Thread: Bullet proof fuel system.

On a recent camp trip the other car we traveled with (Navara) died just after filling up. Emptied the fuel filter in to a container for a look. Bit of debris a drop of water but not bad enough to kill it (I thought). RACQ guy thought is was the fuel pump so a tilt tray was called.

Trying to learn from every experience i encounter i though "What if it was me". I have a 300tdi Defender and i want it to be as indestructible as possible.

My question to the masses is, Is the factory sedimenter an adequate pre-filter or is an upgrade worth it?
Is the factory (Ryco Z533) main filter the best protection i can get?

Checking my lift pump I found it seem to be not working. Quite common I read. So a new one is on order along with a low pressure gauge to put inline.

Maybe I worry too much, or i just don't like walking.

Thanks All.

The main things you need to consider is, all fuel fittings being air tight and secure... Lift pump gets fuel to the engine injector circuit... The fuel injection circuit has a pressure pump to supply pressure to injector pump or injectors(depends on fuel system type).. Some systems dont require a lift pump as such..

My example is from experience, the detroits, cummins an cats can self prime as the fuel pump is stong enough to draw fuel from tank, a small pin hole in a fuel line can cause an intermittent problem but a system that utilises a lift pump needs to be hand primed, if there is a small leak of air then it will shut down... If the lift pump had an air leak, then that would stop the engine, but if it didnt and stopped working while engine was running and no air leak, then it would keep going but may not restart after turning off...

I got caught one day, by a detroit with an air leak in a fuel line.. It had been intermittent when starting and occassionally when idling while loading(just cut out then retsart and all fine again). We spent weeks looking for the problem, then 1 am in the morning I pulled out of a truck bay on Grt Northern hwy at Regans Ford, the truck stopped dead just as the dog trailer got onto the road, I was blocking the road from edge of road to slightly across middle of road... 4 hours later I got her started, I found the problem, a coupling didnt seal right because it had a slight groove in the mating surfaces... I would never have noticed it if I hadnt propped torch on chassis and the reflection gave it away... It dont take much to stop a diesel when it come to the fuel circuit and I am very fussy about the fuel I use...

But in saying that, they will keep going with less issues than a petrol...

Another issue is keeping the breathing circuit clean(if your system has one)..

Protecting the quality of diesel is the most important thing, no dirt, water or bacteria... And a must, if you just did a long trip or travelling and stopping after a hot day, make sure the tank has lots of fuel, not on empty or low, when diesel cools it will absorb water into the tank(petrols are pretty much the same)...

Dont stress too much, most problems in vehicles are known about by the time they are 10 years old...