So

Our 93k mile tdv8 is being a real cow at the moment.
Just prior to ownership (january) it had two injectors replaced by a specialist indy for a lumpy idle - seen the invoice - christ!
Occasionally through the summer thought there was an issue then maybe not.
Lately getting a real lumpy idle from cold **see below about "cold"**, seems to run fine from 1000rpm upwards.
Getting worse as sometimes will really smoke till it clears itself. Unburnt diesel smoke (black).
IID tool has told me various things - this is where it seems to get complicated - very occasionally a restricted injector fault - but this seems to move around ie not same cylinder.
Injector balance figures (at idle) seem allover the place - sometimes one will be really high, sometimes two (when it smokes). If i recall its only ever done two on the same bank but i could be wrong.
Have also had charge air cooler fault that comes up - and also a maf fault - again iirc the maf fault has moved from maf 1 to 2 - they do read differently on live data ie quite a way apart - but they both increase linearly when revved.
The intermittent nature of the fault codes plus the injector balance figures randomness doesn't really help me.
Don't want to throw parts at it in hope. Very wary of any form of dealer/indy due to bad experiences - combination of fix myself with help from mobile mechanic who is really good (not an LR specialist though).

Did turbo hoses when we did the alternator (the first one )so not that.
Not yet looked at egrs but its on my list - was hoping ot only have one stripdown to do by diagnosing potentially whats going on with it and sorting alongside replacing the egrs as preventative maintenance.

As a side issue - successfully used the timed heater a couple of times when it first got cold as I hadn't programmed the remote i bought. Did that a couple of weeks ago - seemed to get it working ok, by disconnecting the module in the boot, then after a day/cpl of days no heat and some errors on IID to do with FBH. Doesn't now work on timed and I am not popular with SWMBO, despite the remote being for her convenience!!!!

Now, here's where it gets interesting.

SWMBO reckons that thecar behaves perfectly from first startup in the morning, whether on a 20 min school run or an hours run to some form of moneyspending exercise . However, on next startup it plays up, whether that be 20 mins, two hours, or right thru the six odd hours till next school run. I saw that today as I happened to be home - she had done school run at halfeight and reckoned it was fine, 11am i needed her to move the FF and it smoked like hell from the right hand bank.

Clearly it needs sorting asap - I have the diagnostic tool - but there seem to be so many inconsistencies to what I am seeing on the IID - the only consistency being what the Mrs reports about overnight starting.

Anyone got any thoughts on how to further diagnose? Really don't fancy shoving injectors at it at £300/400 a go just to try it???


Cheers all, appreciated - it's really spoiling the experience at the mo. 2007 Vogue TDV8 with 255/55/20's fitted

Just to add - I have done lots and lots of searching before deciding to write this post! 2007 Vogue TDV8 with 255/55/20's fitted

Have you monitored the EGR's live data both commanded and actual and see if they both pretty much track the commanded value. Would have thought a fault code would appear if they were bad.

I'd monitor the boost pressure sensor for each bank to see if that gives you any clues.

Have you run any injector cleaner through it to try and solve the injector fault codes?

Not 100% this works on Land rovers but the next time it smokes, unplug both mafs and it should run on default parameters stored in the ECM. It may initailly cut out but should restart and run but throw the fault codes up. See if this stops it smoking. Current
2013 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8
2001 Porsche 911 Turbo
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2007 Range Rover Vogue SE TDV8
2002 Range Rover HSE TD6
+ Many other non LR products

Morning Andy

It's on 2nd lot of decent injector cleaner(Millers). First seemed to make a difference for a cpl of days but trouble is everything is very intermittent. A maf unplug I seem to recall it wouldn't run, but again the intermittenty ness causes false positives.
EGRs commanded versus actual seem to follow each other.
As I recall, boost seemed even between the two banks as well.
Have got so many damned screenshots of IID I need to wade thru them but the one consistent thing is no consistency!

Any other thoughts. 2007 Vogue TDV8 with 255/55/20's fitted

Running out of suggestions, keyboard mechanics isnt very easy with these types of problems.

Bad fuel filter letting diesel through?

Do you religiously use the same fuel station? If you do try somewhere else for a few fill ups.

Cheap supermarket fuel? Current
2013 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8
2001 Porsche 911 Turbo
_____________________________________
Previous
2007 Range Rover Vogue SE TDV8
2002 Range Rover HSE TD6
+ Many other non LR products

Yes its odd hence posting out of desperation.
Never use supermarket diesel, only Esso as I've but a change of station is a thought.
Had a fuel filter from Dan not many months back.
So frustrating. 2007 Vogue TDV8 with 255/55/20's fitted

The egr's are still sometching that I'd want to check even though they are appearing to be fine.
I've recently had a lucky escape with an egr on mine, randomly threw up a fault code very intermittently but got progressively worse until the day I dropped it off at the garage and it performed faultlessly. When I told them to replace them regardless they found a small fracture that must have been opening up with heat expansion and tripping the sensor fault code. Current
2013 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8
2001 Porsche 911 Turbo
_____________________________________
Previous
2007 Range Rover Vogue SE TDV8
2002 Range Rover HSE TD6
+ Many other non LR products

Yes I agree about the EGR's.
Bought a cheapish Shogun as a winter commuter yesterday so will likely do them next week and 'er ladyship can use the Mitsi while it's off the road.
Best price for EGRs lately, anyone? 2007 Vogue TDV8 with 255/55/20's fitted

Think mine were about 250ish each Current
2013 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8
2001 Porsche 911 Turbo
_____________________________________
Previous
2007 Range Rover Vogue SE TDV8
2002 Range Rover HSE TD6
+ Many other non LR products

Unlikely to be this, but worth thinking about.....

I once had a Fiat coupe which would start fine first thing in the morning but when started anything from 30mins to 4/5 hours later would idle really roughly before finally settling down and running normally

My problem turned out to be a dodgy injector leaking fuel into a cylinder. Happened twice on my Fiat in 10 years of ownership (a great car and massively underrated - may have carried a Fiat badge but was built by Pininfarina at their factory and the 5 cylinder 20 valve turbo engine really was a cracker!) 2007 Zermatt Silver TDV8 Vogue SE - now sold but was a great car!

This is all good so far.I decided to, as preventative maintenance, order a pair of EGR's, as whilst it may not solve this particular fault I can definitively rule them out and know that they've been done - which has worried me for a few months.
Will report back with the inevitable "still happening" once they're on next week - will have a day off I think to do them, and a battery  2007 Vogue TDV8 with 255/55/20's fitted

I'm fairly confident its an EGR fault. Current
2013 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8
2001 Porsche 911 Turbo
_____________________________________
Previous
2007 Range Rover Vogue SE TDV8
2002 Range Rover HSE TD6
+ Many other non LR products

Ordered them on fleabay, looks like one listing wrong so now have two of one side coming unless seller catches up with messages before sending.
Typical.
New battery ordered too, the Varta, expensive week. 2007 Vogue TDV8 with 255/55/20's fitted

So, thermo housing has stopped the job.

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FYI Black smoke is a sign of oxygen starvation.... common causes blocked air filter, dud turbo, EGR's and split hoses/intercoolers..... anything that robs the engine of clean air.

Unburnt diesel is a blue/white smoke, pig to start, especially when cold, and there is normally a strong smell too.. more like paraffin.

Thick white smoke on a hot engine is normally the head / head gasket

It might be an idea to add some EGR emulators a couple of years down the road... ie delete them while they are working correctly rather that wait for it all to clog up again  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!