Help please, our 1987 Defender fuel pump stopped working...

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Awkward

Awkward

Member
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60
Parked up last night got in the vehicle this morning turned the key and the fuel pump stopped working...? Iv got no carpets no sound insulation so you can normally hear the pump working as soon as the key is turned.
Iv checked all the glass fuses in front of the gear stick, Iv pulled the fuel hose off at the tank end and pump works fine on a separate battery, the earth cable to the fuel pump is grounded. The supply to the pump is completely dead...
Any suggestions would much appreciated as I need to move it from where it’s parked...
 
Connect the spare battery to the pump. Start & move the vehicle. Switch off, disconnect spare battery.
It's then a job of tracking down the problem.
Make up a 12 volt test bulb with one wire to the live feed of the bulb & another wire to earth it. Headlight bulb works well & it has nice lugs to push a connector onto so simpler to connect up. Connect the earth to a good earth - I use a long wire & connect to the battery earth.
With the ignition on work your way along the fuel pump circuit starting at the fuse. If the bulb lights you have power to that point. Disconnect the fuel pump to harness plug & check you have power there.
My own experience of exactly this problem with my 1987 RRC (3.5EFi) was corrosion in the vehicle's harness next to that plug. The live wire was down to a couple of strands - enough to show battery voltage on a digital mulitmeter but not enough current carried to power the pump OR light the test bulb, hence the need for the test bulb as just using a meter will leave you scratching your head.
I have a pin soldered to the end of a wire which I used to push through the insulation as I worked back from the connector - the bulb will light once you've got past the fault - & the problem on mine was about 1/2" from the connector. 30 years of exposure to the elements & road salt!
 
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Thanks for getting back, Im charging a spare battery now... I have tried to track down the fuel pump fuse but can’t find any info on the Internet and on the back of the fuse panel it shows no reference to any of the fuses being linked to the fuel pump. Would you happen to know which fuse is used for the fuel pump..?
 
Forgot to say.
My RRC is a EFi & has the flapper AFM.
On this AFM you need to have the ignition on AND the flap propped open to provide power to the pump when testing. I just used a small piece of stick to prop it slightly open.
 
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Awkward said:
Parked up last night got in the vehicle this morning turned the key and the fuel pump stopped working...? Iv got no carpets no sound insulation so you can normally hear the pump working as soon as the key is turned.
Iv checked all the glass fuses in front of the gear stick, Iv pulled the fuel hose off at the tank end and pump works fine on a separate battery, the earth cable to the fuel pump is grounded. The supply to the pump is completely dead...
Any suggestions would much appreciated as I need to move it from where it’s parked...
Click to expand...

I don't understand the question?

If this is a 1987 vehicle it is a Ninety or a One Ten. Which should have a mechanical fuel pump on the side of the engine.
Unless is it is one of the few V8 petrol Nineties, or has had an aftermarket electric pump fitted?
 
I’m sure it’s all original factory It’s a very early V8, pump tank and wiring is looking all very original..
 
Awkward said:
I’m sure it’s all original factory It’s a very early V8, pump tank and wiring is looking all very original..
Click to expand...

OK. The V8s did have electric pumps. Factory V8 Ninety is one of my favourite all time Land Rovers.
You are lucky to have that, sure you will get it sorted if you proceed as @Ratae suggests ^^^^^^^^.
 
Hi Ratae, my AFM doesn’t have a flapper so hopefully it will start without having to trick the ECU... Fingers crossed
 
Mine used to have carbs but has a Disco 1 EFI system fitted.... Was running like a dream until the fuel pump started playing up..
 
Awkward said:
Mine used to have carbs but has a Disco 1 EFI system fitted.... Was running like a dream until the fuel pump started playing up..
Click to expand...

That would make sense. The ones I have seen originally had a 3.5 carburetted engine, and usually a 3 speed and reverse autobox.
No electronics at all, they were a fantastic drive, but juicy if driven hard. Hence many were modified later.
 
Ours is all original apart from the EFI parts and transfer box that came off a airport landrover so the gearing is rather low but ideal for towing and off roading. It only does 55 mph safely... :)
 
Awkward said:
Ours is all original apart from the EFI parts and transfer box that came off a airport landrover so the gearing is rather low but ideal for towing and off roading. It only does 55 mph safely... :)
Click to expand...

An excellent off roader, probably one of the best they ever made, and as you say, also very good for heavy towing.
I bet it would go faster than that if you stick your foot down and wear earplugs! ;):D
 
Awkward said:
70 is absolute max but the engine is on the verg of blowing up, gearing just to low....
Click to expand...

You could probably lose the airport transfer box if you ever happen to find a standard one at the right price.
Auto takes all the strain out of pulling away on steep hills and with heavy trailers anyway.
 
Just connected the pump to a separate battery, fuel is flowing engine is wizzing round, got spark but it won’t start :-(
 
Awkward said:
Just connected the pump to a separate battery, fuel is flowing engine is wizzing round, got spark but it won’t start :-(
Click to expand...

What colour is the spark, you need a big fat blue one ....

And the timing is the next thing, fuel OK, spark OK ? bringing the two together ....:eek:
 
Must admit the spark is a tad weak and I have just retarded it from 6 to 10deg because it was running sluggish. At 10deg it was running better than ever but then the TDC mark on the pulley might be out. The above wouldn’t effect the pump from priming would it...? Iv got the original marks on the dizzy il put it back to where it was and try starting with the pump connected to a separate battery again.
 
If you've gone from 6 deg BTDC to 10 deg BTDC you've advanced it.
Might be a bit too far.
According to the LR factory manual for mine, mine should be TDC +/- 1 deg but I set it by road test* & 6 deg BTDC suits it fine. Later RRC are 6 deg BTDC.

*From another website:
''Its also worth noting that the best ignition timing in any given engine, is to achieve the most advance it can tolerate without pinking. ( Audible pre-ignition).

This is achieved by setting your V8 timing to about 4 deg. BTDC (assuming you've been through the distributor check list completely). Then tighten the distributor so that you can (with effort) still turn it by hand. ideally put a tip-ex mark or small scratch on the distributor body and engine block to record this spot.

Next road test the car and simulate high load by quickly shifting into a high gear or if Auto allow to change quickly up to 3rd or 4th Ideally you need to find a small hill or incline, now if you apply full throttle the engine should respond without pinking, find a safe place to pull over, open the bonnet and turn the distributor through a couple of degrees only, anticlockwise, this will add slightly more advance timing and if you do the same test, and repeat it until pinking is noticed you will be very close to your absolute best timing criteria

So now all you need to do is turn the distributor clockwise by the same amount by an amount to counteract the last adjust, retest for the absence of pinking and that the job done, you will have just achieved the best maximum timing position for your car''

When you've done it, go home, get the timing light out & record the point on the crank pulley that the pointer aligns with.
 
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