power problems TDI300 on Len Beadel high way

flying robot · 14th November 2016, 01:18 PM

this is my first post on this forum and i would appreciate your toughts on the following problem.
We are driving the Len beaded highway from cooper pedy to laverton. we are driving a Disco 1, 1996 automatic.
the problem is:
the engine is losing power at one stage. it doesn't rev up any more and at one stage it cannot go faster then 20 KPH. if we floor it the rev sometime goes up to 3000 rpm but not higher, and the car doesn't pick up any speed. if we stop the engine and put it in park and then floor the accelerator the engine doesn't go over 2000 rpm. If we wait for a couple of minutes and start up the engine again. the engine acts normal again. after 20 min or so the problems start again.

this is what we have done so far:
- we took out the rubber turbo hose to the intercooler. there was some delamination in the tube. we cut that out and reinforced the outside of the hose a bit.
- we noticed black stuff in the sediment pot and suspected that we filled up with algae contaminated diesel. we flushed our diesel tank a couple of times and used compressed air to blow out the fuel lines. we blew out the lines from the prime pump in the engine compartment to the sediment pot and from the sediment pot up into the fuel tank. We changed the fuel filter .
- we checked the level of the transmission fluid. this was ok.

we managed to get to laverton and got some fuel cleaner and injector cleaner. we changed the filter again and drove to kalgoolie. we still experienced the same power problems. On the tarmac we cannot go faster then 90 kph and when we have to slow down it takes a long time to get up to speed again.

does anyone at the forum has any suggestions as what the cause of the problem might be?

**bee utey** · 14th November 2016, 01:27 PM

It could be that the lift pump is dying, an inline electric pump would get around that. Also the pickup pipe in the tank may be blocking up, that is what happened to a friend of mine. Taking the pickup out of the tank can be done via the hatch under the rear load space carpet. My friend fitted a large EFI style filter sock to his inlet pipe to prevent further sudden blockages. Short term he just bent up the pickup pipe to keep it off the bottom of the tank.

flying robot · 14th November 2016, 01:45 PM

bee uty: thanks for your reply. we have got a electric inline pump in laverton. we are going to plumb it in and see if that solves the problem. keep you posted

**tangus89** · 14th November 2016, 01:53 PM

Sounds to me like some intermittent blockage in the intake, more delamination pre turbo maybe, especially if it wont rev up in neutral, doesnt need much fuel to get it to full revs with no load.
take the intake hose off the turbo and see if it revs up to eliminate the pre turbo blockage. Then take the hose off the intake manifold and see how it revs to eliminate more delam post turbo.
obviously try and make sure there is no dust and don't run it for too long without the air filter connected.

edit - although a lift pump starting to go would explain it as well as bee utey said

**steveG** · 14th November 2016, 02:14 PM

Maybe try running it from a separate container of fuel as a test to try and eliminate the tank/lines ie soft drink bottle of diesel hooked up with hose to fuel filter and Injection pump return.

Steve

**rangieman** · 14th November 2016, 04:25 PM

Is it blowing big lots of smoke when it`s trying to boost under load as this will point to a turbo hose or restriction of some kind

I know obvious would be air filter.

**justinc** · 14th November 2016, 05:58 PM

Does sound like air getting in somewhere.

Jc

**ian4002000** · 14th November 2016, 06:09 PM

I had a similar problem on my diesel forklift last week. I had done a service and changed the fuel filters.
I found that It would drive ok for 5 minutes then would run rough and not rev up, when left to sit or idle it would be ok for a seconds then play up again.
After checking I found the primary/first fuel filter was blocking flow, it looked ok inside but just wouldn't let enough fuel through.
I changed the filter for a similar but different brand inline filter and all was fixed.

You may have had a bad batch of fuel or algae has got into your filters and blocked them.

I hope this helps.

Ian
Bittern

**Blknight.aus** · 14th November 2016, 08:21 PM

you have a blocked pickup sedimenter or filter. with the posability of a failing lift pump.

to identify which open up the return line if it blows bubbly fuel at you its sucking air and is most likely the pump.

open the bleed port on the filter head and blow some compressed air down it.

if you have a leak between the tank and the filter head it will blow the diesel out there and if its the lift pump that will leak or whistle at you.

if theres nothing coming out of the return line you're not getting enough fuel up to the engine.

blow the lines back to tank, remove and clean the sedimentor replace the filter and prime the system again. If needs be (and I reckon you should do it anyway) bypass the mechanical fuel pump and fit your electrical one.

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