Diesel L series starting problems

1998 Diesel Freelander starting trouble when cold.
Hello,
I have a 1998 Freelander diesel (L series) that is difficult to start when cold. Once you have started it you can let it run for a minute or so and turn in off and it will start straight away.

I have put a new set of glow pugs in it, had the injectors and compression checked and they are fine, and I have also checked the coolant sensors. The injection pump timing and pressure has also been checked and is fine, I have also checked the cam belt timing and this is fine, I am running out of ideas, I have even bypassed the glow plug relay by putting a wire direct the the glow plug rail and the thing still doesn't want to start when cold. Once it is running it runs fine and there is no smoke, I have another 1998 Freelander diesel and it drives with the same performance an ideas?

Do you also know what system I would have to use to pull the DTC codes?

er dare i say it>>. . . . . .crank sensor. . . .i did a write up on codes fer gaylander ,go into search un see if ya can find it

If the crankshaft sensor was no good would it affect only affect the car on start up, as it runs fine / ticks over fine once it has started. Would the MIL linght anlso be on on the dash board? I have also replaced the fuel filter, checked for air leaks double checked the timing and pinned the crank, is there a pump in the fuel tank on a diesel?

The only other differance I can find with this Freelander and my other Freelander is that if you pump the in line hand pump the Freelander that has the poor starting issue makes a whistling noise inside the pump, that sounds like air escaping, but no diesel of air come out from anywhere?

As an idea would it be worth swapping the engine ECU's over from the good car to bad car so to try and rule the ECU out?

Real shot in the dark here, but is the battery ok? I had some starting issues on mine and it turned out to be the battery, even though it was only a year old, and also it didnt give the usual woo,woo,woo of a low battery.
I tried one from my friends car as a first test and guess what...mine was knackered.
Also it was fine when it was running. If you have the access to the other Freelander give the battery a shot first.
D

IAN180 said:

If the crankshaft sensor was no good would it affect only affect the car on start up, as it runs fine / ticks over fine once it has started. Would the MIL linght anlso be on on the dash board? I have also replaced the fuel filter, checked for air leaks double checked the timing and pinned the crank, is there a pump in the fuel tank on a diesel?

The only other differance I can find with this Freelander and my other Freelander is that if you pump the in line hand pump the Freelander that has the poor starting issue makes a whistling noise inside the pump, that sounds like air escaping, but no diesel of air come out from anywhere?

As an idea would it be worth swapping the engine ECU's over from the good car to bad car so to try and rule the ECU out?

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Ian, see me other message, the leak cud be anywhere between the tank sender and the injectors, and could be just a pinprick sucking air in.Have you checked yer injector pump output? Also to confirm, there's only one pump in an 'L' type(there's a sender in the tank), the td4's got two. Not to fret yer mate, but after over a year I'm still trying to find my leak, having checked or replaced virtually everything and done all you sed above. I'll probably end up replacing ALL the fuel pipeing from the primer to the tank sender.....

Hello,

I'll have a look at the battery, but it was replaced about 4 months ago, and looking at the battery condition in the window on the top of it it is green for OK, but I'll get a drop test done on it just to make sure.

IAN180 said:

Hello,

I'll have a look at the battery, but it was replaced about 4 months ago, and looking at the battery condition in the window on the top of it it is green for OK, but I'll get a drop test done on it just to make sure.

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Mine showed Green in that window an all...but its worth a check.
Fingers crossed for ya..especially if it is that and its under guarantee.
Oh btw if you do find the problem dont forget to post what it was, for other peeps who might have a similar problem at a later date.
D

ian,, you mentioned that you have replaced the glowplugs, have you checked that the relay is working, ,,and have you checked they are getting power ?

john t said:

ian,, you mentioned that you have replaced the glowplugs, have you checked that the relay is working, ,,and have you checked they are getting power ?

Click to expand...

I have run a wire directly from the battery to the glow plug rail, to by pass the relay etc, and it didn't make a differance.

john t said:

ian,, you mentioned that you have replaced the glowplugs, have you checked that the relay is working, ,,and have you checked they are getting power ?

Click to expand...

I have run a wire direct;y from the battery to the glow plug rail and tried to bypass the relay and it didn't make any differance.

My L series, same year, does the same thing, but in these below zero temps it drains the battery turning it over. When I have jump started it, it fires first time, no probs.