Is your crankshaft sensor clean and free from oil? The vacuum pump for the brake is known to leak oil and it will eventually drip down to the crankshaft sensor. Rebuilding the seal on the vacuum pump isn’t hard. I’m very surprised that you got a bad fuel pressure sensor.
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I have ordered a crankshaft sensor and will have a look after it arrives. It seems to be a slightly less accessible job than the top side sensors.

The fuel pressor sensor was soaked with petrol (gasoline) inside the electrical connection. It was not dripping, but clearly a seal was not doing its job. I'm not sure if that caused the 5V reading, but when I put the original back in, the fault code went away.

After that I replaced the cam shaft sensors (I do one job at a time, so if something fails, I don't conflate the two), and that seems to have done the trick.[/i]

EDIT... No, it was not the cam sensors. See next post.

Last edited by Waiheke on 28th Aug 2025 3:30 am. Edited 1 time in total

Glum. Today I drove out to the quarry, about 12km with several stops along the way. Was there for about 15 minutes and when I went to start the car, no joy. I would try all sorts of variations, and occasionally it would sound like it would almost catch but next time it would not.

As they call it "heat soak", I then opened the bonnet (hood) and removed the foam/plastic cowling. It did feel warm, although the temperature gauge was in the middle, the drive over did not exceed 50 km/h and the weather is about 15° (60°F), sunny. I let it sit for a few minutes with the bonnet open then cranked and it started instantly. I drove to a service station and bought a can of starter fluid but did not need it.

With an old, analogue car I would have concluded it was a vapour lock, but with digital sensors everywhere, I read that it could be the ECU is confused, not getting the right signal. I replaced the cam sensors and the trips that previously triggered the no-go were fine, so I figured I solved it. Not so.

I ordered a crankshaft sensor, but unlike the diesel Freelander 2, access to remove and replace is not clear. The online videos I find are for diesel. If anyone knows how to do it - what has to be removed to get to it, I would appreciate instructions (and pics).

I've also ordered a Bosch fuel pressure sensor.

Does anyone know how the fuel injection system actually works? What signals does the ECU read to know how to start the car?

Finally I think I have solved it... it was the MAP sensor... not defective but loose; not clicked and locked into place

Symptoms: Fault codes P0171 and P0174 within a few hundred metres of clearing. Occasionally, fault code P0161-62 and P0183-00. Main problem - heat soak... drive 15 minutes at about 50 km/h (30 mph), park for 15 minutes, it would not start. Turn over but no joy. Then it would catch, almost start, and next press of the button it would start like normal.

The Autel MP808 listed a wide range of possible causes, and I got some help from this forum as well.

I could never get the SDD to work, so I began to replace sensors:

* MAF sensor
* Camshaft position sensors
* Crankshaft positions sensor
* Fuel rail sensor
* All 4 O2 sensors (upstream and downstream)
* Air filter
* Other stuff I can't recall at the moment

I got one fault code (P0069 from memory) that mentioned the MAP sensor, so I ordered one. Of all the sensors, it is the worst to remove and replace, so I had a buddy under the car while I looked from above. He finally found it, but could not work out how to remove it without beginning to disassemble the car. However, he also noted that it was very loose. I looked up how it was supposed to fit in, and had him tighten it until it clicked into place.

At the same time, we had noticed something odd about the fuel rail sensor. When I replaced the original, I bought a no-name off AliExpress, which I believe is when the P0171/174 fault codes showed up. So I ordered a Bosch sensor, but had the same problem. So I removed the Bosch and reinstalled the original. Seems to work fine.

I also reset the ECU with the Autel MP808, filled the tank and reset the litres/100 (MPG). I then did the same drive, found it ran very smooth and no heat soak. It started normally and easily. At first it said the full tank had 379 km remaining, but as I drove range kept increasing - it now says 428 km. Fuel consumption varied from 12.5l/100 (19 mpg) to 14 (17 MPG). This was gentle driving on an island, with hills and stops but no traffic lights.

I've now done three test drives, with no fault codes and no hard starting.

Conclusion: While the MAP (manifold absolute pressure) sensor is hard to get to, before replacing parts, check to make sure it is locked into place.

While I really like the FL2 now that it is running correctly, I have to say, the experience has spooked me a bit. There are so many variables when it throws off a fault code, and I was never able to find a way to diagnose, so I kept replacing sensors until I hit the jackpot. That and the fact that fuel cost is 50 cents a kilometre was a bit more than I was expecting. I've decided to sell it and put money in my 1982 G Wagon instead. Totally analogue, no ECU, no sensors, no power windows, no power door locks, no seat belt warning, and easy to understand and repair.

The FL2 now has all new sensors, as well as a rebuilt steering rack, power steering pump and filter housing, as well as other fixing annoyances, like replacing the worn shifter and hand brake boot, broken gas cap retainer, and replacing the obsolete Japanese GPS display screen with an Android Auto/Apple Carplay display that came with a good backup camera. When I gave the car a thorough cleaning and polishing, I was surprised how nice it came up. The body is in surprisingly good shape - no parking lot dents or dings, and with no tow bar it is safe to assume its never been used for towing.

So, if anyone in New Zealand is interested, its for sale. NZ$7,000, with 156,000 km in Jeremy Clarkson's favourite colour - Tonga Green. It should be on TradeMe soon.






Time to refurbish this loyal 4x4 that I've owned since 1997