Help needed too identify vacuum pipe.

Hello, I need some advice please, I was topping up the radiator reservoir yesterday on my 2000 discovery 2 td5 Automatic. I noticed tucked down the drivers side of the engine was a vacuum pipe or at least that’s what I think it is, it had a right angle elbow but the lower pipe which came up from below had cracked and disintegrated. I managed to cut off the broken part and push it back into the rubber elbow, it was very brittle and so I never disturbed it too much as to not make it break anymore. I have looked through my workshop manual but can’t find anything about it, or I missed it while flicking through the book. I want to get some new pipe to replace it all because the other side of the elbow is also damaged as it has got tape wrapped around it, I was going to have another look today but if I move it too much it will most likely fall apart completely because it’s in a very bad way. The piece I cut off just turns to dust if I squash it so I don't want the rest to go the same! Can anyone tell me what it’s for please and what it does, also where I can get some replacement pipe, the pipe itself is like the vacuum advance/retard pipe on the older petrol engines. I look forward to any help or advice anyone can give me, I will try to take a photo of it later on when I get home from the hospital if I can.
ThankYou in advance, David.

It sounds like it may have been connected to the EGR system, and if your vehicle has had it's EGR removed and replaced with a straight tube, then the vacuum pipe is normally simply left plugged. You need to confirm yours ina 10p engine.

Is it driving OK?

Hello, ThankYou for replying, mine still has the EGR connected, I’ve just been to the hospital for an appointment and back home and it does appear to have a bit better power going up hills, I don’t know whether this is my imagination but it does seem slightly better since I joined it back together properly. Do you know where I might get some replacement pipes from or what they would be called? Do you know where they will start from and where they go to? I didn’t want to go pulling on them because as I said, they have become very brittle, could You tell me what it would be doing if the pipe does leak? I am just thinking it had a bit more poke but I might be looking for a difference and just guessing at the moment. ThankYou for your assistance, I couldn’t find anything in the book but I didn’t know what I would be looking for so that’s probably why.

Discovery dave. said:

Hello, ThankYou for replying, mine still has the EGR connected, I’ve just been to the hospital for an appointment and back home and it does appear to have a bit better power going up hills, I don’t know whether this is my imagination but it does seem slightly better since I joined it back together properly. Do you know where I might get some replacement pipes from or what they would be called? Do you know where they will start from and where they go to? I didn’t want to go pulling on them because as I said, they have become very brittle, could You tell me what it would be doing if the pipe does leak? I am just thinking it had a bit more poke but I might be looking for a difference and just guessing at the moment. ThankYou for your assistance, I couldn’t find anything in the book but I didn’t know what I would be looking for so that’s probably why.

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I'm only an amateur in all this so I won't dare to say much more but people like @sierrafery and @discool know a lot more and may even be able to give you part numbers to put you on the right track.

In this you will find stuff about what people do to remove their EGR. I know you don't want to do this but it should give you some idea of where the pipes come from and go to.

take a gander https://www.lrworkshop.com/diagrams...haust-gas-recirculation/valve-and-pipes_53444

mystery said:

take a gander https://www.lrworkshop.com/diagrams...haust-gas-recirculation/valve-and-pipes_53444

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That's for a Defender, he has a Disco, they are different, not much but just saying.

On a Disco TD5 10p engine, which as his is the same MY as mine I think it must be, there is a vacuum pipe which goes from somewhere under the coolant reservoir, I believe, to the EGR, this is where I think it gets the signal to operate. If his is disconnected, provided the EGR is fully open, it should just drive fine, maybe a tad worse at low revs when cold. But I'd say it needs to be capped or taped over in some way.

In this pic you can see the vacuum connection to the top of the EGR.

Discovery dave. said:

Hello, I need some advice please, I was topping up the radiator reservoir yesterday on my 2000 discovery 2 td5 Automatic. I noticed tucked down the drivers side of the engine was a vacuum pipe or at least that’s what I think it is, it had a right angle elbow but the lower pipe which came up from below had cracked and disintegrated. I managed to cut off the broken part and push it back into the rubber elbow, it was very brittle and so I never disturbed it too much as to not make it break anymore. I have looked through my workshop manual but can’t find anything about it, or I missed it while flicking through the book. I want to get some new pipe to replace it all because the other side of the elbow is also damaged as it has got tape wrapped around it, I was going to have another look today but if I move it too much it will most likely fall apart completely because it’s in a very bad way. The piece I cut off just turns to dust if I squash it so I don't want the rest to go the same! Can anyone tell me what it’s for please and what it does, also where I can get some replacement pipe, the pipe itself is like the vacuum advance/retard pipe on the older petrol engines. I look forward to any help or advice anyone can give me, I will try to take a photo of it later on when I get home from the hospital if I can.
ThankYou in advance, David.

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Hi, can you put some pictures up please ? I'll then check mine as to what pipe goes where for you.

ThankYou for the advice you have all given, I have today gone over it all again and found the pipe from the egr valve to the modulator had broken into many pieces, each time I touched it I found another break. It seems that the pipe is disintegrating because it’s crumbling, I had some pipe off the fish tank which is a bit stiffer than the soft rubbery one I used in the tank. I replaced the damaged part and pushed the good bit into the end of it, I was just looking around in the engine for the steering pump because it’s making a right racket when I steer and I’ve been told it needs bleeding. I then noticed a plug socket hanging down the passenger side of the engine which wasn’t attached too anything, I thought it was strange but carried on for the search of this bleed nipple on the steering pump, but could I find it? No! What I did find was the MAF had a plug socket with nothing going to it so I tried this plug and “Bingo”, it fitted. That’s something else I’ve sorted but I cannot find the bleed nipple on top of the steering pump, am I looking in the correct place? I am looking on the passenger side of the engine and their is some kind of pump near the top next to the camshaft (?) pulley but their isn’t anything on their that resembles a bleed screw or nipple. Can anyone help with this please as when I’m parking or steering out on a corner everyone is looking at me and their is this terrible whine going on. A few people have told me to go from one lock to the other and that will cure it but that was the first thing I tried and it never made a blind bit of difference that mark the tar! One other thing I promise, could anyone tell me what is the correct pipe for using for the vacuum pipe? I presume that once I have been driving, the fish tank pipe is going to get warm and soften which will cause a blockage, I need a pipe which is a lot stiffer and won’t soften when warm. ThankYou all for any advice or help you can give! David.

Hi, the bleed nipple you're looking for is on the steering box & is a flipping pain to get to. After replacing my power steering pump (twice, but that's another story) I thought I'd do it by the book,first time, but it made no difference so I would top up the reservoir & with the engine running turn the steering lock to lock which should expel all the air. The pumps are pretty notorious for failing so once you've sure it's that, just replace it,all the best. (Bleed nipple circled in white below EGR valve)

ThankYou for the information, I will give this a go tomorrow morning. I was looking in the wrong place, now I know, I can give it a try. How hard is it to replace the pump please? Do you know what this black plastic pipe would be which appears appears to come up from the passenger side front wheel area and comes up the back of the engine bay by the insulation foam and it’s clipped up but goes nowhere. There are bits of it along the back going towards the drivers. Side but again is disconnected in shorter pieces, there is another random piece on the drivers side which comes up from the front wheel but it’s not connected to anything! Sorry to go on, I will try to get some pictures tomorrow to show what I’m talking about. It’s just annoying in finding these bit as they must have been there for a reason, but what? David.

Hi, feel free to go on I'm all ears. Yes any pics you can take would be much appreciated then I'll look at mine & post pictures of what it should look like.
Pump replacement is very straightforward (just a bit oily, I sucked all the p/steering fluid out of the reservoir first to make it less messy) You will need a viscous coupling fan spanner, see pic, to make life easier, fan is on a l/h thread (I think Halfords sell these or ebay) otherwise it's just basic sockets & spanners.
If you're sure the pump is the problem & want to replace it then please post & we can go into more detail, all the best.

And that plug you plugged back into the MAF may well have been deliberately unplugged as if the Maf plays up and leads to bad behaviour in the engine unplugging it puts the ECU into a good "back-up plan", (can't remember the technical term for this). So if it now drives worse than before, go back and unplug it to see if it goes better without.

There are lots of unplugged plugs and open ended pipes on a D2 try not to worry about them. Some are breathers from things like the front axle. It depends which version of D2 you have as to whether the entire loom is used. I have no idea even if there is a version that uses them all. Mine is a GS and it is all working fine with these things unplugged. Including the MAF!

Andy Warren said:

Hi, feel free to go on I'm all ears. Yes any pics you can take would be much appreciated then I'll look at mine & post pictures of what it should look like.
Pump replacement is very straightforward (just a bit oily, I sucked all the p/steering fluid out of the reservoir first to make it less messy) You will need a viscous coupling fan spanner, see pic, to make life easier, fan is on a l/h thread (I think Halfords sell these or ebay) otherwise it's just basic sockets & spanners.
If you're sure the pump is the problem & want to replace it then please post & we can go into more detail, all the best.

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Ooooh, I love that undo and arrow on the spanner.
I will have to do this for mine too.

So far I have had to look at some youtube videos, every darn time I need to take the fan out.
I never seem to "understand/remember" the correct way to spin it off.
Glad to see I'm not the only one with this kinda "issue"

Andy Warren said:

Hi, the bleed nipple you're looking for is on the steering box & is a flipping pain to get to. After replacing my power steering pump (twice, but that's another story) I thought I'd do it by the book,first time, but it made no difference so I would top up the reservoir & with the engine running turn the steering lock to lock which should expel all the air. The pumps are pretty notorious for failing so once you've sure it's that, just replace it,all the best. (Bleed nipple circled in white below EGR valve)

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Hello, sorry to bother you so soon but please could you tell me whether the bleed nipple is undone by a socket or another way please? I am going to have a look now and see how I get on. I hope it’s just a case of bleeding it and all being good, but then again with the luck I have been having recently it’s bound to be something more than bleeding it. I will let you know how I get on in a bit because these things take me much longer and I usually end up waiting for one of my sons to come home to finish it for me, I only have the use of my right hand because I had cancer and they removed a tumour from under my left arm pit which left my left hand not working. Just when I was supposed to have another operation to repair it, Covid happened and it was canceled, when I finally got to have the operation next my 2 fingers on my hand had seized up completely and I had them amputated. now my hand moves slightly but it’s impossible to hold anything or use it as it’s just in the way, I’m managing better with just the one hand but things take a lot longer. I’m 65 and I’ve had to learn new ways of doing things but I’m getting their! At least I‘m alive and best of all I can drive!! Give me a while and I will go and have a play and see how I get on, I will try and take some photos and let you know how it goes. This site is so good as their are people like yourself who are willing to give advice and as much help as possible, it’s better than a workshop manual because you actually answer questions from people like me who are unsure what they are doing or looking for. ThankYou so much!! David.

Sorry to hear about you big C but as you say at least your here.
The bleed nipple I think is 11mm or 7/16th but as they rarely get touched they can snap/ round off just like brake caliper ones. I loosened mine with a socket on extensions then used an open ended spanner once loose but as I say it's a pain as the bleed tube kept falling off due to the other pipes getting in the way & after all that I didn't get/see any air bubbles.
So I wouldn't bother again but if you still want to proceed just be careful not to snap the bleed nipple, if it feels tight leave it be! (I also did my sons D2 p/s pump & just did the lock to lock bleed on that too).
What actual issues are you having with the p/steering? (mine was leaking & was stiff to turn it from lock to lock).
Let us know how you get on please, all the best.

It’s working okay and turns but any attempt to turn the steering causes a loud whining, even if I’m driving along and make a slight adjustment to turn it obvious by the whine. I have done the normal lock to lock without any luck, it doesn’t appear to make any difference. If it tight, I will just leave it and put up with the noise, it’s not broken so it’s a job for another time. ThankYou, David.

I never got around to looking at it today, if it’s sitting without moving the steering wheel their is no noise. As soon as I try to turn the steering it whines but I can turn it so far and once I let go of the wheel there is no noise. If I’m driving along and turn I can turn and the whine is there but if I release it to go straight, it straightens up on its own then it will go along with nothing. If the pump was faulty, would it be noisy all the time and not just when I’m moving it? ThankYou, David.

It certainly sounds like a pump issue as it appears from your description the noise is only apparent when you turn the steering wheel, whether stationary or moving, in other words when you're 'asking' for the pumps assistance. The fact it goes quite when you let go of the wheel just means you're removing the load on the pump ( I know I groan when asked to lift something heavy but fine when I put it down) !

Discovery dave. said:

Hello, sorry to bother you so soon but please could you tell me whether the bleed nipple is undone by a socket or another way please? I am going to have a look now and see how I get on. I hope it’s just a case of bleeding it and all being good, but then again with the luck I have been having recently it’s bound to be something more than bleeding it. I will let you know how I get on in a bit because these things take me much longer and I usually end up waiting for one of my sons to come home to finish it for me, I only have the use of my right hand because I had cancer and they removed a tumour from under my left arm pit which left my left hand not working. Just when I was supposed to have another operation to repair it, Covid happened and it was canceled, when I finally got to have the operation next my 2 fingers on my hand had seized up completely and I had them amputated. now my hand moves slightly but it’s impossible to hold anything or use it as it’s just in the way, I’m managing better with just the one hand but things take a lot longer. I’m 65 and I’ve had to learn new ways of doing things but I’m getting their! At least I‘m alive and best of all I can drive!! Give me a while and I will go and have a play and see how I get on, I will try and take some photos and let you know how it goes. This site is so good as their are people like yourself who are willing to give advice and as much help as possible, it’s better than a workshop manual because you actually answer questions from people like me who are unsure what they are doing or looking for. ThankYou so much!! David.

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So sorry to hear about all this. My hat off to you for all you still manage to do and attempt to do.