TD5 Starting Problems...

Oh my baby is ill. Frustrating because I cannot work out a definate pattern yet. Symptoms are;

She does not like starting the first time I try on a new day. Can take a lot of turns or continuous turning until she eventually fires.

Once started she can happily be stoppped and restrated with a flick of the key (normal)

Kept in a garage - problem not so bad as when outside overnight but still bad. Yesterday took about 10 minutes to start her outside.

Almost seems to occur after a long journey the day before when the engine has reached normal operating temperature and then been shut down.

As I say once started I can then turn her off and come back six hours later and she starts fine.

Any words of wisdom anyone?

Had this happen to my 90, problem was a fuel line leak, so after a reasonable preiod of time most of the fuel lines were empty, so it needed excessive cranking to get it going.

With your engine when you turn on the ignition, the pump starts and pressurises the system, but I am not sure how it would go if your system was leaking, pulling air etc, as I belive they are ment to self prime.

There was a fault with the TD5's which was actully a Landrover fault and they sorted it, where part of the fuel line got rubbed away on a section of the chassis or something similar, perhaps it is this and yours never got it sorted.

It could also be related to the fact that you mentioned in your other post that the pump seems tp be struggling, again change the filter, or maybe the pump is shot.

Guys this sounds good common sense stuff to me. Logical, and as you just observed, there could be a clear connection between this and my other post concerning the whining noise prior to starting so it clearly could be fuel pump related.

Thanks for the pointers but other feedback also greatly appreciated. I must try and get the workshop manual I keep meaning to buy, what wheel arch is the filter in? Lol.

Thanks again though, will go and look around.

on my 52 reg td5 it is in the rear off side, cant miss it its directly behind the wheel.

Thanks guys and Ok, for benefit of others on this forum it appears to be the fuel pump is underperforming, I have had it checked and am informed it is well under pressure.

It is also related to my other post concerning a loud whining noise - this is also the fuel pump as I discovered last night by removing the fuse for the fuel pump. Hey presto no noise, fuse back in and she squeals like a pig.

Having new pump and filter fitted so will tell you if it works.

Incidently and another dumb question does the fuel pump just pump at a set speed flooding some other device with fuel that then regulates flow to the engine OR does its speed vary depending on demand i.e. engine rev's. This may answer another theory I have about another minor issue.

Well, praying and fingers crossed, collected it last night and seems to repeatedly start last night when warm and this morning from cold. A definate result on before.

Replaced Fuel Pump and also it turned out to be the "air" regulator. Whether this is different to the fuel regulator or just a different translation from German (I live in Switzerland) I dont know.

It looks like it fits somewhere along the air intake line and has a small sensor sticking up in the middle of it, looks like a tiny thermocouple (temperature sensor to the un-initiated).

I guess that sends a reading to something else to regulate the fuel air mix.

Hope this helps.

Ok by way of closure on this thread and after a long 8 months of hassle where Land Rover Switzerland failed, I shipped the car back to the UK into the hands of LR UK and hey presto, just got the following email;

Just had phone call from Hunters. Found oil in main injector loom & main harness, they've fitted new turbo hoses, looms & laminations. All 100% paid for by Land Rover & we have to collect tomorrow morning. She couldn't call you as she can't dial your number from her phone - uk only I suppose. So that's good news. By the way we asked the salesman ref price & he looked up trade price as being about £9995 so with luck you'll get more than £7,500.

Anyone want to buy a nice Land Rover? I got so ****ed off with it I bought a new one.