lack of grunt..until I stalled it...

Got a 2003 TD5, 49K miles (due 48K service)

On way to work (about 30 miles so plenty of time to warm up) I just didn’t seem to have the usual "kick" when you get higher up the rev range, had to change down a gear or two going uphill… just generally sluggish and felt like it was lacking any real torque.

2nd journey at lunchtime, about 15 miles…. Same performance. I then managed to stall it, then straight after restarting, put foot down and it performed SIGNIFICANTLY better than it has for a few days.

No obvious black smoke, only other known prob is a thrust/spigot bush groaning first thing in the morning.

Any ideas where to start, or what to discount?

Everything still standard on it EGR/Cat/Map etc…

Cheers Gary

could possibly be a turbo pipe getting a bit soft, would seem a bit early at 48,000 though.
sounds like it has rebooted the ecu after stalling.
You should also check the ecu for oil contamination, thes are things i have come across during ownership of a td 5 90, hope it helps

Fuel filter probably worth a change. Have the service done.

Could be a number of things - the fact that it "corrected" its self or showed signs of improvement after a restart would suggest something electrical, maybe crank position sensor / cam shaft position sensor, faulty MAF etc. A faulty EGR valve which is stuck open would also give similar kind of performance issues. Lift the drivers seat and check the connection where the engine loom plugs into the ECU. The connections are prone to oil contamination caused by oil seeping down an empty cable channel in the loom, could potentially be causing some problems if affected. On the other hand it could be in need of a good service. Air filter & fuel filter are the two performance culprits although they wouldn't tend to give intermittent performance issues. As suggested above, it could be a delaminated hose between the turbo, intercooler and air intake manifold. Other possibilities are faulty fuel pressure regulator at the back of the cylinder head or a failing in tank fuel pump. Lots to be thinking about and checking. Might be worth visiting your local specialist to have it plugged in. It'll cost ~£50 but it might help you diagnose the problem if it detects a fault or the mechanic can spot a hiccup in the live data.

-Tom

Thanks Guys.... Slowly working through the list...

Definitely not the MAF, cleaned it although looked spotless and disconnected, no change...

Wastegate and actuator next... Hoses was going to swap anyway, so be swapping them next week.

Little uncertain about ECU, poss tiny traces of oil in there... Does it come through one particular pin?

Will keep posting as I tick things off...

lambonumber5 said:

Thanks Guys.... Slowly working through the list...

Definitely not the MAF, cleaned it although looked spotless and disconnected, no change...

Wastegate and actuator next... Hoses was going to swap anyway, so be swapping them next week.

Little uncertain about ECU, poss tiny traces of oil in there... Does it come through one particular pin?

Will keep posting as I tick things off...

Click to expand...

Give yer MAP sensor a clean and see if that sorts it.

MAP sensor is on the inlet manifold if you're wondering.
It gets cloggeed with all the crap from the EGR.
Get a blanking kit for the EGR while you're at it and then the MAP will stay clean a lot longer.

Thanks Ratty/Shifty...sounds like the next port of call!

Just to let you know, went with de-cat & EGR by-pass.... behaving much much better now!! ... the MAP/MAF were all clean, so didn't make any difference. Thanks for your advice chaps