My 07 machine struggles to start below -4 C. Have put in fancy new silver battery but made little difference. Suspect glow plugs but can keep moving using a 100 watt bulb in the engine bay when it's cold ! If only it would fit in the garage.

By the way it makes little difference if you press the start button without the clutch before starting. I get the usual "HDC error" but also get something along the lines of "engine under temperature"

Thanks for the responses guys, I will get the glow plugs checked out and then lets hope we don't need them again! All's well now 'normal' temperatures are back.  Also available in Clean.

The 2 very similar topics merged  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Hi guys

the reason why some of you had problems starting their Freelander Diesels due to faulty glow plugs is to be found in the lower compression ratio of a turbo diesel engine.

A normal direct injection diesel works with a CR of up to 23:1. At that ratio problems normally start surfacing from about -15Deg or lower.

The modern LR turbo diesel engines with CRD technology typically have a CR of between 16 and 18:1. It is for that reason, that properly working glow plugs are a pre-requisite for easy starting in winter.

Excessive cranking also takes its toll on battery charge and this in turn will lead to all sorts of other hurdles discussed in the various battery threads on this forum.

So the best way to approach this is to have the glow plugs checked in October and you will have a trouble free winter, providing the battery side is also well looked after.

Good luck! With kind regards
DiscoGeorge
1998 Disco1 ES 300Tdi with twin TrueTracs
2005 Disco3 TDV6 S
And some more serious stuff

DiscoGeorge wrote:

So the best way to approach this is to have the glow plugs checked in October and you will have a trouble free winter, providing the battery side is also well looked after.

Hi ajuniper

maybe a 2 year replacement routine then would be a sound approach. There is nothing worse than having one's winter holiday ruined by a car with anthics  With kind regards
DiscoGeorge
1998 Disco1 ES 300Tdi with twin TrueTracs
2005 Disco3 TDV6 S
And some more serious stuff

Quote:

maybe a 2 year replacement routine then would be a sound approach.

Spot on. My old Rover 75 oil burner has been sitting outside for the past two weeks and hasn't even been started. It's done 106k and the plugs have never been changed.
Two days ago it fired first time.

If your FL2 doesn't have the delay when you press the start button, changing the plugs is not the answer. Another member of the failed FL2 clutch/DMF club, twice.

I have booked my 07 plate into an independant Land Rover specialist in Macclesfield for glowplug replacement when I return to my customers site after New Year.

Is it simply coincidence that it seems to be 07 Freelanders that are having these problems, or could it be a faulty batch of glowplugs?

I'll update with the results (and price) when the job is done. Sod's Law states that it will not be below -7 degrees again for some time....but better safe than sorry. Starting a working day wondering if the car will start before the battery gives up, or the starter motor burns out is something I'd like to avoid.

As a newbie on this forum, I'd like to thank everyone for the advice offered on these pages. I'm just popping out, I may be gone for a while.

Pegleg wrote:

Spot on. My old Rover 75 oil burner has been sitting outside for the past two weeks and hasn't even been started. It's done 106k and the plugs have never been changed.
Two days ago it fired first time.

If your FL2 doesn't have the delay when you press the start button, changing the plugs is not the answer.

OldBoater wrote:

Is it simply coincidence that it seems to be 07 Freelanders that are having these problems, or could it be a faulty batch of glowplugs?

OldBoater,
I know 'Macc' very well. It has some great pubs and oatcakes!!
Have you been getting the delay after the start button? Another member of the failed FL2 clutch/DMF club, twice.

Pegleg wrote:

OldBoater,
I know 'Macc' very well. It has some great pubs and oatcakes!!
Have you been getting the delay after the start button?

Pegleg, I don't seem to get any delay. Tried the 2 stage starting - even tried it 3 or four times before dipping the clutch and cranking and it makes no real difference. Fuses OK, Relay OK..... The Land Rover specialist checked them again and decided it was the glow plugs.... but like others have said on this thread, nobody was ordering glowplugs until the temperature dropped so they had none in stock. I wonder if other makes of cars that use the TD4 engine have been having the same issues on similar vintage engines......

Great car though.... once the engine has fired up....  I'm just popping out, I may be gone for a while.

The plugs arn't getting any pre heat that's why it wont start. The two stage method wont help; the glowplug timer isn't working for some reason.
I've had no problem starting my FL2 even at -16 but i do get the delay while the plugs heat up. Another member of the failed FL2 clutch/DMF club, twice.

The EMS puts 0 volts (neg) on the crank relay coil once the glow plug w/lamp has gone out. Until then, the crank relay coil on the -'ve side is open circuit. Or rather should be.
It shouldn't crank at low temps when you press the start button. Mine waits for 5-6 secs before cranking. Another member of the failed FL2 clutch/DMF club, twice.

Pegleg wrote:

The EMS puts 0 volts (neg) on the crank relay coil once the glow plug w/lamp has gone out. Until then, the crank relay coil on the -'ve side is open circuit. Or rather should be.
It shouldn't crank at low temps when you press the start button. Mine waits for 5-6 secs before cranking.

I believe that ours cranked without delay prior to trying the two stage start technique (it's the wifes car so I am not entirely sure on this story!). Using the two stage crank it was better (the glow plug light came on for a few seconds) but it was still clearly not firing on all cylinders as it cranked.

It's all hypothetical in the UK now anyway because we've(allegedly) got to wait for another 20-100 years before another winter like this