So this winter has not been kind to my 01 disco. My engine has been having issues starting. First start in the morning when its cold takes roughly 10-15 seconds to kick on. When it starts running engine refs over 1000 rpm for about 30 seconds then falls down to about 750 rpm. Anytime I have to make a short stop say at a gas station or grocery store it will not start. The engine is cranking but wont kick over. If I wait roughly 20-30 minutes it will fight but will kick over. However if I wait and let the engine cool (roughly an 60-90 mins) the engine starts perfectly. Have replaced the following: Plugs, wires, battery. Starter and alternator were both checked out and were fine. I do not get any codes for this. But prior to this winter if it rained I would get misfire codes, The misfire codes were from both coil packs. and there were no cracks. I did however on a long trip back in December get a MAF code while driving but have not gotten it since I disconnected the battery.

'01 Disco, 130k miles

 

classic symptoms of a bad crank position sensor, about $70. When engine is warm, it stops sending pulses that contol spark timing. Cool it off with a bottle of water or block getting cold, you crank back up. Litmus test is no sparks (use spare plug, lay on manifold) when this happens. Here's some more info on it, if DIY put every tiny nut and spacer back on excatly. Plug in wire and let it hang down to install. Not a lot of space.

 

I have the same problem on Disco 2. In the morning it starts perfectly, but after driving for around 20-30 minutes, if i stop the car and want to start the engine again, it is cranking and not starting up, but after maybe half an hour of waiting, the engine is starting up without any difficulties. Its not showing any fault codes and after starting up, engine runs smoothly.

Is there any way to check if the Crankshaft position sensor is working normally?

 

Buzz just told you - check for spark.

Carry a spare plug. When it won't start, pull a wire, plug the extra spark plug into it, lay it on the exhaust manifold and have somone crank it while you watch the plug. No spark means bad CPS.

If you do get spark, it could also be the fuel pump relay. To test that, you swap the fuel pump relay with the winshield wiper relay next to it and crank again.

 

My car did exactly the same thing. Turns our the spark plugs needed replacing. If that doesn't work for you then try replacing crankshaft positioning sensor ($70). Its an easy fix. Don't let the mechanics roll you over.

 

I had the same issue with my crankshaft position sensor. I initially replaced my CPS from autozone after getting fault codes and getting hard starts from the engine. Then after about a year the generic replacement went bad and the disco died on the side of the road and would only start cold. When started cold, it would run for 10 minutes then die again. After reading these forums, I bought a Bosch CPS right away and the problem is completely solved. Another interesting comparison between OEM (Bosch) and the generic CPS' from my experience: the original OEM threw codes when it was starting to go out, while the generic didn't throw codes at all.