Land Rov300tdi auto awkward starting and flat when running.

[bl1300]

Ok this is one that is now really really bugging me.


adding more pressed enter by mistake

[bl1300]

Been trying to get to the bottom of this for quite a while now and have near enough exhausted all my easy avenues of diagnosis so am hoping that someone else can help.

Ok starting is poor but I have been able to effect enough of an improvement that it now doesn't need easy start or similar to fire but it can still take 20s cranking before it will fire, but other times it fires straight away doesn't matter if its hot or cold.

Power is drastically down and I have a video here that show just how bad it is. No smoke other than a big puff of grey when its being difficult to start and definatly running on all 4 cylinders. This is what ive done so far.

Glow plugs
Battery
Fuel filter
Fuel Sedimenter
Changed the spill pipes
Fitted clear lines to check for air bubbles in fuel none present.
Double checked the injection and valve timing and fitted a new timing belt and tensioners as the old one had jumped a tooth.
Turbo is providing enough boost to pressurise the top intercooler hose.
No codes on ECU
Compression test results show all 4 cylinders even compression but low 280psi
Injection pump was delivering low fuel pressure whilst cranking to injectors so has been swapped for another and performance is still down but starting significantly improved

What do you reckon is going on here.

[MonzaPhil]

Edc or early one? Lift pump, air flow meter, pinhole in a fuel pipe, kinked pipe, fuel tank pick up, valve clearances... Umm, some of them are just not good starters, electrical interference from starter motor if it has a crank sensor and all that guff, needle lift sensor problem...

On ours I fitted a second battery and a couple of extras earth leads and its transformed the starting power.

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[bl1300]

Sorry should have said EDC and you've just reminded me of all the other things ive checked lol.

Lift pump has been replaced for a new item and gives a strong squirt when using the priming lever.
Air flow meter I haven't checked but id have thought problems with that would throw codes.
All fuel lines have been checked for kinks and ive checked the in tank lines as well as there known to rot and pull in air. Ive sorted 1 diesel leak but I can't find any other areas on any of the pipes that are damp.

She turns over pretty fast.



Meant to link that earlier it shows just how flat she is although it also destorts the engine sound.

[bl1300]

Valve clearances are next to check as she is tappy

[MonzaPhil]

The airflow meter could be reading incorrectly rather than open circuit or short circuit. Timing issue? The last poor running 300 we did had a ridge down the centre of the head from poor machining and valve clearances you could walk through.

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[MonzaPhil]

Was it a gradual or sudden problem? What fuel does it run on? Have you swapped any injectors?

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[bl1300]

Problem has gradually got worse but the vehicle has had the problem since it arrived 3 months back.

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[MonzaPhil]

So far, we reckon swap out the edc for a regular pump. Remove cat, remove centre silencer, have you swapped the edc ecu? Check your earths in the footwells.....

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[dodgerover]

Is the cat collapsing or blocked internally, can you run it with just a front pipe to try it out?

[bl1300]

Doesn't have a cat to remove.

[MonzaPhil]

Dammit. Bring it in, we'll have a look.

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[bl1300]

Where are you based as I wouldn't trust it long distance.

[MonzaPhil]

Hampshire, SO41 0FF. Probably inconveniently far away.

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[bl1300]

Could be further but its still about 6 hours lol. Ive had a play around with the injection timing this afternoon and have been able to effect a minor improvement its pulling more willingly on the flat and slightly better up the hills. It still feels flat but no more improvement is gonna be had through pump timing.

Plan B is now in effect.

[MonzaPhil]

Sounds serious but my plan B means B for Bin...... Good luck.

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[dodgerover]

Is that giving it flat out in the video? If so my old perkins has got more go!

Like you say it does sound absolutely flat, infact it didn't even sound diesel like!

Does it sound any different if you advance the pump timing right up against the stops, on a normal (not electronic) pump it should sound really really sharp and rattly like someone just dropped a bag of mables down the inlet. If it doesn't sound like that (and i'm sure MonzaPhil will know if this is correct for the electronic pump) then it is still retarded and you'll have to shift the cam belt by a tooth

I'm not familiar with the that engine but is it possible for it to shear a keyway making the pump or cam timing gear shift to give the impression it is timed correctly but still be out?

It couldn't be something stupid like a internal blockage in the exhaust?

[bl1300]

Advanced the timing right to the stop and it sounded really harsh and sharp and took forever to get the curse word to start.

As for the pump there is no key way its a taper fit so if someone takes the hub off the pump shaft its very easy to put it back on in the wrong place. Its timed to the right tooth though as I can make it sound too advanced and too retarded I just can't get any flipping power.

The video is pedal to the metal with a warm engine so performance is more than a little lacking as for the sound it does sound quite a bit better in real life the crappy microphone in my camera really distorts the sound.

[MonzaPhil]

In theory, it is impossible to mis-time a tdi.....

How are the intercooler hoses and intercooler? I've fitted silicon to mine as one was collapsing internally.

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[MonzaPhil]

Does it rev freely without any load on it?

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