Engine running rough with p0301 & p0313 codes

Last night on the way home from the supermarket the freelander started running rough it's never been this bad, seems to be ok upto 30mph on the flat then doesn't want to pull above 30mph hesitant lack of power also more noticable at lower speed on hills, for the last couple of weeks it's been running smooth.

Today took it for a test drive still the same, 4miles from home the engine light starts flashing, so pulled over turned engine off then back on light had stopped flashing, when i get home i read the engine codes, they are p0301 cylinder 1 missfire detected, p0302 cylinder 2 missfire detected, p0313 missfire detected with low fuel, i deleted them went for another test drive and the engine light starts flashing again at roughly the same loacation i got to before, came home this time two codes p0301 and p0313.

Does this sound like an injector problem, a couple of weeks ago i put some injector cleaner in the tank and the engine as been running smooth also i've been getting more miles per gallon but that could be down to rear o2 sensor i changed.

What could be causing a p0301 and p0313 code, should i try another bottle of injector cleaner or is this just masking the real problem.

Another thing i noticed there seem to be a ticking or clicking noise coming from around the cylinder 1 top of the coil pack or injector just couldn't figure out the exact location when i first turned the engine over, i took the spark plug out of cylinder 1 and it seemed dirtier and darker when compared to the other three.

I should have known it was too good to last a couple of weeks of hassle free motoring, i forgot to say it's a 1.8 petrol engine.

I changed the coil packs over to see if the problem would move cylinders but i still get the same p0301 cylinder 1 missfire detected and p0313 missfire detected with low fuel fault codes.

Do you think points towards the fuel injector on cylinder 1 or could there be something else.

I'd do a compression check on all cylinders first. If ok. Fuel injector would be my next check. You can swap them about to see if the fault changed cylinders, but it's easier to simply replace it.

I'll get a compression tester tomorrow, what pressure should i be looking for if the cylinders are ok.

Could the ticking noise be arcing?
Any oil leaking into plug wells?

(I know nothing about the 1.8 engine btw, just guessing...)

Having just had my fuel pump mess around again. It might be worth checking that to. Fuel pressure should be around 55 psi. If cylinder 2 is also affected, maybe the fuel pressure is dropping off. Cylinders 1 and 2 are furthest away from the pump.

bukko said:

Could the ticking noise be arcing?
Any oil leaking into plug wells?

(I know nothing about the 1.8 engine btw, just guessing...)

Click to expand...

The K4 and KV6 are different except for a few shared parts, however fault symptoms will be the same

There's no oil in the plug i can see.

I've borrowed a compression tetster and read the instruction sheet in the box, thought i'd ask as don't want to damage anything, does the block were the wires from coil packs and the injectors meet does this disconnect the ignition system, i've been trying to pull them apart but it wont seperate, will just disconnecting the coil packs be ok.

Got it sorted it was the fuel injector on cylinder 1, when i removed the fuel injectors i tested the two pins on each and they gave the same reading on each 14.7 ohms.

I made a switched cable with two little audio conectors to plug into the injector powered from a 12v battery, i used a syringe with the end cut off pushed tightly into a short length of clear poly tube to fit over the top of the injector, filled the tube with carb cleaner then pushed the plunger into the syringe, with the injector sat in the top of a pop bottle.

The first time i tried injector 1, nothing came through so i thought either the cable set up wasn't working or the injector was knackered, so tried injector 2 and it jetted carb cleaner through with out problem, i tried injector 1 again and a little bit of cleaner started to come through then it became faster until it was spraying through every time i pushed the switch, i jetted around 6 lots through then cleaned the other 3 injectors.

Number 1 injector was working as good as the other 3 after cleaning so must have been well and truly clogged up.

It's fiddly getting those electrical connectors off and on when the fuel rail is in position, i could have done with smaller hands, once fully refitted it started up after a couple of tries, i let it tick over a while and checked for any leaks, it all looked ok so went for a drive and it pulls once again and i can drive up an hill with out it jerking around.

This job was another first for me and as probably saved me a pretty penny doing the work myself and you just get a good feeling when it works, also my tool collection is growing as i've ordered my own pressure tester in case i every need one in the future, i wonder what tool i'll need to buy for the next job.