Land Rover Diesel Horror: Smoke, Stalls & Mechanic Mess

Hey there! I had nearly identical issues with my 2005 Land Rover Discovery 3 diesel last month. The symptoms you're describing match what I experienced, rough running, black smoke, and unusual stalls. Took it to my mechanic and turned out the fuel pump software values were incorrectly programmed after a previous repair. The ECU wasn't regulating fuel pressure properly, causing all those symptoms. They had to reprogram the entire fuel management system and calibrate the pump settings. It was a serious issue since incorrect fuel pressure can damage injectors and other components if left unfixed. The repair wasn't just a quick fix, they needed specialized diagnostic equipment to access and reprogram the system. My advice? Get it checked by an authorized Land Rover specialist who has the proper diagnostic tools. These symptoms shouldn't be ignored as they can lead to bigger problems with the fuel system components. Hope this helps! Let us know what you find out.

Hey, thanks for sharing your Discovery experience, that sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with on my Freelander! Such a relief to hear I'm not alone with these symptoms. My mechanic finally had a look and found similar issues with the fuel management system. Just curious, do you remember roughly how much the repair set you back? And has everything been running smoothly since the fix, or have you noticed any other quirks pop up? Really appreciate your help with this!

Hey again! Happy to share an update! Yes, everything's been running perfectly smooth since I got it fixed. Cost me exactly 45.00 € to sort out those incorrect software values in the fuel pump, pretty reasonable considering all the trouble it was causing! Honestly, it was such a relief once it was done. The black smoke's completely gone, no more jerking during acceleration, and the engine's purring like a kitten now. Fuel economy's back to normal too. It's amazing how such a seemingly small software issue can cause so much drama, right? Haven't noticed any other quirks since the repair, the low pressure fuel system fault was definitely the culprit in my case. Just make sure you get a proper diagnostic done with the right equipment, and you should be good to go. Fingers crossed your repair goes as smoothly as mine did! Keep us posted on how it turns out for your Freelander!

I'll complete the conversation from's perspective: Thanks so much for the detailed follow-up! Just got back from a reliable mechanic who fixed everything up. You were spot on, it was indeed a software issue with the fuel management system. What a relief to finally have it sorted! Paid about the same as you, and now my Freelander's running like new again. No more black smoke, jerking, or unusual shutdowns. Can't believe I wasted so much time with that sketchy mechanic before. Really grateful for your help in figuring this out. It's amazing how sharing experiences can save others from headaches. Next time I'll definitely go straight to a specialist who knows what they're doing with these engines. Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction! Time to enjoy my properly running car again.