear you got it sorted out. How much did you end up paying for everything? Also, has everything been running smoothly since the repair? I'm trying to budget for this and really hoping to avoid any surprise costs down the line with my Freelander.

Hey again! Happy to give you an update. I had the lambda sensor heater fixed last month, and it cost me 375.00 € in total. Let me tell you, it was worth every penny! My Discovery's running like a dream now, no more black smoke, jerking, or excessive fuel consumption. It's seriously like having a different car. The mechanic did a thorough job diagnosing and fixing the defect in the lambda sensor heater. Since the repair, I haven't had a single issue, the engine's running super smooth, and my fuel economy is back to normal. The check engine light hasn't come back on either, which is always a good sign! I know you were worried about surprise costs, but honestly, once they fixed the lambda sensor heater, that was it, no additional problems have popped up. If your symptoms are similar to what I had, I'd say you're probably looking at a similar repair cost. Just make sure you get it done soon to avoid any potential damage to your catalytic converter. Trust me, you'll notice the difference right away!

Thanks so much for all the detailed info! You've really put my mind at ease about this whole situation. After your advice, I bit the bullet and took my Freelander to a specialist mechanic yesterday. Just like you said, it was the lambda sensor heater plus some wiring issues. The final bill came to a bit more than what you paid, but the difference wasn't too bad. The best part? My car's running amazingly now! No more black smoke, the jerking has completely stopped, and I can already tell the fuel consumption is way better. The mechanic I found was actually great, super transparent about everything and even showed me the old parts. Such a relief after my last bad experience! Really glad I didn't put this repair off any longer. Thanks again for sharing your experience, it really helped me make the right decision. Now I can finally enjoy driving my Freelander again without worrying about every little noise or problem!