P38A 2.5 Diesel won’t start after new injector pump fitted

Dhog4n said:

The glow plugs were cheap, from one of the usual UK suppliers directly from their website. I couldn’t tell you at this stage what brand they are.

I don’t really think it’s a glow plug problem. The signs I learned to look for from my experience of running the Hilux Surf with bad glow plugs are not there - there’s no cloud of white smoke from the exhaust and this issue came on suddenly after starting perfectly beforehand. Also, I was always able to start the Surf eventually, even on the coldest of days.

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Cheap glow plugs are a known problem. Have you tried a squirt of Easy Start? Have you checked the in tank pump is working?
If it starts and then runs with Easy Start, suspect glow plugs. If it starts but doesn't run suspect in tank pump or immobiliser. Resyncing the immobiliser code is dead easy with Nanocom.

Dhog4n said:

The glow plugs were cheap, from one of the usual UK suppliers directly from their website. I couldn’t tell you at this stage what brand they are.

I don’t really think it’s a glow plug problem. The signs I learned to look for from my experience of running the Hilux Surf with bad glow plugs are not there - there’s no cloud of white smoke from the exhaust and this issue came on suddenly after starting perfectly beforehand. Also, I was always able to start the Surf eventually, even on the coldest of days.

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Just a thought it was. These engines don't like the cheap ones though. Once had 3 fail at same time which caused a total none start. A thought have you caught any of the glow plug wires changing the pump or even the wire to number 4 injector

Dhog4n said:

I’m in the south Dublin suburbs.

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Ah. Out of my range and cannot think of a member nearby.

I’ll get hold of some easy start and see if that gives me any clues.

I didn’t think it would be that sensitive to one or two failing glow plugs. It’s easy enough to get hold of some so I’ll try that if the easy start and Nanocom tricks don’t yield results.

The in tank pump seems to be fine. I have a hand primer bulb fitted before the fuel filter, so I’m happy that the injector pump is well primed. It spits fuel at the injectors when I crack open the unions.

It’ll be next weekend before I can get to it again.

It’s finally working!

Having checked all of my work on it so far and found nothing out of order, I refitted the intake and tried a bit of easy start. It ran for a moment but wouldn’t keep going after the starting fluid was used up, indicating an immobilser fault.

Other than the code being out of synch, the most common theme that I could see online seems to be wiring and connector damage or corrosion.

I cleaned up every fuse and earth that I could find between the engine and the becm. I don’t know which one it was, but some of the fuses under the driver’s seat were slightly crusty and the prongs on the 4 big fuses under the bonnet looked like they had taken a bit of heat. I also pulled out and reseated all of the relays. The only obvious bit of corrosion was on an earth just behind the ecu box, under the fuse box.

Corroded connections are just old car stuff and nothing to do with it being a Range Rover. That doesn’t make it any easier to sort out though. Hopefully that’s it for non-runner issues for now and I can go back to sorting out the trim and other minor things.

Thank you for all of your comments and tips, it’s great to be able to ask questions of people who have been through all of this before.