Defender Diesel Dying? EGR Issues Could Be The Cause

Hey there! I've got some experience with cars (let's say low to medium expertise), and I had a very similar issue with my 2003 Discovery diesel. Like yours, mine was acting up with rough idling and power drops, super annoying! Took it to my trusted mechanic who diagnosed a faulty EGR valve. It was completely gunked up and stuck open. The whole repair, including parts and labor, set me back about 355 Euro, but it fixed all those symptoms you're describing, the unusual cutting out, power loss, and that nasty diesel smell. Before I share more specifics about my repair experience, have you scanned for error codes? How many miles/kilometers on your engine? Any recent maintenance done? These details would help me give you more relevant advice based on what worked for my Discovery.

Thanks for sharing your experience! Mine's also showing those exact symptoms at 164295 KM. Just had it serviced last month, oil change, filters, the usual stuff. You've got me more convinced it's the EGR valve now. Was thinking about grabbing an OBD scanner from a to check those codes before diving deeper. Interesting to hear that fixing your EGR sorted all those issues, gives me hope it might be a straightforward fix! Did cleaning the valve work for you, or did you end up replacing the whole thing?

Hey again! Yeah, in my Discovery, cleaning the EGR valve wasn't enough, we tried that first actually. My mechanic gave it a thorough clean but the problems came back after about a week. That's when we decided to just replace the whole thing. Best decision ever! The symptoms were exactly like yours, my Discovery was around 170,000 KM when all this happened. Getting those codes checked is definitely smart thinking, that's what I should've done first before trying other fixes (learned that lesson the hard way!). Just a heads up though, when we replaced my EGR valve, my mechanic recommended cleaning the intake manifold too since it had some carbon build-up. It was a bit extra work but made a huge difference in how the engine ran afterward. Honestly, the car felt like new, no more shaking, no more unusual shut-offs, and that annoying diesel smell completely disappeared. If your symptoms are as similar as they sound, I'd bet good money it's your EGR valve too. Just make sure to get those codes read first, it'll save you time and possibly money in the long run. Let me know what you find out with the OBD scanner!

Wow, thanks so much for all that detailed info! Really helpful to hear about your experience with the cleaning attempt before the full replacement, definitely gonna save me from wasting time trying that first. I'll grab that scanner tomorrow and get those codes checked. And thanks for the tip about the intake manifold too, makes total sense to check that while we're at it. Honestly feeling much better about this whole situation now. Was worried it might be something way more serious (and expensive!). Will definitely get both the EGR and intake manifold looked at by my mechanic. Those mileage numbers being so close to mine really seals it, sounds like these parts just tend to give up around this point. Thanks again for taking the time to share all this, really helped me figure out my next steps!