D2 Cutting out and starting issues

Hi all

New to the forum and desperate for some help please!

I have a 53 plate D2 td5 auto that has done 100k miles. Recently I started to feel a strange jerking sensation when towing, as though the brakes on the trailer were sticking, at that stage driving absolutely fine without the trailer. Borrowed a friends trailer, felt the same but did 50 miles before it started (flat run, my trailer was a
hilly run). I then had my trailer serviced, chap worked on it for four hours, stripped everything down and cleaned all the components but said the brakes were fine. In the meantime disco developed a diesel leak from a breather pipe on top the tank, had this repaired, told garage about the towing problem and they ran diagnostics, said it was fine.

I then took my disco out with the trailer on and it conked out on me all together. No warning signs, had driven about 20 motorway miles, pulled off on to the slip road and was coasting down to the roundabout when it just cut out and didn't want to start again. Breakdown came out, tinkered about, it eventually burst ino life, tried to drive it back with breakdown following me, losing power badly, struggling up hills (still with trailer) then cut out again, got it going again and couple of miles later died again. At this point breakdown finally got a low loader out and recovered it. I did notice the fuel pump whining as I hitched up but given I'd been told only 24 hours before all was fine (and I'd mentioned maybe fuel pressure an issue) I ignored it.

Was delivered to garage the following morning, they again ran diagnostics, apparently test drove it, said no problem they could find, weren't interested in looking for a fault and said couldn't check fuel pressure and had no suggestions as to where to start diagnosing it. I picked it up in a far old rage as knew damn well there was a significant problem and promptly broke down not even 10 minutes from garage - can't have been much of a test drive!!

Had it recovered to a different 4x4 garage having completely lost faith in the first garage (loyal client for 8 years, their attitude stank).

Fuel pump has now been replaced, but it's not too happy starting. Picked up from the garage yesterday AM, took it on the scenic route to work and it drove fine. Came out of work in the evening, started it with the door open, listened to the fuel pump being noisy then it wouldn't start, fine on second turn of the key but didn't wait long before firing her up this time. Started fine ;ater that evening, without waiting to hear fuel pump, just for glow light to go out, three times and gave it a good old run up some long steep hills, driving fine. Garage weren't happy with the way it started Monday after changing the pump but needed to wait til the next day to get it on a ramp and it started fine for them Tuesday, several times and then fine Weds AM.

She was very reluctant to start this morning (Thursday), did start on first turn of the key but reluctantly. Fuel pump was noisy and I did listen to it before starting. A few hours later I listened to the pump twice, whining loudly and could hear the odd gurgle (each time it ran for 30seconds before cutting out), really didn't want to start then!!

However, if I start her up without giving the fuel pump much of a chance to run she powers up straight away. It's almost as though she's pulling air in to the system, does this even sound possible?

So, she's going back to the garage Monday and they're going to have another look. I think the first thing they want to change now is the fuel filter housing, I'm thinking it would be worth doing the injector washers/seals at the same time? Any other thoughts on what the problem might be or experienced anything similar? Fuel filter was last changed at 92k (now on 100k) and wasn't changed when the pump was.

Massive apologies for such an essay, any help would be hugely appreciated. She's my only car and I'm completely reliant on her for work. never mind needing reliability when I'm towing with a horse in the trailer!

Hi There,

Not sure if it will help, but LRtoolbox on you tube have done some videos on what to look for on TD5's when they fail to start.

Also, you can try searching, if you have not already, ( top right hand side of screen) there are lots of threads regarding the TD5's failing to start etc. Although it sounds from your thread as if you have already researched this. Fuel filter housings have been known to cause problems, including the little orange internal part. Also injector washers as you surmised ( is there fuel in the oil?).

Good luck and I hope you find the answer quickly and cheaply.

Cheers

Hi and welcome!
yes change injector seals and washers. Loads!!!!! of threads about them on here!!!
Even if you dont have fuel in your oil change them anyway.
Mark

Sounds to me like it's not keeping pressure, I would not do the injectors first, but check for leaks or air ingress

When it does start...what the initial look of the exhaust gasses

Yep, I've done a lot of trawling of various threads. Had initially suspected a sticky waste gate or a dirty maf sensor when it was just a power under load issue but then the cutting out began.

No diesel in oil, at least, not when it first broke down.
Exhaust gases black and copious when starting after it had cut out each time. But fine since I think, will double check when I attempt to start it later.

Amy thoughts on why it starts happily if the fuel pump isn't allowed to run for more than a couple of seconds?

Also, drove it 10 mins/5 miles this afternoon and the fuel pump was whining when I pulled up. Significant?

Finally (!) is it worth my while running a fuel purge cycle on it or is that potentially harmful or pointless?

Once again, thanks very much for all input.

Sadly like me you spent a lot of money on a new fuel pump when the problem is most likely about 25 quids worth of injector seals and washers. The fuel pump like mine is probably whining due to the fact that air is entering the fuel rail through the copper washers on the injectors. Your symptoms are pretty much identical to mine, whilst they have the lid off have the injector loom changed too.

Thinking I'll ask them to humour me and change the injector seals and washers before they do anything else. Being a 31yr old female may make them reluctant to take me seriously though! Sadly having owned three different discos over the last 8 years I've come across a variety of issues (although this is a new one) and have done a lot of reading up on them so do know a bit! Last two were great got 210k out of my 96 tdi before moving her on and 190k with my previous '00 td5 before the chassis rotted through. This one is disappointing me with issues at such a low mileage!

Guessing she's likely to cut out on me again soon too in spite of the fuel pump making an initial improvement on that problem?

And she did waiting for recovery now

Hope you have been safely recovered by now. I found that every time mine cut out if you ran through the purge cycle you could get another few miles. When I took mine to the garage which was 3 miles away I broke down several times on the way but every time after purging the fuel system I managed a bit further. If you are paying don't ask them to humour you just tell them to do the job. To be fair garage I took mine to dismissed the problem as being the seals hence I had a new fuel pump but there are some very knowledgeable people on here who were right in diagnosing the issue. If you were nearer I would be happy to go to the garage with you to explain how this fault occurs but sadly I am not.

Literally just arrived home. Asked breakdown to send a low loader and not waste anyone's time trying to get her going which they did and she's being delivered on to my garage in the morning.

Will be getting injector seals/ washers done first and see if that does the trick. Am very reluctant to chuck much more money at the problem in all honesty although if can resolve this she is a good one otherwise.

What a rubbish night you've just had!
Even with a bad injector seal (its probably a copper washer gone, rather than an O ring) its possible to keep the car going, but you have to do a purge then keep the engine revs above 2500 RPM.
Its possible with a manual.
When I first realised mine needed doing, it was after I got stuck in traffic on the M5, after a few mins the revs started dropping then it stalled, did a purge, started, then had to sit in stop start traffic for 30 mins reving it!
Hopefully your garage will not mess up doing the seals, then tell you "its the injectors"!
Ask them to use genuine seals/washers.
Its not a hard job, but it will require them to turn on their brains!
Let us know how it goes.
Mark

Thanks Mark. Called into the garage this morning to say it was on its way from the recovery depot and could they please do the washers/seals so fingers crossed! Can't take many more evening breakdowns, around 8pm each time, before I've had dinner too!

Hi LJG1984, I have recently struggled with the same issues which culminated in a heroic 12 hour drive from Sydney to Canberra that normally takes 3 hrs. BLUF (Bottom line up front), look up my post 'Daisy is FIXED' and it would bet on it being your injector seals. Discovery2.co.uk shows how it is done. Since changing the seals (you will need the 'special tool' to remove the injectors - try dingocroft) Daisy has not missed a single beat.

Injectors can be removed easy without that tool by levering them up with any suitable allen key or something which fits there. Juat for accuracy, starting/running issues can be cause only by the copper washers cos they let combustion gasses back into the fuel supply, worn seals will let only fuel in oil without running issues but that could ruin the engine if it's not detected in time, a good move to replace the air bleed valve in the filter too