Intermittent starting issues defender 300 Tdi

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IGGISAIL

Member
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17
Got intermittent starting problem with 300Tdi defender ! Turns over fine (if a little slow) the I have to give it loads of gas for anything up to 15 seconds to get it to finally start ! Its happened about 5 times since August and it's beginning to pi$$ me off ! Any ideas before I start ripping bits off and throwing my hard earned cash at it ?? Any help is gratefully received !! Cheers !:confused:
 
You have got air getting into your fuel line somewhere between the tank and injection pump. Check the connections on the tank/lift pump/filter/injection pump - you only need a very tiny hole and the air will get in!
Look for any escaping diesel after its been sat over night ;)

Daz
 
Can't find a leak, no drips ! I am suspecting the starter motor ? Bloody thing started fine this morning !! Any other ideas ? Anything helps !! Cheers in advance !
 
Can't find a leak, no drips ! I am suspecting the starter motor ? Bloody thing started fine this morning !! Any other ideas ? Anything helps !! Cheers in advance !

If the starter motor is turning over then surely it is working?:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

What is the battery voltage dropping to when cranking over?

Is there any smoke from the exhaust when cranking over?

Air is smaller than liquid. Most cases of air in fuel don't have a drip.

Next time it fails to start, pop the bonnet and prime up the fuel system using the hand primer and then see if it starts straight away then.
 
I had a similar problem recently, only happened after sitting over night. £2.99 to replace the injector leak off pipes and the problem was solved. Second cheapest fix on my car behind the penny fix on the auxiliary belt.
 
You could try changing your fuel filter or using a bit of diesel magic or other similar injector cleaner.

Check your glow plugs also. Firstly that you're getting power to them when you key on, and secondly whip the feeding wire off each one in turn and do a resistance measurement on the glow plug through the engine block as earth. You should see a very low resistance (I think I've measured them at about 4 ohms in the past ) a much higher resistance would indicate it might not be working
 
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