Loss of power on highway

[toby oats]

Auto TD5 2003 260k on the speedo - driving down freeway at 95klm, slight vibration starts in engine - starts to slow down with the pedal to the floor, downshift but no power. Pulled over and the vehicle stalls. I had to wait for half an hour and with a bit of cranking the engine fires - headed for home and after five klms I lose power and the engine stalls again. I had previously replaced the crank angle sensor and know that it is working - fuel pressure at regulator on engine is fine at idle.

Had it checked out and it did not "fault" for them, seemed to run better on the way back from the service center in heavy traffic (both engine and gearbox temps are good). Started up crisply and ran well the next day but two days latter I had this problem.

Fuel pump failing at speed?

[Tins]

Auto TD5 2003 260k on the speedo - driving down freeway at 95klm, slight vibration starts in engine - starts to slow down with the pedal to the floor, downshift but no power. Pulled over and the vehicle stalls. I had to wait for half an hour and with a bit of cranking the engine fires - headed for home and after five klms I lose power and the engine stalls again. I had previously replaced the crank angle sensor and know that it is working - fuel pressure at regulator on engine is fine at idle.

Had it checked out and it did not "fault" for them, seemed to run better on the way back from the service center in heavy traffic (both engine and gearbox temps are good). Started up crisply and ran well the next day but two days latter I had this problem.

Fuel pump failing at speed?

Did the MIL ( check engine light ) come on?

Do you have a Nanocom?

[toby oats]

No, The engine check light did not come on.

I checked with my nanocom - nothing came up (My service used their workshop analyser and all was as it should be).

[Tins]

No, The engine check light did not come on.

I checked with my nanocom - nothing came up (My service used their workshop analyser and all was as it should be).

There are a couple of gurus on here that I hope will chime in. My first thought was the CPS, but you have changed that, so what about the throttle position sensor?


Fuel pump failing at speed?

I had to wait for half an hour and with a bit of cranking the engine fires

If so, you might have needed to do the fuel purge routine to get it back starting, which might explain the "bit of cranking".

[discorevy]

Injector washers can cause this. with the ignition on does the fuel pump sound normal ( ie: no cavitation noise )?

[Tins]

Injector washers can cause this.

I thought about this. Can it? I mean, suddenly? Check for a sump full of diesel?

[discorevy]

Usually it will take longer to crank in the mornings to start with, but not always.
the diesel into the sump is usually the O rings leaking, but the copper washers are normally the culprits here allowing combustion gasses into the fuel system

[toby oats]

My fuel pump "whines" until it pressurizes and the then it is ok.
The sump does not show any evidence of diesel ingression - I had diesel in the sump with a cracked head years ago (replaced with a Turner (UK) head).

What gets me is that the vehicle starts up smartly and drives very well for about fifteen klms and then losses power and stalls - something builds up in the system and then fails and continues to re fail. Then next morning I can start it up without a problem.

[sashadidi]

Fuel filter?

[AK83]

Injector washers can cause this. with the ignition on does the fuel pump sound normal ( ie: no cavitation noise )?

I can't recall the fuel pump sounding abnormal in any way .. but then again I never really took notice before or afterwards.

My brother has a TD5 D2, and he had same problem. it started off more mild .. just rough running, then smoothed out. This got worse when rough running turned into lack of power, mainly when it was needed for accelerating or uphill.

We changed pump and FPR .. no difference. At this point in TD5 life we were both totally green with them, and had no understanding .. it all felt like lack of fuel. filters changed lines blown through .. etc,
All no no avail and power loss getting worse over time. Power loss then became total stop. Maybe a couple of minutes drive every few minutes.
After every 'shutdown' the quickest way to get it going again was a fuel purge, start .. lots of grey smoke, she'd get up again .. drive a few minutes .. shutdown again.

I had the nanocom connected one day, and whilst watching it I had it on the injector balances screen. about 1 second prior to 'shutdown' .. balance values would go from approx -10 to +10 values to crazy +150 to -150 kind of values.
Then shut down. Didn't have enough time to pull up and switch off from when the balance values went all haywire to self shutdown.

discorevy was one of a few that advised on injector washers back then(about 3 years now), we changed them .. she has driven like a new TD5 ever since [thumbsupbig]

Genuine washer kits are pretty cheap, not hard to do, make sure you have the manual handy and medium torque wrench to set some bolts back right. You don't need special tools to remove injectors, we used one half of a multi grip tool carefully prised out .. easy as.
While you're in there change the injector loom if you haven't already .. and familiarise yourself very well with the procedure bump stop clearance for the cam lobes for the injectors(easy to do).

Took us two total noobs about 2 or 3hrs(with my normal plenty of smoko breaks in between) ..

[discorevy]

My fuel pump "whines" until it pressurizes and the then it is ok.
The sump does not show any evidence of diesel ingression - I had diesel in the sump with a cracked head years ago (replaced with a Turner (UK) head).

What gets me is that the vehicle starts up smartly and drives very well for about fifteen klms and then losses power and stalls - something builds up in the system and then fails and continues to re fail. Then next morning I can start it up without a problem.

It will be the copper washers that will have failed, letting combustion gas into the fuel system , the whining from the pump is because it's cavitating . Only failed O rings or cracked head causes the diesel in the sump problem, but obviously change the O rings at the same time .
It eventually gets to the point while you're driving that the pump can't pump, and the fuel galleries fill with enough gas so the injectors can no longer function.
Do it sooner than later as the pump will fail prematurely ( it doesn't like the acidity or the cavitation)


Fuel filter?

Yes, change the fuel filter when you do the injector washers