non starting issue, I'm out of ideas.

As title suggests, my 200Tdi will not start and I'm at a loss for ideas.
I'll keep it as short but as detailed as i can.

long story short i'm coming to the end of a long awaited rebuild, the truck was starting and driving at this point.
we've put a completely custom standalone wiring loom and ripped out the original land rover looms that were bodged excessively along its lifetime. (Earths are the best they've ever been)

All fluids serviced and a nearly new battery put on, and we managed to get it to start and it ran on idle pretty well for something that hasn't had attention for over 5 years.

spent a second day on it no longer than a month later, fresh diesel in the tank and we got it driving but it was horrendously lumpy and sounded like a misfire. (Lumpy 200TDi) Video link attached, not my engine but the exact same issue, good revs and then very lumpy

we examined both the feed and return from the tank and they are clear and hole free.
banjos on the filter and injection pump also good.
there was not a fault that we could see

we then bypassed the fuel tank and ran the feed and return from a bottle of diesel in the engine bay and it seemed to run a lot better.

i replaced the fuel filter, and the new filter was not receiving any diesel so i naturally replaced the lift pump (today) as that makes most sense in my head. I've never known much about a lift pump if im entirely honest, but i know its supposed to go over the camshaft rather than under it, which i think its in there correctly. (is there any way of knowing?)

Gave a good 10 minutes of manually pumping on that lift pump and nothing changed, the 200 will not fire up still, and it wont even accept a jump start. it just cranks and gets slower and slower like I'm trying to start it with a flat battery.

Really running out of ideas, strange how it ran pretty well the first time we fired up and then a month later it sounds like a bag of bolts.
in-between the first start up and the lumpy start up, the only things we really changed on the entire 90 was: Exhaust connected, boost pipes replaced, and various other additional parts which don't affect it starting or running.

It must be fuel related somehow but i would really appreciate some input as i'm running out of hairs to pull out!

Are you getting any white smoke from the exhaust while cranking? No smoke means no fuel being injected.

Does it still have the sedimentor inboard at the rear axel ?



Was the fuel tank checked for 'gunge' or flaking paint gumming up the pick-up ?

We faffed about for weeks changing everything in the fuel system on my son's 200tdi including injector refurb.
It was the injection pump.
Symptoms were lumpy idle and stalling when lifting off the throttle.
When you are confident you have fuel and reliable 12v to the injector pump then it's most likely refurb time.
You would do well by replacing the fuel pipe from filter to injector pump with a clear pipe first of. I didn't follow my own advice and did that last

Here is my thread, mistakes and all .

You haven't got the banjo bolts mixed up have you? Big hole for flow, little hole for return.

Rangieman123 said:

Are you getting any white smoke from the exhaust while cranking? No smoke means no fuel being injected.

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No noticeable smoke. There’s definitely something in the fuel system I haven’t checked because it 99% sounds like it’s starved for diesel

Dippypud said:

Does it still have the sedimentor inboard at the rear axel ?

View attachment 332315

Was the fuel tank checked for 'gunge' or flaking paint gumming up the pick-up ?

200tdi being a git to start

The 200tdi in our 130 has started giving jip, over the past few days its gone from starting at the merest flick of the starter, to basically crank as long as you wont - no chance pal! If you run it down a hill and flick the starter itll fire right up. Itll also fire up with some easy start or...

www.landyzone.co.uk

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No sedimenter, don’t think it’s ever had one if I’m honest. Pick up was checked and was clear. Tank wasn’t checked

Anaconda said:

We faffed about for weeks changing everything in the fuel system on my son's 200tdi including injector refurb.
It was the injection pump.
Symptoms were lumpy idle and stalling when lifting off the throttle.
When you are confident you have fuel and reliable 12v to the injector pump then it's most likely refurb time.
You would do well by replacing the fuel pipe from filter to injector pump with a clear pipe first of. I didn't follow my own advice and did that last

Click to expand...

Not what I want to hear honestly!
I’ll have a go with the clear pipe when I’m next working on it, just so strange that it ran lovely when we first tried and now this.

I'd advise checking the function of the lift pump. Pull off the outlet pipe and crank it for a few seconds, as opposed to tickling the priming lever. The lift pumps can be fussy with the gasket /spacer thickness to the block. If the clearance is not correct the pump can either not prime properly, or deliver properly.
I'd also check that the return line is clear, back to the tank. If she can't bleed her system, you'll be going round in circles.

Rangieman123 said:

I'd advise checking the function of the lift pump. Pull off the outlet pipe and crank it for a few seconds, as opposed to tickling the priming lever. The lift pumps can be fussy with the gasket /spacer thickness to the block. If the clearance is not correct the pump can either not prime properly, or deliver properly.
I'd also check that the return line is clear, back to the tank. If she can't bleed her system, you'll be going round in circles.

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Will give it a go. Fairly certain we’ve checked the return line but no harm in checking it twice!

With regards to lift pump I fit 2 gaskets.

So an update, I’ve essentially got no where.
Blew out the feed and return from the tank and there was a blockage of some sort in the return. Both are new from the point of starting the rebuild and don’t have any cracks to let in air.

Took off output from lift pump as suggested by @Rangieman123 and cranked and it pulled fuel up lovely, no blockages in lift pump to filter, cracked it off and cranked and fuel got there. Same with filter to injection pump.

Cracked off the injectors one by one and fuel reaching all of them (how much fuel should I be seeing here?) Removed fuel solenoid, no swarf ln it which would indicate wear on the inside of the pump, not saying it isn't worn though. Removed the plunger to see if that had failed and still won’t start.

Second guessed my wiring skills on the glow plug relay and bypassed that with still no joy. Fuel tank pick up is clear as a whistle. As far as I can see the fuel is getting to where it needs to but it still won’t start.

All banjos are correct for flow and return.
Still cranks slow as anything like it’s a flat battery, same with a jump start.

Son had a intermittent slow starter, after faffing with earth cables and such like a recon starter motor fixed it.
With regards to injection pump there was nothing outwardly wrong with my son's, it started well, drove well, just poor idle and stalling.
Diesel Bob said once open it was one of the worst he'd seen inside for a while and surprised it even drove.
You need to get your slow starter motor sorted first though.
Don't feel bad about getting nowhere, I have been getting pretty much nowhere with my son's 200tdi since August when he put it into a specialist to get the timing belt done.

Anaconda said:

Son had a intermittent slow starter, after faffing with earth cables and such like a recon starter motor fixed it.
With regards to injection pump there was nothing outwardly wrong with my son's, it started well, drove well, just poor idle and stalling.
Diesel Bob said once open it was one of the worst he'd seen inside for a while and surprised it even drove.
You need to get your slow starter motor sorted first though.
Don't feel bad about getting nowhere, I have been getting pretty much nowhere with my son's 200tdi since August when he put it into a specialist to get the timing belt done.

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Okay thanks!

I’ve sent an email to diesel bob regarding injection pump as a precaution, because who wouldn’t benefit from a reconditioned pump.

It had a new starter when I engine swapped and it hasn’t done too many miles as it’s been more off the road than on. But I’ll look at getting a new one because if it doesn’t solve the issue it’ll still be a benefit.

I know it’s not the end of the world getting no where, but it’s bloody disheartening!

It is disheartening but you will get there in the end.
I am now in the middle of taking the timing case off after its been done by a specialist and came back with coolant leaks.
The few miles it's done after the injectors and pump was refurbed it drove really well apparently.
Sometimes I really hate Land Rovers.
On the up side mine hasn't gone wrong for a while, probably because I haven't had chance to use it.