Fuel starvation

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Andrew McIntyre

Active Member
Posts
223
Location
Nth Yorks
Hi Chaps.
Drove car fine on Saturday with no problems. Car not run on Sunday.
Today I needed a trip to the local tip to get rid of some junk.
Car started fine as normal, but half a mile out, I felt a loss of power and when giving a bit of throttle it held back and the mil light came on until I eased off.
I struggled to and from the tip steadily and it got worse and worse.
On getting it back into my garage after a couple of revs, the engine cut out and wouldn't start again. OK, so I removed the fuel supply tube from the HP pump and turned on the ignition. Bugger all came out.
Low pressure fuel feed pump I thought, but I could clearly hear it, so thought filter maybe. Having dropped the pump/filter housing, removed the pipe connector and attached a piece of tube to a container, I turned on again, and tons of fuel came out.
So, my question is, is there anything else between the filter and the HP pump that could cut fuel flow, like maybe a control valve or something? If so where is it? There is, I notice some sort of device near the EGR valve but not sure what it is.
Thanks guys.
Andy.
 
is your fuel cap venting properly. I've known this cause this kind of problem. you can normally tell if there is a rush of air when you first remove the cap. if it is blocked it causes a vacuum and can restrict the fuel.
 
Sounds like the low pressure pump is starting to fail. They do that roughly around 100,000 miles or so. Sometimes they work sometimes they don't.

Should just be a pipe between the 2.

The low pressure pump might work when there is no pressure like when you tested it, but when in place with pressure it may not cope.
 
OK chaps, I'm convinced.
I've ordered a new pump. £131.60 (genuine LR) I'll fit it tomorrow so fingers crossed that's the problem, or I'll be really ****ed. :mad:
 
OK chaps, I'm convinced.
I've ordered a new pump. £131.60 (genuine LR) I'll fit it tomorrow so fingers crossed that's the problem, or I'll be really ****ed. :mad:

Just noticed your signature.

Best to replace the fuel filter at the same time especially as you are not running regular fuel........ it could be blocked.
 
Hi mate.
Checked filter which is fairly new anyway. Passes loads of fuel, just doesn't seem to get to front of car.
Strange thing is there's virtually zero information on the under wing gubbins on the whole internet, apart from what people have uploaded themselves. No proper fuel layout diagrams except the in tank versions and nothing about pipe routes.
Everyone, even main dealers say "it's just a pipe from the filter the the HP pump", but I've proved that to be wrong, because when I gave it a blow through with my compressor it started bubbling in the fuel tank, so there's obviously some sort of splitter or valve of some description along the route, maybe above the tank where you can't see or get at it. And just to add insult to injury, my pump supplier who said I'd have it tomorrow morning (today), phoned me up at 11am and told me that the van on which my new pump was on had broken down and it would now be tomorrow morning. I'm sure this must be some sort of standard reply when maybe the suppliers supplier has not got the part, because exactly the same thing happened last year when was waiting for a part. Bunch of liars methinks.
 
There is a line back to the tank from the front. Most diesels I believe have a return pipe for excess fuel.

Have you checked under the car for crushed pipes? Or even in the engine bay.?

Mine were moved to stop the track rod ends from hitting them..... because my suspension is lifted.
 
Have checked around for that's the very thought I had initially, but everything seems fine.
It's 11am now, and the part still hasn't arrived yet. :mad2:
 
Have checked around for that's the very thought I had initially, but everything seems fine.
It's 11am now, and the part still hasn't arrived yet. :mad2:
 
OK, so part arrived at 13:15. had a quick look,and it's the same make as original except made in Poland instead of Germany. Hmmm!
Anyway, fitted it and guess what?................Just the bloody same :mad2:
So that's £130 ish quid and not solved.
So what next I thought. Start at engine end and work back. Having had rubber pipes collapse in the past I thought I'd check the short rubber bend on the near side end of the stainless steel tubes that run across the front of the engine, the lower one being the fuel feed. I unclipped both ends and removed it. It looked fine and just to check gave it a blow through. OK. next I found a length of quite flexible wire ann passed it down the plastic feed tube, it only went down about 150mm and hit something! Could it be? surely not, much to simple and easy for my luck. Must just be hitting the curve on the tube, so attempted to straighten the tube a little and pass the wire down a little further. Nope, definitely something spongy there. Buggered about a while trying to convince myself I was onto something, no chance of extracting whatever it was so bit the bullet and cut the tube off below the estimated blockage, fully expecting to see a clear pipe.
But no, there was something stuck. I found a piece of 3mm welding rod and slid it down the tube. What came out was a bit of a mystery. looked like a piece of rockwool insulation! How the hell did that get in there? ( I'll attach a photo later).
Anyway. Turned on the pump and voila, tons of fuel flowing.
All to do now is make a connector to rejoin the cut off bit of tube and job done.
All back together, turn on the key, Wahoo!.......... started first time. :amen:


Mmmm! can't remember how to post a pic. Help!!!
 
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Hi Andy, stupid question but how it going. Wish I had seen your post earlier as have a spare pump kicking around that you could have tried.
Not come across your problem but must be a bit out of the fuel filter?.
Give me a shout next time if you still have my number if you need any parts as have a friend who is parts manager at Farnells so I get a good price on genuine parts.
Take care
Bruce
 
Good to hear you have sorted it out.

You never did say what the mileage is on your Freelander, but if you get more than 100,000 miles out of a low pressure fuel pump, you are on borrowed time.

Knowing you are using non standard fuel, could it be that which has solidified?
 
Hi Bruce!
Nice to hear from you, hope you and yours are all OK. :)
Yes going OK at the mo, although I'm struggling to find a proper pipe union to join up the cut pipe, I turned a temp one out of 6mm brass rod but jubilee clips on something so small aren't the best. I'm trying to source a compression union with olives and tube inserts but local plumbers merchants only have 6mm OD fittings and no 6mm ID. It may last forever but being as it runs at about 40psi, I inclined not to trust it long term, wouldn't want it blowing off whilst on a run. The pump I bought is the same make, but seems very noisy, so may have to get them to change it. (more rolling about under the car for me) :(
Thanks for your offer about parts, that's really good of you mate, no doubt I'll take you up on it at some point, later rather than sooner I hope. :) As for the blockage, that's the only thing I can come up with about it being a piece out of the filter, hope it doesn't happen again.
Be good and take care mate.
Andy.
PS @Epicuser.
Mileage around 80k now, blockage defo not fuel related, very fibrous stuff, not sticky at all, thanks for your input also. :) Still trying to figure out how to post a pic or two.
 
Some pics (Thanks Vagrent for the info)
 

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The bugger did it again, so here's the culprit, An effin Britpart (****part) fuel filter that's collapsed. (see photo's).
Lesson learned....NEVER EVER BUY ANYTHING FROM ****PART!
 

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