Problem getting worse

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thelandtrain

Member
Posts
33
Location
UK
Hi all
I run a defender 90 td5 and recently had some work done on it. I've had a new crankshaft damper fitted and oil fuel service.

Sometimes in a morning it won't start. It turns over but just won't start. Then all of a sudden it will work. It's becoming more frequent now though.

The other problem is when I'm driving (no faster than 5/10mph), it all if a sudden sort of cuts out then cuts back in again. This happens in the space of a millisecond.

Anyone know what might be the problem?

Cheers
 
Could be an air getting into the fuel system problem. The filter is the first port of call, new one may not have sealed properly.
 
Yes, it might be a fuelling problem. The other thing that happens is that there's a valve in the fuel filter head that is supposed to prevent the fuel draining back into the tank when the engine is off. This sometimes deteriorates and ceases to work, leading to delays in the engine firing up until the fuel gets round to the injectors.
The TD5 also has a switch on the clutch master cylinder which tells the ECU to reduce the engine revs when the clutch is depressed, so as to prevent the engine over revving with the clutch down. So if you're creeping along with your foot on the clutch you can sometimes get a sense that the engine's 'hunting' as the switch opens and closes. Try crawling along with your foot well away from the clutch pedal and see if it still hunts. Try unplugging the switch and see if you still get the phenomenon. If you do then it's not the clutch switch and is probably something else. But at least that rules it out. Another thing that could possibly cause the 'hunting' effect is an intermittent signal from the MAF (the cylindrical thing the air goes through downstream of the air filter box. It has a multiplug on top). Try driving with the MAF unplugged Does it still hunt?
 
Tired battery could be the starting issue. If voltage drops under 10.5? during cranking then injectors don't fire
 
When its cranking but not starting, does the temp gauge go into the red and the glow plug light not illuminate? If so try pushing the yellow relays under the driver seat next to the ecu. Check they are clean and tight. Also check the earth is clean and tight under there too.
 
Hello again people, thanks for your help and advice.
Things have gone even worse now. So I got the motor out yesterday and it started up first time. After about 15 mins of driving it kangaroo'd and the engine management light came on then went off. After another few minutes of driving I pulled over and it cut out completely whilst idling.

Took fuel pipe off and switched ignition on to see if the pump was working and it fired diesel into a bottle with plenty of pressue.

Anyway, it decided to start okay and ran yesterday pretty fine. Then today, started first time, after around 15 minutes of running it decided not to run and wouldn't start.

Driving me mad now. Anyone reckon it could be the crank sensor? There's definitely no air in the fuel system and there's definitely fuel being pumped.

Cheers
 
Okay so I bought a crank position sensor and had that on today. It's been driving fine all day then all of a sudden, it misfired and cut out. Now I'm stranded and it won't start.

Kev12 do you think this could be the injector loom?

Cheers
 
Have you checked for oil at the red plug of the ECU?
Probably worth changing the injector harness anyway, it’s almost a service item.
 
wireman said:
When its cranking but not starting, does the temp gauge go into the red and the glow plug light not illuminate? If so try pushing the yellow relays under the driver seat next to the ecu. Check they are clean and tight. Also check the earth is clean and tight under there too.
Click to expand...

Have you checked the relays?
 
Best thing is get it plugged in. Its mostly guesswork otherwise. It may still be guesswork after reading codes but at least you'll know where to look
 
In the Defender the ECU is a long way from the engine so it would take a long time for the oil to get as far as that. I find the best place to check is the multiplug where the wiring loom goes into the cylinder head.

TD5s are also prone to faults elsewhere in the wiring loom. Especially if these are intermittent they can give you symptoms very similar to what you describe. For example the wires connecting the accelerator pedal to the ECU can chafe through and all of a sudden it doesn't respond to the accelerator but will run at tickover. Land Rover seem to have had a batch of wire in the mid 2000s which is apt to be brittle and the insulation comes off.
 
Brown said:
In the Defender the ECU is a long way from the engine so it would take a long time for the oil to get as far as that. I find the best place to check is the multiplug where the wiring loom goes into the cylinder head.

TD5s are also prone to faults elsewhere in the wiring loom. Especially if these are intermittent they can give you symptoms very similar to what you describe. For example the wires connecting the accelerator pedal to the ECU can chafe through and all of a sudden it doesn't respond to the accelerator but will run at tickover. Land Rover seem to have had a batch of wire in the mid 2000s which is apt to be brittle and the insulation comes off.
Click to expand...
All plugs have been checked and are looking fine. Been cleaned anyway just as an extra measure.

Finger is pointing at the wiring from ECU to crank sensor as where the connection is if it's manipulated it sometimes misfires.

Had trouble starting again today but now it's up and running however it does feel slightly underpowered today... Could this be injectors/injector loom.

I don't have a plug in by the way. A lot of this is trial and error..
 
Sounds a lot like when my injector loom failed. When it missed you could turn it off and on again and all would be fine.
 
The injector loom isn't too hard - you take the rocker cover off and there it is. The big loom from the ECU to the engine, accelerator pedal and crank position sensor is a more involved job, and a much more expensive item!
 
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