Hi I have just joined the forum so hello everyone, I have a Defender 90 td5 with full county pack on a 2001 Xreg I have had it since last December with trouble free fun till now, it has started to lose power when you start to give it some real beans it feels like a fuel problem but I'm not sure, I had the fuel tank out a few months ago as the gauge sender was faulty turned out to be a dry solder joint anyway I cleaned out the tank fuel pump housing in the tank an reasembled it and it has been great till now, get upto 70 miles an hour and the engine surges as if not enough fuel is getting through and it also seams "flat"!! any ideas??

 

If it was a fuel problem it would feel more like the engine had cut out completely - kangarooing rather than 'surging'.

I'd have a really good look at the intake piping first - heard of a few delaminating so the inner of the piping effectively closes the intake at high boost. Easy to check and fix for the DIYer.

Does it smoke from the exhaust at all when this happens? Well worth angling a mirror so you can see the exhaust properly and taking it for a thrash - black or white smoke is soot (too little air) and unburnt fuel (too much fuel or seriously too little air) respectively.

Hope that helps,

 

Cheers Adz, Just given it a thrash back from work about 25miles most duel carridge way and not much smoke but when you get to 70 it starts to as I said surge but its more like it's pinking or coughing and with the boot through the floor there's nothing else to give flat as a witch's wotsit runs sweet as a nut on tickover and till you give it the beans will look at the intake, I did wonder if there are any exhaust sensors which coke up I have had two Vauxhall Vectra's which have had sensor's fail and it give's a simular type of symptom? will look at intake to start. Thanks for your input. Brad

 

RE THE TD5 ENGINE SUGRGING PROBLEM I HAVE HAD I HAVE TAKEN OFF THE AIR INTAKE JUST AFTER THE AIR FILTER BOX AND GIVEN IT ANOTHER GOOD THRASH AND IT STILL HAS THE SAME SYMPTOM SO IT MUST BE SOMETHING OTHER THAN AIR INTAKE THAT ADZ SUGESTED, ANY OTHER IDEAS ARE MORE THAN WELCOME ARE THERE ANY SENSORS WORTH CHECKING?

 

Eh? The intake piping also includes the high pressure side of the induction and it's this that's more likely to cause you problem. Most of it's solid piping which won't delaminate - check any rubber bits between the turbo and the inlet manifold.

Cheers,

 

I have now taken all the pipework off from the turbo to the inlet manifold and all seem ok just a little oil diposit on the walls, nobits of pipe damaged or flakes of rubber, Ihave cleaned out all the bits of pipe put back together and driven it again but the problem is still there I also got someone to follow me down the road and it is giving off some black smoke but not clouds of it. I did just drive round the block with pipe off from the inlet manifold so air intake was straight into the inlet obviously it was flat as the turbo was out of the circit but there was not any sign although I didn't give it the full beans!! should I look deeper into the pipes some more?

 

Sounds like it's not the induction piping then - next thing to check is:

Is there any oil or evidence of oil seepage into the ECU wiring harness? Connection is under the drivers seat.

Worth checking the actuator arm for the wastegate is able to move freely too - they sometimes seize which will put the car into limp mode.

 

Done that and yes there is oil on the ecu harness I have sent you an email Adz I'm guessing it don't look good?? Cheers Brad

 

Depends a bit on how much oil has got into the ECU itself and how long it's been there... I believe it was a recall issue for TD5's prior to 2001 where engine oil was forced along the injector wiring harness, or something like that, and into the ECU housing (although that might have been only for Discos), best to check yours was done and seriously argue with Land Rover if it wasn't.

You can try cleaning the oil away - but how you'd get into the ECU to clean it I've no idea - I'd also only try this after speaking to LR to find out if the recall applies or they might not do it for nothing.

If none of the above works, you're most likely looking at a new ECU, which will be an uncomfortable crash diet for your wallet.

Do check the actuator arm for the BOV too - it's as likely to cause the symptoms you've described as oil in the ECU.

Cheers,