Problems with Airbox

[Wallaby Ted]

Hi,

I have problems with the 2010 110 blowing white smoke when it rains heavily, and during the rain from what was left of the cyclone the Defender started and then stopped. I moved it off to the side of the driveway and left it to look at later.

Today I went to have a look and after charging the battery it would not start. So as I had noticed previously (and tried to repair) that one of the mechanics servicing my 2.4 Puma had broken off one of the clips that holds the top of the air box on I decided to look in the air box. When I took the saturated air filter out I saw that the air box was filled up to the level of the intake on it.

I have a Safari Raised air intake, a Nugget air intake and have sealed all of that with lots of silastic to stop water getting in and it looks like it can't get out either [bigsmile]

I have drilled a hole in the silastic to allow the water to run out, replaced the air filter, checked for water in the oil (none) and no water in the turbo intake, so I think I am lucky that it didn't get into the engine, most likely because it couldn't start without air.

I am pretty sure it came in through the air box lid as it is a problem to get it sitting correctly.

Has anyone replaced their air box with anything else or am I better getting a new air box or is their something else I should be looking at?


Richard

[Toxic_Avenger]

I can't comment on the white smoke, but part of the poor performance / stalling may be a result of water affecting the MAF sensor on the intake elbow between the airbox and the turbo inlet. Pretty sure that (but don't quote me) these are a hot-wire type, meaning that if they get wet, their readings will be nothing like the actual air flow, and as a result fuelling and other ECM functions will also be out of whack.
Oftentimes when a sensor like this reads/returns a nonsense figure to the ECM, it will default to a safety map in the ECM which may result in some if not many of the symptoms you describe.

I'm not aware of an aftermarket replacement to the OE airbox, but could be tempted to hear more if you find an option.

As for a fix, work on a way to get water out of that airbox, and work out a way to get it sealed to OE specs. Yes you've had a bit of rain up there, but to get a few litres in the bottom of an airbox is a bit outrageous.

[Wallaby Ted]

The white smoke would disappear when warmed up so that make sense as it is only occurring when it rains.

121287

This is what it looked like when I removed the filter.

Richard

[Toxic_Avenger]

That must have sounded like a motorboat on idle... Blub Blub Blub Blub

[Wallaby Ted]

It wouldn't start as it couldn't get enough air to fire, I think i was lucky it didn't suck any into the engine.

Now to work out how to stop it from happening again.

[trout1105]

Maybe if you spin the air intake on your snorkel to the rear in heavy rain it would help not to suck as much water into the system.

[strangy]

Despite the arguments of so many folks you need a functioning "duckbill" which is designed to prevent this from happening.
The other issue is how so much water is even getting into the intake.- a poor quality after market snorkel head or incorrectly fitted head will part of the problem.

[Wallaby Ted]

Spinning the head wouldn't help if was stationary, like it was when this happened. Even turning the head around in this case would have pointed it at where the rain was coming as the rain in this case was coming from the rear of the vehicle.


Richard

[DazzaTD5]

Its something that I check pretty carefully when fitting a snorkel, removing the plastic tube, fitting nugget stuff tube.... that its all correctly sealed, generally its all pretty good...

*I'd find it difficult to believe that much water could get down the top of the snorkel, but stranger things have happened.

*The most obvious thing is the top of the airbox has been fitted incorrectly, which is a very common thing when people dont take enough care (you know, one of them Land Rover jobs that should be simple but people balls it up).

*I see from the OP pic the a/c line has the typical munched marks on it from people forcing the airbox lid past the line.
*When fitting the airbox lid, you push the a/c line down as you position the lid, this allows the hooks on the lid to line up and engage into the slots thus then allowing the lid to seat correctly.
*If the airbox lid is forced and it doesnt seat correctly AND OR when its forced it take out two chunks off the air filter seal, I can then believe that with enough rain pouring down onto the top of the wing it runs down onto and into the airbox.

Regards
Daz

P.S If the water ingress is as you say through the snorkel intake when stationary, then a pre-cleaner mybe the option, as in the pic of my Pa's Defender, Airtec Snorkel with a Centri pre-cleaner.

[Wallaby Ted]

I have the Safari snorkel and the default head that it comes with.



Despite the arguments of so many folks you need a functioning "duckbill" which is designed to prevent this from happening.
The other issue is how so much water is even getting into the intake.- a poor quality after market snorkel head or incorrectly fitted head will part of the problem.

[Wallaby Ted]

I had the vehicle parked facing away from the rain so it would be hard for that much to get in.

I had found that one of the clips had been broken off under the wing, so I know that one of the times it was serviced this has occurred and they haven't bothered to tell me. I suspect it would have happened when I was using the dealers for servicing as I always found things wrong when I got it back, which is why I am now using an a third party Land Rover Specialist.

I have manufactured a new clip from aluminum that I have glued and riveted to the outside of the box (not to the inside of the air box).

Thanks

Richard


Its something that I check pretty carefully when fitting a snorkel, removing the plastic tube, fitting nugget stuff tube.... that its all correctly sealed, generally its all pretty good...

*I'd find it difficult to believe that much water could get down the top of the snorkel, but stranger things have happened.

*The most obvious thing is the top of the airbox has been fitted incorrectly, which is a very common thing when people dont take enough care (you know, one of them Land Rover jobs that should be simple but people balls it up).

*I see from the OP pic the a/c line has the typical munched marks on it from people forcing the airbox lid past the line.
*When fitting the airbox lid, you push the a/c line down as you position the lid, this allows the hooks on the lid to line up and engage into the slots thus then allowing the lid to seat correctly.
*If the airbox lid is forced and it doesnt seat correctly AND OR when its forced it take out two chunks off the air filter seal, I can then believe that with enough rain pouring down onto the top of the wing it runs down onto and into the airbox.

Regards
Daz

[DiscoMick]

Sounds like the airbox clip not being fitted properly is the most likely cause.
I have a Safari snorkel to the airbox and it doesn't leak at all.