Land Rover Discovery Diesel Nightmare: Black Smoke & Stalls

Hey there! I had nearly identical issues with my 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport diesel. The symptoms match exactly what I experienced, black smoke, stalling, and that horrible jerking during acceleration. I got it checked at the garage last month, and it turned out to be faulty cable connections to the fuel pressure sensors. The wiring had corroded and was causing incorrect readings, making the engine management system go haywire. The mechanic showed me how the corrosion had spread along the main sensor harness. It was a serious issue that needed immediate attention because it was causing the engine to run rich (hence the black smoke) and could've led to more expensive damage if left unfixed. The repair involved replacing the entire wiring harness assembly and recalibrating the fuel system sensors. Since the fix, my Range Rover's been running smooth, no more smoke, stalling, or jerking. The fuel economy's back to normal too. If your symptoms are similar, I'd definitely get those sensor connections checked out first.

Thanks for sharing that, it really sounds identical to what I experienced! The fuel sensor wiring harness repair did the trick for me too. Curious though, do you remember roughly how much you ended up paying for the whole fix? And has everything stayed running smoothly since then? No other gremlins popping up?

Hey again! Yup, happy to share, I paid exactly 95.00 € to fix those pesky cable connections on my Range Rover Sport. The mechanic did a great job, and I'm relieved to say it's been running like a dream since then! The Low pressure fuel system sensor is working perfectly now, no more of that annoying black smoke or jerky behavior. Honestly, it was such a relief to get it sorted. The repair was actually cheaper than I'd expected, considering how much grief those symptoms were giving me. Since the fix about a month ago, everything's stayed tip-top, engine runs smooth, fuel economy is back to normal, and no warning lights or weird smells. No other issues have cropped up either, which is brilliant. It really was just those dodgy cable connections causing all the drama. Sounds like you've had the same positive outcome with your Discovery, these Land Rovers can be sensitive with their sensors, but once you get the wiring sorted, they're solid machines!

Thanks for following up! Yeah, I finally got mine fixed yesterday, what a relief! My repair bill came in at around double what you paid since they had to replace a few extra corroded bits they found while in there. But honestly, it's worth every penny to have the car running properly again. The mechanic I found was really thorough and even showed me photos of the damaged wiring, it was pretty shocking to see how bad it had gotten. Took it for a proper drive today and what a difference! No more black smoke, the engine's got its power back, and that awful jerking is completely gone. Really appreciate everyone's help on this. I've learned my lesson about not waiting too long when these symptoms start showing up, could've saved some money if I'd tackled it sooner. At least now I know what to watch out for in the future, and I've finally found a mechanic I can trust. Thanks again for sharing your experience, it really helped point me in the right direction!