Defender TD5 Breakdown

[Rannsachair]

A good friend (who picked up my lathe for me with his defender) gave me a call this week, his Defender had broken down in Oban, luckily he was towing a plant trailer and a friend of his was passing to tow him home after they winched the Defender onto the trailer.

It has not been going right for a year, struggling to do 65 mph and slowing on hills, we spent a day checking sensors with my Hawkeye diagnostic tool and swapping sensors with my TD5 and to no avail, everything checked out ok.

The diesel pump was not sounding so good, so out it came:

Am guessing this is diesel bug, after cleaning out the pump it sounded ok, so was refitted, got pressure all the way to the fuel pressure regulator but still would not start - I am guessing that the blocked pump has cavitated and damaged the impeller, so a new pump was fitted: starts fine and now has full power, no slowing on hills and will do 75+mph.

First time I have seen diesel bug, at least we got to the bottom of why the truck was not going right, just a pity it took pump failure to find out: £250 for a vdo pump.

 

[Ruffian]

Ewww that's just nasty.

 

[dobbslc]

He needs some of that stuff @8ob uses!

 

[Melvyn Best]

Any decent motor factor should sell an additive f

 

[sako243]

It has not been going right for a year, struggling to do 65 mph and slowing on hills, we spent a day checking sensors with my Hawkeye diagnostic tool and swapping sensors with my TD5 and to no avail, everything checked out ok.

I know hindsight is a wonderful thing but if it was fine beforehand then that screams to me (certainly if manual) - lack of fuel or lack of air. If there wasn't black smoke then would lead me to think lack of fuel.

Sometimes no substitute for good old fashioned diagnostics

 

[Rannsachair]

I know hindsight is a wonderful thing but if it was fine beforehand then that screams to me (certainly if manual) - lack of fuel or lack of air. If there wasn't black smoke then would lead me to think lack of fuel.

Sometimes no substitute for good old fashioned diagnostics

Aye, think I jumped into assuming it was TD5 electronics....... as it was well looked after and regularly serviced.

 

[8ob]

He needs some of that stuff @8ob uses!

That gear works but shouldn't really be necessary on a road vehicle. doubtful the water/bug came from a filling station, my guess would be contaminated fuel tipped in from a can or barrel. I don't know if the later defenders have a drain plug in the tank but draining the water would be my first line of attack.

Bob

 

[sako243]

Aye, think I jumped into assuming it was TD5 electronics....... as it was well looked after and regularly serviced.

It's still fundamentally a diesel - they just need fuel, air and compression (preferably at the right times). Always start with the basics - usually find that if you don't check the basics then they'll come around and bite you in the ass.

 

[Rannsachair]

It's still fundamentally a diesel - they just need fuel, air and compression (preferably at the right times). Always start with the basics - usually find that if you don't check the basics then they'll come around and bite you in the ass.

It is a bit of a pain taking the pump out, so not sure we would have easily traced it back to that.....

 

[Rannsachair]

That gear works but shouldn't really be necessary on a road vehicle. doubtful the water/bug came from a filling station, my guess would be contaminated fuel tipped in from a can or barrel. I don't know if the later defenders have a drain plug in the tank but draining the water would be my first line of attack.

Bob

Plastic tank with no drain plug. There is a water sensor in the fuel filter but it has never activated.

The defender spends some time on the farm so may have had a top up in the past with some farm diesel.... though he says not the case

 

[willie.macleod]

The ear is often the best tool for diagnosing these! I fitted an inspection hatch for mine, Discovery owners are a step ahead here as they already have an inspection hatch for easy access.

 

[addjunkie]

Id be cleaning out the tank and adding some. Biocide to make sure it doesnt come back.

 

[Rannsachair]

Id be cleaning out the tank and adding some. Biocide to make sure it doesnt come back.

Been done.

 

[frank horton]

we always got that problem filling up in rural france.....endles primary blocked f/filters...
in the end bought a 800litre tanks and prefiltered all the fuel before use....
I even ran all tractors and plant on white as red was even worse......
Only buy from fast moving fuel stations.......

 

[stuvy]

The ear is often the best tool for diagnosing these! I fitted an inspection hatch for mine, Discovery owners are a step ahead here as they already have an inspection hatch for easy access.

I still have the measurements of where to cut the boot floor for a quick repair