Thread: One Dead Disco

no one has thought to mention what i think is the obvious
check the earths.
bad earths give all sorts of faults and dash warnings

I couldn't agree more Rosscoe68, for I have found that a wire brush, emery cloth, and a good quality contact cleaner will make all the difference. So often what is diagnosed as a faulty part in need of replacement is just a faulty connection somewhere in the circuit. LRT

So..... Today i tested the voltage at the fuel pump. When the ignition was switched to "ON" i got 12V for 30 seconds just like your supposed to get.

I cleaned and checked the battery terminals just in case but they were ok. I checked all the earth points in the engine bay and they were all ok. I will check the RAVE disk to find where the earth is for the fuel pump and check that as well.
Does anyone know off the top of there head?

I feel now that it must be the fuel pump unless anyone can think of something not yet mentioned.

Thanks everyone,
Matt

Sounds like the pump, as they will run or rather limp home with a faulty pump, they'll only rev to about 3000 and do 60kmh on the flat as long as they have a 1/4 tank or more so they don't suck in air and lose priming. I've heard of sticking a compressed air hose in the fuel filler to prime the fuel system but haven't tried it. Yours might have sloshed fuel on your test drive around the block and hence died. Also hitting the bottom of the tank with a rubber mallet under the pump might free a sticky pump or removing the pump and putting 12 volts on it and banging it on bench, didn't work for me as mine had burnt out which didn't blow the 30 A fuse (they only draw about 13amp). The pump wires are the larger pair and the smaller ones are for the fuel gauge sender.

Hope that helps!

Originally Posted by RANDLOVER

Sounds like the pump, as they will run or rather limp home with a faulty pump, they'll only rev to about 3000 and do 60kmh on the flat as long as they have a 1/4 tank or more so they don't suck in air and lose priming. I've heard of sticking a compressed air hose in the fuel filler to prime the fuel system but haven't tried it. Yours might have sloshed fuel on your test drive around the block and hence died. Also hitting the bottom of the tank with a rubber mallet under the pump might free a sticky pump or removing the pump and putting 12 volts on it and banging it on bench, didn't work for me as mine had burnt out which didn't blow the 30 A fuse (they only draw about 13amp). The pump wires are the larger pair and the smaller ones are for the fuel gauge sender.

Hope that helps!

FUNNY, was just reading the RAVE manual and it said the fuel pump had a 20A fuse. When i checked mine yesterday it was a 30A fuse and you just said yours has a 30A fuse. WHAT THE ????

Are our pumps dying because land rover put the wrong fuses in. If they had a 20A fuse would it blow before the pump dies because its drawing too many amps because of air in the system or a bad earth. we could then address the problems before the pump dies.

Any thoughts?

Pumps are failing due to poor design. I regularly have to replace them at 100 to 150K intervals, and most fail electrically due to stupid plastic brush holders in the motor, usually brought on also by algae or bacteria clogging the intake and making the pump work harder as well.

There are aftermarket pumps available, but if they are inferior to the OE one, which is pretty poor, then I wouldn't go there

At least they are easy to get to in a Disco

Defender,

JC

Thanks JC, what is with the fuse discrepancy though?

I have seen a product advertised that is supposed to stop bacterial growth in fuel tanks. Is treatment with this advised?

When i change the pump out is it worth draining and cleaning out any sediment in the tank?

Cheers
Matt

Both mine and my mates had 30 A fuses and I think the fuse box lid says 30 as well. I actually saved a pump that gummed up because I had a 15 amp fuse. Just soaked it in one of those fuel treatments. The pumps also don't like running with lower than a 1/4 in the tank as they use the fuel for cooling, just feel how hot the fuel filter under the r.h.s. rear wheel arch gets!