Power loss?

I'm having a bit of a 'mare with my 1992 200TDi 90.

On my way home from work a couple of weeks ago, I started losing power - gradually at first then as I got closer to home the power went dramatically. I managed to limp to the house doing around 10mph in first gear with the engine almost stalling. Although the engine revved up normally while stationary, I was worried that my turbo might be knackered so I organised recovery to an independant Landy garage. They diagnosed a fuel blockage, changed the filters and flushed out the system. Everything seemed fine when I got it back and I've been driving about without any problem.

But tonight I experienced exactly the same problem again, ending up with me being recovered home (thanks to my insurance). While he was examining the vehicle, the breakdown mechanic spotted that the rubber input hose to the turbo has split along its length and reckons this is the source of the problem. Obvously I'll be replacing it anyway but would something as simple as this cause complete loss of power like I've been experiencing?

yes you will lose a lot of power without the turbo helping the engine on my disco 300tdi the turbo kicks in around 2500rpm not sure when yours will kick in but they are useless without the help from the turbo

Aye, split hoses are a bastid!

Years a go i remember the turbo hose going on a disco 300 i had and it was so gutless it was soul destroying 50mph up hills on the motorway and that was it no more to give.
But still drove and would defo do more than 10mph.
So you probably have a fuel problem as well.


Lynall

turbo pipe will give lack off power but you should still get home i would check fuel system from pick up in tank for blockage and pipes to pump for air leaks

Thanks for the advice. The power loss became apparently when it started to struggle to get to 50mph on the open road. Even slight climbs knocked the speed down dramatically so I thought 'turbo'. I had to slow down and lose all my momentum when I got into the town and that's where it got serious - what finished me off was going round a mini roundabout. There was just no pull at all and I had to dive into a bus stop and phone for recovery. However, while I was waiting the engine was spluttering a bit on idle. After I turned it off it laboured a bit when starting again so perhaps it was fuel starvation.

It just seems strange that if it was entirely down to the turbo hose, it was fine for two weeks then the problem suddenly reoccurred. I'm about to walk to the motor factors to get a new hose just now so I'll see if it makes a difference. If not it'll have to go back to the garage because changing a pipe is pretty much the limit of my technical ability. Until this point I'd never regretted having the Land Rover as my only vehicle...

turbo hse wouldnt effect idle you must have muck in tank reblocking pipes or air leak

I have ordered a new turbo hose today but in the meantime I did a tempy repair on the split one and set off to see if that would solve the problem. It drove normally for a couple of minutes but then started playing up again. I got home and had a poke about - the engine revs up normally at first but dies down to just above idle if left at high revs for half a minute or so. If I let it return to idle it would shudder but not cut out. I'm thinking it's likely to be a fuel problem?

It's just had a new fuel filter and the sedimenter cleaned. Any tips on what to do next would be appreciated. Am I right in thinking that the next step would be to check the performance of the lift pump? Could it be a blocked tank or cap breather?

its helpful to replace pipe between front of pump and fiter with clear one can be left in when done to check for air in system front banjo is best place to bleed fuel system as well,where as they will self bleed alot of air will damage pump

Just a quick update in case anyone is interested. It starts (reluctantly) and I left it idling yesterday for half an hour without any problems. There was no vacuum when I removed the fuel cap. I had a look in the tank, through the sender unit hole, to see if there was anything up and was faced with 30 litres of custard rather than nice clear diesel. The new fuel filter was totally gunged up too, though fuel was coming out when I cracked the banjo bolt. I syphoned some diesel out and took a pic of it - I'll upload it here once I get home to my own computer.

My best guess is that it's the dreaded 'diesel virus', which is actually some sort of anaerobic bacteria lives in fuel systems where there is moisture present. I've come across it once before in my railway career and it was a complete b*stard to get rid of. The land rover is at the garage now, since I don't have any facilities (no garage, parked on a busy street in the middle of the city) to work on it. Hopefully it won't have knackered my injector pump or injectors!

The diesel bug is normaly black,could be water.