Hi all,
I’m looking for a bit of advice. Been a LR owner for quite a few years, Mainly L320. Do most of my own work and always have, I have a few Ramps and access to a decent workshop. Aircraft engineer by trade but I run a workshop for people to learn about and work on cars in my spare time.

I have hit a bit of a wall with what I think is a fault with My 2.2 2013 SD4 freelander.

Basically it drives like it’s had a can of RedBull. Touching the throttle at the standard kind of pressure, it surges in power, it’s not linear. It feels like it lags then goes almost too powerful.

In neutral you can work the car slowly up through the revs but the throttle is so sensitive. To push the revs up slowly to 2500rpm, you need to be so slow and gentle with the throttle as otherwise it seems to act like you have a lead foot and have pushed the accelerator hard. You can get it to move in a linear fashion but it’s so sensitive.


This makes reversing up a hill or parallel parking very weird as the car surges unless you slowly apply pressure with your big toe (for want of a better description).

I would guess potentiometer is on its way out, seen the threads about broken Throttlebody teeth but it doesn’t judder at all nor does it just jump between rev ranges if you drive it really really really sensitively. No fault codes with SDD. Recently done the EGR cooler and there was some coking and narrowing in the Inlet pipe to the inlet manifold.

Had the car 3 years and this has never got better or worse but it really ruins the drive so I’m pretty sure it’s not supposed to be like that.

Is this normal for this model?

Does anyone have any experience of this with anything that may have fixed it. I’m fairly sure I’m going for a throttle body but any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

you need to get some live data and try to have a look at the throttle response I don't think it'll be the throttle body but without live data your only guessing

If you have always had the problem since beginning of ownership and it shows when trying to Slowly manoeuvre on Slope, then I believe that this is standard SD4 Auto behaviour.

I have had 2 SD4s over the last 12+ years, and I still find it unnerving trying to creep up slopes in confined spaces. The power is slow to come in and when it does it is enough to knock a house down.
On the level the built-in Creep Mode works well and makes for accurate control and positioning with no problems.

On my latest Metro with an Electric Handbrake the problem seems even more acute to control. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 85k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 12th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

I have similar vehicle sd4 and also find throttle too sensitive that was not apparent on a previous td4. I live with it in slow moving traffic by selecting manual 2nd gear. It can easily go from stop in 2nd and I change up manually until moving at normal highway speeds. It still changes down automatically but will not go into 1st so avoids being erratic in that gear. Once on the open road I go back to auto for majority of journey. I’ve no cure for reversing uphill, which has to be done with extreme sensitive throttle.

Thanks Boxa. I’ve just sorted my SDD so I’ll have a look at that.

Thanks Ian and Paul. I was wondering if this was normal behaviour and it seems you folks have experienced the same. Glad it’s not just me.

I wonder if anyone has had one from new that can say it was always a thing

I tend to use Terrain Response for delicate uphill manoeuvrers. Grass gravel and snow definitely calms things down a bit

Steve

yes I use Grass/gravel mode when driving up car ramps etc - it reduces accelerator sensitivity.
I also keeep my left foot on the brake to give a bit of resistance for when the turbo kicks in.

Unlike a lot of modern cars - braking doesnt disengage the accelerator.


Although I dont recall having issues reversing up hill. Jules

Quick reply to Jules : My SD4 definitely cuts power if foot brake is applied…..I have always “covered” the brake pedal with my left foot….to make for rapid brake application …..bit if I touch the brake pedal accidentally power is always cut for a second …..or two…

Dazgill : Had my FL from new …..160k mls…..other than the above I have never had a problem with the throttle response………on first reading your post I immediately thought that the problem sounds like the throttle pedal itself ….faulty potentiometer /s…….a fairly cheap & easy fix to replace before dismantling the throttle body…..à totally different item…..
Worth a mention I thought…..
Best of luck… Pete FL2 SD4 HSE Lux Auto MY 2012— current
D2 TD5 HSE Man MY 1999 470kmls….gone 2014 ….lovely engine..chassis rotten
D1 300TDI Man MY 1996 56kmls….gone 1999…D2 much better
Wife’s FL1 1.8P MY 2001 32kmls …gone 2007…has Mini since.

Thanks to all for the tip of using Grass/Gravel for more gentle manoeuvring. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 85k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 12th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

So I did live data. Ignore the first graph as I was not steady when pushing the pedal.

The throttle PCM is staying at 86% when off or running which being a diesel I would assume is correct although an actual benchmark figure would be good.

Last edited by Dazgill on 28th Sep 2025 10:05 pm. Edited 1 time in total

jules wrote:

yes I use Grass/gravel mode when driving up car ramps etc - it reduces accelerator sensitivity.
I also keeep my left foot on the brake to give a bit of resistance for when the turbo kicks in.

Unlike a lot of modern cars - braking doesnt disengage the accelerator.


Although I dont recall having issues reversing up hill.