We just inherited a 1997 Land Rover Discovery. This vehicle will be primarly driven by my 16 year old daughter however we have one problem.

the truck almost always starts first thing in the morning (one day it didnt) however if you drive a short distance, say to the store and go in and shop it may or may not start again. however if you let it sit 3-4 hours it will generally start again.

in talking to a few rover enthuiasts they have all said that this is a frequent issue and can be fixed by replacing the fule pump. I have found someone who will help us replace the pump and I just need to order the pump. the recomendation was to buy from alantic british and when I went online to buy the part I found that there are 2 pumps the standard pump and the fuel pump AEL.

how do I know which one we need.

Please help

 

is your gas cap tethered? if so, you have advanced evap.

 

I would call AB or Rovers North, they may be able to look it up via few digits from the VIN. You can prob do the same thing by calling the dealer.

 

And you can test the fuel system at a schrader valve on the fuel rail, should have like 30 34 PSI there when running, might also be fuel pressure regulator.

It is possible to replace the pump only with an Airtex unit, it costs like $80. Airtex E3270 - about $47 at Rock Auto, should just have to replace pump only.

 

Ahhh Jafir, I see what you mean about the tethered but, what happens if the tether broke off? But I did find this on AB's site.

Your Discovery I has a specific 'Evaporative Emissions Family' that will help you determine key fuel system replacement parts like the oxygen sensors, fuel pump, fuel filler cap, fuel tank and filler pipe assembly, charcoal canister and more. To identify your 'Evap. Family', check your vehicle information label under the hood on the vertical face of the hood latch panel.

 

Before you just go and order the fuel pump (which may or may not be the real problem) you should test the fuel pump pressure like Buzz said. The schrader valve looks like the air valve on a tire. Don't just take for granted the fuel pump is bad.

It would be a bummer to spend lots of money on a replacement if it is not the fuel pump. The early 97 like I have is the pre-AEL version which Rovers North in house brand (ProLine) is only 100 bucks for the entire drop in assembly. The AEL version is lots more.

Mine had a crack on the top of the plastic housing where the return line enters the assembly, so I had to have the entire assembly.

There can be other things that can cause it to not start. One very common problem which I also had and fixed was the ground connection from the starter to the chassis frame. Corrosion had degraded that ground such that the starter did not always engage. Replacement of the ground cable resolved that problem.

Get a fuel pressure guage from the auto parts store, remove the cap on the schrader valve on the fuel rail under the hood. It should have a cap on it like a tire air stem. The fuel pressure guage threads on there. When you turn the key to the on position, the fuel pump energizes for 5 seconds to pressurize the system since it is fuel injection. You should be able to hear the fuel pump run. It makes a slight humming sound. The correct pressure is around 36 PSI and if here are no leaks anywhere in the fuel lines, the system should stay pressurized.

You could also have a bad fuel pressure regulator or even a leak somewhere that is allowing the pressure to not build up to the correct running pressure. I also had severely corroded fuel lines from the fuel tank to the engine compartment which required me to replace those fuel lines and the fuel filter.

The fuel filter itself could be so clogged that it could be the source of your problem. It is located in the rear wheel well on the passenger's side. It should be replaced on a regular basis as well. If the Rover sat for a while or was not maintained on a regularr basis, you should go ahead and replace the fuel filter regardless of what else you do.
The fuel filter is only about 20 bucks. An AEL fuel pump assembly runs from about 250 for a Pro-Line to around 400 or more for the Land Rover OE.

If you just buy the fuel pump without verifying the pressure you could easily spend hundreds and not resolve the problem.

 

So far this week we have an inherited Disco, a project Disco for $300, and a Disco with 117 miles for $2000. Can't wait 'til it is my turn....

 

There will be a bolt that held the tether. On my 96, there was no hardware for a tether at all.

Another way to to look at the evap box / charcoal canister... one is round one is square. Look for a post by paul grant, because I don't remember which was which.

 

The vin number will be one solid way to determine. After a certain VIN they changed at that point forward.

Another is the evap family sticker.

Mine is pre-AEL, manufactured in late 1996 calendar year. It has a round charcoal cannister.

You can also pull the access plate in the rear cargo area. The pre-AEL has one electrical connector, the AEL has two connectors. Pre-AEL also has a red locking ring.

 

Open the hood. As you're facing the vehicle look past the battery. You will see something called the charcoal canister. If it is upright and round, you have the early style evaporative system. If the canister is rectangular and on its side, it is the advanced version. You can tell in a second.