TD4 Sluggish in the wet

Here's a wierd one...

On a number of seperate occasions last winter my 03 TD4 Freelander became very slow and sluggish after driving through a few floods on the way too and from work - nothing excessive, I would have thought that the deepest water it went through would be no more than about 10". This happened on several occasions, and each time the performance returned to normal once it all dried out. Throughout the summer I never experienced the problem at all, but on driving to work this morning along the flooded Cumbrian lanes, exactly the same thing happened again.

The sensation of loosing power is immediate and I would describe it as being similar to an engine dropping to three cylinders. Tick over is fine and the engine appears to run smoothly enough, but it just lacks power. I am hoping that by the time I leave work this evening things will have dried out enough for it to have returned to normal, but I was wondering if anyone else had experienced anything similar with their Freelanders, and what the cause/solution might be?

Many thanks in advance...

its possible that youve a hole in yer eggsauce unthe water is fillin up and stopping flowthrough [just a thought] also ,cough did yer doors fall orft

Is the right front wheelarch liner intact and secured properly and the removable cover up in the front section fitted properly?

The engines air intake is under there and any moisture being ingested will upset the MAF sensor and ultimately knacker it.

As an update, the car got slower and slower today (we've had quite a bit of rain here in West Cumbria) However I noticed that I was also very low on fuel. I pulled in to fill up and with a full tank things very quickly seemed to improve. Could it be that I am somehow getting water into my fuel system? IF so how? and what could I do about it?

I will check the wheelarch liner as soon as it gets light tomorrow...

Could be the water theory is a red herring and you have a weak fuel pump or are you convinced it only happens in the wet?

It could also just be that something dried out with the engine heat while you were filling up.

Chaser...

whats this removable cover???? i though that the intake in the top of the wheel arch should be open as mine has been for the past 5 years that i've had the car.

Should there be a cover over it?

Thanks

Dave

Mosin said:

As an update, the car got slower and slower today (we've had quite a bit of rain here in West Cumbria) However I noticed that I was also very low on fuel. I pulled in to fill up and with a full tank things very quickly seemed to improve. Could it be that I am somehow getting water into my fuel system? IF so how? and what could I do about it?

Click to expand...

Mosin said:

quote]OK Thats the vital clue then. . . .one of yer fuel pumps [low pressure side is weak] not enough to send in a fault code , but the clue was filling up wiff fuel made it better, as the extra weight of fuel will assist in flow through, your problem is deciding which one [one in tank[all models] and up to 2003 in engine bay rhs under wheel arch after 2003 under rear wheel arch. . . . .normally the one in the tank go's first but if its been happening for long weakens the other pump as it works twice as hard. . . . .hope this helps yer Earthling

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Vertuas said:

Chaser...

whats this removable cover???? i though that the intake in the top of the wheel arch should be open as mine has been for the past 5 years that i've had the car.

Should there be a cover over it?

Thanks

Dave

Click to expand...

I was referring to the cover that gives access to the indicator bulbs through the arch liner not a cover on the intake itself. I just though that due to it's proximity to the air intake that if it was missing the intake might suck in water droplets.

Its got rabies.

Chaser said:

I was referring to the cover that gives access to the indicator bulbs through the arch liner not a cover on the intake itself. I just though that due to it's proximity to the air intake that if it was missing the intake might suck in water droplets.

Click to expand...

cough. . . . .fuel pump

Mosin said:

As an update, the car got slower and slower today (we've had quite a bit of rain here in West Cumbria) However I noticed that I was also very low on fuel. I pulled in to fill up and with a full tank things very quickly seemed to improve. Could it be that I am somehow getting water into my fuel system? IF so how? and what could I do about it?

I will check the wheelarch liner as soon as it gets light tomorrow...

Click to expand...

See if you can drain any water from the fuel filter sedimenter.

ming said:

cough. . . . .fuel pump

Click to expand...

cough.....already suggested

Chaser said:

Could be the water theory is a red herring and you have a weak fuel pump or are you convinced it only happens in the wet?

It could also just be that something dried out with the engine heat while you were filling up.

Click to expand...