Does anyone know freelanders?

[shh120m]

Hi guys,

My dads freelander 1.8 has a fuel problem, iv tried asking for help on landrover forums, but instead of offering freindly advice, i just get a load of arrogant abuse for my lack of knowledge. Quite supprising really, as i thought forums were there to help people with problems, but hey i guess landrover enthusiasts are a different kettle of fish compared to roadster builders. I Just thought id try asking here incase someone knows the answer. This freelander is the bain of my life, it seems every other weekend im up there fixing it. So far iv changed the head gasket, replaced the clutch, put a new water pump on it, replaced the rear diff and thats just the big jobs. I know it should be sent up to the big scrapyard in the sky but my dads a skint hill farmer so we have to keep it running for another few months until he can flog some sheep to pay for a new one!

Any way, rant over heres the problem..

Started to splutter on hills so at first thought it was ignition or fuel. I pulled out the plugs only to find the plugwells full of oil due to the rocker gasket being the wrong way around and upside down. This was coutesy of stokesly motors from a previous head change. So i changed the gasket, plugs and leads and all seemed to be firing ok. The problem was still there so i assumed the fuel filter may be blocked or the pump dodgy. This morning it conked out and wouldnt start again. Iv had the pump out and cleaned the filter. Iv tested the pump and that seems fine. All hoses are clear with no blockages. Still no start. The pump fires up when the ignition is turned on and then cuts out after a few seconds and doesnt seem to be working when turning the engine over. I was going to change the pump but there expensive so i really want to be sure thats the cause before changing it. Does anyone have any sort of inkling to what it may be? Youd be doing me massive favour as we really dont want to have to take it to a garage.

Thanks guys

Nathan

[Talonmotorsport]

check that the fuel and return lines are not crimped/crushed easy missed if covered in muck and take the tank off and flush it out.

[michael92]

good old k series i belive :p
erm check the coil-pack, don't take it for gospel but i've known a few to be dodgy on these motors.
:)
Only a suggestion hope you fins the issue soon! :)

[shh120m]

cheers guys il keep checking/ double checking everything, i know where theres a rear end write off thats running and going cheap. Il probably go and buy it tommorow and replace everything bit by bit until i find the fault. Its probably something really silly.

[flyerncle]

Nathan,fuel pump should run to prime fuel circuit and then cut out,when the engine is cranked and fire's up the pump runs again.

[twinturbo]

Drop out the lambda sensor and take it for a run.

TT

[twinturbo]

P.S.

My M8's one got left at the last garage due to lack of funds to pay the bills. In 6 years it had 3 head gaskets, fuel pump, water pump, expensive dealer services, fan switch, clutch cylinder and clutch.

TT

[wylliezx9r]

Can't offer u any advice on getting it running mate but can only tell u about my ownership experience. After 2 head gaskets, all 5 electric windows failing', rear diff replaced I sold it on (it was mechanically sound at this time). The guy I sold it too phoned me up about 3 weeks later and told me the engine was overheating, obviously I responded with sold as seen as written on the receipt etc.
such a shame about reliability, because it was a revolutionary design and very capable on and off road. My mate runs a garage and if they take on a head gasket repair on a k series they will not offer any guarantee on the work, it says it all really.

Bit of pointless trivia about the freelander : it was the first car to be compleely designed using cad, perhaps they should have stuck to the drawing boards:D

[Jimmyd]

My wife had a Freelander, I knew of all the faults they had but thought they can't all be bad. Boy was I wrong, I had all the faults mentioned previously.

The last straw was a very similar problem as to what you are discribing. Best discribed as a loss of power when under load. I could never find a fuel or electric fault but it did run better with the centre prop off it and left to run as front wheel drive. I was begining to think the diffs were binding up. They have than bloody viscous coupling thingy.

J

[twinturbo]

As I say...

if there is nowt obvious ..

Drop out the front lambda sensor and take it for a run.

TT

[wylliezx9r]

I think the k series is the only engine where a head gasket can be classed as a consumable :eek:

[aerosam]

As I say...

if there is nowt obvious ..

Drop out the front lambda sensor and take it for a run.

TT

TT it won't start dude, how's he gonna take it for a run :)

[aerosam]

Have you done the basics? Checked for fuel/spark?

Pull a spark plug out after trying to start it and see if there is any remnants of fuel, even the smell will indicate it's presence. Then turn the engine over with the plug out, connected to it's HT lead and grounded to the engine or body and see if it creates a spark or not.

If there's no spark you can concentrate on the ignition side (somebody already mentioned the coil pack).

If there's no fuel then carry on looking that side, Injectors, ECU even.

Hope this helps.

[shh120m]

Thanks for the replies guys, iv not done anything today but I'm determined to get it fired up tomorrow, like you say il restart with the basics and work from there. It's funny really how freelancers have such a bad reliability problem, as it never skipped a beat until about six months ago! It seems it's all come at once.

Thanks

Nathan

[shh120m]

all sorted guys, thanks for the help,

I had a go this afternoon and it turned out to be the distributor cap, which was wierd as id checked for spark and all was well, thats why i thought it was a fuel problem. The center contact looked ok but the spring was snapped behind giving an intermittent ignition failure. It now runs like new. I could have sworn the tappets needed adjusting before it went, but now the engine sounds sweet, so it must have been the dizzy making the noise. Anyway, iv advised my old man to get it traded in before anything else goes.

Thanks

Nathan