Freelander 2 (LR2) Rhythmic idle and slight judder - L359 TD4 GS Manual.

Hi all, I've noticed over the past few weeks that when I'm sat in idle for, say, at least 5 minutes (typically before a gym class with the heated seats on), the engine seems to, on occasion, have a rhythmic idle and a very minor judder which can be felt through the centre console with my leg resting against it.

The idle has only been happening over the past few weeks and is a slightly different rhythm each time.

the engine seems to perform well and with the bonnet open and the engine running I can't seem to hear/feel this issue. It only seems noticeable when in the drivers seat.

Edit* just driven home circa 12 miles and there was a lul in power when in second gear with a then somewhat noticeable surge thereafter.

Car has just been serviced, intercooler hoses replaced, is at 76,170 miles and is a 2014 plate.

Any help / guidance, on what the possible issue could be (and maybe any solutions) would be much appreciated!

Your best bet is to get it on a diagnostic tool and see what live data is saying, can you tell us when the fuel filter was last changed, was it at the last service you had above? if so was the correct fuel filter fitted, ie
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Arctic2 said:

Your best bet is to get it on a diagnostic tool and see what live data is saying, can you tell us when the fuel filter was last changed, was it at the last service you had above? if so was the correct fuel filter fitted, ie

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Click to expand...

Thanks Arctic. The fuel filter was changed at the last service (28/02/2025) and used the correct filter. Based on other service items used by the garage (such as the air filter) I'd hazard a guess that it is a MANN filter, although I can check this.

This seems to be a persistent issue with the car but only seems to take place in warmer weather. One thread suggested the MAF sensor may be dirty and that cleaning this may resolve the issue. Another thread also suggested that the MAP sensor may also be the culprit. The loss/hesitation in power certainly feels like a lack of fuel and/or air getting to the engine, almost similar to how the car felt when the intercooler hose was going/eventually tore. As mentioned above the intercooler has has since been fixed and the car ran perfectly for a month, however the slight judder in acceleration has returned.

I also recall that this judder occurred after i bought it in July 2024, although it was way worse then. I've since taken to using some diesel fuel system cleaner on regular intervals on the basis it may have been a dirty/clogged fuel injector. The car ran perfectly thereafter and generally runs really well (i didnt have a single issue with the winter weather we had at the back end of last year in the UK and on a recent trek to Scotland). I've also been taking more short journeys for the last month so perhaps this is having some effect?

Some more digging is required and as you suggest a diagnostics tool will likely solve this in short order. In the meantime, I'll try cleaning the MAF sensor (after reviewing a thread on how to do this without making a costly mistake) and then check if any mates have a diagnostic tool/order one (if you have any recommendations?). May be a case of taking it down to my local garage if things get worse...

Thanks for your help Arctic !

There was a Mann filter in my07 Freelander when i first bought it back in 2017 and it ran ok until 2020 after that i used the above ones as i have two FL2 MY07 and MY14
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I would be careful trying to clean the MAF sensor as most of the time it ruins them rather than fixing them, maybe get the intercooler hoses all checked for tightness, it could be throttle sticking or even coked up a little.

MAP sensor can get clogged up, you can remove it and wipe it clean with a rag with some carb/brake cleaner on the rag.
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Throttle sensor can get clogged up to, harder to get to though, checked mine when i did the manifold change.
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But yes diagnosis is first call.

Arctic2 said:

There was a Mann filter in my07 Freelander when i first bought it back in 2017 and it ran ok until 2020 after that i used the above ones as i have two FL2 MY07 and MY14

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I would be careful trying to clean the MAF sensor as most of the time it ruins them rather than fixing them, maybe get the intercooler hoses all checked for tightness, it could be throttle sticking or even coked up a little.

MAP sensor can get clogged up, you can remove it and wipe it clean with a rag with some carb/brake cleaner on the rag.

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Throttle sensor can get clogged up to, harder to get to though, checked mine when i did the manifold change.

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But yes diagnosis is first call.

Click to expand...

Thanks Arctic, this is all really useful (especially the pictures). In relation to the diagnostic tool, I'm wanting to keep this car for the foreseeable and want to ideally get to a point where I can begin working on it myself, or atleast become more knowledgeable. Are there any diagnostic tools you'd recommend purchasing or is it just best to take this into the garage for them to run the diagnostics?

If you've got any tools in mind that go for a reasonable price, please do let me know.

Arctic2 said:

There was a Mann filter in my07 Freelander when i first bought it back in 2017 and it ran ok until 2020 after that i used the above ones as i have two FL2 MY07 and MY14

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I would be careful trying to clean the MAF sensor as most of the time it ruins them rather than fixing them, maybe get the intercooler hoses all checked for tightness, it could be throttle sticking or even coked up a little.

MAP sensor can get clogged up, you can remove it and wipe it clean with a rag with some carb/brake cleaner on the rag.

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Throttle sensor can get clogged up to, harder to get to though, checked mine when i did the manifold change.

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But yes diagnosis is first call.

Click to expand...

Arctic, re cleaning the various sensors mentioned above, is it simply a case of removing, cleaning and then replacing the various sensors or will I need to also reset any fault codes/similar using a diagnostic tool?

First time I've looked at doing this so I want to get the full picture.

HDWO55 said:

Arctic, re cleaning the various sensors mentioned above, is it simply a case of removing, cleaning and then replacing the various sensors or will I need to also reset any fault codes/similar using a diagnostic tool?

First time I've looked at doing this so I want to get the full picture.

Click to expand...

If you decide to clean the MAP sensor it's just wipe clean with a rag, the throttle sensor use only electrical contact cleaner do not touch the heat centre, for the MAF i would not touch as sometimes it can make it worse.

Throttle body air sensor
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This is with the body off the car, you should be able to remove sensor by it's self, only electrical contact cleaner, spray and let it dry naturally.
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MAP sensor should be easy to remove.
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MAF as above personally i would not touch, diagnosis is your way forward.
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Arctic2 said:

If you decide to clean the MAP sensor it's just wipe clean with a rag, the throttle sensor use only electrical contact cleaner do not touch the heat centre, for the MAF i would not touch as sometimes it can make it worse.

Throttle body air sensor

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This is with the body off the car, you should be able to remove sensor by it's self, only electrical contact cleaner, spray and let it dry naturally.

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MAP sensor should be easy to remove.

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MAF as above personally i would not touch, diagnosis is your way forward.

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Click to expand...

Thanks Arctic, that's all really useful !

It's probably worth getting the injector balance checked using suitable diagnostic equipment.
An injector that's not firing correctly will cause an imbalance, most noticeable at idle.

Arctic2 said:

If you decide to clean the MAP sensor it's just wipe clean with a rag, the throttle sensor use only electrical contact cleaner do not touch the heat centre, for the MAF i would not touch as sometimes it can make it worse.

Throttle body air sensor

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This is with the body off the car, you should be able to remove sensor by it's self, only electrical contact cleaner, spray and let it dry naturally.

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MAP sensor should be easy to remove.

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MAF as above personally i would not touch, diagnosis is your way forward.

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Click to expand...

Thanks Arctic, that's all really useful

Nodge68 said:

It's probably worth getting the injector balance checked using suitable diagnostic equipment.
An injector that's not firing correctly will cause an imbalance, most noticeable at idle.

Click to expand...

Thanks Nodge, I'll see what the diagnostic throws up.