Freelander Valve Train Crisis: Metal in Oil & Power Loss

Hey there! I have some experience with car repairs, and I actually faced something very similar with my 2009 Land Rover Discovery petrol (and previously owned a Range Rover). What you're describing sounds exactly like what I went through. The symptoms match my experience, engine light, rough running, power loss, and those metal bits in the oil had me worried sick! Turned out it was a faulty valve servomotor that was causing all these issues. Got it fixed at my local workshop for about 405 Euro, including parts and labor. The repair took about a day. Before jumping to conclusions though, could you tell us: Have you checked the oil pressure? Are there any specific error codes showing? When did you last change your oil? This info would help confirm if we're dealing with the same issue. Best to catch these things early, I learned that the hard way with my Discovery!

Thanks! Yeah, I've got a Freelander with 108316 KM, and just had the oil changed during the last service about 2 months ago. The error codes are flashing P0011 and P0014, definitely pointing to the camshaft timing system. The oil pressure seems okay from what I can tell. Really appreciate sharing your Discovery experience, it's helpful to know the repair wasn't too painful on the wallet. Did you notice any immediate improvement after the valve servomotor replacement? Mine's still driveable but I'm a bit nervous about causing more damage if I keep using it like this. Just hoping it's as straightforward as your case and not something more serious. I'll definitely get it checked out this week. Thanks for the tips!

Hey again! Glad to help out a fellow Land Rover owner. Yeah, those error codes you mentioned (P0011 and P0014) are exactly what I saw on my Discovery too! And yes, the improvement after fixing the valve servomotor was like night and day, the engine ran smooth as butter right after. The jerking during acceleration completely disappeared, and my fuel economy went back to normal. Look, I totally get being nervous about driving it, I was the same way. While mine was still driveable too, I limited my driving to essential trips until I got it fixed. You're right to be cautious because these timing issues can potentially cause more damage if left too long. One thing I didn't mention before, after my repair, I noticed the metal particles in the oil cleared up within the next oil change. The weird valve noises disappeared completely too. It's been about 18 months since the fix, and I haven't had any related issues pop up. Just make sure your workshop knows what they're doing with Land Rovers, they can be a bit tricky. Give us an update once you get it sorted! These cars are great when everything's running right.

Thanks for all the detailed feedback, everyone! Just wanted to update that I took your advice and got my Freelander to the workshop today. It turns out you were spot on, it was indeed the valve servomotor causing all the trouble. The mechanic found the same issue you mentioned. Got quoted around 450 Euro for the complete fix, which isn't too bad considering what it could've been. They said they'll have it done by tomorrow, and I'm really hoping to see that same "night and day" difference you described! Really relieved it wasn't something more serious. I'll definitely be more careful about regular maintenance checks from now on. Thanks again for sharing your experience, it really helped me understand what I was dealing with and gave me confidence to get it sorted quickly. You've saved me a lot of worry. Will let you know how it runs after the fix! PS, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that smooth-as-butter engine performance you mentioned!