Land Rover Fuel & Exhaust Issues: Secondary Air Valve Alert

Hey there! I actually dealt with similar issues on my 2013 Land Rover LR2 last year. The symptoms were almost identical to what you're describing, heavy fuel consumption, exhaust smell, and that annoying check engine light. Turned out my secondary air injection switching valve was completely shot. The valve wasn't opening and closing properly, which messed up the air-fuel mixture. Got it fixed at my garage, they had to replace the entire valve assembly and clean out the system. It was definitely a serious issue because it was affecting engine performance and could've led to catalytic converter damage if left unchecked. The repair took about half a day, and while it wasn't cheap, it was worth fixing properly. After the repair, fuel consumption went back to normal and the exhaust smell disappeared completely. If you're not comfortable with your current mechanic, I'd suggest finding a Land Rover specialist, this isn't something you want done incorrectly.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That's really helpful as it sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with. Glad to hear you got it sorted out. Just wondering, do you remember roughly how much you ended up paying for the whole repair? And has everything been running smoothly since then, or have you noticed any other issues pop up? I'm trying to get a better idea of what I might be looking at cost-wise and whether fixing this will actually solve all the problems.

Hey again! Happy to give you an update. Yeah, I ended up going to a mechanic last week to fix the secondary air valve issue on my LR2, and it turned out to be exactly what I suspected. The electric switching valve was faulty and needed replacement. Total bill came to 140€, which honestly wasn't as bad as I was expecting! Since getting it fixed, the car's been running like a dream! No more check engine light, fuel consumption is back to normal, and that nasty exhaust smell is completely gone. It's like having a different car, in a good way! Haven't noticed any other issues popping up either. Seriously, if you're experiencing the same symptoms, I'd recommend getting it sorted sooner rather than later. The repair was pretty straightforward and definitely worth every penny. Plus, leaving it unfixed could lead to bigger (and more expensive) problems down the road. Trust me, once you get this fixed, you'll notice the difference right away. My LR2 hasn't missed a beat since the repair!

I'll complete the conversation from's perspective: Thanks for the detailed update! I actually took your advice and bit the bullet, got it fixed last week at a different mechanic. Just like you said, it was the secondary air valve that needed replacing. My wallet's about 150 bucks lighter, but honestly, seeing how much better the car's running now, it was totally worth it! The new mechanic was great, super transparent about everything and got it done in just a few hours. They even showed me the old valve and explained what went wrong. The difference is night and day, no more check engine light, fuel consumption's back to normal, and that awful exhaust smell is history. You were right about getting it sorted quickly, the mechanic mentioned that waiting could've caused more expensive problems. Really glad I didn't put it off any longer. Thanks again for sharing your experience, it gave me the push I needed to get this sorted! The Freelander's purring like a kitten now. Guess sometimes you just need to find the right mechanic and get things done properly!