Landrover freelander 2007 3,2 inline

I’ve been having this issue for a while, it’s almost not a big deal but I’m sure it’s a sign that something is about to go which will cause me real problems.

when I start the car I get the message saying Poor engine performance. I Can put Ku foot absolutely flat on the pedal and if I’m on even a slight hill it won’t move at all. Otherwise on a fly surface it takes a while to kick in. Once the temp gauge reaches halfway the car performs properly and everything in 100%

any ideas?
im sure it’s a sensor perhaps the one that measures the position of the accelerator?

 

Best way to start troubleshooting this is to put a scanner on it, preferably one that understands LR modules, and see what the car tells you it thinks is wrong. Take it to your local autoparts store, most of them will scan it for free if you don't have a scanner.

 

Don't think it's the throttle, sounds like the engine is de-rating itself to protect itself so it knows that some data is bogus.

You do need to check the codes.

Might be something like a crank/cam position sensor, but it might also be a solenoid that controls the valves. There are several of those, and at least some of them use oil pressure. If a solenoid is tired, it might malfunction with cold thick oil before warmup. I think the engine would recognize if it commanded valve behavior but didn't get it, since it can see the crank and camshaft positions. That might be why it throws an error.

Do you run 5W30? [TYPO CORRECTED] That's what's specified for my 2008 3.2L, anything heavier might cause solenoid issues. Also really old, dirty oil might create problems. I'd suggest synthetic if you're not already using it. I might even try an oil change before replacing parts, depending on the OCI history.

Good news, IIRC all of those solenoids are accessible and relatively affordable so it's probably not a very expensive issue.

But again, pull the codes to find out which. If you have a generic scantool, you can try that but the code might not be clear as to which component is the problem. You can get vehicle specific scantools which run off your phone, such as the Autel AP200 which a lot of us use. Not perfect but cheaper and easier than a pro scantool.

 

thanks this is great info. The check engine light isn’t on, we’ve done a scan numerous times with a few mechanics and it doesn’t show anything clear. Yes the oil I’m using is 20W50, I’ll try an oil change. The car runs amazingly well once it’s warmed up, so you could be right that it’s getting some bogus info until whatever it is is warmed up. Thanks again!

 

I suspect the scan has been done with garden-variety OBDII scanners. Those only tell you about faults that are generic and common to all cars.

 

20W50. Really?

 

0W30 but more likely 5W30, 20W50 is not for the si6!

 

That is another point. That is not the recommended oil for the LR2. It should be 5W-30 Full Synthetic.

 

YES!!! TYPO ON MY PART, USE 5W30 synthetic for the 3.2 i6!!!


I was oil shopping for my ACVW this morning, had 20W50 on the brain.

 

20W50 is probably the cause of your issue, install mobile 1 5W30 and I bet your problem is solved.

20W when cold I'm sure is too thick for the solenoids.