mine used to drive about 2 miles, (Menards parking lot) and after shutting it off, it wouldn't start until I towed it home. ended up being the wires going to the fuel shutoff switch.

 

As a consultant maybe 20 years ago I had the task of getting a construction trailer through an industrial building and into an inner courtyard at an aluminum plant. The building was a corridor where specialized transporters carry crucibles containing molten aluminum on the way from the pot rooms to the ingot casting plant, and we had to do our move fast enough that we would not disrupt the traffic from the pot rooms.

As soon as the truck pulling the trailer got into the corridor and near the first pot room, it stalled and refused to budge. All hell broke loose and we used another truck we had on standby to pull it back out. Once out, the first truck started again and showed no signs of wanting to stall again, despite the cold weather. Still we decided to use the backup truck instead, and it also died at the exact same spot. We pulled it out using the first truck.

Turns out pots induce extreme magnetic fields, and the field they create plays havoc on non shielded fuel injectors. But we did not know that. As soon as we were able to locate a truck that was able to run in intense magnetic fields, we were able to proceed without a hitch.

So I completely believe your story. Again it reminds me that sometimes troubleshooting is also thinking outside the box.

 

Thanks Lowest Bidder, everyone thought I was completely nuts ...................................... which I am

I also had some other instances but unrelated. It happened in various places around France mostly in car parks of motorway services and supermarkets. I never did figure why exactly but I realised when I put my mobile cellphone which was switched on in the slight well next to the low range gear stick it sometimes wouldn't start so I said to the wife get out the truck take my mobile switched off and we both started again from scratch, opened the truck with the key fob, put the key in the ignition whilst the wife stayed outside with the mobile phone and bingo the damn truck immediately fired up. All I could figure was that the cellphone signals in certain directions and locations interferred with the ECU or some electronics. The biggest headache is that it's a diesel and so no ignition system to screw up. Go figure, as I never could.

 

Yours is a TD5 - the fuel system is stuffed with electronics and the injectors are electronically controlled, just like on the petrol cars.

 

You are perfectly correct in that. That is probably why it is easily upset by spurious microwave signals from cellphones or EMF from various sources. I love the TD5 engine but on rare occasions it can be a real PITA.

 

UPDATE

So this morning I pulled into the garage and scanned for codes using my Hawkeye scanner. Not a single code. Every tesat I asked wy wife to perform first thing in the morning has turned up negative, despite the temperature being as low as minus 30 Celsius on one occasion, and never above minus 20.

Everything looks ship shape as far as I can tell. Is there a code for low fuel pressure?

I guess the next step would be measuring the fuel rail pressure. I'm gonna find a suitable pressure gauge and see what comes up.

Thanks all for your help!
Georges

 

Try check the fuel rail pressure Lowest Bidder. I reckon you could possibly have fuel issues at -30C where it starts with the fuel already present in the rail and injector lines but is not pumping new fuel through the system. I am wondering whether there is any water in your fuel system that is maybe freezing up overnight. The only other issue may be the HT leads or coil packs are condensating overnight or there is damp around the ignition electrical gear.

On the other tack, do you have any cellphone in the car or mains high voltage transformers near your drive or house which may be a strong source of EMF.