QuestionHi John
That is great, thankyou
No, there is no "CHECK ENGINE" lights.
Is it really a problem if the cat converter does not operate? I know of people who have completely taken theirs out, and runs fine (just really smelly, i assume not too good for the environment), mind you , they are late model cars. Is it possible to take the cat off and clean out the flaked metals (if this is the prob) and then replace it until i can get it fixed by a professional? Could this temporarily unplug the exhust flow?
Yes, i did get the spark plugs changed, and no it wasnt a LR dealer, and i am quite sure they are not the ones as stated in the hand book - this was the first time i didnt go to one, and the first time i have had such major problems. I find being a girl, mechanics seem to underestimate what i do know about cars, and think they can over charge me, i dont know if you have that problem where you are, but Australian mechanics seem to be so dodgy. Thats why i have contacted you first before i go back to land rover, so i can tell them what i think the problem is, rather then them checking and changing everything and charging me for their time.
My exhust system is rusting, i did get my rear muffler replaced yesterday, but not too sure how the rest of the system looks, i would only assume the exhaust place would tell me if i neeeded to replace the rest, all in for the money they are.
Fuel pumps were replaced in my last service, so i would only assume this misfiring could not be fuel related, and i dont ever run the tank down to near empty, ususally not even under a quarter of the tank. As for an overheated engine, i would only assume this will show on my temperature gauge, i do check this daily, and seems to work fine, sits just below half way.
So really, as i do know that the cat converter is stuffed, do you beleive this could be the cause for the engine cut outs? It just seems to happen when i get to a point in the accelerator, and it starts bouncing around, even back fires. Only the other day when it happened, i tried to put my foot flat and ride it out, and thats when my rear muffler blew out. If i dont place my foot down to that point, it doesnt happen, mind you, i am in 3rd gear already when i get to 60km/h.
One last quick question, how can i check if the fuel/air mixture is too rich?
Once again, i do appreciate all the help you have given me, you are great, and wonderful to think that people are nice enough to spare their time for others.
Kinest regards
Anastasia
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Followup To
Question -
Hi John
How are you? Wondering if you could help me, i own a 1998 Landie Freelander. 1.8l Manual petrol. Recently i have had a few problems with it, mainly the fact when i get to a certain point on the accelerator, it seems to cut out and cough dramaticallly. I put it to either one of two problems, firstly, it may be the cat converter, it did start rattling a while ago, and it stopped a week after, so i didnt really bother getting it checked out. Could this be the problem? I do know i need a new one. Otherwise, the other issue it might be, i did get it serviced 4 months ago, and an 'electronic tune' up was done and spark plugs were replaced. I noticed in the handbook it states that a certain type of spark plugs should be used, and i do not think that that what it was replaced with when i got the service, could this be a problem??? Is there any other issues you know of that could contribute to this coughing???
Your advice would be muchly appreciated
Answer -
Hi Anastasia,
Do you see a CHECK ENGINE light?
One of the reasons that most catalytic converter fail is due to contaminents being passed thru the exhaust and ruining the specialized metal that makes up the converter. IF your fuel-air mixture is too rich, it can do this.
IF you have a cat. problem, rattles etc., it is very possible that the flaked metals may have temporarily plugged up the exhaust flow. Wide guess but possible.
You report that 4 months ago, you had your spark plugs and wires changed. By whom? If it was at a LR dealer, they are usually honourable enough to use the right parts.
The best test to determine if you have an ignition-related problem with spark plug wires is this: on a dark night or in the dark recesses of your garage, spray a fine mist of salty water over the area of the spark plug wires. The engine must be running (make sure the garage door is open for this). If you see tiny sparks...your spark plug wires are no good.
As for problems that may cause misfires, look for air intake blockages, bad spark plug wires, an exhaust system that is rusting or blocked by a crumbling catalytic Conv., a vacuum leak, a fouled fuel filter, a failing fuel pump, an severely over-heated engine, a cracked headgasket that allows coolant to enter the combustion area, failed sensors such as the O2 or the mass air flow (MAF).
Hope this helps,
JohnMc
AnswerHi Anastasia,
I understand your position very well. My wife has told many times how she was abused by garage mechanics who saw an easy 'mark'. I make it a point to help as much as I can thinking "that could be my sister, mother, wife, or daughter" being taken by those scoundrels.
As for your exhaust system, it's possible to remove the cat's and then remove the plate fragments that may be blocking up your exhaust. I've see this done on Discovery's - someone cuts open the cat, removes the pieces and then welds a patch over the hole. Unless you can do this yourself, most garages would charge about 50% of what it would cost to replace the cat. You'll have to decide if the cost of 'surgery' is economically in your favour.
The best way to determine if your fuel mixture is good is with a diagnostic machine. Most garages have means of monitoring the exhaust to see if the ratio is correct. You could also look at the spark plugs and determine if they are igniting mixture correctly. BLACK spark plugs are usually a sign of too much fuel...wet and BLACK is an obvious sign too.
The spark plugs reveal much about what is going on within the ignition system. If they are not gapped correctly, installed too loose, not connected to the spark plug wire properly, this too can cause misfires. Do you notice a difference in your fuel economy? I once had a bad spark plug wire from a set that I bought from the LR dealer. Somehow, one wire was shorting out. My fuel consumption was even worse than what I am use to. I removed each spark plug until I found one that was black while the others were ash-grey to beige in color. That's how I determined the faulty wire.
Changing the spark plugs is not a difficult task. Perhaps you could buy the plugs and do the work yourself? If not, find the plugs you want and have a local mechanic install them. At least you'll have peace-of-mind about this.
Here's a website that shows the many colours of our spark plugs...
http://www.dansmc.com/Spark_Plugs/Spark_Plugs_catalog.html
Best of luck,
JohnMc
