Dead P38 DSE

My P38 died this morning - engine cut out whilst driving along - no prior faults or warning...

It will fire up again if you crank it for about 30-40 seconds, run normally for a few seconds, then die again. When it eventually fires up, there's no clouds of white smoke out the exhaust... suggesting a fuel delivery problem? Was thinking lift pump.... Any thoughts? How to test?

sounds like the intank pump,1/4 or less on the guage.

yes, only 1 notch above empty... no fuel light on yet.

Might it run if I put more fuel in the tank? I popped the fuel cap just to make sure it wasn't vapour locked...

Come to think of it.... the cut-out occurred as I was negotiating a sharp corner at speed.... A clue perhaps?

Had this ,I cut out on a roundabout loads fun and some choice verbals with oh so impatient
people,put fuel in be ok ,but needs a new intank pump.
Very good piece on here on how to change through floor under back seats.

Have you got a long air bubble between the fuel filter and FIP?

G~

Yes, it's mostly air in there at the moment! I can see some fuel after it has been cranked and run... but not much.

happened to me as I refused to fill up with Dino Diesel - just bit of air in system (providing it isn't your filter clogged) I topped up with some juice and been fine

Clarky130 said:

Yes, it's mostly air in there at the moment! I can see some fuel after it has been cranked and run... but not much.

Click to expand...

I think that you can check the pump with a jumper across 2 of the pin-holders on relay 12 but you'll have to wait for one of the experts for which ones.
'Spose it might be the relay or fuse but it seems a bit unlikely.

G~

gencybay said:

I think that you can check the pump with a jumper across 2 of the pin-holders on relay 12 but you'll have to wait for one of the experts for which ones.
'Spose it might be the relay or fuse but it seems a bit unlikely.

G~

Click to expand...

First thing I went for... swapped out the relay, and fuses all look good... I'm not that lucky!

Some fuel is getting through... it's trying to start when I crank it, just seems like not enough. Gonna put the driver's seat back in the Disco, then go grab a jerry can full of derv and see if that will let it run...

A live to glowplug 1 should also fire the pump. That is what happens on cranking.

G~

I concur with the previous reports of a dodgy Lift Pump (In tank Pump)

Years ago I had a Princess. The mechanical pump failed (****ing petrol out and causing an under bonnet fire). I just stuck an XJ6 electric pump in. Had no further probs.

Are there valves in the lift pump that would make a bodge like this impossible? It seems a lot less fuss than dropping the tank or setting to floor with an angle grinder.

G~

ClArky I thought you hold a jug with measurements in leave ignition on and take of pipe to fip and see how much within time is in jug, I had this Argument with wammers before apparently you turn ignition whilst glow plugs are on the pump will be priming the fip, so in that case what if the engine warm glow plugs don't light up ????? My car !!! Only pump out fuel whilst the engine is being cranked but wammers will tell you differnt ok rant over .

I am not gonna start another argument, but I thought it worked thus:

Engine Cold:

Ignition On - ITP runs and glows heat up - turn engine over and she fires.

Engine Warm:
Ignition On - No Glows, No Pump - turn engine over and the ITP will run once the Crank Position sensors tells the ECU the engine is turning over.

No rant, no rave, no idea..!!!

They say cranking is not needed that's my point it is but any way keep it topped up if you need a Itp I have one can be around Saturday its a Landrover one £ 150

Stand fast... Pump appears to be working fine...

Except the one thing a pump really needs is... Fuel in the tank to pump out!! Looks like my level sender is lying... Put 10L in the tank, after a bit of a crank fired up and ran fine. Drove to petrol station... And it took 82L before the pump shut off... D'oh!!

Because it's a diesel there's not enough fumes to run on!

run it under 1/4 again and it'll stop,I put new pump in and can now run till tank nearly empty.

Pump & level sender are one unit, are they not? Dont think you can replace level sender alone...

The fact that it took a total of 92 litres to brim it tell me the tank was empty and the gauge (that was reading slightly over 1/8) was lying!!!

Moral of the story. Don't run out of fuel, the engine will always cut out.