The garage just delivered it.

They told me they could find no fault at all, and that this morning it started perfectly, with no hesitation and no smoke.

I don't know what to think! I most certainly didn't imagine it.

That means they found the problem that they caused, fixed it & returned it to you. Hopefully with no long term damage!

Cynical me maybe but that does sound like a lot of places I have dealt with in the past. I certainly wouldn't be using them again. Much better to fess up & admit your mistakes. (Now Sold). 2008 Freelander 2 (Nazca Sand) SE TD4 Auto. Statutory write off & on WOVR for hail damage but still road legal.
171037Km as of 09/05/22
Superchips Bluefin Flash
Nanocom Evo II (also sold)

Badger, I hear you. It'll be quite cold here tomorrow and when I fire her up my wife will be behind here to video the event.

Wish I could fire my Mrs up with a video behind

Garage cocked up and keeping stum then otherwise why tell you it was being worked on. FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

I have to admit that with increasing years I am more and more cynical. The thought that a cock-up is occurred and is being swept under the carpet is the first reaction of virtually all my mates.

We live in a very different world to the one in which I grew up.

Yeh sadly its not very often you find a good honest garage that you can trust implicitly, even amongst main dealers.

If you do find one then stick with them, even if they aren't the cheapest around. Im lucky in that I have found a good main dealer (for the moment) and have used a good independent for years that I trust 100%, they aren't the cheapest but they only use quality parts.

Yesterday and today my wife took video of the first start of the day. It smokes, and it looks a kittle blue to me. Not clouds of the stuff, and just for a few seconds, accompanied by rough running. When it starts to warm up there's no smoke, no rough running, but the engine feels a bit harsh. I reckon it somehow transmits the revs slightly to the steering wheel. It's only slight, but it's there, and I have the feeling it's not right. It idles just fine.

The proprietor of the garage rang me yesterday to ask how it was going, and I said I would like to gather my thoughts about it, I told him what was happening, and he seemed interested and keen to get it right.

This morning took my wife for a rural breakfast a few miles away.. When we finished I asked her to video the start-up, which she did. As I reversed out of the (muddy field) car park she beckoned and pointed, just as the steering packed up!

There was a patch of fluid under where the engine had been, with a trail leading to the car's new position. I have to admit to swearing loudly and at length.

The garage were firmly informed that I saw this as not being a coincidence; they will be recovering the vehicle this afternoon.

I am extraordinarily cross about all this. The Freelander has been smooth, comfortable, and utterly reliable in a non-smoking way, the only issues have been minor cosmetics or niggles.

I will update you all when I can. But this is not, I feel, a Freelander 2 issue. It's a garage issue, and sadly it's a garage myself and my family have used for years with complete confidence.

Ok, I have the vehicle back in my possession.

They discovered that all the glow plugs were defective, and replaced them. The Freelander starts OK, and doesn't smoke very much. It has been pointed out that with bad glow plugs and a very cold morning that might have been enough to produce smoke and missing. I've been asked if I have been using any different diesel (no) and do I usually rev the engine after starting (no). It has further been pointed out that a very worn pulley may possibly have been affecting the timing, retarding it v- and this may have masked the problem of the glow plugs.

The steering problem was down to a blown O-ring where a hose mates with the rack.

There is a residual harshness to the engine, not severe but noticeable to me. I suppose this may be down to something being a bit tighter than it was, this may be a random vibration.

At any rate, it's not going back. Any further issues will mean my Freelander goes to a Land Rover specialist...

Has the rough idling stopped? On my previous car I had a similar issue after getting he cambelt changed. Very rough and smokey and it used to stall (was an automatic). Put it back in and they denied the timing was out, they “found” that the cam pulley was defective and the seal had blown, a coincidence considering it was fine before. Changed it all out, ruined the thread in the process so had to install a plate in the engine and all kinds of other crazy stuff. A proper cowboy garage.

Have you had your cam pulley checked?

Yes, everything is back to normal. I took the vehicle to AL Services and asked them to look it over as a precaution. They gave it a clean bill of health - all except for a dodgy tailgate wiper blade.

The original garage that did the job also claimed difficulties with the pulley.

Hi,

Are we talking about the timing belt pulley on the camshaft or the crankshaft here? In which way can the pulley "worn" out? I know the aux belt pulley on the crankshaft on some cars wear out as it works as a damper with a rubber element fitted between its massed, but never heard about worn timing belt pulleys.
It would be nice to know so this can be spotted on a future TB job