KV6 Forum expertise needed!
 

I've had my ZT 180 engine rebuilt over the last few weeks following a catastrophic event on Boxing Day when it overheated and expelled virtually all its coolant. I haven't posted about this before (too sad) but hopefully am coming out the other side now. I entrusted the job to a repair shop that actually specialises in Freelanders, some of which also have the KV6 engine and the guy who runs it professes the KV6 to be his "favourite engine" of which he's done quite a few.
To cut to the chase, he called me yesterday and reported the car is all back together with the engine running and driving nicely. However, there's a very slight misfire on the rear bank (all three cylinders) but only at idle, and it disappears when the engine is revved. He's tried swapping the coil packs front and back but the misfire is still on the rear bank only. He says its barely noticeable but shows up on his diagnostic. He hasn't got T4 but uses a "Snap-On" kit with oscillator screen that shows the misfire. A complication is that the engine has an LPG kit fitted that hasn't worked properly for a while and I've been running just on petrol. But it does mean that the car's wiring has a lot of extra connections and the extra LPG ECU and we're wondering if the problem lies somewhere there. He's going to carry on looking, but I just thought I'd put this out there in case anyone has had a similar experience with a KV6 misfire on one bank only that they tracked down to something unusual or not immediately obvious. Just to give the full picture, the engine now has a polished crank, new pistons rods and liners, fully stripped and overhauled heads, new belts, oil and water pumps and thermostat. Its costing the proverbial two arms and two legs, so would be nice to get it running absolutely perfectly.

Can't help with your issue, but thought I'd say it's good to see folk repairing rather than scrapping :bowdown:.

I'm sure you'll get it all sorted in due course and have many more worry free miles ahead of you.

Cliff

I have the exact same, but on the front.
I have replaced/swapped spark plugs, coils and injectors.
The front three plugs are sooty, thus also the oxygen sensor in front has been replaced. Still have to check continuity to the brain.
So far no luck.
It could to be a water leak from the inlet manifold to the inlet valves on either corner cylinder, as water is in close proximity to the inlet, and over pressure on the water side is combined with vacuum on the gas side makes the water travel through the gasket.

The last can be checked by checking for water on the spark plug.
Normally is will just be a cough or two on start, and would quickly burn off.

Read the codes if you have a code reader. My yellow engine light is also on. Brian tells me that it takes 40 good cycles to switch off by itself.

If you don't get it, Marinabrian is your man.
Let me know if you find it!!
I am still searching!:getmecoat:

Thanks Kaiser. In a way it's some comfort to know that someone else as knowledgeable about this engine has the same problem. I'll pass on your comments, and if we find a resolution will definitely post up here.

I'd be interested to see what the compression readings are on the three cylinders , as the valves in the head have presumably been stripped and reassembled ? When you get down to ruling things out , I think this info is a must-have :shrug::}

In my case I measured as well. With closed throttle, 11.5 bar on all three.
That is fine.
I should have mentioned that I also measured that!:getmecoat:

Out of curiosity, was it these folk by any chance? FreelanderSpecialist.com

I thought about seeing them with my KV6 issues, but decided not to purely because the distances involved made it a little awkward for initial diagnosis etc.

I did a bit of research on them via Freelander websites and the like, and found plenty of happy customers with good references for them, so if it was them, you should hopefully be in safe hands. :}

Cliff

They are good guys, from what I have experienced!:D

I'm going to say what I always say when a KV6 has been apart... Check the earth wire on the rear bank.

A lot of folk forget to reconnect this and it can cause anything from a misfire to a fried ecu.

In addition, I hope he timed the engine properly when he boxed it up, as the 180 is timed as per the 190,and not as per the Freelander 2.5 ;)

Brian :D