PLEASE HELP DAILY DRIVER DOWN! crank but wont start! land rover discovery 2
 

Hello, I own a 2000 LR D2 SD with the 4.0 with 171,000 miles, I bought it from a land rover tech whom worked at a dealership and owned it since new, so all maintenance has been kept up with and truck has been filled with only 91 premium its whole life, about a year ago there was a incident where my transmission case cracked and i had a whole new AT installed along with a front prop shaft and a full inspection, drove it probably 1000 miles since (maybe 8 months) and yet i had another problem, i had the truck sit while i was gone for a weekend (3 days) i came back to start it and the truck had a strong crank, but no start ( ive been on a 3 week vacation and came home and started fine (4 months prior)) it had a quarter tank so i didn't think it was fuel, i sprayed starter fluid into the intake and it started right up, i drove it for a couple days (most 15 miles) and the same thing happens, so i used starter fluid again, and drove fine until i got to a red light, it was idling at about 700-800, and the engine just cut off, oil and battery light came on,turned the key and crank but no start, once again i hopped out and started it again with starter fluid and drove it home, every time i came to a stop i would shift into neutral and rev the engine so it wouldnt die. ever since its been sitting, only starts with starter fluid.

i checked these forms and saw that a bad crankshaft position sensor would cause similar symptoms so i bought a new one and replaced it (yes battery was unhooked when installing), once again crank but no start, so i used starter fluid again and started it and let it run (in hopes to let codes pass and to let it adapt to new sensor) it got to running temp for 2 minutes and it just died again at idle, plugged in my obd2 reader and one code came up (P1884) I looked it up and saw it could mean a number of things, so before i dug too deep into what it could mean i cleared the code and started ikt again (with fluid) ran once again with now check engine light and a decent idle, after about 2 minutes again it cut off, i ran the ob2 again to see if any codes came up and only one code came up, this time it said code (P0447) which is the "EVAP vent open" code.

at this point im stumped what to check for next/what to do, i was planning on changing the spark plugs and wires to see if im getting bad spark, also thinking there is air in the fuel system or something? can someone please let me know what my next steps should be and/or what i should replace or repair? it is my daily driver and i want to get it working as soon as possible

try unplugging the MAF and starting the truck without starter fluid

tried it
 

went out and tried it, still nothing, put the sensor back on the intake to try again and still nothing, read for codes afterwards and no codes read

where is the relay located? and can i check my fuel pressure here in my driveway with simple tools / autozone rented tools? if so could i get a link to a good video or forum? i thanks!

You know that you have low fuel pressure since it starts with starter fluid but not without. Could be the fuel pump relay or even a corroded relay or fuse box, but is most likely a dying fuel pump (easy to replace under your back hatch carpet).

Get the fuel pressure tool at Oreilly, rave manual shows you were the tap is - back of the manifold drivers side. Fire fuel and compression, all at the right time. CPS is a good guess, but you changed it and that didn't fix it. I still wouldn't rule it out.

ECU turns off the injectors if the signals are not there. You can pull the upper intake off, take the injectors out, and crank it. Injectors shoudl squirt on crank. Unplug the MAF or swap in a different one - bad MAF signals prevent starting.


Any spark at the plugs?

Was there a point when the SES light were blinking?

Check fuel pressure, it obviously has spark if it starts right up with ether.

​​​​​​​ Brian.

no, the first time it died the "sport" and "manual" green lights came up flashing but im guessing it was because it died in gear

ok, sounds good
 

im going to check my fuel system today and see

alright, is it possible to rebuild the pump in the disco? i don't want to have to buy an expensive pump.

[QUOTE=No Doubt;660766]You know that you have low fuel pressure since it starts with starter fluid but not without. Could be the fuel pump relay or even a corroded relay or fuse box, but is most likely a dying fuel pump (easy to replace under your back hatch carpet).[/QUOTE
so im guessing that the engine is sucking its own fuel into the motor in higher rpms? then once it gets to idle it cant pull enough fuel for its self to run off of? or is the pump weak and cant pump enough? it will run as long as i want, just as long as it doesnt drop under 1000ish rpm

" i don't want to have to buy an expensive pump."

I know its a bad time for this reminder, but you bought the wrong car for that kind of attitude. Owning a Land Rover one should know going in that proper maintenance is not an option but a requirement. The only way to cut the cost is to do the labor yourself. AB has them on a Flash Sale right now.

There are tons of options depending on your skill level, comfort level, and pocketbook.

The Bosch replacement pump is just $136 at RockAuto: https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/land+rover,2000,discovery,4.0l+v8,1363496,fuel+&+a ir,fuel+pump+&+housing+assembly,10147

The actual Land Rover fuel pump from Atlantic British is $224 during their current flash sale.

Some people use a generic inline fuel pump, which can be as cheap as $35 but requires doing your own electrical and fuel line plumbing.

Others buy a used fuel pump. I picked one up on eBay for less than $40, and local wrecking yards sell them even cheaper.



...but... before doing that, let's first *TEST* your Disco 2 to see our problem. Heck, a bad alternator/battery (failed internal cell) can reduce fuel pressure. So start her up with starting fluid and rev her a bit to keep her going and then... Turn On Your Headlights, foglights, radio, and step on your brake pedal.

If your problem is marginal voltage to your fuel pump, then the above might identify a problem other than, or in addition to, a tired fuel pump.

Test first!

o
 

yes im an ASE student, i know how to do it, just i dont want to dump more money into something i dont know will work.

First ensure the autobox gearshift is in P or N. Switch the ignition key to 2 then open the rear door and if the pump isn't whirring it is dead and there are no serviceable parts so it will only take the cost of a new pump plus the rubber gasket. The D2 will only start in P or N.

To change the fuel pump is a simple 2 hour max job, see here:

www.discovery2.co.uk / TD5 Fuel Pump replacement.

You don't need to remove the rear side panels for access as the carpet usually slides out underneath the panels. The V8 pump is normally the same or similar type to the TD5 but with less connections into it but it's in the same location.

fixed!
 

replaced the relay (number #1 in the engine bay fuse box) and i turned the key half way to let the fuel pump kick on, at the same time i unplugged and plugged my MAF, and it started right up. WITH NO SES LIGHT EITHER!, thank you everybody for your help ill keep updated if something happens again!

broke again... kinda?
 

well, well, at work, i drove it there fine, but 3 hours later on my break it wouldnt, started with starter fluid and drove home, half way my transmission turned to "limp mode" where the sport and manual mode lights flash on the cluster. when i got back i let it sit to see if it would die at idle again, it didnt, i turned it off and read any codes, got one fault for the evap valve open, and got one pending (p0355) a CPS code, is this just because i havent changed the adaptations?? turned the key again and started right back up no problem and sounded like it had a decent idle. I also came back 30 mins later, and started right back up, idled for 3 minutes before the SES light came on, read the code and it said it was just the EVAP valve again. so what could be going on? did i incorrectly install the CPS (pretty sure i did it right, watched multiple youtube videos and used ALLDATA auto library) ? or is it a different problem?