Td5 fuel pump paddy

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Yankee Vet

New Member
Posts
8
Hello, and thanks for taking the time to read this. Any help and advice is eagerly sought and appreciated!

I have a 2000 Defender 110 Td5 with 100,000 miles presently on the clock. Last winter, the fuel pump began making a high-pitched whining noise when the vehicle was started cold - the whining was noticably worse the colder the temperature. Once the truck was up to operating temperature, the whining stopped and all was well...there were never any problems with actually starting, idling, power or smoke.....it always ran just fine.

Come summer, the noise faded into distant memory as the temperatures warmed and I forgot all about the issue. Until recently, as the snows have again arrived. The same symptoms returned - cold start resulted in a sickening whine from the fuel pump, yet everything goes normal as the vehicle reaches operating temperature.

My logical thought was that the fuel pump was nearing the end of it's life and should be replaced, which I just did with a brand new Land Rover pump. (That was NOT as simple as the workshop manual suggested it would be!) Result? The new pump now whines at the cold start! Granted it doesn't seem to be as pronounced, and it seems to quiet down sooner, but this was never anything I observed the first three winters I had the truck.

I did replace the fuel filter this past spring, between the first winter the pump began howling and now, and I do use diesel fuel additives at all times. Is it possible there is a problem elsewhere in the fuel system putting a strain on the pump until the engine warms up, such as with the fuel pressure regulator or some check valve in the lines? Again, I've not experienced any discernable issues with starting difficulty, power, performance, smoking, etc......it seems to run just fine.

(To add more ideas to your thought process - air filter is new, oil is changed often with Mobil full synthetic, etc. BUT, I did have the engine harness oil contamination issue this summer. I 'fixed' the problem by replacing the injector harness and repeatedly cleaning the ECU/engine harness connection until there was no further oil accessing the ECU connection. Again, never any problems with vehicle operation or performance.)

Thanks so much for reading through this.......and especially thank you if you can help me out!
 
how loud is the whining? is it still audible upon start up? cos if you place the ignition to pos II, i do hear my pump whining. once started, the engine is just too loud to notice the pump.

using the original fuel filter does some difference to the performance. i was never convinced till i tried it out myself.
 
It's very clearly heard above the engine after start up, even while driving at lower speeds......you can hear it from across a car park while the engine is running....it's a bit of an embarassing advertisement for the Land Rover logo - it's THAT loud.
 
befor the pump had the problem did you put a new fillter on it there was a bach of fillters that did nothold the presher so the pump wines realy bad one of my frends had one cost him loads befor he found it was just the fuel fillter
 
We'll see what happens now.....just replaced the fuel filter with a new one and when (if) fingers ever warm up will cut the old filter open and see what lies within. Will let the truck get good and cold and see what the verdict is.
 
If you do need a new fuel pump... I think the discovery one is cheaper.
Just take of the fuel float and add your old one. This is what I did when I could only get a discovery pump becasue of a lack of stock.
 
They say third time lucky. I had to fit 3 and this current one is as quiet as a mouse with slippers. Never let the truck run out of fuel as the inside pump bearings are lubricated by the fuel oil. Coming from Africa, I dont know too much about the cold weather, but I would also be careful on what additives to add to your fuel. Check for any air leaks as this is what also makes a whining sound with the bubbles in the fuel line.The seals that are attached to the pipe ends going into the fuel pump need to be 100% lined up as well. Hope you come right.
 
Problem solved! Thanks to all with their input and advice.

Here's my theory on the issue: Replaced the howling fuel pump with new one and got the same howl. The fuel filter had been replaced about 20,000 miles ago with genuine part, and I presumed it was still alright. Mr. Killnorton suggested a defective fuel filter could be the issue so I replaced it yesterday with a new one and the pump is absolutely SILENT! So the filter was the issue....and I'm thinking something along the lines that the hot fuel system cooling down during colder ambient temperatures was somehow drawing air in to the system. The truck was never difficult to start below freezing, but in the last 24 hours it's starting noticably easier.

As a quick note to all who've helped, I have one of a tiny handful of Td5's in the entire United States.....parts ain't easy to come by and it's up to me - a mechanic by manual - to keep it going. Thank you to all who have helped me out here as it has taken a big worry off of my mind. And I'm sure you'll be hearing from me again!

Cheers!
 
My Discovery has just started doing that this morning If it does it again i'll replace the fuel filter
hi mate just had my 90 td5 serviced was there when the guy changed the fuel filter on mine the pump squeled like a strangled cat for a minute or so then intermitantly for a about another 5 minutes think its just air running around the system :rolleyes:
 
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