Land Rover has always been a brand synonymous with innovation, quality, and pleasing aesthetics. Add in the powerful capability of the engine, the all-encompassing safety features and the trusted reliability and you are often hard pushed to find a better British marque.
One of the more recent – and by recent we mean around ten years – additions to the Land Rover family of engineering feats is the Ingenium Engine. It’s been lauded by many, for its capabilities, yet criticised by some for its failings. As Land Rover service specialists, we’ve seen our fair share and rather than simply say it’s a feat of genius, or steer you clear we thought it best to give you all you need to know. Then you can make a fully informed decision if your next Land Rover will feature an Ingenium engine or not!
What is the Land Rover Ingenium engine?
The Land Rover Ingenium engine is one of the many innovative additions to the JLR family. Its introduction to the Land Rover series was to help deliver enhanced horsepower, torque, and refinement all the while keeping emissions low and minimising fuel consumption. So far so good. With better performance and increased green credentials, it all sounds like JLR has created something that ticks all the right metaphorical boxes.
Available as a 3-, 4- or 6-cylinder engine, and used for petrol and diesel Land Rovers, enhanced technology and optimal design see these 500cc engines equipped in a host of vehicles. The addition of turbocharging and direct fuel injection, as well as a significant drop in vehicle weight add further to its credentials. In some cases, Ingenium engines weigh in at a staggering 80 kg less than other Land Rover engines!
All has not been ideal though, and we will dive into that a little later. For now, let’s cover a little more about the Ingenium engine for Land Rover so you are fully up to speed.
When was the first Ingenium engine for Land Rover?
Land Rover added the Ingenium engine to Land Rovers back in 2015, and since then more than 1.5 million Ingenium engines have left the UK manufacturing plant in Wolverhampton. It has featured in a host of Land Rover models including:
- Land Rover Discovery Sport
- Land Rover Defender
- Land Rover Range Rover
- Range Rover Evoque
- Range Rover Velar
- Range Rover Sport
What are the benefits of the Land Rover Ingenium engine?
The Ingenium engine for Land Rovers has been introduced to give drivers a cleaner, more efficient and enhanced drive. Incorporating a mix of high power, low emissions and fuel efficiency, they are potentially one of the better designed engines of the petrol and diesel era we are likely to find before everything becomes electric!
Efficient and powerful
When the team at JLR were met with the proposal for designing a new engine, efficiency and power were likely among their top aims. As we have seen before though, in the motor industry a fusion of two key attributes like this can cost a lot and deliver very little. The Ingenium incorporates technical ingenuity to help deliver upon its promises. With a turbocharged direct injection system making for precision control of the fuel/air mix, you get the full power needed for smooth acceleration without a struggle. Furthermore, their aluminium construction reduces friction and inertia making for quicker response. It doesn’t stop there though; the Variable Valve Timing system is an intelligent piece of kit that ensures performance is as enhanced as possible.
Improved fuel efficiency
The cost of fuel has been disturbing for a while now and despite prices seeming to stabilise a little, we still want to get more miles for our moolah. The Ingenium engine in a Land Rover is smart enough to shut off cylinders when full power is not needed. This clever attribute means you can use up less fuel and still cover the miles you need. By alternating between full and half-cylinders, the driver can always choose between power and efficiency.
Cleaner emissions
When designing the Ingenium engine for Land Rover, it’s clear that the team behind it had grand ideas of maximizing power without fuel being guzzled down. They didn’t just stop there though as a reduction in emissions would also be another valuable asset to any vehicle manufacturer looking to hit green targets. The Land Rover Ingenium engine helps make this happen too. Through optimised combustion, the engine reduces the number of particulate emissions and with its selective catalytic reduction, it also minimises the amount of nitrogen oxide emitted.
Land Rover Ingenium engine problems
Despite these features that make the Ingenium engine a popular choice for Land Rover drivers, it hasn’t always been a smooth ride. Many owners come to us, or other Land Rover specialists like us complaining of faults. Most commonly this includes issues with the timing chain or cambelt, a quick browse of Land Rover forums though shows that oil dilution, cooling issues and more are all being reported.
The timing chain seems to be the most common fault we have come across so far.
Land Rover timing chain and the Ingenium engine
The timing chain may stretch over time, once it reaches a point, it can snap. This is where you find yourself in a bit of a dilemma. A snapped timing chain on your Land Rover Ingenium engine will lead to your engine failing. This then means you could be facing the need for a full engine replacement or an expensive rebuild! Why this happens may not be clear. Poor engine maintenance cannot be discounted but neither can Land Rover cutting corners. In some cases, it would appear that the timing chains are not the durable quality you’d expect. Speaking to a Land Rover expert at RCV could help. You may be able to source upgraded and more robust timing chains, saving you from costly engine repairs further down the line.
The cambelt is the other common factor in the Land Rover Ingenium engine faults.
Land Rover Ingenium engine cambelt fault
Cambelts are meant to be able to last for a significant time, you should expect anything from 40,000 miles and even as much as 100,000 miles to be possible before needing to change. Unfortunately, the Ingenium engine for Land Rover has been widely reported as seeing cambelt failure occur with less than 40,000 miles on the clock. This is far from ideal as a cambelt snapping can cause huge amounts of damage to your Land Rover.
How to fix problems with an Ingenium engine for a Land Rover
There are a few solutions which may cost initially but will no doubt save you considerable sums in the future.
The first port of call would be to speak to a Land Rover service centre like RCV. We are Land Rover service specialists based in Kent but aiding owners from all over the UK. Our years of experience mean we can carefully assess your Land Rover and advise on the best next steps. With no hidden fees and prices of up to 40% less than the main dealers, we are sure we can provide you with both affordability and quality.
Secondly, factor in more frequent changes of the cambelt, or upgrading to higher quality parts. This may delay those costly repairs should a fault develop.
Thirdly, spend a little time, every now and then checking over your vehicle for signs of wear and tear. Preventative maintenance and general vehicle care can go a long way to extending the life of your vehicle.
If you ever have a query about your Land Rover, contact RCV, our dedicated team have been working on Land Rovers for more than 40 years and can help keep you safe and on the road. With Land Rover MOT’s also available, you stay fully roadworthy at all times. Factor in we only use the latest manufacturer diagnostics and offer fixed price servicing, you can remain confident that affordability and quality are at the core of what we do.