Relay buzz on starting & driving along and lost all power!

Afternoon all

I hope someone might be able to help me diagnose a fault

Over the past week or so when I have turned the ignition to start the landrover 90 (2001 model), on occasions there has been a strange medium pitch screeching sound but on turning the ignition further the engine has turned over and the engine has normally fired immediately and the strange sound has stopped

Thought better get this looked at but as it was intermittent and the vehicle has driven okay it has not been a top priority

However whilst driving home on the road this afternoon the vehicle lost all power and the engine stopped. I was able to coast off the road into a field entrance. Radio was on so I could not say if this loss of power was accompanied by the strange noise. I tried starting the engine a few time but the strange sound was evident and even though the engine would turn over it would not start.

I waited about 5 minutes wondering how I was going to get a tow home when I thought I would give the vehicle one more try. On turning the ignition on I noticed the fuel guage flicker empty and this time the engine started and again the strange noise stopped. I was able to drive home as if nothing was wrong

Anyone have any idea what might be the cause of these symptoms. Normally this vehicle is an immediate starter whatever the weather

Any advice would be appreciated as I am not a mechanic myself. I am hoping this might be a relay causing the problem but if so find it strange that an electrical fault would cause a Diesel engine to stop

Thanks for any response

Philip

Sounds like a problem with the fuel pump.

lightning said:

Sounds like a problem with the fuel pump.

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+1

thanks for the advice.

Hope replacing the fuel pump is not too big a job

It's not too bad as long as you have the alignment tools for the timing belt. You can normally get one out and in, in a couple of hours

mojo247 said:

It's not too bad as long as you have the alignment tools for the timing belt. You can normally get one out and in, in a couple of hours

Click to expand...

It's a 2001 so that will be a td5 so pump is in the fuel tank so no timing to mess about with

Sorry, should have noticed that!

Thanks for the advice so far

Not quite so sure it is just a pump problem because symptoms have changed....

Traced the sound to the yellow relay under the drivers seat buzzing (pins are numbered 30-87, 85-86 and relay is adjacent to the fuze box)

When the ignition is switched on it buzzes, if i try to turn the engine over it will turn over but will not fire - I also noticed that the engine temperature gauge went close to zero when buzzing occurs

Then after trying a few times, with the ignition on I hear the relay close, the buzzing stops and then when I turn the engine over it fires up

I drove for about 10 minutes then engine stopped , there was no buzzing. On trying to restart the buzzing from the relay had returned and engine wouldn't start.

Tried manually closing the relay contact but engine still did not start

Waited about ten minutes and heard the relay close and was able to start the engine

There is no relay buzzing when the engine is running

I have a replacement relay on order but i am not convinced it is the buzzing relay at fault - I wonder if there is another faulty relay somewhere that is causing the problem

Again any further advice would be appreciated

just had another poke about and found that the buzzing went and the engine started when i wiggled the wires that go through the large rubber collar closest to the relay through the sheet on the gearbox side

so of the many wires i wonder which one is loose ... any thoughts or advice on how to identify the faulty wire?