We have just returned from a trip to the Italian Alps with an overnight stop near Dijon.
Friday the 13th was the start of the schools half term in both the UK and France and on our route North I have never seen so many Freelanders and Disco's going South - there must have been hundreds of them - far outnumbering the BMW's etc

No problems on the trip other than the usual cold start problem when the temperature dropped below -3ºC (which i did every night) - luckily our hotel lady was prepared with a fully charged portable Power Pack.

Averaged 38.2mpg for the round trip and at one point hit 73.3mpg on the 20 minute down the valley trip to the Aosta motorway! Tattoos - Why would you choose to look like the wall of a public toilet?

What cold start problem do you have?

My old 07 plate starts fine..... The glow plug light only comes on at -3 or colder on mine Black FL2
L200 Warrior

When temp is showing a minus figure my start sequence (which i think is correct)
Insert key fob
Foot OFF clutch
Press start button
Wait a few seconds or until Glowplug symbol goes out
Then foot ON clutch and press start button.

On 2 occasions now in Luxembourg and Cervinia, Italy when temp was showing -3ºC it just kept turning over and almost firing with loads of smoke out the exhaust.
On the first occasion it eventually fired up but after repeated attempts in Italy the battery ran out!

I think I may have some failed glowplugs. Tattoos - Why would you choose to look like the wall of a public toilet?

[quote="Averaged 38.2mpg for the round trip and at one point hit 73.3mpg on the 20 minute down the valley trip to the Aosta motorway![/quote]

Just planning my drive south on Saturday. 38.2 mpg sounds good. What was your cruising speed?

Last edited by IDL on 16th Feb 2015 8:11 pm. Edited 1 time in total

My start sequence is the same all year and the car causes a slight delay itself when glow plugs are needed....


Key fob in
Foot on clutch
Press start button.....car starts immediately in weather above -3 or has a few seconds delay if weather below -3



My glow plugs are the same from new and the car has 116,000 miles on.....not saying yours have not failed though as they might be......

My car struggled the first winter I had it when it had 60,000 miles but a new battery sorted it as I think the age of the battery was effecting the starting and it's been fine with another 60k miles since Black FL2
L200 Warrior

I had exactly the same symptoms as this so I replaced the battery and the glow plugs which were all dead and no issues since.

IDL

We cruised on the motorways at around 2000rpm (70-72mph) in 6th gear, dropping down into 5th if the revs dropped below 1,700 on inclines.

Have found this to be a comfortable and the most economical speed to travel.

We went down via our daughters home in Luxembourg, then towards Saarbrucken, Colmar, Basel and on to the Mont Blanc tunnel.

Returned back through the tunnel and up through france onto Dijon, Troyes and Calais.

Found a couple of nice stop over hotels as well

Going down this weekend you will see all the Land Rovers returning North on the opposite carriageway. Tattoos - Why would you choose to look like the wall of a public toilet?

Thanks for the replies re the cold starting - I am going to get my local inde garage to test the glow plugs and battery and get them replaced if necessary.
Replacing the glow plugs appears to be a right fiddlely job. Tattoos - Why would you choose to look like the wall of a public toilet?

How old is the battery? And how many miles has your motor covered? Black FL2
L200 Warrior

It is the original battery and have covered 92,000 miles.
The battery appeared to have plenty in it when it was trying to start but after a dozen or so attempts it finally gave out. Tattoos - Why would you choose to look like the wall of a public toilet?

Mine appeared to turn over fine too when I struggled to start in the winter 3 years ago......a new battery and it started immediately and I am on the same glow plugs after 115,000 miles and starts on the button ever since.......my opinion is that if it's the original battery and you've done 90k miles I would try changing it as no doubt if it's not causing a problem now chances are it will in the near future? Just my opinion, I think of batteries as I would like to benefit from having a new battery and not the worry of one failing when the car is needed if you get what I mean Black FL2
L200 Warrior