Thread: 300TDi breakdown woes...

Hoping someone can help with this, as am at the end of my tether.

My 94 Defender has decided it no longer wants to run....happened on a trip up North (as is always the case), just after a full throttle run in fourth up a hill overtaking a roadtrain. Started to lose all power, and eventually shuddered to a halt, and whilst it would restart OK, won't rev cleanly and then idles roughly often cutting out after being held at revs until the problem occurs.

Have had a similar problem before, which stayed for a few weeks, was very intermittent and then cleared itself. Prior to that, similar fault a few years back where as part of the troubleshooting, the ignition switch, fuel cutoff solenoid, lift pump and eventually the injector pump (the actual cause back then) were all replaced, just to give some history. Car would have done only 20-30k since then, despite the time lapsed, as it isn't a daily driver.

So far for this little adventure, we have tried the following:

New fuel filter from the carried spares
Checked airflow by removing filter (despite being sure it was a fuel starvation issue)
Hotwired fuel cutoff solenoid
Removed and cleaned sediment filter bowl and checked seal
Made sure fuel was in fuel filter straight after problem occured.
Replaced the suspect rubber hose end at the wastegate which we thought might have been leaking and hence potentially stopping the pump supplying more fuel under boost...but likely to have been clutching at straws and not reallt sure this woudl manifest itself at 1500-2000 revs whilst stationary!

It will start and idle OK, seemingly forever, but as soon as you hold it at revs it will then drop revs off regardless of throttle opening, and then sometimes idle roughly before recovering, but also often stall.

Since playing with it, we now also have a new issue.....namely that we are no longer getting fuel into the filter in the engine bay. Manually working the lift pump seems to do nothing, and there isn't much resistance on the lever when we do it manually. Even crankiing it for extended periods does nothing...except kill the starting battery so I no longer have that option.

So, first question is any ideas as to the original issue?

Second question is perhaps why are we not getting fuel to the filter now whereas we were?

Lastly, I have read many threads on here saying the 300TDi's don't need the lift pump, and others saying they do....but even if knackered (Despite not having had much use) could they cause this symptom?

If it wasn't for the fact the car and myself are 400k's from home, I'd have grabbed an electric one having read a thread on here....but need to get myself home first, and the car maybe later via trailer if there is no magical fix I have missed in response to this post!

Alternatively, if anyone knows a decent Landrover mechanic somewhere between Dongara and Geraldton, PM me please, as it'll be far easier to pay him to fix it at my mates place nextweek, and I'll pick it up next weeiend!!

Thanks!

Thanks guys....off home this morning by other means, and for the relatively low cost I think I'll order a 12v pump for the spares kit and for the testing as suggested, and a new lift pump too as might as well fit one while playing with fuel lines.

Out of interest, if I'd had a 12v pump, would the best bet to have been out it in place of the lift pump and leave that out of circuit, or put it at the back to push fuel to it, whilst keeping it (or a working one!!) installed? Just thinking of a more permanent fix, and also having connecting pipes made up for troubleshooting while I'm at it, as the lift pump seems to use threaded connectors, rather than just fuel hose and hose clips, despite (I assume) being a very low pressure line, based on 7psi electric pump comments in other threads.

Will also follow up with Whyatts (Public holiday in WA today, not sure about Nationally) Tuesday and see if they or someone even more local can do the work, or if I need to come back with a mate and do it.

Luckily, I don't need the car...unluckily, I have to be in Perth tonight and have a full week of work from tomorrow.