Thread: Urgent Help Required for Safety of Driving my car with problems

need some urgent HELP please!

We have a landrover discovery TD5 2002 and we are having major problems with it.

We can be driving along the road and it just cuts out, no notice, no noise, no lights come up on the dash and it stops!

Hubby is a mechanic and can't find the problem, took it to 4 x 4 at Kotara in Newcastle and they can't find the problem. They changed the wiring harness still didn't work, we have changed the glow plugs and engine wiring harness and also checked the fuel lines and all look ok, you can still here the pump working.
Hubby reckons it is a air lock but doesn't know where? and doesn't know if this is the problem or not as it can go weeks without any problems and then it happens, there seems to be no pattern in it. It happens during the day and evenings in all weather conditions.

So far we have spent nearly $3K on finding the problem with no luck and can't afford to spend much more at the moment, the money that has been spent was not budget for

I am worried about driving it as it is the family car and I use it to go to and from work night shift and travel home at midnight along not a busy road, also I have had it stop smack bang in the middle of a roundabout, along the freeway, along a normal road, going around corners you name it it has stoped.
When it does stop if you prime it about 8 - 12 times and put your foot flat to the floor it will eventually start, please help us and give us some ideas on what it is, so over it now worried about the safety side of driving it with the kids in the car incase it stops and causes a accident
Thanks Linda

My guess is its not getting fuel. On the basis that it always restarts after extensive running of the pump, it could be a faulty fuel pump or something in the tank causing a blockage in the pickup. I'm assuming the fuel filter has been changed.

Edit: Take it to a specialist LR workshop to reduce the guesswork and resultant costs.

Air getting in through the injectors? Air is getting in the fuel line somewhere by the sounds of it. Have a look on the 'Good Oil' section for common fixes.

There are some good Landy-brains on here that will know much more than me sorry!

How many KMs on the vehicle? Fuel pumps are a known failure on TD5s at relatively low KMs, like 125,000 - 150,000Kms.

Is the pump noisy at all?

Does it make a difference if the fuel tank is full or towards empty?

Late last century I had a similar problem with a Mazda diesel. Shrt story is... narrowed it down to (aftermarket but insurance-approved) immobiliser or the fuel stop solonoid.

Took the easy way out and replaced (with genuine/new) the Fuel-Stop unit, despite it testing 'OK' .

Never again stopped me in the middle of a rail-crossing....

Only suggestion I can make is to do what I did, - turn the key OFF whilst driving. That is, don't take your foot off the accelerator, just 'drive' as normal, so that you can replicate the exact feel of a switched-off fuel supply.... as opposed to a strangled fuel supply.

Is the IGNITION switch in perfect condition ?

Can't help with Td5 fuel pump, the Mazda is the old-fashioned mechanical Injection Pump. Take it to a LR mechanic...

I had a similar problem with one of the Mercs. Turns out, it was a very rusty fuel tank.
Your problem, when the car dies, do the electrics die? Open the fuel cap, do you hear the hiss of air? Does it happen on a full tank, half tank or near empty tank?

Originally Posted by snoops

Hubby is a mechanic and can't find the problem, took it to 4 x 4 at Kotara in Newcastle and they can't find the problem.

Originally Posted by Graeme

Edit: Take it to a specialist LR workshop to reduce the guesswork and resultant costs.

4x4 is the major LR independent in Newcastle so they should have been able to diagnose the issue.

Try Modern Motors in Dungog - they are also a LR specialist.

Originally Posted by garrycol

4x4 is the major LR independent in Newcastle so they should have been able to diagnose the issue.

Try Modern Motors in Dungog - they are also a LR specialist.

I won't name them, but dad had to tell one of these LR 'specialists' (not the ones mentioned above) how many filters or something a td5 had. So who knows what they are like. If they can't find it i would be going to Graeme Coopers, AFAIK he is one of the best in the country.