Hello to all,

New to this forum as a contributor, but been lurking in the background quietly gleaning knowledge since last year.

So apologies for such a long-winded post on my first attempt but here goes, I will eventually get to the point.

After a lifetime of Vauxhalls, got my first LR last autumn – MY11 FL2 S Fuji White. Standard spec’ with no ‘extras’ other than full size alloy spare and loadcover. New to-order from main dealer in S Wales.

So, after approx 9 months ownership and 9k of mixed driving (averaging 38.5mpg)…..

Likes:
Pretty much everything.

Dislikes/niggles:
The atrocious 1st-to-2nd gear change unless the revs are below about 1000rpm,

The candles that have been installed in lieu of bulbs for main beam lights,

The sinking driver seat,

The mysterious white powdery handmarks that appear on the upholstery all the time, which I assume is the foam filling inside. If it’s deteriorating after a couple of months what’s it going to be like in a years time?

Noisy suspension occasionally on certain surfaces, also gently dropping the front wheel down a kerb results in a disconcerting ‘bang’.

But most of the above I can forgive (so far) because the good points outweigh the bad. However, the one thing that is really-really spoils the entire ownership experience for me is the jolting/missing during the first few minutes of driving which is becoming beyond a joke.

I know this may have been covered in a number of posts previously both under General and Tehnical (links below), and I therefore am assuming it could be an EGR/MAF issue (based purely upon other posters comments only).

http://www.freel2.com/forum/topic9803.html

http://www.freel2.com/forum/topic12564.html

http://www.freel2.com/forum/topic12578.html

In my case it first appeared after about 4k, and has been happening pretty –much consistently since then.

Generally it manifests itself after a period of inactivity when the car has been stood about for an hour-or-so. Temperature seems not to play a part particularly, as it happens equally in cold or mild temperatures (it aint been hot yet this year so can’t say whether this makes it worse or not). Although I do feel that maybe it’s a little worse now in ‘summer’ than it was when it first started.

So far, there is no problem in general driving, it only occurs when first starting off after being parked-up. Once its had its couple of splutters, violent lurches, and coughs, it seems to be happy. However, I am not.

If you start it first thing in morning, or leaving work after being parked up for the day, it idles ok but if you very-gently raise the revs to about 1000-1500 rpm it runs very rough and you can feel the engine shuddering on its mountings as though its missing (rev needle doesn’t jump-about though).

Its almost as though the fuel system is sucking-air in somewhere along the line and becoming depressurised when its stood about. Once the system is restarted and any offending air bubbles expelled (violent jolting), its fine again.

Now the point of all this is under what circumstances can I call LR Assist out as I haven’t actually broken-down (although I would argue that if you cannot pull-away smoothly in a controlled manner without kangarooing down the road this potentially constitutes a safety issue)?

I only have the one car and can’t afford to have it sat in a main dealers for days while they potch about at their leisure (assuming no fault codes show up to pinpoint the issue immediately) and if it were just to be a software update or similar I assume LRA could do this?

I heard much from the salesman about the ‘prestige brand’ when he was trying to sell me the car, does this prestige mean I can call on LRA to give an initial diagnosis in my circumstances?

Thanks

hi mine does this in the morning 1st thing and when starting going home from work ( period of inactiverty) mine is approx 1,800 rpm to 2,000rpm but to discribe it like when you drive a car from cold with a manual choke and the choke is on too much(over chokeing) if you rev the engine past the 2,000 rpm mark it will go till the next time its stood for approx 6hrs i have numerus updates by the dealer and several egr valves it goes away for a short period but comes back ,

as for calling out l/r assist have done this four times over this fault and all four times was recomended i went to the dealer once on the back of a trailer via the aa as i refused to drive becuse of saftey issues  rainy-city
xs

Valley Dweller welcome. You need to get the car back to your supplying dealer and explain your problem. They a should give you a courtesy car for as long as they keep the car. Good luck.

thanks for the input both. Bigalf, after further consideration my symptoms are identical to your i.e. in the rev range you mention. It always starts and idles ok, but gently raising the revs in neutral to about 1800 rpm results in spluttering/shuddering/missing which is so rough it feels like the engine feels like its rocking back and forth on its mountings. Once you get above 2000 rpm all is normal. If you move off in gear you are just grinding your teeth waiting for the inevitable violent lurch.

It used to be just an inititial grumble until it had cleared itself and thereafter driving was ok, however in recent weeks I have convinced myself that its creeping into the general driving behaviour of the car accompanied by an increasingly obvious flat-spot right at the bottom of the rev range before a sudden surge of power and off you fly a bit quicker than you'd like.

I see no reason why I should be forced to drive everywhere with my foot to the floor or pull off at high revs just to get a 'normal' response out of the engine and avoid the aforementioned issues, if I was inclined to that sort of driving behaviour I would have bought a Nova and worn a baseball cap. Personally I would prefer to maintain a slightly more sedate driving style and not attract any unwanted attention either from plod or those who may think I'm trying to challange them off at the lights.

I know Ben is correct and that it should go back to the dealer and ultimately this is probably what will happen, but I'd be happier if I could get LRA out to witness it first-hand, so (stupid question, I know) what's the accepted procedure for calling out LRA (phone numbers etc)? The only details I can find relate to and 0845 'accident assistance' helpline, is this the same as roadside assistance or is there another number?

Thanks in anticipation

you should have a plastic card same size as a credit card in you service/instruction book since i last spoke to you i have been contacted by the dealer saying tha he has to change some type of engine modulator as they have had this on another vehicle as well its going into night for 2nd service and to have this done i will keep you posted  rainy-city
xs