Defender TD5 no start - another one!

So, I have a 1998 TD5 that one day refused to start. I checked the fuel pressure - 60lbs (4bars) at the pressure regulator and stayed level at that when cranking, new pressure regulator this year, new filter last year, cleaned out the little valve on the fuel return line from the filter. I bled the system at the return line from the fuel cooler. It cranks, fires up with one slight burst and then dies. Battery is good. I am thinking control module but there is no-one near me that has any diagnostic equipment to test the electrics. My local go to mechanic has a snap-on scanner with a european adapter but can't get a reading. Any ideas out there?

If you have 4 bar pressure at the pressure regulator when cranking and you bled the system I think you need to get the diagnostics on the ecu and look for the injector fault codes.
Just a thought but I am assuming you have run the purge cycle by pressing the accelerator 4 or 5 times with the ignition on.

Thanks for the speedy reply, yes, tried that but the engine light didn't come on when I pumped the pedal a few times, which I thought odd. Is there a way to check the injectors without a diagnostic check?

That is a strange thing it should go into purge when you push the throttle 5 or 6 time full stroke with the ignition on.
There are quite a few threads on here relating to similar problems which may give you some ideas, try this:
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/td5-fuel-pressure-problem.161412/

I had similar problems for some time, changed injector seals, changed the bleed valve in the filter head, changed the fuel pressure regulator, One thing which seemed to help was when I took off the fuel filter head and took out all of the fittings, I cleaned it up blew it out and put new copper washers on the fittings, and replaced the bleed valve I heard of people who have found cracks in the alloy casting which allow air leaks.
But you need to be a bit careful, its easy to fall into the trap of throwing parts at it and hoping it will work, I have seen loads of threads where people change the tank pump and say oh its just the same.
Last year I had a total refusal to start and tried all sorts but connecting the Nanocom showed me there were some problems with the injector control
Take a look here:
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/crankshaft-sensor-spacer.308563/page-6#post-3944386

Couple of other things take the earth straps off and clean them or even add an extra one from the battery - chassis lead to the Earth connection under the drivers seat where the ECU is connected.
And I suppose you have tried a new injector lead and checked the red ECU plug for oil contamination, these are some of the most common issues and this is well worth the cost of a new injector plug lead.
By the way where are you located?

The fact that you can't get it to start the purge cycle by repeatedly pressing the accelerator and that it won't communicate with a diagnostic reader reminds me of what happened when my ECU failed last year. The TD5 isn't quite compatible with the OBD or OBD II protocol for fault readers so many generic fault code readers won't communicate with it. I'm not sure what the capabilities of the Snap On device are, but you really need something like the Hawkeye, Nanocom or Lynx to be sure.
Sometimes even when the ECU is malfunctioning, the fault code readers give it a clean bill of health. The critical thing is whether the ECU is delivering a signal to the injectors, for which you probably need an oscilloscope!

Yes to all the things Raywin mentions above too. I've been through all those when dealing with reluctant TD5s.

There's a few more things you can try, but you really need a diagnostic fault code reader that's compatible with the TD5. You can look at the rpm while cranking the engine on the starter motor (mine's typically about 260). This shows that the ECU is getting a signal from the crank position sensor. This can fail and stop the engine. It's on the bellhousing on the drivers side of the engine, usually hidden by the air intake pipe. Sometimes when TD5 starter motors are about to fail they generate a lot of electromagnetic 'noise' which interferes with the signal from the crank position sensor and prevents the engine from starting. In this case the car will start when it's bump started but not on the starter motor.

Brown said:

The fact that you can't get it to start the purge cycle by repeatedly pressing the accelerator and that it won't communicate with a diagnostic reader reminds me of what happened when my ECU failed last year. The TD5 isn't quite compatible with the OBD or OBD II protocol for fault readers so many generic fault code readers won't communicate with it. I'm not sure what the capabilities of the Snap On device are, but you really need something like the Hawkeye, Nanocom or Lynx to be sure.
Sometimes even when the ECU is malfunctioning, the fault code readers give it a clean bill of health. The critical thing is whether the ECU is delivering a signal to the injectors, for which you probably need an oscilloscope!

Click to expand...

I was worried about the failure to go into purge cycle sounds like some electrical issues somewhere.

One part that really bugged me is the non return in the filter head I bought one but you only get the black plastic bit and not the red rubber "ducks beak" which actually does the work, you cant buy the rubber unless you buy the full filter head, I wondered about fitting a different NRV by adapting the fitting




Edit

Like this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/One-Way-F...hash=item23888d4a2f:m:msxAjYEPvWYF5O4Ikr8sPKg

Try running a temporary earth cable from the battery -ve to the ecu earth point.

Thanks everyone, great feedback. I'll try some ideas here. I took the filter housing apart and cleaned it all up, I didn't replace the copper washers though, there was no non-return valve. My local mechanic who specializes in diesels said that if it was the CPS then why does it fire the first crank and then die? I'm located in Penticton, British Columbia. I'm an expat from 30 years ago. Owning a landy here is a challenge due to the lack of parts, diagnostic equipment and expertise but worth it for all the attention and envy when its running!

Even when there's nothing coming out of the injectors there's sometimes enough oil in the cylinders and vapour getting in via the breather, as well as residual oil in the intercooler to give you the occasional pop. I've had my hopes up once or twice on mine when I had the ECU faults. The trouble is that after one or two pops it's all burned up and that's that. Even 'Easy Start' can hang around in the inlet tract for quite a while.