Range Rover says Restricted performance. Reasons and possible solutions

Being a proud owner of a Ranger Rover SUV, you expect to have a lot of fun while driving your marvelous car. But there are moments that you prefer to avoid – like observing a dreadful error message on the dash of your car saying “Restricted Performance”. When this happens, you can feel that the car doesn’t accelerate well and has lost almost all its power.

In short, “Restricted Performance” in the Range Rover means the car wants to protect the engine and goes to limp mode, now you can’t accelerate fast. This can happen because of electrical problems, engine misfiring, transmission issues, fuel supply or ignition issues, or because of well-known software problems.

Here’s what I will tell you about in this article:

1. Symptoms that may accompany the “Restricted Performance” message.
2. What are the culprits of this error on the dash of your RR?
3. Can you still drive when you see this error message?
4. Are there ways to locate and solve the problem on your own?

What are the symptoms that come with the “Restricted Performance” message?

Land Rover cars are great when they don’t require service and repair. But when something goes wrong, you may even regret buying this vehicle. Stop panicking, I’m here to show you what exactly could go wrong and how to fix it.

So, the “Restricted Performance” message may pop up on the dash of the Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque. It was especially often torturing the owners of the 2010-2012 model years but other years may also be affected.

Here’s what may also happen with your car:

• the nasty error message appears on the dash usually after sharp acceleration or some other stress to the engine;
• the average mileage of cars that had this problem was way over 100,000 kilometers;
• the limp mode is activated and your vehicle can only drive at 45 km/h (about 30 MPH), not faster than that;
• in some cases, the gearbox comes to limp mode and can only go forward using the second or the third gear;
• the acceleration is as slow as possible – the ECU protects the engine and makes sure you will not kill it.

You may have noticed before that your engine wasn’t working really well. It may have been rough or vibrating, it may have lost power a little. The symptoms that came before the “Restricted Performance” message popped up were quite mild and you ignored them. Or there could be no symptoms at all and the error appeared suddenly and limited your ability to accelerate.

So, why could that happen? There are plenty of possible reasons.

Common reasons for the message to pop up in your Range Rover

You need to understand that the ECU – electronic control module – turned on the limp mode not just for fun. There is a condition that may be dangerous for the engine. Maybe the knock sensor told the ECU that the vibration was too heavy, or the ecology equipment registered too much unburnt gas in the exhaust system.

But there are some common issues that happen with many Ranger Rover cars. Here they are:

1. Software failure

There was a recall in the US (surprisingly, it wasn’t made in the UK or Europe) that updated the software in cars that had the “Restricted Performance” message. Some mapping was incorrect and the update fixed that. But I suppose that the mapping was incorrect in British cars, too, so you may go to the dealer and pay for that update.

Of course, updating software is only possible when there are no other problems that can cause the message to appear and restrict the power of your car.

2. DPF in diesel vehicles

If you have a diesel Range Rover, you may need to add AdBlue to the full and then drive half an hour on a motorway. This will help you clean the DPF. The clogged DPF may cause the “Restricted Performance” message easily and will keep it until you clean the soot out of the filter. Cleaning the DPF in the dealership will cost you a fortune, so the trick with fresh AdBlue and driving at high speed should work.

If it doesn’t work, you will most likely need to clean or even replace the DPF.

3. Misfiring engine

If your engine starts misfiring, it will vibrate and work harshly. The knock sensor will tell the ECU that something is wrong and the knocking is unacceptable. The next moment, your ECU will show you “Restricted Performance” and will limit the power of your vehicle.

Usually, the spark plugs or coils are the reasons for engine misfiring. Also, you will find the P0300 or P0301-P0306 error codes depending on which cylinders misfire. You shouldn’t drive the engine for a long time with the misfiring problem – it will affect the exhaust equipment and may also harm the engine itself.

4. Transmission problems

Several issues with the automatic transmission may cause this message to pop up in your RR. For example, the overheated gearbox or slipping transmission, low fluid level, or damaged gears may be the reason why you can’t accelerate the car and see this annoying message in front of you.

Also, the transmission will send special error codes to the ECU so that you can easily locate the problem.

5. Issues with air intake or exhaust

A clogged air filter is one of the possible issues. But exhaust problems usually happen more often.

Most commonly, it’s a clogged catalytic converter that can’t let exhaust out and the engine just can’t breathe. This happens after the car travels more than 100K miles or 160,000 kilometers. Replacement of the catalytic converter from your Range Rover will cost you quite a lot of money. But there is no alternative way to solve the problem.

6. Fuel pressure

Another quite common thing is the fuel pressure problems because of the malfunctioning fuel pump. This is especially common for direct injection engines that have two pumps – low-pressure and high-pressure ones.

If the high-pressure pump is failing, the repair is going to be complicated and expensive. But it happens much less often than the previous reasons.

Can you drive when your RR says “Restricted Performance”?

The car doesn’t stall in this situation and lets you drive. But the power is reduced and driving may be challenging. So, you will not be able to ignore this problem and will obviously need to plan the visit to the dealership or good garage as soon as possible. Alternatively, you may try to locate and solve the problem on your own.

The only good thing is that the Range Rover can still go without the help of a tow truck and this will save you some money. But of course, it’s a bad idea to keep driving the car when it says “Restricted Performance” and barely accelerates.

What can you do to solve the problem? DIY methods

The best thing you can do after you see this error message on the dash is to use the OBD2 scanner and read the codes. This may explain everything. Also, you may try turning the engine off, waiting a bit, and then turning it on again. Maybe, this will help you reset something and the error will disappear.

Here are some easy repairs that may help you:

1) Check the air filter

If you see that the air filter is dirty, you can replace it without visiting the dealership. Just get a good filter and check if the problem disappears.

2) Disconnect the battery

If the problem is connected to software and a glitchy ECU, you can reset it by disconnecting the battery. First comes the negative terminal, then the positive, then press the honk to use all the remaining power. Wait 5 minutes and connect the battery. Now see if you can drive.

3) Use fresh AdBlue and drive

If you suspect that the DPF in your diesel RR is malfunctioning, you can clean it by driving about half an hour on the highway. Try to get rid of the limp mode and drive your RR on the highway for some time with a lot of fresh AdBlue in the tank.

4) Check all the air intake pipes

It’s not uncommon for the Range Rover to have bad clamps on some of the pipes that let air flow into the engine. Also, look at the intake manifold – isn’t it cracked? You should make sure that there is no vacuum leak in the system.

5) Change the spark plugs or coils

If you understand that the engine is misfiring, you may need new spark plugs or a new coil. It’s good to see the error code and to understand which cylinder is malfunctioning. Replacing the spark plug and coil is not that hard, so you may do this on your own if you have the proper tools and a little experience.

When will you need professional help?

If you can’t locate the problem, you will likely need to go to the garage and have the Range Rover inspected by a professional mechanic. They use expensive specially programmed scanners to get a lot of precious information out of all control modules, not just the ECU. So, they will locate the issue and will help you deal with it.

Unfortunately, Land Rover dealers are pretty expensive to deal with. But in case you have the “Restricted Performance” message, I strongly recommend going to the dealer or to the independent LR garage.

To wrap up

I hope now you know what to do when you see the “Restricted Performance” error message in your Range Rover. It may be just a faulty spark plug or glitchy software, but sometimes the problem is more serious.

Before you buy any new parts, inspect the vehicle or have it inspected by a professional. This will help you avoid additional costs and will allow you to get rid of the problem and have pleasure of driving your SUV very soon.

If you still have questions or want to add something, just write in the comments below!