When your Freelander engine is no longer idling sweetly, has a loss of power or just won’t start, there is a possibility you are losing compression. But what causes this?
The compression in your Freelander engine is what makes it go. You need a tight seal within the cylinder walls, pistons and rings, valves and seals in order to harness the energy and redirect it into the right places to have your Freelander running smoothly. So a loss of compression on your vehicle means there is a leak within this system, namely:
- Cylinder liners – one or more of these may have a crack. If this is the case then you may see vapour being burned off from the oil as water may leak through into the engine oil.
- Piston rings – these may be worn. If your Freelander has smoke coming from the exhaust, it could very well be a problem with your piston rings.
- Valves or valve seats – these may not be sitting properly due to carbon accumulation or may be worn or damaged. This issue tends to cause problems in starting and idling your Freelander.
- Head gasket – this may have failed. If the head gasket fails between two adjacent cylinders then you Freelander will lose compression.
A compression test on your engine can identify which cylinders have lost compression. But whichever cylinder it is I’m afraid a loss of compression on your Freelander means that engine work is required.
But don’t panic, we can help!
Hoi Sue,
With great interest I have been reading all about the Freelander 1, I have a 1.8 petrol 117hp one and fell in love with it.
It is formerly owned by the father of my neighbor who sadly died some months ago so I promised to keep an eye on the Freelander and will cuddle him.
I have done a lot of self repairs in the mean time, solved tailgate issue, replaced rear window wiper etc. and used a lot of your information so tnx!
The Freelander is driving great, I have a company car as well, a Renault Kadjar and cannot believe the Freelander outperforms it in any way, though it is challenging to keep the FL on the road..:)
Iddling is not great though engine never stalled, and the timing belt is about to be changed. Estimating if it is worth doing so I decided to do a compression test, unfortunately the outcome is bad. Cil 1: 4 bar, Cil 2: 0,5 bar, Cil3: 8 bar, Cil4 9 bar. The coolent fluid is clear cristal, engine oil as well, car drives great specially after some warming up and I can hardly imagine how the FL could really drive if compression was ok. As well I do not have the feeling I am missing power though accelerating from 1st gear he has to work quite hard but could be normal..
The garage believes the cilinders are worn out or comparable issues with it and suggested to send the whole engine to a revision company but this will be too much money though I am still eager to keep the FL on the road, not only due to my promise to my neighbor but as well since I love this car.
Oh yeh, almost forgot to mention, they have done a smoking test some months ago, the oil dipstick was leaking so replaced it for a new one and now a bit more power seems available as well as a previous burning smell from time to time disappeared so all good.
If you have any suggestion I would be greatful!
Kind regards from The Netherlands,
Marton
Hi Marton,
Great to hear our site has been of use to you and your inherited Freelander.
The compressions do not sound great. Generally the things which would cause a loss in compression stuck or worn piston rings (although, if these are badly stuck, you would expect to get some smoke from the exhaust too); or the valves needing reseating due to carbo build up. Unfortunately both of these would need the cylinder head to be removed in order to investigate.
All the best,
Sue
Hoi Sue,
Many tnx for your quick answer.
Indeed this does not sound good.
The car is not smoking at all, could maybe a (compression) additive solve something or it is now, like you mention, a rigorous case of removing the Cylinder head for a revision?
Many tnx again,
Regards Marton
Hi Marton,
It should not do any harm trying a compression additive, especially if you may not go the route of removing the cylinder head.
All the best,
Sue
I have a freelander1 2.0 td4 which worked fine and now would not start after parking .It cranks really strong but is not starting . I am getting a P0117 code . Can this prevent starting ? I also think that my LP pump has gone bad because I am getting 3.2 bar with a pressure gauge tester . What is the required pressure from the LP pump pre HP pump ? No Line leaks observed but noticed the fuel gauge has gone to zero although the tank is full.Where is the coolant temp sensor on this BMW engine ?
Hi Anthony,
Yes, the coolant temperature sensor can cause your Freelander not to start. The coolant temperature sensor reports to the ECU which then determines, from these readings, the correct air/fuel mixture ratio to deliver. So if the coolant temperature sensor is reading incorrectly the air/fuel mixture will be wrong and the Freelander may not start. The sensor is situated underneath the inlet manifold (you need to remove the manifold to see it).
We would expect 3.5 bar or above on the low pressure fuel pump.
If the tank is full but registering empty that sounds like a fault with the sender unit
All the best,
Sue
+44-780-9575-421
Thanks Sue ,I will take that sensor off and check the connections. I will replace it and see what happens.Don’t know it makes sense to clean it to see if it works. Will also change that fuel sender as it might have a faulty variable resistor. Also get a new LP pump and see if it starts. I love my freelander .
Maybe that’s why the cooling fan comes on right away when I crank.
Excellent Anthony, if all of that does not get it going give us another shout and we will do what we can to help.
Great to hear you love your Freelander.
All the best,
Sue
0780 9575 421
Hi, I have a 1999 Freelander 1 XEI 1.8L 5sp. It has been losing power for almost 12 months till now where you have to ride the clutch to keep the rpm above 2000 to take off on a hill otherwise it starts chugging until the engine stalls.
The vehicle is used everyday and once a month we use it to tow a 3.8m boat and trailer 320km round trip away.
After the trip away I generally top up the oil and water, about 1/2L in each. It doesn’t blow any smoke and there’s no sign of water in the oil, took rocker cover off to double check this as well as oil changes. There’s also no sign of oil in the water.
It always starts first go every time. Idle is a bit rough and it has a miss when you tap the throttle from idle, but when it’s cruising it purrs along.
I can no longer tow with it as it simply has no power.
I’ve checked the timing belt and it’s aligned.
All ignition system is new, plugs, leads, cap, rotor and coil.
Compression test indicates possible head gasket failure. Cylinder 1- 185psi, cylinder 2- 145psi, cylinder 3- 150psi and cylinder 4- 180psi.
Do you think this is the cause of the problem or is it possibly something else like a fuel or sensor problem.
Thank you.
Hi Troy,
This sounds as though you have two separate issues. The first of having to ride the clutch to keep the rpm up sounds as though it is the clutch itself which needs replacing. The second, the misfire, sounds like it could be a sensor – have you put it on diagnostics to see if there are any error codes?
All the best,
Sue
0780 9575 421
hello,
my freelander v6 2004 petrol.
my problem coolant is build-up high pressure that why my new reservior got cracked.
But my FL did not over Heat… help me please thanks
Hi Kiwinz,
Unfortunately the Freelander temperature gauge is not very responsive and only tends to go above the half way mark once the engine has severely overheated.
If you are getting a pressure build up then it sounds as though you either have a blockage in the cooling system or you are drawing air into the cooling system from somewhere. Have you ever put anything such as K-Seal or Steal Seal in the cooling system? The first thing to do would be to flush the system with a good flush such as a Forte Biodegreaser, and make sure the water is flowing around the whole system. If there is no blockage it would be worth doing a pressure test on the cooling system to see where air might be being drawn in. Make sure you replace both the coolant reservoir and the cap if your existing reservoir is cracked.
All the best,
Sue
0780 9575 421
Got 2001 freelander code is p0300 it’s not funny bad just management light flashes then goes out any idea please
Hi Chris,
Which engine does your Freelander have, 1.8 petrol, 2.5 V6 petrol or 2.0 TD4 diesel?
If you clear the code with diagnostics does it come back again?
Can you feel any misfire from the engine?
All the best,
Sue
0780 9575 421
My 2002 freelander broke a timing belt and i have had all the valves replaced and the motor rebuilt. But this guy gave it back to me its misfiring in 2 4 6 cylinders and then it blew a brand new head gasket do you think he didnt torch the heads down right?
Hi JC,
If the Freelander was misfiring when it was returned to you, and has now blown the head gasket, then he certainly did something wrong! The V6 Freelander engines need careful handling and it is probably not as simple as the cylinder heads not being torqued down right. Is he going to repair it again?
All the best,
Sue
Hi my Landrover takes too long to start, I already replaced my petrol pump and my injectors, it’s a V6 2.5 2003 model freelander
Hi Christelle,
Have you changed the fuel filter? If not, try this. Also check the coils and spark plugs. If this does not sort the issue out do a compression test on the cylinders.
All the best,
Sue
0780 9575 421
freelander td4 2003 112hp , will not start on it’s own in the morning or when the engine is to hot but will bump start with ease also when i’ve been driving for a certain amount of time the check engine light comes on and goes into crawl home mode , just have to turn off and back on and it goes back to normal , i have ordered a new MAF sensor as that was the main code that kept coming up .Could anything else be causing these problems ?
Hi David,
It could be an injector or a fuel pump, however if the code relates to the MAF there is a good chance this is your problem. Try unplugging the MAF and seeing if it reoccurs.
All the best,
Sue
Hi David,
My apologies for the delay in responding.
If the code for the MAF keeps coming up then that is the most likely cause, try unplugging the MAF and see if the symptoms cease.
Otherwise it could be a fuel pump or an injector issue.
All the best,
Sue
Hi,
Do you have any video on changing front and back “camshaft position sensor’?
Landrover freelander 2001, engine is 2002. V6 patrol, 2.5 L.
Look forward to hear from your side.
Regards
Manny
Hi Manny,
Unfortunately we do not have a video showing how to change the camshaft position sensor.
You need to remove the engine cover and you will find the sensor on the front cylinder bank next to the oil filler cap (on the RHS). You undo the 8mm bolt then unplug it to replace it.
All the best,
Sue
Hi,
Do you have any video on changing front and back “camshaft position sensor’?
Look forward to hear from your side.
Regards
Manny
Hi my 05 freelander 1800
Is juddering real bad some times then fine
Any thoughts
Jon
Hi Jon,
What is the mileage of your Freelander? When did you last change the viscous coupling unit (VCU)? Where does the juddering seem to stem from, underneath the Freelander, from the wheels or from the engine? Is it when you accelerate that it tends to judder or is there some other time at which it tends to happen?
All the best,
Sue
+44-780-9575-421
My 2005 v6 orange Engine light is on and flashes above 2k revs. Have changed spark plugs but code reads misfire cylinder 6. Fuel pump is whining too. Any suggestions welcomed. Thank you
Hi Louise,
The next things to check are the coils, the injectors and the O2 sensors.
All the best,
Sue
+44-780-9575-421
My freelander. Broke its crank shaft pulley.i got i then replaced it.as I drove it started leaking water. I replaced the washer with a new one..as I drove it. My gear liver became hard to change gears as I drove it end all of suden it was not pulling ….sort of loosing
Hello Gilly,
Is your Freelander the 2.0 Td4 diesel model? Which year is it?
The difficulty in changing gears could be caused by your clutch hydraulics.
All the best,
Sue
+44-780-9575-421
My freelander smokes black smoke taking too much fuel, loose power and sometimes just cut off on its own. It refuses to start taking too long to start.Td4 2002
Hi Evidence,
This could be an issue with your MAF sensor (try unplugging the MAF and see if it makes any difference); the turbo pipes (check for splits); or the EGR valve (try cleaning this or blank it).
All the best,
Sue
+44-780-9575-421
Thanks for your advise it worked for me but now it can only move on gear number 1 and 2 on number number 3 it loose compression and cut power .
Regards
Evidence
Hi Evidence,
The gear number and the compression of the engine are not related, so one cannot affect the other unless it is a fueling problem. Try putting it on diagnostics and see what codes are shown.
All the best,
Sue
Check engine light on , runs fine to me , I’ve just tatted driving it picked it up used but sounds solid and shifts great , but won’t smog , says it’s misfiring when the smog came back and some other unknown codes
P139 = unknown trouble code
P0300 = random Mutiple cylinder misfire
P0171 = system too lean
P0304 = cylinder 4 misfire
P0306 = cylinder 6 misfire
P0156 = 02 sensor circuit malfunction sensor 2
P0150 = 02 sensor circuit malfunction sensor 1
P0131 = 02 sensor circuit low voltage sensor 1
P1160 = unknown trouble code
Hi Ben,
The problem is likely to be a catalytic convertor and/or O2 sensor. You need to check the three catalytic convertors (two are pre cats and then the one main cat). Then check the three O2 sensors (two pre cat and one post cat).
All the best,
Sue
working on 2002 Land Rover Freelander 2.5 gasoline. It has multiple missfires. I did a compression test and all 6 were close to 105 lbs. Is this too low?
#3 is not missing but #5 is so I installed new plugs and wires, it helped but still misses. Swapped the coils and no change. Any ideas?
Hi Keith,
Did you swap the coils or the HT leads? If it was just the HT leads then try changing the coils. If these are not the problem then check the injectors.
All the best,
Sue
+44-780-9575-421
My 1.8 Petrol Freelander 1 engine is burning oil. I had a loss of power to the engine and it seemed it wasn’t firing on all cylinders. One of the cylinders has accumulated oil so I cleaned all the plugs and replaced leads which has helped but the engine is still not 100%. What could be causing the problem with oil getting into the cylinder?
Hi Paul,
This is likely to be a leak from your rocker cover gasket.
All the best,
Sue
+44-780-9575-421
Have a problem with my TD4 2L diesel when driving. When putting my foot down on the accelerator there feels like a build up of compression then a puff of smoke, it ticks over fine, drives fine and its not using water or oil. What could it be?
Hi Wayne,
My apologies for the delay in responding. This sounds as though it is either a problem with the MAF sensor or with the EGR valve. Try unplugging the MAF sensor and see if runs better, if so then it is worth changing.
All the best,
Sue
0780 9575 421
my freelander leaks oil from the oil seal how do i stop it
Hi Allili,
You will need to get the oil seals replaced, unfortunately there is no shortcut for this.
All the best,
Sue
0780 9575 421
Hi Sue,
My freelander 1.8 petrol off late started smoking black from the exhaust and has been really bad with fuel mileage. Pls what’s the cause of this problem and possible remedy?
Hi Dike,
This could be a number of things. The first things to check would be if you have blocked valves, a vacuum leak or a blocked catalytic convertor.
All the best,
Sue
+44-780-9575-421
mhisy freelander leaks oil from the oil seal how do i stop t