Running rough in Ceduna - any ideas?

[Frenchie]

Hi All,

it has been quite a while since I have been on here but happily have maintained my subscription as I now need help.

This relates to a 2002 Td5 Defender.

I am currently driving from Hobart to Perth and have made it as far as Ceduna. Yesterday, about 50km south of Port Augusta the old girl started running rough and a little down on power. This morning I replaced the MAF sensor from my spares kit and also found some oil in the injector harness plug into the rocker cover, which I cleaned out as best I could. There is no oil at the CPU end of the wiring.

For about 100km it ran smoothly and I thought I had fixed the problem but then it came back. It will drive, and sit happily enough on 100km/h on the flat but it doesn’t sound happy and struggles up hills. It also has a very lumpy idle, sounds to me like it’s not firing on all cylinders.

Unfortunately, being a Sunday tomorrow I probably won’t be able to find anyone here to help so I’ll stay and try to find someone on Monday. Does anyone know a competent mechanic in Ceduna who might know something about Land Rovers? Any ideas on what the problem might be? I’m reluctant to launch myself across the Nullarbor with it like this but need to get to Perth for work by the end of the week.

Thanks Tony (aka Frenchie)

[alien]

Bit of a downer for your trip.
I'm thinking maybe the fuel pump is playing up, can it be heard as usual on start up etc.?

[Xtreme]

I've experienced exactly the same symptoms with my 2003 Td5 Defender on two occasions.
The Nanocom told me that there was a problem with No. 5 injector - same on both occasions.

The fix was quick and easy -
1. Remove the rocker cover
2. Disconnect injector loom from injectors
In each of my cases, I found oil sitting in the 'well' around the male connector of No. 5 injector. Others were all free of oil.
3. Clean oil from both male & female side of all connectors using WD40 or similar spray plus a blast of compressed air if available.
4. Reassemble and away you go with full power restored.

Shouldn't take much more than 30mins, the slowest bit being tackling the 15 or so bolts on the rocker cover.

[p38arover]

I can't help as I haven't lived there since 1970. I can't even remember the LR dealer's name - I don't think it was Crouch Motors as they were Ford.

[Frenchie]

I've experienced exactly the same symptoms with my 2003 Td5 Defender on two occasions.
The Nanocom told me that there was a problem with No. 5 injector - same on both occasions.


Shouldn't take much more than 30mins, the slowest bit being tackling the 15 or so bolts on the rocker cover.

Thanks Roger you might be onto something. I dug out the Nanocom and it’s coming up with “Injector 5 - pulse long”, does that sound like what you had?

Thanks Tony

[Frenchie]

Bit of a downer for your trip.
I'm thinking maybe the fuel pump is playing up, can it be heard as usual on start up etc.?

The fuel pump sounds normal. I had wondered about fuel contamination.

Thanks Tony

[Frenchie]

I can't help as I haven't lived there since 1970. I can't even remember the LR dealer's name - I don't think it was Crouch Motors as they were Ford.

Thanks Ron,

I don’t think there’s a dealer here any more. Certainly nothing showing up on the LR website.

Cheers Tony

[Blknight.aus]

Thanks Roger you might be onto something. I dug out the Nanocom and it’s coming up with “Injector 5 - pulse long”, does that sound like what you had?

Thanks Tony

hes got it, pulse long means the computers got to try to fire the injector for longer than it wants to to get the injector to fire. its not a complete harness failure as theres another code that comes up for that.

the oil is basically shorting the feed robbing the injector of ergatrons stopping it from opening in time.

harness clean as directed and check the oil for dilution while you're at it.

[Frenchie]

hes got it, pulse long means the computers got to try to fire the injector for longer than it wants to to get the injector to fire. its not a complete harness failure as theres another code that comes up for that.

the oil is basically shorting the feed robbing the injector of ergatrons stopping it from opening in time.

harness clean as directed and check the oil for dilution while you're at it.

Brilliant! Thanks Dave (& Roger).

[Xtreme]

Thanks Roger you might be onto something. I dug out the Nanocom and it’s coming up with “Injector 5 - pulse long”, does that sound like what you had?

Thanks Tony

That's it, confirmed & well explained by Dave.
Hope you are mobile again soon.
Let us know how you go.

[Frenchie]

Fixed! Fingers crossed anyway.

Once more AULRO comes through, thanks to all who replied, looks like Roger’s diagnosis was spot on. You guys are brilliant.

I pulled off the rocker cover and sure enough the injector 5 connector was full of oil, the others were all okay. Cleaned it out, reassembled, took her for a test drive and all seems to be good. The real test will be the Nullarbor tomorrow but I’m cautiously optimistic.

This has saved me probably a couple of days and I wasn’t optimistic about finding a mechanic in Ceduna with knowledge of the Td5.

Thank you all so much! Tony

[Ean Austral]

Fixed! Fingers crossed anyway.

Once more AULRO comes through, thanks to all who replied, looks like Roger’s diagnosis was spot on. You guys are brilliant.

I pulled off the rocker cover and sure enough the injector 5 connector was full of oil, the others were all okay. Cleaned it out, reassembled, took her for a test drive and all seems to be good. The real test will be the Nullarbor tomorrow but I’m cautiously optimistic.

This has saved me probably a couple of days and I wasn’t optimistic about finding a mechanic in Ceduna with knowledge of the Td5.

Thank you all so much! Tony

Good to hear and hope you have a trouble free run across to Perth.
Take an extra can of cleaner with you just in case .

Cheers Ean

[Xtreme]

Glad to hear that you're mobile once again & I hope all goes well as you head west tomorrow.

As this has once again occurred on No. 5 injector I'm wondering if this is due to the fact that there is no glow plug on No.5. I'm not sure of exactly how the glow plugs work but it is a coincidence that I can't dismiss.

Maybe one of the diesel gurus (are you still there Dave?) can shed some light on this possibility?

[Blknight.aus]

nice in theory but 90% of issues that are attributable to heat related complication occur on the firewall side of most engine, the heat is trapped and reflected by the firewall and other accessories as well as the additional heat that any cooling air has picked up on the way past the front half of the engine.

[Blknight.aus]

Fixed! Fingers crossed anyway.

Once more AULRO comes through, thanks to all who replied, looks like Roger’s diagnosis was spot on. You guys are brilliant.

I pulled off the rocker cover and sure enough the injector 5 connector was full of oil, the others were all okay. Cleaned it out, reassembled, took her for a test drive and all seems to be good. The real test will be the Nullarbor tomorrow but I’m cautiously optimistic.

This has saved me probably a couple of days and I wasn’t optimistic about finding a mechanic in Ceduna with knowledge of the Td5.

Thank you all so much! Tony

have a good run through, if you get chance filling the plug with some ATV black and leaving it to cure after youve cleaned it up can give you longer before occurrences.

AULRO, a level of service Landrover customer assist aspires to achieve.

[4bee]

AULRO, a level of service Landrover customer assist aspires to achieve.

:Rolling::Rolling:

If only eh?

[Frenchie]

Hummed along beautifully today, happy happy joy joy! [biggrin]

[Xtreme]

Thanks for the feedback.
Glad to hear that you sorted it out and all is going well.