Back - Again :/ Still struggling to diagnose these Lean Codes
#1
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Hudson Valley, New York
Posts: 230
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Back - Again :/ Still struggling to diagnose these Lean Codes
Forum Members, Land Rover Enthusiast, and Friends,
HELP. Lean on both banks and I'm just sucking at life over here.
2006 Land Rover LR3. 4.4 engine. I’ve got 232k on it and I’ve had it since it had 29k on her. She runs just fine which is what is so annoying. I just have lean codes on both banks that won’t go away and throwing parts at it has not been a successful strategy.Thus far - I’ve replaced the EGR valve because it showed a leak during a smoke test. (was so happy. Surely this was the issue! Nope)
I am 5 months late on my inspection. I got a ticket for it last month. $150.00 - My friend suggested not to worry about it and consider it part of Rover Maintenance. He had a good point......
https://imgur.com/gallery/uf2VKnw
https://imgur.com/gallery/wCluok8
HELP. Lean on both banks and I'm just sucking at life over here.
2006 Land Rover LR3. 4.4 engine. I’ve got 232k on it and I’ve had it since it had 29k on her. She runs just fine which is what is so annoying. I just have lean codes on both banks that won’t go away and throwing parts at it has not been a successful strategy.Thus far - I’ve replaced the EGR valve because it showed a leak during a smoke test. (was so happy. Surely this was the issue! Nope)
- replaced EGR gaskets (Cause it was still smoking, Surely this was the issue! Nope)
- replaced throttle body gaskets. (Cause some dude said they're super finicky - Surely this was the issue! Nope)
- replaced MAF sensor twice - once at the very beginning of the process and then again three or four weeks ago when my local shop said that was the issue and replaced it with a genuine part. Surely this was the issue. He was SO DAMN CONFIDENT! 10 Miles from the shop (Twice the normal range), the CEL returns for lean codes. Nope!
- have done fuel injector service - Cause why not?
- have done plugs (just cause)
- have replaced PCV valve.
- have smoke tested at every change to ensure it wasn’t something stupid like an air intake plenum lose or something (which it was. But my excitement was short lived when the lean codes returned).
I am 5 months late on my inspection. I got a ticket for it last month. $150.00 - My friend suggested not to worry about it and consider it part of Rover Maintenance. He had a good point......
https://imgur.com/gallery/uf2VKnw
https://imgur.com/gallery/wCluok8
#3
It seems that most of what you’ve done has been to look for extra air entering the system, which, fair enough, is more likely. However, along the same vein as this suggestion, have you ever changed the fuel filter? Any chance it’s clogged?
#6
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Hudson Valley, New York
Posts: 230
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Good comments. You all came from different angles and that's good for the mind.
Few thoughts.
Few thoughts.
- Fuel Filter????? I didn't think the LR3 4.4 had a fuel filter. If it does - I am going to feel like an idiot (Unless we're talking about the in-tank "filter")
- Fuel - While we're on it... I went and got a HF fuel pressure tester. In a turn of events, and according to my research, it appears I have TOO much fuel pressure?!?!?
- See Video link - First part is upon start up and you can see the gauge is NOT happy. Then it leveled off right around 80 PSI which seems high - I was told 65 was the number, but I'm not experienced enough to know margin of eror.
- At Douglastic - Well... not sure what you mean. I did hard re-set the thingy using the battery method (disconnect battery - jump them together, wait ten minutes, and hope your rover is new-method). How confident are you that this is a programming issue? Like - confident enough for me to Drop $500 on a tool that can actually perform this function?
Last edited by mirepoixmatt; 02-13-2020 at 10:17 AM.
#7
Apologies, but you're right. No fuel filter (unless it's built into the pump). I remembered replacing ours (which was a real bugger to get the connectors off of, though easy to access), but I just realized it was on our L322 Range Rover, not the LR3. Sorry!
And by the way, if it makes you feel any better, I was in a similar situation recently. I had a "loose or missing fuel cap" error message and couldn't pass emissions. So... I replaced the fuel cap. Message went away, but came back a couple hundred miles later. Did some research online and discovered the most likely cause was the DMTL pump. Replaced that with a new one, which was a huge pain in the a$$. As you say, "surely that must be the issue!". Test drove and no error message. However, after enough drive cycles, the message did come back. Finally took it into an indy shop and asked for a smoke test. They told me that brake booster hose had become disconnected for some reason, but that they were seeing smoke from around that area. They reconnected the hose and told me that if error came back, I should replace purge valve. Test drove car and error message came back. Replaced purge valve (to the tune of $400 for the part!!!). Went out to do drive cycles. Error message didn't come back. "Surely this must be the problem!!!" Went to take care to get emissions test. While waiting in line, turned car off. When it was my turn, I turned it back on and boom; error message came back. @#$&#$@# Finally conceded and took to LR dealer. Took 6 days for them to even look at the problem, but came back and said fuel flange needed to be replaced to the tune of a small fortune. Fine. Did it, did drive cycles. No error message. Took it to emissions inspection station and the guy who tested it came out and told me it hadn't passed. I was about to cry until I saw his face and realized he was joking! Grrrrrr. Anyhow, truck is finally road legal again, 2 months after registration expired. :/
And by the way, if it makes you feel any better, I was in a similar situation recently. I had a "loose or missing fuel cap" error message and couldn't pass emissions. So... I replaced the fuel cap. Message went away, but came back a couple hundred miles later. Did some research online and discovered the most likely cause was the DMTL pump. Replaced that with a new one, which was a huge pain in the a$$. As you say, "surely that must be the issue!". Test drove and no error message. However, after enough drive cycles, the message did come back. Finally took it into an indy shop and asked for a smoke test. They told me that brake booster hose had become disconnected for some reason, but that they were seeing smoke from around that area. They reconnected the hose and told me that if error came back, I should replace purge valve. Test drove car and error message came back. Replaced purge valve (to the tune of $400 for the part!!!). Went out to do drive cycles. Error message didn't come back. "Surely this must be the problem!!!" Went to take care to get emissions test. While waiting in line, turned car off. When it was my turn, I turned it back on and boom; error message came back. @#$&#$@# Finally conceded and took to LR dealer. Took 6 days for them to even look at the problem, but came back and said fuel flange needed to be replaced to the tune of a small fortune. Fine. Did it, did drive cycles. No error message. Took it to emissions inspection station and the guy who tested it came out and told me it hadn't passed. I was about to cry until I saw his face and realized he was joking! Grrrrrr. Anyhow, truck is finally road legal again, 2 months after registration expired. :/
Last edited by cmb6s; 02-13-2020 at 10:13 AM.
#9
#10
FYI, your readings do seem to show something funky going on. Shouldn't long term fuel trims be close to zero? Having them at 22-23% shows that the car is adding fuel to try to compensate for an overly lean condition, correct? Perhaps somebody who's more knowledgeable than me could chime in here...