Range Rover Diesel Troubles? EGR Valve May Be The Culprit

Hey there! Some experience with diesels here. Had a similar nightmare with my 2020 Range Rover Velar diesel last year, almost identical symptoms to what you're describing. The EGR valve was indeed the culprit in my case. Started with those exact issues: power drops, rough idle, and that nasty diesel smell. Took it to my trusted workshop, and they diagnosed a stuck EGR valve. The repair set me back about 355 Euro, but it solved all the problems. The mechanic showed me how the valve was completely gunked up, these diesel engines can be sensitive to this issue. Before suggesting anything specific for your case though, could you share: Current mileage? Any recent maintenance done? Any other warning lights besides check engine? Might help pinpoint if we're dealing with the same exact issue. BTW, my had similar problems with his Land Rover Discovery too, so it's not uncommon in these engines.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My Range Rover has 180006 KM on the clock, and I just had the standard service done last month. Besides the check engine light, no other warning lights are showing up. Your Velar story sounds exactly like what I'm experiencing right now. It's actually a bit relieving to hear that your fix was relatively straightforward with the EGR valve replacement. Really helps to know this is a known issue with these engines. Did your mechanic mention anything about preventing this from happening again? And how long did the repair take? I'm trying to figure out if I should expect to leave my car at the workshop for a day or longer. Also, has anyone else had success with cleaning the EGR valve instead of replacing it completely? Just wondering if that might be a viable option.

Hey again! Happy to help further with your Range Rover situation. Yeah, with those symptoms and mileage, it's definitely sounding more and more like the EGR valve issue I had. In my case, the repair took about 4-5 hours, I dropped it off in the morning and picked it up late afternoon. My mechanic actually tried cleaning the valve first (took about an hour), but in my case, it was too far gone and needed a full replacement. About preventing future issues, my mechanic gave me some solid advice that's worked well so far. He recommended using high-quality diesel fuel and not doing too many short trips where the engine doesn't get fully warm. I've also started using a fuel additive every few fill-ups that helps keep things clean. Since the repair last year, I haven't had any similar issues pop up. Given your mileage and symptoms, I'd honestly go straight for the replacement rather than just cleaning. My tried the cleaning route with his Discovery first, and he ended up having to replace it anyway a month later, just wasted money and time really. Quick tip, if you do get it replaced, make sure they clear all the error codes afterward. Sometimes they can stick around even after fixing the problem. Let me know how it goes!

Thanks so much for all the detailed advice! That's super helpful, especially about going straight for replacement rather than cleaning, definitely don't want to waste time and money trying fixes that might not last. Really appreciate the heads up about the fuel additive too, hadn't thought about that as a preventive measure. Good point about the error codes, I'll make sure to mention that to the mechanic. I think I'll go ahead and book it in for the replacement next week. Will probably drop it off first thing in the morning since you mentioned it took about 4-5 hours for yours. By the way, which fuel additive are you using? And how often do you add it? Might as well start doing everything I can to prevent this from happening again once it's fixed. Thanks again for all your help, really made me feel better about tackling this issue! I'll let you know how everything turns out after the repair.