2002 TD4 - another won't start....

Hi all,

About 2 months ago my td4 failed to start, I'd driven 5 miles, parked up and went back within 15 mins - turned over but wouldn't start. Called the breakdown company but after 30 mins it suddenly fired into life and was fine.

It did this another time when cold, I left it for a while and then it started.

Then I had the split turbo hose which I replaced and have done a 1000 mile round trip last week without a problem, but yesterday evening I went out to the car and she just turned over but wouldn't fire - same this morning.

I spent some time on here and elsewhere searching for similar problems and decided to replace the glow plugs - not the problem - still turns over but won't fire.

So more searching has shown the following as potential faults:

1) Glow relay
2) Fuel pump (can hear one whirring and plenty of fuel in the tank)
3) Crank sensor (but have read this is only when warm?)
4) Leaking injector

What is the most likely culprit? Any help? Car is parked outside, not easy to get it to a dealer and I'd prefer to sort it myself.

I'd go for leaking injector meself. leak back test will confirm though

Like Optimus would be looking at the injector. If it is then the cheapest way is to get the injector refurbed, we pay £70 plus vat, so shop around.
If you need to get it going then just pop off the air intake hose and spray some easy start in. It will fire and if it keeps running then it is another pointer to an injector leaking back.

Cheers chaps, I'll get some easy start today - also I'm going to remove the synergy 2 I have fitted - this fault only occurred after fitting that so in the interests of proper testing I shall try it. The person I bought it on here from had snapped one of the clips on a connector so it is possible there is a dodgy contact.

I've just read the link to the rover forum where Roverron mentions corroded connectors - I'll check this too.

Ok, popped home and sprayed the stuff into the air intake, was only me there so was a case of spray and then try starting but it did fire in a lumpy fashion, then died several times - battery is a bit flat so I have removed it in order to charge and will try again.

Got to remove the air box top in order to remove the synergy but to be honest, if it fired I am pretty sure this isn't the issue.

Poxy cars, Alfas were easier!

Hi I had similar problems on my TD4 an early one like yours.......it turned out to be the rear fuel pump......I soldiered on with the intermitant problems like you had....until it failed totally. It was replaced (cost 325quid)...everything good....then it started again....this time the front pump blew. Apparantly if the rea pump goes the front pump gets overstressed and dies....later TD4s had a different pump arrangement.
To save a big bill........remove the rear pump carefully and see if the diesel suck up strainer in bolcked....on old cars these get clogged causing pump failure.
All my bills came to around £600 ............. you wana avoid this.
Good luck....keep us posted

I've taken the afternoon off to try and solve this problem:

Removed Synergy2 but no change, still won't fire

Got my Wife to spray easy start into the air intake and all the time she sprayed the car ran - lumpy but it ran, shortly after she stopped, it stopped - so fuelling issue?

Next I followed the leak test, starting at the right hand injector (facing the front of the car). Ignition off, I removed the clip and slid of the connector, there was some fuel dribble there but not much, ignition on and no change, same for the next injector. The last 2 were dry.

Put all back together and still nothing. So I think the injectors are ok so guess the next check is fuel pumps - I can hear the one in the engine bay whirring away for about 20 secs after ignition is turned on but no idea how to check the rear one or to see if there is any fuel flow...

Help. It is unprofessional for a fire fighter to burn their own car!

It looks like you have ruled out an injector leaking back. Now it will be a bigger problem to solve.
It can be electrical, as using easy start the vapours ignite with out needing the injectors to open.
It may now be worth taking it in to a good independant getting it hooked up to see what is going on. It should be around £35, they will be able to give pressure reading ect.

bsa77 said:

I've taken the afternoon off to try and solve this problem:

Removed Synergy2 but no change, still won't fire

Got my Wife to spray easy start into the air intake and all the time she sprayed the car ran - lumpy but it ran, shortly after she stopped, it stopped - so fuelling issue?

Next I followed the leak test, starting at the right hand injector (facing the front of the car). Ignition off, I removed the clip and slid of the connector, there was some fuel dribble there but not much, ignition on and no change, same for the next injector. The last 2 were dry.

Put all back together and still nothing. So I think the injectors are ok so guess the next check is fuel pumps - I can hear the one in the engine bay whirring away for about 20 secs after ignition is turned on but no idea how to check the rear one or to see if there is any fuel flow...

Help. It is unprofessional for a fire fighter to burn their own car!

Click to expand...

I've been out to a few denzel rover 75's that do as you describe. They have started and run on easy start but take the spray away and they cut out again. For some reason the amount the engines revved all seemed to be greater than the amount of fuel/easy start sprayed into the intake. With the ignition on the fuel pumps on all were silent as if the pump was knackered or as if they had a camshaft.crankshaft sensor fault. This is the interesting bit...... Plug em into my diagnostic computer and they all had the same faults. Glow plug error, camshaft sensor error and low fuel pressure voltage. Delete the faults and then all of the vehicles started first time. They started every time afterwards too. I haven't been back out to any of them again so cam only assume that the faults haven't returned.

My initial thoughts were that the camshaft sensors were preventing the fuel coming through and so therefore gave the low pressure voltage and that maybe the glow plug fault was where the customers had tried to start em several times or just coincidence. It just seems strange that they wouldn't start until the faults were deleted and then they started everytime since even when I foolow the members for 20 or so miles.

A quick thing to check could be your coolant sensor - if it's not working right, the glow plugs won't come on. Also, with a low voltage on the battery, the glow plugs won't come on either... took this from Rave:

ECT Sensor Resistance
In the event of an ECT sensor signal failure any of the following symptoms may be observed:
* Difficult cold start.
* Difficult hot start.
* Driveability concerns.
* Temperature gauge reading does not accurately represent the coolant temperature.

Temperature, °C (°F) : Resistance, k
-30 (-22) : 4.916
-20 (-4) : 4.853
-10 (14) : 4.745
0 (32) : 4.584
10 (50) : 4.354
20 (68) : 4.046
30 (86) : 3.660
40 (104) : 3.220
50 (122) : 2.751
60 (140) : 2.267
70 (158) : 1.862
80 (176) : 1.490
90 (194) : 1.182
100 (212) : 0.938
110 (230) : 0.738
120 (248) : 0.581
130 (266) : 0.464

Considering, if you've got a multimeter, it's free to check it, I thought it might be worth a punt.... if it's fine, then you can cross it off the list!

Well fingers crossed I've solved it - the fuel pump in the tank is faulty, I've removed it for further testing and it will sometimes turn but only for a fraction of a second and then stops and has to be manually turned before it will turn, again for a fraction of a second.

Power supply to it is fine and I've tried it in the tank with an external DC supply but nothing.

So got one on order, fingers crossed.

Shame you have to buy the whole assembly, I've stripped it down and would be easy to just replace the motor. Fingers crossed I don't have a repeat of D3savages!

A side issue that I had no idea about - battery went flat with all the attempts to start it so I removed it, charged it up - refitted it and had no idea the rear window opened when you do this - was only when I got called out to a fire at 2am and one of my colleagues picked me up (in the rain) and asked what had happened to my rear window! Another Land Rover lesson learnt!

All working beautifully again - new main pump (from land rover as the local factors ordered the wrong part...)

So glow plugs were ok but no harm done by changing them - £350 in total to get my car running - thanks for all the help!

Till the next time...

Mine did the same thing, turned out ofter new rear pump, pressure regulator and about a million in labour charges that if you push the electrical connector on the front, under bonnet, pump the problem is solved.

ROG5ER said:

Mine did the same thing, turned out ofter new rear pump, pressure regulator and about a million in labour charges that if you push the electrical connector on the front, under bonnet, pump the problem is solved.

Click to expand...

If you are referring to this switch http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/755237-post3.html then it is the fuel cut off switch which can be but is usually not the problem. 9 times out of 10 it will be fuel pump failure.