P38 will not start - 2

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lil4399

lil4399

Active Member
Posts
681
Location
Gueret France
seems like a theme at the moment.

Parked the DSE up on saturday no issues. Sunday battery was too low so trying to start it flattend the battery.
charged overnight, engine churning over - nothing not even trying to start. Jump leads and jump starter and charged battery, churning over but not catching. changed fuel filter in case blocked nothing. used the dreaded Dampstart - not even a bang.

took fuel line of the pump in the tank - ignition on, little whirring from pump but no fuel.

Question - should the pump run without pressure? is this (two month old) pump knackered?

thanks in advance:eek:
 
I couldn't say if it is knackered or not but I do know that the electric fuel pump in the tank is renowned for causing trouble but it does seem very strange that it is two months old and doesn't seem to be working especially as it was only stood for a couple of days. The only way to know for sure is to drop the tank, remove the pump and to power it up whilst the intake is submerged in a vessel of diesel. That way you can ensure that the pump is working or not and if not then I would be speaking to the supplier of this pump, assuming it was new.
I've just had to do it on the wife's DSE after it had been stood for a few months whilst I changed the engine and then when I came to start it found the pump wasn't working anymore despite being fine when it was parked up.
 
lil4399 said:
seems like a theme at the moment.

Parked the DSE up on saturday no issues. Sunday battery was too low so trying to start it flattend the battery.
charged overnight, engine churning over - nothing not even trying to start. Jump leads and jump starter and charged battery, churning over but not catching. changed fuel filter in case blocked nothing. used the dreaded Dampstart - not even a bang.

took fuel line of the pump in the tank - ignition on, little whirring from pump but no fuel.

Question - should the pump run without pressure? is this (two month old) pump knackered?

thanks in advance:eek:
Click to expand...

If you have algae growth in the tank it may have blocked the replacement pump. Of course the pump should run without pressure, you should have got a fair old squirt of diesel:eek: Always a good idea to either clean out the tank or use an algaecide when fitting a new pump.:)
 
Cheers guys, luckily (for me) \i cut the floor to get access when fitting ther new pump so easy to get at. took off the feed and return pipes then switched on ignition. slight wirring but no fuel. took out pump and stripped, very little muck on the filter, connected with filter off and I could see the pump turning for about 10 secs then stopped.

I guess from what datatek says (always found his info 100% - cheers) the pump is trashed. could see no reason so contacted supplier who is happy to replace. I will update when the replacement arrives and is fitted :rolleyes:
 
Well, pump replaced and ........





it doesn't start! :doh:

My local Landrover specialist is coming to plug a diagnostic in tomorrow. He said the dash would read "engine dissabled" if there was a synchronisation issue, but there is nothing. I have a long standing electrical drain on the battery which I cannot trace, I just put it on charge overnight once a week. but trying to start it, it only cranks over for 5 or 6 seconds and the battery is half flat, 5 more seconds and its flat.

I am wondering if this is an electrical issue?(the not starting, not the actual electrical issue...) when it initially cranks over, it is fast (it used to fire instantly) then quickly dies off. third time of trying to turn over it loses power then "traction failure" comes on . (the normal translation being "flat Battery)

If anyone has any more ideas, I will try them before it goes on the diagnostic

cheers in advance :confused:
 
lil4399 said:
Well, pump replaced and ........





it doesn't start! :doh:

My local Landrover specialist is coming to plug a diagnostic in tomorrow. He said the dash would read "engine dissabled" if there was a synchronisation issue, but there is nothing. I have a long standing electrical drain on the battery which I cannot trace, I just put it on charge overnight once a week. but trying to start it, it only cranks over for 5 or 6 seconds and the battery is half flat, 5 more seconds and its flat.

I am wondering if this is an electrical issue?(the not starting, not the actual electrical issue...) when it initially cranks over, it is fast (it used to fire instantly) then quickly dies off. third time of trying to turn over it loses power then "traction failure" comes on . (the normal translation being "flat Battery)

If anyone has any more ideas, I will try them before it goes on the diagnostic

cheers in advance :confused:
Click to expand...

Sounds more like your battery is shot than a battery drain problem.
 
Datatek said:
Sounds more like your battery is shot than a battery drain problem.
Click to expand...


Battery is only eight months old, charges up ok. I am borrowing a tester tonight (Discharge) to see how it hold up.

Would insufficeint earth cause this problem? the battery has one lead with two 10mm bolts earthing it to the chassis and to (I think form memory) a brake bracket. All my other cars have much better earth straps. I could not see an engine - 2 - chassis lead either?
 
lil4399 said:
Battery is only eight months old, charges up ok. I am borrowing a tester tonight (Discharge) to see how it hold up.

Would insufficeint earth cause this problem? the battery has one lead with two 10mm bolts earthing it to the chassis and to (I think form memory) a brake bracket. All my other cars have much better earth straps. I could not see an engine - 2 - chassis lead either?
Click to expand...

Battery pos a neg coupled direct to starter i think so unless there is a bad connection there should not be a problem. After trying to start feel terminals if they are hot remove and clean. Disconnect battery first of course.
 
Last edited:
wammers said:
Battery pos a neg coupled direct to starter i think so unless there is a bad connection there should not be a problem. After trying to start feel terminals if they are hot remove and clean. Disconnect battery first of course.
Click to expand...


Thanks for that Wammers, cleaned up the terminals when charging the battery, Negative gets warm when cranking and Positive gets smokey when attached to jump leads and Jump starter at the same time. :eek:
 
lil4399 said:
Thanks for that Wammers, cleaned up the terminals when charging the battery, Negative gets warm when cranking and Positive gets smokey when attached to jump leads and Jump starter at the same time. :eek:
Click to expand...

I meant terminals on starter. But a good clean of them all seems to be a good idea.
 
the game continues.......

took the battery off to make sure I got a good charge...

Put back on and it came up "key code"

My Garage man turns up with laptop and code ... car will not accept code and alarm bleeps as if there is a door open as the code is put in.

eventually dissarms the alarm through the computer. everything in sync no fault codes coming up so we turn it over - nothing. slow to turn over - Garage man says too slow to catch.

so, is it the starter motor? my worry is as it cranks slower and slower, the traction failure light comes on, but the snap on battery tester says battery fine even when cranking.

i think I am in for the long haul on this one. Starter motor coming off now.

watch this space.....
 
Well, all sorted.

It appears it was the fuel pump, but the Starter has been lazy since I owned the Rangie without knowing it.

I have replaced the fuel pump and starter, it turns over 3 or 4 times faster now. It turned over for about 8 seconds churning out black smoke then caught and ran fine.

It now starts instantly on the key. HAPPY DAYS - until the next fault.

P38 ownership is all about challenge - the challenge being not to set fire to it every time something goes wrong!

Still, one drive after fixing it and all is forgiven :crazy:
 
lil4399 said:
Well, all sorted.

It appears it was the fuel pump, but the Starter has been lazy since I owned the Rangie without knowing it.

I have replaced the fuel pump and starter, it turns over 3 or 4 times faster now. It turned over for about 8 seconds churning out black smoke then caught and ran fine.

It now starts instantly on the key. HAPPY DAYS - until the next fault.

P38 ownership is all about challenge - the challenge being not to set fire to it every time something goes wrong!

Still, one drive after fixing it and all is forgiven :crazy:
Click to expand...

yep with you on that one,they can be so frustrating when they go wrong
but as soon as your back driving it,all is forgiven.
 
lil4399 said:
Well, all sorted.

It appears it was the fuel pump, but the Starter has been lazy since I owned the Rangie without knowing it.

I have replaced the fuel pump and starter, it turns over 3 or 4 times faster now. It turned over for about 8 seconds churning out black smoke then caught and ran fine.

It now starts instantly on the key. HAPPY DAYS - until the next fault.

P38 ownership is all about challenge - the challenge being not to set fire to it every time something goes wrong!

Still, one drive after fixing it and all is forgiven :crazy:
Click to expand...

Nice to have someone come back and tell us how they cured the fault.

Now if all those newbies that disappear after three desperate, begging posts would do this . . . . . . . . - sorry I was dreaming there.
 
Thanks guys, laughed when I read Dogsbody's response but quite true!

This place is still (even with the non response from newbys) THE best place for help.

Stuff the bloody RAC as those ****s, after 24 years of £90 per year gave me the brush off - or the opportunity to "upgrade" (guess who cancelled his DD?)

Keep up the good work, where I can, I now offer help on here.:)
 
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