hi - in colder weather, my FL2 TD4 (4 years old, 35,000 miles) needs approx 10 cranks of the engine before starting. I assume (?) the battery is OK because the engine cranks fine - but it takes approx 10 cranks before firing up.

Any electrical or mechanical reasons for this starting problem.....or tips to improve the starting performance.....?

thanks

Sounds like a glowplug issue. Mine starts instantly every time regardless of temperature. John
07 HSE Narvick Black
Land Rover Series One
Triumph Rocket 111 (sadly gone!)

See this thread:
http://www.freel2.com/forum/topic13807.html?highlight=cranking
for a table of temperatures vs maximum cranking times. It shows a max cranking time ot 7.5 seconds at -15 (and 5 seconds at -10). How cold is it in Denmark at the moment? 10 cranks would probably be in the 5-7.5 second range?

hi - it's "only" about zero in Denmark currently

I thought that glowplugs basically lasted for ever, because they are so infrequently used ?

Zero here too. Mine started this morning with about 2 seconds delay then 2 seconds cranking. Glow plugs can fail, but infrequently. Possibly a battery issue - might be worth getting it checked?

Glowplugs, they are not working correctly

Sounds like the symptoms I had before having the glow plugs done on mine, now it starts on the button every time

Jon Freelander 2, 2014 Dynamic SD4 Santorini Black

If you turn the ignition on, without cranking, does the glow plug light come on, and then extinguish?

Try starting like this a couple of times.

Also when it is at minus temperatures, is there a delay between you pressing the button and it cranking? Mine: 2012 Golf GTI Edition 35
Family's: 2009 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Auto, Stornoway

Yorkshire - God's County

Battery OK.
2008 Freelie, TD4, about 110 000 km on the clock.
Will crank a lot, seems to be starting (gives a cough) but no start.
This is a problem at 10-15 degrees below zero.
Down to 7 below it starts fine.

Glowplugs changed early this year (about 20000 km ago).
Battery changed this year too.

Any ideas? It sort of wants to start, but fails. It's never too late to learn something new...

The first and easiest step would be to check the 'Glow Plug' fuse, FE4 in the engine compartment fusebox. Also check that the 'Glow Plug' relay R114 is energising.

Thanks, will check - the action of the glowplug lamp in the dashboard is not related to any of these? It's never too late to learn something new...

No, FE4 is the power circuit through the relay contacts to the glow plugs, not the indication.

OK, thanks again.
But... the F4 is hidden beneath something I can't figure out how to open? Some nut next to it with a metal connector? Should I loosen that one first? It's never too late to learn something new...

bbjoca wrote:

Battery OK.
2008 Freelie, TD4, about 110 000 km on the clock.
Will crank a lot, seems to be starting (gives a cough) but no start.
This is a problem at 10-15 degrees below zero.
Down to 7 below it starts fine.

Glowplugs changed early this year (about 20000 km ago).
Battery changed this year too.

Any ideas? It sort of wants to start, but fails.

yes, there is the normal "glowing" delay before it starts cranking.
But once it starts cranking, it won't start... if it had been a gas engine I would have suspected a) no spark, or b) no fuel....
But now it's a diesel - and fuel comes in, because once started it runs well. It's just the starting itself that's the problem. It's never too late to learn something new...