$$$what A Price!!!!!!!!

[DRUT]

I know this has been done before many times. Just got my new harness from ECU to injectors to replace the original which has the old oil in the line. $1370 plus tax!!!!!!!!nearly fainted.

Oh well, has to be done. On this subject previous threads have looked at leaning the old harness with metho. I was thinking of imersing the old harness in a big bottle of metho and leaving it for a few months, shaking it every now and then to move things around, hoping it will get in and carry the oil away from inside the wire it migrates alone. think it will work???? opinions please.

at $1370++ I woud like to recycle the old one as a spare as i'm told the oil problem will re-occur.:D

[DRUT]

heres a thought. If the ECU is moved so that the plugs are facing down vertically will this help. surely oil cant flow up hill, even with the capiliary action. mounted flat as it is in my fender and being lower than the engine means oil just flows straight to it.:D

[CraigE]

Drut, I hate to tell you this but is unneccessary to replace the whole harness. Generally to do it quick replace the injector harness ($130 from Karcraft) and flood the main harnes with brake cleaner or similar over a period of about 5-8hrs and all will be good. Can be done without even removing the whole engine harness.
:(

[DRUT]

so is the injetor harness a seperate item to the one I have.??? the one I have looks like it is the whole deal, a big pile of spagetti. I though things were a bit off as I had spoken to MR autos at Redcliffe and they told me oil in the harness could be fixed witha new harness for $280 fitted. whats the go??

[Scouse]

The angle of the ECU won't affect anything at all. It's completely sealed at the plug & oil cannot enter it via the harness.

AFAIK, the culprit is the injector harness which sits under the rocker cover. The oil works it's way along that harness to the engine harness eventually all the way to the ECU.

[CraigE]

Drut as said, the injector harness is mainly under the rocker cover and comes out through a hole at the front of the head where it connects via a cup/barrel connector to the main engine harnes. The reason oil gets in is the o rings in the head wear and capillary action feeds oil along the wires into the cup and as the bottom half of the cup is the female plug, oil easily flows along the outside and inside of the wiring to the ecu. Unplug the ecu under your seat and put the end in a plasti bag or something to catch residue. Unplug the harness at the barrel connector and prop in position. Use brake cleaner, metho or a non plastic damaging contact cleaner (some contact cleaners will melt plastic, I know as have done it). Over a period of about 8 hrs or so keep adding more. Give it a bit to clear right out remove the bag and residue. Clean up residue with a cloth and cotton buds. Replace injector harness while all this is going on, clean up spare and get new o rings and keep as a backup. Over the next couple of days check the ecu connector at the ecu and clean up any residual mess that may occur. Should be it.
Replacing the whole engine harness is a fairly big task and should only be a last reort. Sounds like the mechanic who advised you has not a clue or wants some extra work.
Also make sure if you have a 99-2002 model you check the oil pump bolt as well as this can cost an engine. Just do a search on this site, there is plenty of info on it.

[easo]

What brand solvent do you sujest? Will metho do?

[LandyAndy]

Metho did mine OK.
Turps is no good as it leaves an oily residue.
Andrew

[DRUT]

Drut as said, the injector harness is mainly under the rocker cover and comes out through a hole at the front of the head where it connects via a cup/barrel connector to the main engine harnes. The reason oil gets in is the o rings in the head wear and capillary action feeds oil along the wires into the cup and as the bottom half of the cup is the female plug, oil easily flows along the outside and inside of the wiring to the ecu. Unplug the ecu under your seat and put the end in a plasti bag or something to catch residue. Unplug the harness at the barrel connector and prop in position. Use brake cleaner, metho or a non plastic damaging contact cleaner (some contact cleaners will melt plastic, I know as have done it). Over a period of about 8 hrs or so keep adding more. Give it a bit to clear right out remove the bag and residue. Clean up residue with a cloth and cotton buds. Replace injector harness while all this is going on, clean up spare and get new o rings and keep as a backup. Over the next couple of days check the ecu connector at the ecu and clean up any residual mess that may occur. Should be it.
Replacing the whole engine harness is a fairly big task and should only be a last reort. Sounds like the mechanic who advised you has not a clue or wants some extra work.
Also make sure if you have a 99-2002 model you check the oil pump bolt as well as this can cost an engine. Just do a search on this site, there is plenty of info on it.

Thnaks for that. The oil pump bolt??? Does it come loose or what?? Is replacing the o rings a big task??

[Redback]

I know this has been done before many times. Just got my new harness from ECU to injectors to replace the original which has the old oil in the line. $1370 plus tax!!!!!!!!nearly fainted.

Oh well, has to be done. On this subject previous threads have looked at leaning the old harness with metho. I was thinking of imersing the old harness in a big bottle of metho and leaving it for a few months, shaking it every now and then to move things around, hoping it will get in and carry the oil away from inside the wire it migrates alone. think it will work???? opinions please.

at $1370++ I woud like to recycle the old one as a spare as i'm told the oil problem will re-occur.:D

That price is outragous and as said there's no need to replace the both harnesses only the harnes to the ECU, the other one can be cleaned, in reality if getting done by a service centre it should only cost $300 max, $130 for the harness and 2hrs labour, if your service guy is fair, we had ours done by Peter Davis from T.R.Spares in Padstow, he recommended we didn't have the whole lot replaced, but also said if he did do it, it would only be another couple of hundred dollars.

Baz.

[CraigE]

Drut,
The new injector harness comes with o ring already on it, but new ones can be purchased from an decent automotive supplier if required on a clean up of the old one to be kept as a spare.
On the oil pump bolt do a quick search for related topic. Was an issue with some 99-2002 TD5s coming out of the factory with the bolt not loctited in. Is usually a matter of dropping the sump, pulling the bolt out, checking for loctite residue and resecurring with loctite. About $200 for the dealer to do inc new gasket. About $50 to do at home.
Have heard of about 6 that have had loose bolts and 3 that have done engines because of the bolt coming out while driving. Mine was tight.

Thnaks for that. The oil pump bolt??? Does it come loose or what?? Is replacing the o rings a big task??

[DRUT]

sweet. will get them to have a look at it

[tombraider]

Dont buy O'rings from an Autoshop...

Buy from a Seal company and ask for Viton (pronounced Viii-ton) compound.

IN QLD ring A & B Seals, In NSW Norman Richards Pty Ltd, Victoria Hallite Seals, SA ring Hallite, WA ring Transeals...

These places know what theyre doing and know seals....

CBC is for chumps, Autoshops and CBC will bleed you blind (A viton o-ring should be around $2-3ea in these sizes)

Std Nitrile from Taiwan isnt up to the task and will fail quickly.

[Scouse]

as said there's no need to replace the both harnesses only the harnes to the ECU, the other one can be cleaned, in reality if getting done by a service centre it should only cost $300 max, $130 for the harness and 2hrs labour, if your service guy is fair, we had ours done by Peter Davis from T.R.Spares in Padstow, he recommended we didn't have the whole lot replaced, but also said if he did do it, it would only be another couple of hundred dollars.

Baz.It's the injector harness that needs replacement, not the harness to the ECU.
The engine harness (the one to the ECU) is a lot longer on the Defender as the ECU is under the drivers seat, rather than in the engine bay like the Disco is. That might explain some, not all, of the price difference.

Is Peter Davis is working out of TR Spares now ?
Last I heard, he was still a mobile tech.

[Rosco]

Regarding this topic ... I heard/read somewhere the problem was solved prior to the 03 model. True or false??

[Redback]

It's the injector harness that needs replacement, not the harness to the ECU.
The engine harness (the one to the ECU) is a lot longer on the Defender as the ECU is under the drivers seat, rather than in the engine bay like the Disco is. That might explain some, not all, of the price difference.

Is Peter Davis is working out of TR Spares now ?
Last I heard, he was still a mobile tech.

Yep not as mobile as he used to be, picks where he does and doesn't go now.

Baz.

[easo]

Regarding this topic ... I heard/read somewhere the problem was solved prior to the 03 model. True or false??

G'day Rosco,
Mines a mid 03 model and i've started to get oil in the harness to. I dont know if LR has solved the problem or not.