TD4 Fluid around injectors

So, I'm still having issues with my TD4 idling erratically (sometimes dips a little and sometimes jumps a little, neither is major just a brief blip) and when the engine is warm it doesn't want to restart, despite having replace the cam sensor.

After taking the front cover off there is some sort of fluid (I am guessing it is diesel but it is black) around the injector on the left (I presume this is injector 1). I've dried it off and after a short drive it is back again.
I am guessing I need to replace this injector? Is there anything else that could be causing the fluid to pool there?

SamF81 said:

So, I'm still having issues with my TD4 idling erratically (sometimes dips a little and sometimes jumps a little, neither is major just a brief blip) and when the engine is warm it doesn't want to restart, despite having replace the cam sensor.

After taking the front cover off there is some sort of fluid (I am guessing it is diesel but it is black) around the injector on the left (I presume this is injector 1). I've dried it off and after a short drive it is back again.
I am guessing I need to replace this injector? Is there anything else that could be causing the fluid to pool there?

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hi, sounds like ur having fun , not,

has it been on a diagnostic machine yet

sorry I can't help with the problems around the injectors , wondering if maybe a picture posted might shed some light on the problem ???

mines a 2002 td4 and found the vacuum hoses can get holes in them

hope u don't mind me saying but have they all been checked , they go near the turbo actuator, back of the engine on the left hand side , also on the right side of the engine , near the egr , pipes touch the engine and cause a hole
in them

when u get the correct egr bypass kit u can check all through the vacuum pipes as some of it will be blacked off

not sure if that will cure the irrational running but just trying to think what issues might make it run rough

has the inlet manifold been removed and clean out

maf sensor nice and clean

sorry I can't be more help with regards to the leak but just trying to think of mods that are normally done on the engine

but of course if it is an injector leaking will certainly cause issues in its running

did u get the fuel filter pump, filter replaced , did it need it

sorry if these questions have been asked before

know it can be frustrating when a car doesn't like playing nicely but once sorted out they are a joy to own and drive

Hi SamF81
Check the leak back connector is not broken just inside the injector, remove the clip holding it in and pull the connector off, that way you will see if it is still ok or damage if it is like one I changed for a friend it had snapped just inside the injector so was leaking, I removed the piece left inside the injector with a tiny screw, this was screwed into the left over part of the connector and then pulled out, replaced with a good one yours will most likely be plastic and they go brittle.

update....and a re-cap
mainly its been a hot starting issue from the get go. things I've done..
stripped and cleaned inlet. pulled egr off to find a 2p glued in with araldite, and the flexi pipe still attached to egr. said 2p fell out when I took egr off, so cleaned it all up and blanked flexi pipe as a temp measure till I get a blanking kit. no major gunk really, but cleaned none the less.
replaced cam sensor with a working one to check if that's the culprit...it aint!!
fuel pump primes for about 40 secs then shuts off. cleaned connectors on fuel rail..no joy.
this morning it wouldn't start from cold. cranked fine and dandy. eventually she fired up and we had a lump of smoke and un burned diesel come out. but she ran.
this is the first time she's not started from cold too. usually ok the next morning.
I only have a cheap obdII reader. can see live data( well, rpm coolant temp, that's it lol), no stored codes or current codes. it says maf is fine. no other info available. needs a better reader??

I will do a leak back test this morning to make sure injectors are ok. without cranking, then with, if there's no obvious leak back.
will find out if any t connectors are bust when I do the check.. fingers crossed as they're not easy to get on their own I hear.
will post back any findings. and i'll take some pics too.
any more advice.......please feel free to add...
thanks

ok, so did a leak back test by unclipping the t connectors, and turned to ign.2 for 12 secs. nothing from top of any injector. note - there was a tiny fuel spill from inj.2-4 when taking clip off, no.1 had nowt.
so put back together and tried to start....nope, didn't like it. so pulled the fuel rail sensor clip out and she fired right up! put clip back in and she continued to fire up. ran it for ten mins at idle and revved a little. no erratic idle, dipping or hunting symptoms.
going to get her on the road and get it hot, she if I can get her to not start again, then test the fuel rail sensor again. if not that then I'm stumped!!!
fuel pump seems fine. whirs for 40 secs. btw you can hear a hissing from the front left of engine when you turn ign. on. I guess this is just the pump, but as its located in the osr wheel well, its not got a leak somewhere in the bowels of the engine?? or am I being paranoid now????

thanks in advance for any insight..

I've not done this, but I think a proper leak back test needs to be done with the engine cranking.

Anyway, check for corrosion around the rail pressure sensor plug and perhaps pull the sensor out and inspect. There is a harness upgrade available.

Hissing from front of engine is 'normal' - mine does it.

I'm thinking that the HPFR sensor connections could be suspect. Maybe the harness is breaking down for the HPFR sensor?

[QUOTE
"I am guessing I need to replace this injector? Is there anything else that could be causing the fluid to pool there?[/QUOTE]"

Nothing to do with your misfire but - when I got my FL1 it had suffered poor servicing and the oil was filthy - it was leaking oil from several places around the top of the engine including collecting around the injectors - if I ran it on tickover with the oil filler cap loose there was some slight blow. - I changed the breather filter - then if I let it tick over with the oil filler cap loose it would bounce a couple of times then stick down on suction. Subsequently all the oil seeping from the rocker cover areas dried up and the drive was not being covered in oil drips. Later I changed to the BMW breather and although the suction on tickover was not so pronounced the oil leaks are still absent. She rattles a bit at 2k revs light throttle (probably timing chain) but runs sweet as a nut

yes poor seals on the bottom of your injectors will cause this I know I had it on my old one you need to get it out or it will go solid and them you will have trouble getting it out.

I have been cleaning some injectors today that I have spare, as I too am having a little trouble starting from cold, this as only started to happen over the last week or so, I have done a leak back test all within tolerance, changed the O-rings on the HPFP regulator, I did get a fault code on the Hawkeye DTC -1260, pressure below lowest level for engine start.
These were cleared and a retest was done all was ok, I intend to do another test over the next couple of days, if I find anything which may help I will post.

hi again!

did a leak back test cranking. all seemed within limits. car has run well enough for a day or so. not stalled once while I've been able to get under engine, typical!!
however, had poor idle, hunting etc again, so turned her off and pulled the fuel rail sensor plug. put back on, and fired up. no erratic idle, no kangaroo's or eml flashing for an hours drive. next day, ****ty idle back. did the same thing, and she ran perfect, then developed the dodgy idle, but didn't cut out or have eml on and didn't kangaroo. so..... it has to be rail sensor, or the connector/harness. now, my tiny mind says its the sensor not the wire. I think this because its fine for a while after un-plugging and putting back on. I'd imagine a break in the harness would be in the wires under the fuel rail or further round, not the connection to the plug, as fiddling with that didn't produce any changes. she's in for a diagnostic at a lr specialist to find out if I'm anywhere near correct. if its the harness then they can do it, I have not the eyes or the steady hands to do this. if anyone knows a good breaker for mk1 interiors point me their way please, as I'm after tidying the hippo's rear door cards and grab handle covers all round.

thanks all by the way.

I am new here and this may be well documented elsewhere but my TD4 began to run progressively badly; felt like it hesitated when accelerating and generally started spluttering until I disconnected, cleaned and dried the electrical connector on the sensor on the end of the HPFR. It would seem that it would attract moisture (condensation I thought) and I was cleaning it monthly. As the weather grew colder this started to become more frequent until I put a thin seal of silicon grease around the plug before reinserting it. Since then I have not had to touch it.

Philgt50 said:

I am new here and this may be well documented elsewhere but my TD4 began to run progressively badly; felt like it hesitated when accelerating and generally started spluttering until I disconnected, cleaned and dried the electrical connector on the sensor on the end of the HPFR. It would seem that it would attract moisture (condensation I thought) and I was cleaning it monthly. As the weather grew colder this started to become more frequent until I put a thin seal of silicon grease around the plug before reinserting it. Since then I have not had to touch it.

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LR released an overlay harness and replacement sensor to cure that problem.
But if silicone grease works, that's a bonus.

Nodge68 said:

LR released an overlay harness and replacement sensor to cure that problem.
But if silicone grease works, that's a bonus.

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Seems to have so far, I bought some even better water dispelling stuff to use but so far the grease is working. I suspect this has been going on for a long time because the previous owner seems to have changed everything else; injectors, fuel pump, filter; and I wonder if they were chasing this problem around, aided by a grateful mechanic, if you know what I mean! Thanks for the reply; this is a really useful forum.

Philgt50 said:

I am new here and this may be well documented elsewhere but my TD4 began to run progressively badly; felt like it hesitated when accelerating and generally started spluttering until I disconnected, cleaned and dried the electrical connector on the sensor on the end of the HPFR. It would seem that it would attract moisture (condensation I thought) and I was cleaning it monthly. As the weather grew colder this started to become more frequent until I put a thin seal of silicon grease around the plug before reinserting it. Since then I have not had to touch it.

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Do you mean the rail pressure sensor (just under intake manifold) or the high pressure regulator (back of HP pump)?

I'm trying to chase down an overfuelling problem and ready to try anything at this point.

guineafowl21 said:

Do you mean the rail pressure sensor (just under intake manifold) or the high pressure regulator (back of HP pump)?

I'm trying to chase down an overfuelling problem and ready to try anything at this point.

Click to expand...

I am referring to the high pressure fuel rail sensor under the intake manifold. It occurred to me that as I kept having to clean/dry it, and it was definitely moisture not diesel or oil, that the moisture was perhaps condensation or something so sealed it and so far (2 months at least) all good. The corrosion in that plug seems well documented elsewhere. Hope that helps you out.

Hi,
Had fuel by one of my injectors. I had recently had the injectors serviced and refitted the HP pipes to 20Nm. When returning from a run a small pool of diesel had accumulated. It didn’t seem to form when idling. On close examination it was coming from the HP pipe. I undid the nut a little, gave it a tap to unseat the flare then re-torqued to 20Nm. Then very carefully, gave it a touch more. Hey presto, no more leaks.