TD4 Start Trouble and random Sluggishness

Hi all

Thanks in advance for your help

I've found a number of threads on here with similar symptoms but hope you don't mind if I start my own just in case my exact sequence of events rings a bell with anyone.

Basically, I was low on fuel (red light just on) and put £20 with of diesel (checked I didn't put petrol in) in my TD4 Auto and drove approx 10 miles to work no problem. Went to drive home and it would turn over very strong but just wouldn't start. Eventually the battery went flat.

Called the RAC expecting to need to be taken to a garage, he simply jump started it and it drove home without missing a beat.

Went to start up this morning and got the same, strong turn over but no start. Tried again and started. Traveled about a mile then got lack of power, pulled over and kept it running, it revved fine, pulled off then got the same about 1/2 mile down the road.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Based on other posts I'm guessing fuel pump or injectors but I also can't help thinking it was a bit of a coincidence it happened straight after filling up given that it had driven faultlessly before.

Once again, thanks in advance for your help.

Tom.

is there any smoke at all from the exhaust when it does fire up?

Could be contaminated diesel.

Hi chaps.

No smoke at all. I was wondering about dirty fuel.

I'm not technical at all but was thinking that perhaps running it with one of those cleaner additives in the tanks might help.

Where did you buy the diesel from?

It came from a local Texaco station.

Should be OK then. Not a bio diesel mix and usually good stuff. Could be worth checking the fuel filter.
Mike

Could be a cruddy fuel filter...

It could be your lp fuel pump. Mine packed up while I was filling up with diesel. Yours might not be totally dead but could be on the way out

Hi all,

Been running fine for a day, although had a little trouble starting. Went to garage to top up fuel this morning and then couldn't get started again!!!

Going to have to get it into the garage next week to find out whats up. I hope it's just the filter, but with the reputation this Freelander is starting to build, I fear it may be worse!

Thanks for your help so far, will let you know what it turns out to be.

Tom.

Replace the low pressure fuel pump and filter. Easy job, parts around £100 total. Its above the rear drivers side wheel arch.
Mike

Update:

Just got a jump start, would turn over fast but not start - this happened a couple of times.

Whacked the fuel pump under the fuse box with a hammer and started straight away! I'm guessing this is the high pressure pump.

Therefore, I guess a good bet would be to replace this. Is that a job a person with very limited skills could tackle or best for garage?

If it is the high pressure pump, then that ain't cheap. Don't mess around with it til others have given their opinion. But if it is, unless your a competent mechanic, let some one else do it.
Mike

Skinny Mike said:

If it is the high pressure pump, then that ain't cheap. Don't mess around with it til others have given their opinion. But if it is, unless your a competent mechanic, let some one else do it.
Mike

Click to expand...

Thanks Mike. I will await other responses before I take the plunge.

Why does it always have to be the expensive option?! :-(

The pump next to the fuse box in the engine bay is a low pressure pump & filter-relocated on later models (Around 2002) to behind the rear r.h. wheel arch.
The high pressure fuel injection pump is driven directly by the timing chain from the crankshaft. As the H.P. pump is lubricated by the fuel passing through it, if the L.P. pump is not delivering sufficient pressure to feed the H.P. pump, the engine will not start in order to prevent damage to the injection pump due to lack of lubrication.

Hi all,

The Freelander has been into the garage but started every time they tried, so I asked them to change the filter anyway. Went to start this morning and getting exactly the same problem. A tap with a hammer gets it started but its obviously suffering from fuel starvation when driving so it must be the pump.

I have the setup as described by IrishRover and as per this post:

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f9/td4-removing-under-bonnet-fuel-pump-filter-170336.html

Please could someone let me know the part number for this pump (a quick web search turns up loads of pumps and I want to be sure I get the correct one). The garage quoted £280, I'm hoping they're wrong!!!!!!

Thanks again for your advice and support.

Tom.

It should be this
http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/331112357847?fits=Model:Freelander
But mines slightly different to yours, so best wait for one of the brainy ones to look.
Mike

Hi all,

Just as an update, the part number for the under bonnet low pressure pump on my W reg TD4 was - LR020625.

£354 from dealer or £150 from local specialist.

However, I continued to run it for a few days with some fuel system cleaner in there and it has now been running a week without missing a beat so I've opted to return the part for now and will see how it goes.

Thanks for your help!