shawn1uk
New Member
Good Morning! (I'm sorry for my first post being one asking for help, but desperate times!).
I was hoping some of you might be able to help me diagnose an engine fault with my 02 TD5 Defender 90.
I was doing the 100 mile or so journey back home after Christmas with the family (it was 28th Dec, very very cold, snow etc).
About half way we decided to stop for some lunch at a service station, at this point the engine was running fine, punchy as always.
20 minutes later we started her up, it wasn't obvious (my passenger didn't hear it) but I could hear something didn't sound right, it wasn't metallic or as obvious as the video but it just seemed off tune.
I dare say if you weren't accustomed to the tune of this specific engine you wouldn't hear it.
So off onto the A55 we went, she drove ok(ish) no additional noises, but there was a very distinct lack in power when accelerating.
Accelerator flat on the floor (on level ground) it would hit 50 in 5th and that's all she would give; it almost felt electronically limited, it just goes flat rather than seeming to want struggle higher (is this Limp Home mode? or too fast?).
Turbo at this point was about 0.7 bar (normally about 1 bar).
Any slight incline it struggled with massively, full throttle it couldn't maintain 30 uphill even dropping down to 4th.
Occasionally the boost gauge would very rapidly jump between .5 bar and .7 bar (3/4 times a second), but then would stop at .7 again.
After we encountered the gradient where she was crawling up, I decided to pull off at the next service station.
Turned off the engine and left it a few minutes, checking for any obvious leaks underneath, all hoses connected etc.
Tried to turn her over and she didn't start.
Gave it another 5 minutes this time she started, but with a slightly more pronounced "off beat" tune but still nothing that indicated mechanical failure.
So I drove her down the road, again still the same pronounced lack of power uphill, but on a flat taking it easy you wouldn't notice it.
At this point I decided to call the recovery truck, not wanting to drive her the rest of the way in an unknown state.
While waiting for them to arrive, I had a little play unplugging sensors, letting it cool off, took some brake cleaner to the injector/loom plug on the front of the engine, none of this helped.
I should mention, I noticed a few months ago there was ever so slight amount of oil (half a teaspoon) wicked down into the red ECU connector but I'd cleaned it and the engine plug side and its not reoccurred since (a slowly developing fault no doubt, haven't got around to replacing the loom yet).
She still had enough power to move under her own steam up onto the recovery ramp, but it was less than normal.
When finally got her back home (after an hour and a bit of cooling off), drove her off the recovery truck and now she makes the very obvious stuttering heard in the video.
Still can move under her own steam, just I've left her in low range otherwise she'd stall on the slight incline of where I am parked.
If you listen closely you can hear two things in the video;
Firstly the very apparent rough running, skipping a beat almost? a cylinder not firing? She vibrates a lot.
Secondly you hear a quite "ting or squeak" for the lack of a better explanation, its not very loud, but its there without any specific pattern.
http://youtu.be/YPdx63XNejA
http://youtu.be/Btj3kKAwW08
One more thing to add, it may only be coincidence or misinformation, but I topped up my tank with diesel that morning for the trip (took 21 L as it was mostly full), working out the MPG on the trip down before xmas I only got 22MPG, normally that's about 28MPG on such a trip. Maybe a puzzle piece someone can place.
Things I've tried,
Unplugged MAF
Unplugged Intake manifold sensor (I forgot its proper name, AAP/IAP maybe?)
Cleaned connectors I can get too without dismantling (with brake cleaner).
Checked for various leaks, piping disconnections.
Checked exhaust manifold for whistling / leaking.
Checked engine oil level, coolant level (wasn't overheating according to the gauge or low on fuel).
There's no warning lights on the dash (MIL?).
I'f my fingers can manage the cold I'll get the old Injector loom out from the engine today and check it for connectivity and resistivity.
I've got a new rocker gasket and Injector loom on order, I suspect that its a faulty injector loom (praying to Odin, Zeus and every other manner of god that is the fault and not something more expensive).
That said, I don't quite understand the sudden onset rather than intermittent misfiring leading up to total failure.. but I guess it had to die at "some" time.
But without me leading you, what would you conclude the fault to be, and what would you call how its running in the video?
I was hoping some of you might be able to help me diagnose an engine fault with my 02 TD5 Defender 90.
I was doing the 100 mile or so journey back home after Christmas with the family (it was 28th Dec, very very cold, snow etc).
About half way we decided to stop for some lunch at a service station, at this point the engine was running fine, punchy as always.
20 minutes later we started her up, it wasn't obvious (my passenger didn't hear it) but I could hear something didn't sound right, it wasn't metallic or as obvious as the video but it just seemed off tune.
I dare say if you weren't accustomed to the tune of this specific engine you wouldn't hear it.
So off onto the A55 we went, she drove ok(ish) no additional noises, but there was a very distinct lack in power when accelerating.
Accelerator flat on the floor (on level ground) it would hit 50 in 5th and that's all she would give; it almost felt electronically limited, it just goes flat rather than seeming to want struggle higher (is this Limp Home mode? or too fast?).
Turbo at this point was about 0.7 bar (normally about 1 bar).
Any slight incline it struggled with massively, full throttle it couldn't maintain 30 uphill even dropping down to 4th.
Occasionally the boost gauge would very rapidly jump between .5 bar and .7 bar (3/4 times a second), but then would stop at .7 again.
After we encountered the gradient where she was crawling up, I decided to pull off at the next service station.
Turned off the engine and left it a few minutes, checking for any obvious leaks underneath, all hoses connected etc.
Tried to turn her over and she didn't start.
Gave it another 5 minutes this time she started, but with a slightly more pronounced "off beat" tune but still nothing that indicated mechanical failure.
So I drove her down the road, again still the same pronounced lack of power uphill, but on a flat taking it easy you wouldn't notice it.
At this point I decided to call the recovery truck, not wanting to drive her the rest of the way in an unknown state.
While waiting for them to arrive, I had a little play unplugging sensors, letting it cool off, took some brake cleaner to the injector/loom plug on the front of the engine, none of this helped.
I should mention, I noticed a few months ago there was ever so slight amount of oil (half a teaspoon) wicked down into the red ECU connector but I'd cleaned it and the engine plug side and its not reoccurred since (a slowly developing fault no doubt, haven't got around to replacing the loom yet).
She still had enough power to move under her own steam up onto the recovery ramp, but it was less than normal.
When finally got her back home (after an hour and a bit of cooling off), drove her off the recovery truck and now she makes the very obvious stuttering heard in the video.
Still can move under her own steam, just I've left her in low range otherwise she'd stall on the slight incline of where I am parked.
If you listen closely you can hear two things in the video;
Firstly the very apparent rough running, skipping a beat almost? a cylinder not firing? She vibrates a lot.
Secondly you hear a quite "ting or squeak" for the lack of a better explanation, its not very loud, but its there without any specific pattern.
http://youtu.be/YPdx63XNejA
http://youtu.be/Btj3kKAwW08
One more thing to add, it may only be coincidence or misinformation, but I topped up my tank with diesel that morning for the trip (took 21 L as it was mostly full), working out the MPG on the trip down before xmas I only got 22MPG, normally that's about 28MPG on such a trip. Maybe a puzzle piece someone can place.
Things I've tried,
Unplugged MAF
Unplugged Intake manifold sensor (I forgot its proper name, AAP/IAP maybe?)
Cleaned connectors I can get too without dismantling (with brake cleaner).
Checked for various leaks, piping disconnections.
Checked exhaust manifold for whistling / leaking.
Checked engine oil level, coolant level (wasn't overheating according to the gauge or low on fuel).
There's no warning lights on the dash (MIL?).
I'f my fingers can manage the cold I'll get the old Injector loom out from the engine today and check it for connectivity and resistivity.
I've got a new rocker gasket and Injector loom on order, I suspect that its a faulty injector loom (praying to Odin, Zeus and every other manner of god that is the fault and not something more expensive).
That said, I don't quite understand the sudden onset rather than intermittent misfiring leading up to total failure.. but I guess it had to die at "some" time.
But without me leading you, what would you conclude the fault to be, and what would you call how its running in the video?
