Noisy Defender TD5: Cold Start and Exhaust Mystery

Hey there! I had a similar issue with my '06 Land Rover Discovery 3 TDV6 last year. The symptoms match exactly what you're describing, loud cold starts and overall noisier exhaust. The exhaust flap was indeed defective in my case. The actuator had failed, keeping the flap stuck in one position. My mechanic found that corrosion had damaged both the flap mechanism and the control unit. It wasn't just a quick fix, they had to replace the entire exhaust flap assembly and reprogram the new unit. It's definitely not something to ignore, as a malfunctioning exhaust flap can affect engine performance and emissions control. My car was throwing error codes and eventually went into limp mode before I got it fixed. If you're hearing these symptoms, better get it checked soon. The repair took about half a day in my case, as they needed to properly diagnose and test everything after installation. Hope this helps!

Hey! Thanks for sharing your experience, so relieving to hear someone else went through the exact same thing! Sounds like you got it sorted properly with the full replacement and reprogramming. Just curious, do you remember roughly how much the whole repair set you back? And has everything been running smoothly since, or have you noticed any other quirks pop up? Really appreciate your help with this! Cheers

Hey again! Glad to help! Yeah, I just got back from my mechanic last week actually. The whole repair ended up costing me 190.00 €, totally worth it though! The annoying cold start noise is completely gone, and the exhaust sounds normal again. The mechanic managed to fix the faulty exhaust flap, and honestly, my Discovery is running better than ever. Since the repair, everything's been smooth sailing, no more weird noises, no error codes, and the engine's performing perfectly. It's such a relief! The mechanic did a proper job testing everything after the fix, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I was a bit worried at first, but getting it sorted properly was definitely the right call. These things can get worse if you leave them too long. Best decision I made was getting it fixed straight away. Let me know how you get on with yours! Cheers!

Hey! Just wanted to update you, I took your advice and got it sorted! Found a really decent mechanic who knew exactly what he was talking about. You were spot on about the exhaust flap, that was exactly the problem. The repair was actually a bit cheaper than what you paid, which was a nice surprise. The mechanic did a thorough job, and now my Defender's running like a dream. No more scary cold start noises, and the exhaust sounds normal again. Such a relief! The best part was how quick it all was, dropped it off in the morning and had it back by afternoon. The mechanic even showed me the old parts and explained what had gone wrong. Really appreciated that level of transparency after my previous bad experiences. Thanks again for sharing your experience, it really helped me make the right decision to get it fixed straight away. You saved me from a potential headache down the road! Cheers for all your help!