Disco 2 Cutting out, so many possibilities!

Hello everybody! My names Jim and I've just posted my greeting in the introduce yourself section. Long time reader, First time poster, only because its the first time I've actually needed to!

I bought my 2002 Discovery 2 TD5 Automatic as my retirement present and I've had 2 years and plenty of fault free milage since (except a nice easy starter overhaul) and she currently had 171000 miles on the clock.

Now to the issue, about 30 miles into a 50 mile motorway journey i suddenly lost power, pulled onto the hard shoulder and she cut out as i came to a stop. Pressed the accelerator 5 times, let it bleed and still wouldn't start. Sounds as if there is no fuel but the tank is definitely half full.
5 minutes later she reluctantly started with a puff of white smoke. Back on my way and same story again. Finally started back up, got to the services and will get the car recovered tomorrow.

Injector harness was replaced about 8000 miles ago due to oil contamination and still clean. Fuel filter and the small mesh filter connecting to the filter housing replaced around 5000 miles ago. But from my research online there is so many possibilities. She is starting/driving slowly fine now, although with a slight "misfire" type issue. But will cut out when I need some power.

I'm not a mechanic but I've been on the tools all my life, she's not my daily runner so I will gladly have a go at any and all repairs myself with time being no issue. Just some advice on where to start would be greatly appreciated from you fine people! Thanks you for any help in advance!

Jimmyboden said:

Hello everybody! My names Jim and I've just posted my greeting in the introduce yourself section. Long time reader, First time poster, only because its the first time I've actually needed to!

I bought my 2002 Discovery 2 TD5 Automatic as my retirement present and I've had 2 years and plenty of fault free milage since (except a nice easy starter overhaul) and she currently had 171000 miles on the clock.

Now to the issue, about 30 miles into a 50 mile motorway journey i suddenly lost power, pulled onto the hard shoulder and she cut out as i came to a stop. Pressed the accelerator 5 times, let it bleed and still wouldn't start. Sounds as if there is no fuel but the tank is definitely half full.
5 minutes later she reluctantly started with a puff of white smoke. Back on my way and same story again. Finally started back up, got to the services and will get the car recovered tomorrow.

Injector harness was replaced about 8000 miles ago due to oil contamination and still clean. Fuel filter and the small mesh filter connecting to the filter housing replaced around 5000 miles ago. But from my research online there is so many possibilities. She is starting/driving slowly fine now, although with a slight "misfire" type issue. But will cut out when I need some power.

I'm not a mechanic but I've been on the tools all my life, she's not my daily runner so I will gladly have a go at any and all repairs myself with time being no issue. Just some advice on where to start would be greatly appreciated from you fine people! Thanks you for any help in advance!

Click to expand...

Sounds to me like fuel pump, low pressure circuit functioning but not the high one.
But others will jump on with their four pennorth!
(From it actually cutting out I doubt it is anything to do with the waste-gate actuator. )

Jimmyboden said:

Hello everybody! My names Jim and I've just posted my greeting in the introduce yourself section. Long time reader, First time poster, only because its the first time I've actually needed to!

I bought my 2002 Discovery 2 TD5 Automatic as my retirement present and I've had 2 years and plenty of fault free milage since (except a nice easy starter overhaul) and she currently had 171000 miles on the clock.

Now to the issue, about 30 miles into a 50 mile motorway journey i suddenly lost power, pulled onto the hard shoulder and she cut out as i came to a stop. Pressed the accelerator 5 times, let it bleed and still wouldn't start. Sounds as if there is no fuel but the tank is definitely half full.
5 minutes later she reluctantly started with a puff of white smoke. Back on my way and same story again. Finally started back up, got to the services and will get the car recovered tomorrow.

Injector harness was replaced about 8000 miles ago due to oil contamination and still clean. Fuel filter and the small mesh filter connecting to the filter housing replaced around 5000 miles ago. But from my research online there is so many possibilities. She is starting/driving slowly fine now, although with a slight "misfire" type issue. But will cut out when I need some power.

I'm not a mechanic but I've been on the tools all my life, she's not my daily runner so I will gladly have a go at any and all repairs myself with time being no issue. Just some advice on where to start would be greatly appreciated from you fine people! Thanks you for any help in advance!

Click to expand...

+1 for what Stanleysteamer has just said. And welcome to the wonderful world of owning a D2. They are too addictive!

@sierrafery has posted on here a brilliant way of easily checking the high pressure side of the pump, which is the one that normally fails, by measuring the voltage across a fuse. It really ought to be a sticky thread. If I can find it, I'll post the reference, if not I'm sure Fery will be along soon.

Good luck.

PP

PopPops said:

+1 for what Stanleysteamer has just said. And welcome to the wonderful world of owning a D2. They are too addictive!

@sierrafery has posted on here a brilliant way of easily checking the high pressure side of the pump, which is the one that normally fails, by measuring the voltage across a fuse. It really ought to be a sticky thread. If I can find it, I'll post the reference, if not I'm sure Fery will be along soon.

Good luck.

PP

Click to expand...

Found it!!

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/check-td5-fuel-pump-hp.358086/

Worth trying in the first instance!

I had an issue recently that caused a lack of power over 2500rpm but it didn't cut out when I lifted off the throttle.
It turned out to be the turbo to intercooler pipe delaminated. No dash warning lights lit up either.
Just saying because of the white smoke reference, which I also saw but because I wasn't going at speed it may not have overfuelled so much to stall it.

There is also the possibility of a blockage or partial blockage in fuel pipes.
Someone on here had it a while back. It cost him a fortune in pointlessly changed parts to find it.
In the end they cleaned out the tank and the pipes and it was fine.
Old skool works sometimes even with these more modern beasts.

Slight update and thanks everyone for the tips, will check the high pressure circuit in the morning.

Went back to the car this evening once traffic calmed to try and limp it home. Made it to the next junction of the motorway, didnt push it over 50, around the roundabout and about a mile and a half uphill before sudden loss of power followed by cutting out again. Bled the system, it reluctantly started again with a fair old puff of white smoke. Managed it the remaining 10 miles home taking it easy. Only had to stop twice at lights and it was idling rough both times.
BUT by the time I got home it was idling perfectly normal. Will make a start tomorrow on trying to find the cause!

Jimmyboden said:

Slight update and thanks everyone for the tips, will check the high pressure circuit in the morning.

Went back to the car this evening once traffic calmed to try and limp it home. Made it to the next junction of the motorway, didnt push it over 50, around the roundabout and about a mile and a half uphill before sudden loss of power followed by cutting out again. Bled the system, it reluctantly started again with a fair old puff of white smoke. Managed it the remaining 10 miles home taking it easy. Only had to stop twice at lights and it was idling rough both times.
BUT by the time I got home it was idling perfectly normal. Will make a start tomorrow on trying to find the cause!

Click to expand...

In that case, if the idle has improved, it is tempting to think that a blockage of some kind has freed itself.
Before taking the tools to it now I would be tempted to take it on a test circuit (i.e. a combination roads local to you that are quiet and from which you can get home easily) and see what happens when you push the power up.
IF it now runs fine then the chances are a fuel blockage has moved, maybe something in the tank, but it could still come back in the future.
If not that, then it could be an electrical broken circuit has fortuitously remade itself. There is a notorious P clip above the transmission that wears through insulation and causes problems but I don't think your symptoms match the ones for this, but I could be wrong.
Overall I think it is fuel related.
Best of luck anyway.

Check oil level I had similar with poor quality o rings.

Injector seals and washers could want changing only use genuine
Or the valve on the fuel filter housing that allows ang air in the fuel system to be released
If you lift the pump out of the tank and its covered in black soot its the injector washers leaking combustion gases I to the fuel line