So the 90 broke down again, with a mystery!

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Originally Posted by isuzurover

I think it may be worth your while getting a sample of the "sand" and trying to find a lab which can identify it for you. [i.e. finding the source may assist you]

If you PM me I can give you the name of someone to contact as a starting point.

There have been documented issues with the breather on Pumas, so I wouldn't be assuming malicious sources straight away.

Check with your insurance - you may be covered - especially for malicious damage.

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Thats what you have to do,get a sample of the sand,have it analysed, and you have a good chance of finding where it has come from.

Hope it all gets sorted as you have had one hell of a bumpy ride......

Ill try and get the sand off the dealer (if they still have it, as the repairs we agreed on have already been done) and see if I can get the filter that they said was stuffed aswell.

Ive checked my insurance and I am not covered for anything Mechanical :(

I think im going to have it Towed home form the dealer, try and get my hands on a scan tool and see If I cant see what the computer is saying and go from there.

dealer has assured me all pipes were sealed and connected correctly (before the dropped the tank out of the car to flush it)

Im really starting to get over this :( It may be time to sell and get an old 300tdi or something simpler, like my mini (63 cooper S[not on the road anymore]) doesnt matter what breaks you can fix it on the side of the road. . . I like simplicity. .

Noob question: How does sand get past a fuel filter that is supposed to stop water?

Aren't sand grains larger than water molecules?

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Originally Posted by FeatherWeightDriver

Noob question: How does sand get past a fuel filter that is supposed to stop water?

Aren't sand grains larger than water molecules?

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hence my reasoning for not liking the dealers diagnosis of the issue. . .

The mechanics are not stupid. If sand has made it past the filter and the cars running like crap, it's sort of obvious the pump and injectors are screwed.

I think you will be wasting time buying a scan guage and trying to work it out. If so your car is going to rust in the shed.

With both problems you have now had with your car I have noticed you don't like what mechanics tell you.

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Originally Posted by Disco4_tech

The mechanics are not stupid. If sand has made it past the filter and the cars running like crap, it's sort of obvious the pump and injectors are screwed.

I think you will be wasting time buying a scan guage and trying to work it out. If so your car is going to rust in the shed.

With both problems you have now had with your car I have noticed you don't like what mechanics tell you.

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2 and 2 tends to make 4 and when things don't add up or your left in the dark waiting and waiting for a response that does add up, you tend to start asking questions.

first one being

how does sand make it past the fuel filter ?

and if sand can make it past said fuel filter how can it be fit for service if it doesn't do basic filtering tasks?

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Originally Posted by Disco4_tech

The mechanics are not stupid. If sand has made it past the filter and the cars running like crap, it's sort of obvious the pump and injectors are screwed.

I think you will be wasting time buying a scan guage and trying to work it out. If so your car is going to rust in the shed.

With both problems you have now had with your car I have noticed you don't like what mechanics tell you.

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Scan gauge is a tool worth having I'm sure. If you can do some checks yourself you may as well do it. Sometimes smart mechanics get lazy, sometimes they are too busy to give enough thought, sometimes they are spot on an you are in denial...

I say do what ever you need to do to satisfy your own lines of inquiry. Even doing one little thing that may be wishful thinking will help to clear your mind so that you can come to a more agreeable conclusion.

You might find it's not the sand that's the problem - Anything over 40mls of water will overwhelm the stock filter and if you get enough water through the fuel system it can cause the fuel rail to overpressure. There is a relief valve that operates when that happens but chances are it not going to close again, resulting in fuel rail low pressure warnings. So if sand somehow got in then I'd guess water could have too. Problem with water is if it's salty. That will root the fuel system all the way through because of corrosion.

I'm surprised your insurance won't cover you for fuel system contamination events. I'm with the RACV and they would have.

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Originally Posted by incisor

2 and 2 tends to make 4 and when things don't add up or your left in the dark waiting and waiting for a response that does add up, you tend to start asking questions.

first one being

how does sand make it past the fuel filter ?

and if sand can make it past said fuel filter how can it be fit for service if it doesn't do basic filtering tasks?

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Well fuel systems were never made to take a ice cream cup of sand.

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Originally Posted by Disco4_tech

Well fuel systems were never made to take a ice cream cup of sand.

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He is right.
A fuel filter is designed to filter out what the servo filters miss. Not a mass degree of sand.

The scan tool won't tell you anything helpfull. All a scan tool does is tell you what sensor is saying what. If there's no sensor fitted then nothing it can tell you. In this case it will say fuel pressure problem and misfire. That doesn't help you as you already know these problems. If scan tools did more then its a waste of time techs going to local TAFEs or manufacturer training schools. Would of saved myself several years of $5 an hour when I was young un in training if I could of just used a scan tool to diag everything.