A nightmare trip under the bonnet

cmmercer · Sep 7, 2013

Oh dear, oh dear.

So I set off this morning to do a couple of bits and pieces on the freebie. Namely and oil and filter change and fit EGR bypass.

Bonnet open, hoses detached and first air inlet bit removed. Then the next cover over the injectors and what am I welcomed to - this delightful sight on #2.

I'm thinking that is not good, right?!? It's solid and not particularly sticky, so is it dated or would that be the case even if it happened yesterday? Not got much grunt uphill either, am I right in thinking that this might be the cause? Ideas of cost for replacement at a garage?

OK, so sod the EGR bypass right now, don't fancy fiddling in the engine any more. So I crack on with jacking the car up. Not easy as the bloody jack and axle stands I have aren't exactly huge and not much competition for the long range of the freebie suspension!

Anyway, I finally get the nose in the air and first thing I notice is that the front two wheels are definitely more worn on their inside edges than outside. What might be the cause of this? Negative camber?

Finally set about getting the undertray off, and after getting the first front screw off the first bolt manages to sheer off my only socket adapter and so I can't make anymore progress on that either! So still no oil change either!

This car is desperate to fight me! And i'm not sure I can take many more punches! :-(
Sorry for all the questions. Have a good weekend guys!

dave21478 · Sep 7, 2013

1 - dunno what that is - looks like something has melted over the base of the injector.

2 - Buy better tools.

3 - Get the front wheel alignment (tracking) checked by a reputable garage.

4 - get the undertray off and cut a hole in it to allow future oil changes without having to take the tray off again.

cmmercer · Sep 7, 2013

dave21478 said:
2 - Buy better tools.

I own a freelander, you think I have spare money to buy better tools?!? :-(

neilc · Sep 7, 2013

Black gunk looks like it could melted plastic, burnt oil or bit of sealing strip from cover.
Feathered inner tyres too much toe out. Good idea to get 4 wheel alignment about £50 but realy makes a difference to your drive. As already said cut hole in undertray for access to drain plug.

Dippypud · Sep 7, 2013

cmmercer said:
Oh dear, oh dear.

So I set off this morning to do a couple of bits and pieces on the freebie. Namely and oil and filter change and fit EGR bypass.

Bonnet open, hoses detached and first air inlet bit removed. Then the next cover over the injectors and what am I welcomed to - this delightful sight on #2.

I'm thinking that is not good, right?!? It's solid and not particularly sticky, so is it dated or would that be the case even if it happened yesterday? Not got much grunt uphill either, am I right in thinking that this might be the cause? Ideas of cost for replacement at a garage?

OK, so sod the EGR bypass right now, don't fancy fiddling in the engine any more. So I crack on with jacking the car up. Not easy as the bloody jack and axle stands I have aren't exactly huge and not much competition for the long range of the freebie suspension!

Anyway, I finally get the nose in the air and first thing I notice is that the front two wheels are definitely more worn on their inside edges than outside. What might be the cause of this? Negative camber?

Finally set about getting the undertray off, and after getting the first front screw off the first bolt manages to sheer off my only socket adapter and so I can't make anymore progress on that either! So still no oil change either!

This car is desperate to fight me! And i'm not sure I can take many more punches! :-(
Sorry for all the questions. Have a good weekend guys!

That looks eerily similar too a Range Rover we serviced a couple of years back - turned out to be the cap from a bottle of clutch fluid, some twit had left it in the top and it fell and cooked itself -

a bastid to scrape off anorl ...

cmmercer · Sep 7, 2013

The hole cutting idea sounds like a good one! Just gotta get the tray off first!

When I first saw gunk on Injector I assumed it had gone pop or something was leaking, but a bit of a google doesn't seem to show up anything like this.

cmmercer · Sep 7, 2013

Dippypud said:
That looks eerily similar too a Range Rover we serviced a couple of years back - turned out to be the cap from a bottle of clutch fluid, some twit had left it in the top and it fell and cooked itself -

a bastid to scrape off anorl ...

Hmmm, that's an interesting idea! It wasn't me guv, I've only ever looked under the bonnet in the past never touched anything 'till today! And now wishing I hadn't bothered!

Glad that it's not obviously a busted injector though! (not to say that isn't an additional problem though)

dave21478 · Sep 7, 2013

cmmercer said:
I own a freelander, you think I have spare money to buy better tools?!? :-(

You own a Freelander. You are going to HAVE to buy better tools. If you are snapping stuff just getting the undertray off, good luck trying to do any larger jobs.

cmmercer · Sep 7, 2013

dave21478 said:
You own a Freelander. You are going to HAVE to buy better tools. If you are snapping stuff just getting the undertray off, good luck trying to do any larger jobs.

I think it was done up with an air-tool when at the garage for its last major fix!! :-(

It was a very cheap set bought some time ago. Will look for some new tools

Dippypud · Sep 7, 2013

cmmercer said:
I think it was done up with an air-tool when at the garage for its last major fix!! :-(

It was a very cheap set bought some time ago. Will look for some new tools

teddywood1 · Sep 7, 2013

the black stuff looks like diesel ,I bet you think I am kidding you well no I have had a injector that was not seated properly and it was the same as that ,with it being hot under there it turn to a bitumen. I bet that pipe is a bit undone

cmmercer · Sep 7, 2013

teddywood1 said:
the black stuff looks like diesel ,I bet you think I am kidding you well no I have had a injector that was not seated properly and it was the same as that ,with it being hot under there it turn to a bitumen. I bet that pipe is a bit undone

Sadly, I don't think you're kidding. You think the pipe going in to the injector, rather than the injector itself?

BigRog · Sep 7, 2013

I would also recommend a trip to Halfords, they have some good half price deals at the moment, and a life time guarantee included. A set of spanners, 6 to 32mm for £40, a set of 12 ratchet rings for something similar and the socket sets for £60 ish. Just about every thing you will need for run of the mill stuff.

teddywood1 · Sep 8, 2013

I have had a better look and you can see it coming from the injector area.

gstuart · Sep 9, 2013

hiya

totally agree with the guys about buying some decent tools

i was advised that when i first bought my freelander and was the best advice i ever took

wait until u want to undo the level plug from the ird unit, had to jack it up in order to get a 18 inch breaker bar on it.

hope u get it sorted out , can be very despondent when u see problems but had mine 3 years and has been a great motor and like every motor there is normally one thing or another to be done

gary

cmmercer · Sep 9, 2013

Cheers guy. I shall be on the lookout for new tools.

I'm only really despondent because we bought the car with a baby on the way, it's due in December and now is the time we desperately need to be saving so that we can cope during the wifes maternity leave. Having already spent a tonne of money on new clutch parts I am terrified how much this injector issue will cost.

Haven't even told her about it yet!! Eek! Have contacted a couple of diesel garages about it though to get some quotes! Fingers crossed.

WilkoUK · Sep 9, 2013

I've seen that before..

I used to own a C class Mercedes CDI. The engines were notorious for 'The Black Death' which was caused by a leaking injector seal. The stuff sets as hard as glass, so needs to be chipped away. The injector seal costs pennies.
On the Merc, the seals are replaced and its as good as new. About a 2 hour job.

teddywood1 · Sep 9, 2013

it can be done by yourself undo and take out the injector but you may struggle to get it out .but once it is out then you can use a screw driver and slowly but gradually get the stuff out it is just diesel gone hard , at this point I was tempted to use a blow torch but mine came out easy .and then a new copper seal .and gently tighten up , at this point I can not find what toque the nuts should be but a warning do not over tighten ,
hippo has also done this job and he might know .

nickcc · Sep 10, 2013

If the injector is blowing back, due to a faulty bottom seal, a mix of carbon and unburned fuel will build up around the injector. Try scraping some off and see what it is.

cmmercer · Sep 10, 2013

teddywood1 said:
it can be done by yourself undo and take out the injector but you may struggle to get it out .but once it is out then you can use a screw driver and slowly but gradually get the stuff out it is just diesel gone hard , at this point I was tempted to use a blow torch but mine came out easy .and then a new copper seal .and gently tighten up , at this point I can not find what toque the nuts should be but a warning do not over tighten ,
hippo has also done this job and he might know .

I suspect that might be tricky. from a different angle to the one pictured earlier, the tar substance definitely appears to cover the screws/bolts holding it in. :-(

A nightmare trip under the bonnet

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