Defender 130 TD5 What do i need to do to get her going off the mark.

[The Couch]

Team Landrover, My 2003 Defender Td5 has been a great truck to drive and given me endless pleasure both on and off road to date, she was recently rewarded with a new set of 255 85 R16 BFG KM2's and running these tyres once up and going has improved the experience. But when loaded and given even the slightest incline she absolutely struggles off the mark if at all. I have read a lot of the threads within this forum and I am going round in circles with what I need to do to resolve this. I have removed the egr, this is the only engine modification to date.


I have toyed with the idea of running a straight through exhaust, will this assist with this problem or do I need to re-map? (I am reluctant to do so as I have not needed it to date).


Thoughts?

[PTC]

I've got the same car, 2003 TD5 130 and i use to have to go into low range just to take off on a slight incline. As the car has no guts when starting to roll.

Finally i found a mechanic who picked up on my problem. The turbo hoses had delaminated. So a quick change over of them and the car is working a whole lot better.

Still not as powerful as i would hope and think it should be. So next will be removing the EGR and i hope that will pick it up some more. As with stock tyres it still sometimes happens. When i go up a size the more load will make it worse.

[The Couch]

Thanks PTC, did you use silicon hoses?

[Toxic_Avenger]

I'm sure we all know how removing the EGR changes the emissions system and can be a potential vehicle defect in the eyes of the boys in blue...

But really how does removing the EGR gain that much more power?
In my understanding on other makes of vehicles, the EGR is allows a miniscule amount of exhaust gas ton re-enter the combustion chamber to reduce the NOx output of the engine. It still runs stoichometric over all, just allows the intake charge to be hot enough to reduce the overall emissions of NOx. Think of it as adding an 'inert' additive to the ignition charge.

Has anyone got any real world, measured results on what this mod achieves?

I'm not here to start a flame war, just interested to know. First hand, I removed a EGR system out of a turbo petrol engine, and noticed zero difference to performance. Also copped a nice defect notice for it... but that's a story for another day.

[Mellow Yellow]

In terms of maintenance items, I had problems with a failed MAF and collapsed catalytic converter.

The MAF is a simple interchange with a new part if it's failed. (A Nanocom can tell you if it's a problem.) Get a new MAF from Rimmer Bros in the UK across the internet but only buy the genuine Land Rover part. Much cheaper than buying locally from a dealer.

If the catalytic converter is collapsing (or has collapsed) waste no time in getting it replaced with a freeflow cat. The improvement in performance is quite remarkable.

After that, "chipping" otherwise known as a re-map is the go. A re-map will change your Deefer from Mr Plod to Captain Lightfoot. Fit an EGT at the same time so you don't cook your engine by pushing too hard.

Bell Auto Services in the UK offer a good re-map. (Ideally with a replacement intercooler from them as well, but that would be icing on the cake.)

[The Couch]

Thanks Mellow Yellow, I do not believe it is the MAF as it was changed only 20,000 clicks ago and once up and going she goes very well, how would I know if the cat has collapsed and if so why not remove it all together hence straight through exhaust?

[85 county]

dump the Cat
replace the hoses, silly not to.

atleast clean in intercooler. better to dump that and upgrade.

fitt an egt. and send a PM to tombie for a remap

EGT is noting when getting off the line. but not a waste of time. madatory

[Mellow Yellow]

Tap the cat with a rubber mallet. If it rattles it's collapsed/collapsing.

Removing the cat is definitely illegal. You can replace it, stay legal and have better performance for less than $300.

My understanding is that Tombie isn't doing re-maps anymore.

[85 county]

Tap the cat with a rubber mallet. If it rattles it's collapsed/collapsing.

Removing the cat is definitely illegal. You can replace it, stay legal and have better performance for less than $300.

My understanding is that Tombie isn't doing re-maps anymore.

illegal, so is blanking an EGT, so is a remap, so is rod holders on your bulbar, so is overhead consoles, so is changing the offset of your rims, so is wheel spacers etc etc etc
The original poster is talking about getting off the line. IE below boost power. dump the cat so the dirty stuff can get out and the turbo can spin up a bit quicker.
but what he really needs is more off boost fuel. a 5 second job with a 200 or 300 tdi. or you could trick the intake temperature sender. But that will stuff things across the reve range ( think piggyback chips)

that leaves a re map. i think if you are nice and ask tombie he may. depend if he thinks you are an idiot and don’t know much and will spend the rest of your life winging about him because you broke something else and unrelated in your LR

[Dougal]

Compound turbo.

Yes, it's the solution to almost all performance or drivability problems.

[Toxic_Avenger]

Tap the cat with a rubber mallet. If it rattles it's collapsed/collapsing.

Removing the cat is definitely illegal. You can replace it, stay legal and have better performance for less than $300.


When you're going 110km/h, and the engine shudders, then you see a spray of molten-red-hot ceramic spewing out the exhaust pipe... you know the cat has packed up and left (was not in a defender).
You'd be surprised how many cat convertors have the biscuit just packed in with kevlar wrap. When this shifts, it will rattle itself to death. I've had this with a euro3 spec cat.

Technically, removing / modifying any part of the emissions control system is considered illegal (unless cleared by going over the pits / dyno cell at the RMS facility in port botany (for the New South Welshmen amongst us).
So non standard cats, aftermarket intercooler, changed EGR / idle air intake, PCV, etc all counts as a no-no in the eyes of mr plod. This argument falls on shaky ground when we start talking about 20+ year old vehicles.

Personally, I presented to a defect inspection station for a noise / air pollution control inspection with a set of euro3 spec cats on a car built in 1991. Euro 3 is compliant to around 2003 emissions specs. I was required to fir standard 20 year old items to the vehicle because the cats need to be matched to the vehicle (reach temp, burn off hydrocarbons, NOx etc).

Someone said the law is an ass.
If I ever meet that bloke, I'll buy him a beer. Couldn't be more correct.

[Toxic_Avenger]

Compound turbo.

Yes, it's the solution to almost all performance or drivability problems.

All the cool kids are doing twin-charge setups these days.

Or get more cubes. Bitches love cubes.