Freelander Td4 no start - best guesses, please!

My wife drives a 2003 Freelander Td4, and occasionally (but increasingly) it fails to start. The problem is that it doesn't do it often enough to have a professional diagnose it. Every time I take it anywhere, it starts perfectly the whole time it is there. But it acts up often enough to frighten my wife.

So I am inclined to just start throwing parts at it, trying to fix it. I'm leaning toward the fuel pump, but I am hoping you all can guide me a bit with your best guesses at to what might be causing the problem.

SYMPTOMS:
- The car cranks fine, always. Battery is good.

- The car usually starts even if it is very, very cold, so the glow plugs are not likely the problem.

- When it fails to start, it cranks fine but doesn't start.

- When cranking, it will sometimes JUST BARELY start to catch, and then die again.

- If it fails to start, I leave it alone for 10-15 minutes and try again, and it starts fine.

- It seems to be the most prone to acting up when warm. Not when cold and not when hot. But that may just be coincidence.

- Once started, it runs fine indefinitely. It has never died while driving.

I couldn't find any reference to a fuel pump relay on this vehicle, but when I checked the relays in the engine compartment, they were all the same part number, so I switched them all around into different positions and the problem persists. No change.

Other than the fuel pump, is there anything I should try first? I know this is not the easiest thing to diagnose without seeing the vehicle, but any help would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

The camshaft sensor is only used when first starting, it acts up more when its warm - so that's what I'd try first

Tiny1000 said:

The camshaft sensor is only used when first starting, it acts up more when its warm - so that's what I'd try first

Click to expand...

^^^^

AH!!! Camshaft position sensor? Great idea. Much cheaper than a fuel pump. lol. Okay, thank you!

Dodgy connection to the starter motor?
Edit just read it still cranks so ignore me, I'll go back to the naughty corner.

Can you hear the fuel pump during a KOEO (key on engine off)? The CMP (camshaft position sensor) gets a lot of blame for this issue but every time I've seen a hippo with your symptoms it's been the fuel pump.

If you don't want to just hang parts on it, do some power and ground tests at the FP and maybe check for flow. There are tests you can do on the CMP but it depend on your skill level and tools.

I drive mostly old cars, where it's easy to hear the pump. I'm guessing this one is inside the tank, because to be honest I don't feel like I can EVER hear the fuel pump during KOEO. Hahaha! I'll try. Maybe have my wife turn the key on while I stick my head underneath the tank.

Can you replace the fuel pump in these Td4's without draining and dropping the tank? Is there access from the top? Or do I have to remove the tank?

The 2003 Freelander TD4 fuel pump (going by the VIN not number plate) is behind the plastic in the RH rear wheelarch (if it's a 2002 model then that has two pumps, one on the tank that's accessible from an access hole in the boot, and one under the bonnet).

Sorry, I know this string has been dead for a while, but I just realized I never posted an update.

The problem was the camshaft position sensor. Swapped it out, and everything is perfect again.

Thanks all, for the help. Much obliged!