Thread: Defender 130 td5 engine cuts out

Originally Posted by MDAkinc

My td5 Defender 130 (2002, 232,000 ks) runs and drives perfectly for about 15 minutes, and then the engine stops and the check engine light comes on. Attempts to restart it result in it firing feebly on 1 or 2 cylinders, but not enough to keep it going.

Then, if I leave it for about half an hour, it suddenly recovers and drives normally until the next cut-out, etc etc.

In my attempt to solve this problem I have put in a new fuel pump, a new fuel filter, and the two air bleed valves in the fuel filter connectors. All to no avail.

Another symptom, possibly a red herring, is that the fuel filter gets very hot. I don't know if this is normal or not.

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Kinc

Failing crank angle sensor maybe? Or the wiring going to it? PITA to get at on a Disco but shouldn't be too bad on a Deefer.

How hot? The fuel does get hot, they have a cooler for exactly that, but not too hot to touch in general.

All a remote diagnosis guess, of course, but the crank sensor will throw the MIL on.

As Tins suggested crankshaft position sensor...

*unplug it, spray clean it. (easy to get to on a Defender)
*unplug the injector harness on the front of the engine, spray clean it (see how much oil is in the plug).
*unplug the red plug on the ecu under the seat and spray clean it (again see if/how much oil is in the plug).

Originally Posted by DazzaTD5

As Tins suggested crankshaft position sensor...

*unplug it, spray clean it. (easy to get to on a Defender)
*unplug the injector harness on the front of the engine, spray clean it (see how much oil is in the plug).
*unplug the red plug on the ecu under the seat and spray clean it (again see if/how much oil is in the plug).

Thanks, you reminded me i have a new injector harness to fit.

further to the suggestion already mentioned:

do you have access to a nanocom?
If so, use the page that displays cylinder balances. Watch it closely at approximately the time where you think it'll cut out. If the cylinder balances go all haywire(from relatively stable values between about 0 to 5) .. I reckon your injector seals are gone, or on the way out .. and it'll probably just get worse.

If you don't have a nanocom, the other thing you can test out is, when it cuts out again, do the routine where you bleed the injection system. On a D2 that is ignition on(don't start!) and pump accel five times rapidly, where it then actiuvates the fuel pump for a few minutes to bleed out the fuel lines.
This may result in an instant start fairly quickly, or (more accurately) a less arduous start than you have at the moment. It may also result in a lot of smoke on start up if it does.
I don't know the bleed routine for a Defender, but I'm guessing it's the same as a D2 TD5 too.
If it does do this, you will see a warning light on the dash as well as hear a hissing sound as the pump bleeds out the injectors.

What you described(and I suggested) is exactly what happen with my D2 when brother owned it and drove us crazy trying to sort it out, until the wise chaps here suggested injector seals.

if you haven't done them at any stage, or don't know if they have been done, may also be wise to get ready to do them sooner rather than later anyhow(common issue with some klms on the clock).
They're not hard to do, even for those of us with just the basic tool handling abilities.

Originally Posted by Tins

Failing crank angle sensor maybe? Or the wiring going to it? PITA to get at on a Disco but shouldn't be too bad on a Deefer.

How hot? The fuel does get hot, they have a cooler for exactly that, but not too hot to touch in general.

All a remote diagnosis guess, of course, but the crank sensor will throw the MIL on.

MDA Kinc writes: Thank you for the crank angle sensor suggestion. I will get it scanned and report.

Originally Posted by Tins

Failing crank angle sensor maybe? Or the wiring going to it? PITA to get at on a Disco but shouldn't be too bad on a Deefer.

How hot? The fuel does get hot, they have a cooler for exactly that, but not too hot to touch in general.

All a remote diagnosis guess, of course, but the crank sensor will throw the MIL on.

Thanks for the tip about the crank angle sensor. The one that's in there is a new genuine one put in last July because of starting problems, which it seems to have cured. Now it starts OK but stops after 15 minutes. It feels like it is running out of fuel. Could the problem be fuel or electrical?

Originally Posted by DazzaTD5

As Tins suggested crankshaft position sensor...

*unplug it, spray clean it. (easy to get to on a Defender)
*unplug the injector harness on the front of the engine, spray clean it (see how much oil is in the plug).
*unplug the red plug on the ecu under the seat and spray clean it (again see if/how much oil is in the plug).

Many thanks Dazza TD5 for those specific suggestions. I will start with the injector harness and the red plug under the seat, as I have recently replaced the crank angle sensor.
MDAKinc

Originally Posted by MDAkinc

Thanks for the tip about the crank angle sensor.

That's why we're here. Tips are often wrong, as remote diagnosis can be like that, but sometimes they can help.

Originally Posted by MDAkinc

Could the problem be fuel or electrical?

Either. I'd look into what Dazza said about the injector harness and the red plug on the ECU, common fault, and what Arthur posted about injector seals. Ask if someone near you has a Nanocom, Disco or Deefer, it doesn't matter as long as it's unlocked for the TD5.