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adseybear



Member Since: 08 Oct 2009
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 260

Canada 
Dead fuel pump? (Update: ECU failure)
Just to make sure I’m not missing anything obvious, I went to move my 90 this morning to get access to garage. Moved it out the way and as it was sat idling, it just died.

With the ignition on, no sound of life from the fuel pump. Has a strong battery and cranks just fine.

Are there any other potential causes? 2003 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Belize Green - "Betty"
1958 Series IIA 109 Station Wagon - "Randolph" - Awaiting Restoration
2019 Jeep Wrangler JL Rubicon - SOLD
2006 Volvo V70 D5 - Ocean Race Edition, SOLD
2003 VW Passat Estate 1.9TDI - SOLD
2008 BMW 320D M Sport Estate - SOLD
2001 Defender 90 Td5 Hard Top - SOLD


Last edited by adseybear on 19th Sep 2023 3:43pm. Edited 1 time in total
Post #1005420 25th Aug 2023 3:34pm
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andy2111



Member Since: 17 Oct 2021
Location: Kent
Posts: 365

United Kingdom 2002 Defender 110 Td5 HT Bonatti Grey
Check the fuel pump relay - the location depends on age e.g. 2002 onwards TD5s its under the seat. Swap it with another to do a quick test.

Also check that the relay you think is the fuel pump really is the fuel pump - mine had been swapped around in the past which had me stumped for a while.. TD5 hardtop to Puma inspired Poptop - my build thread

2002 110 TD5 Hardtop ¦ Full Puma interior ¦ Carpathian grey / Santorini black ¦ X-Vision-X poptop
Post #1005425 25th Aug 2023 4:07pm
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4RF RDS



Member Since: 19 Jul 2015
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 937

Canada 2000 Defender 110 Td5 XS CSW Epsom Green
Yes absolutely first check FP relay… common issue. Good luck. 2010 Range Rover MkIII Autobiography Super Charged (Idris)
2003 Range Rover Mk III (Desmond FitzWilliam)
2000 Defender 110 CSW TD5 (CTX)
1992 Range Rover Classic (Lizzy)
1972 Series III 300 Tdi (Stanwood)
1967 MGB GT

Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats.
H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)
Post #1005431 25th Aug 2023 4:46pm
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Martin
Site Admin


Member Since: 02 Apr 2007
Location: Hook Norton
Posts: 6608

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Montalcino Red
Fuel pump relay has brown/orange, blue/purple, purple/white and white/purple wires.  1988 90 Td5 NAS soft top
2015 D90 XS SW
Post #1005432 25th Aug 2023 5:05pm
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BaronDefenders



Member Since: 28 Jun 2019
Location: London/Cotswolds
Posts: 896

United Kingdom 2004 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Santorini Black
Another vote for checking the relay. Mine burned out in November and left me stranded, as I thought it was the pump! Charlie

1949 Series 1 80 (SOLD)
2002 Td5 90 (SOLD)
2008 Freelander 2 (SOLD)

1958 Series 2 88 Pastel Green (2019 LR Legends Best Restored)
1983 V8 110 Limestone (Previously owned by Tom Sheppard MBE)
2004 Td5 90 Santorini Black (Td5INSIDE Powered & Rebuilt by CSK)
2012 Puma 110 Zermatt Silver (Overlanding Build)

Instagram: @BaronDefenders
Post #1005436 25th Aug 2023 5:46pm
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Procta



Member Since: 03 Dec 2016
Location: Sunderland
Posts: 5180

United Kingdom 
yeah check the fuel pump relay 1st, you should able to hear it, I would just buy a replacement one for the sake of the what they cost. Which is what i did when i was having troubles.

What i found with mine, was the car started to have a bad miss fire, would struggle like hell to go 40 mph. I was doing a pad change and a brake bleed with my dads help. I changed the fuel filter while i was at it. Primed it, but couldnt hear anything at all, it started ok, and idled for me to to do the brakes. I gave the throttle a blip, and then it just cut out and wouldn't start. We couldn't hear Censored all from the fuel pump. So i suspect that the fuel pump was dying, hence why it miss firing and wouldn't pull.
We replaced the fuel pump and it was full of beans again, and it runs much better, than before. Defender TD5 90 ---/--- Peugeot 306 HDI hatch back

Success is 90% Inspiration and 4 minutes Preparation # you can make it!
Post #1005442 25th Aug 2023 7:00pm
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adseybear



Member Since: 08 Oct 2009
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 260

Canada 
Switched the relays around and no change, I can hear it click with ignition on, but no fuel pump coming to life.

What’s puzzling me is I have no glow plug lamp either, and Nanocom is just reporting cannot communicate with ECU. 2003 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Belize Green - "Betty"
1958 Series IIA 109 Station Wagon - "Randolph" - Awaiting Restoration
2019 Jeep Wrangler JL Rubicon - SOLD
2006 Volvo V70 D5 - Ocean Race Edition, SOLD
2003 VW Passat Estate 1.9TDI - SOLD
2008 BMW 320D M Sport Estate - SOLD
2001 Defender 90 Td5 Hard Top - SOLD
Post #1005459 26th Aug 2023 4:07am
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MadTom



Member Since: 10 Sep 2013
Location: Olomouc
Posts: 623

Czech Republic 1999 Defender 130 Td5 HCPU Baltic Blue
No glow plug light, no MIL lamp, no pump sound after ignition on, no communication with Nanocom - it looks like broken engine ECU. You can take any other TD5 engine ECU and just use it instead of your. If lights and pump goes on, your ECU died. Than you can pair the spare ECU with in cars IMO using Nanocom and run engine at least for short test, to be sure. If you have flashable ECU, than this problem is not uncommon and it is easily repairable. "Drobek" = The Small One - Discovery 2, "Blufínek" = The Blue Thing - Defender 130, and for me at least Ford Mondeo Smile
Post #1005460 26th Aug 2023 4:57am
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andy2111



Member Since: 17 Oct 2021
Location: Kent
Posts: 365

United Kingdom 2002 Defender 110 Td5 HT Bonatti Grey
Try pulling out and refitting the two 30A fuses (with the engine symbol on the label). It's a long shot but worked for me when I had some intermittent issues.

It does sound increasingly like an ECU related problem though.. TD5 hardtop to Puma inspired Poptop - my build thread

2002 110 TD5 Hardtop ¦ Full Puma interior ¦ Carpathian grey / Santorini black ¦ X-Vision-X poptop
Post #1005469 26th Aug 2023 7:16am
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TexasRover



Member Since: 24 Nov 2022
Location: Paris
Posts: 1073

France 2002 Defender 110 Td5 DCPU Chawton White
Is there no relay powering the ECU? Probably worth probing power to the ECU before concluding
Post #1005478 26th Aug 2023 10:11am
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NickMc



Member Since: 01 Oct 2014
Location: Norn Iron
Posts: 1627

Northern Ireland 2006 Defender 90 Td5 HT Bonatti Grey
Split the fault in half at the bulkhead connector that goes down the chassis and see if you have power there, either before it or in the chassis loom then.
Post #1005490 26th Aug 2023 3:15pm
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Procta



Member Since: 03 Dec 2016
Location: Sunderland
Posts: 5180

United Kingdom 
adseybear wrote:
Switched the relays around and no change, I can hear it click with ignition on, but no fuel pump coming to life.

What’s puzzling me is I have no glow plug lamp either, and Nanocom is just reporting cannot communicate with ECU.


have you checked the ECU plugs for OIL? i did on mine, and it had it, even though this wasn't the trouble but it was Issue that i sorted out. With some electrical contact cleaner and a replacement harness Thumbs Up Defender TD5 90 ---/--- Peugeot 306 HDI hatch back

Success is 90% Inspiration and 4 minutes Preparation # you can make it!
Post #1006297 3rd Sep 2023 1:44am
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adseybear



Member Since: 08 Oct 2009
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 260

Canada 
Just as a follow up to this...

I went through and checked all connections, relays, fuses etc. and was all good, so concluded ECU must have died.

Fortunately had a return trip to UK planned, so stashed my ECU in my suitcase.

Dropped it off at https://www.ecutesting.com/, who promptly confirmed failure of ECU, and have rebuilt it. Was returned within the week and took it back with me.

Can highly recommend them to anyone looking for ECU repair. They have full test rigs to test all functionality of an ECU, rather than some of the repairs I've seen offered which is just soldering in new capacitors etc. rather than checking full functionality. And now comes with lifetime warranty.

Refitted and she runs perfectly again! I think some of my weird unexplainable running issues the last few months were early signs of a failing ECU as they've also now gone away. 2003 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Belize Green - "Betty"
1958 Series IIA 109 Station Wagon - "Randolph" - Awaiting Restoration
2019 Jeep Wrangler JL Rubicon - SOLD
2006 Volvo V70 D5 - Ocean Race Edition, SOLD
2003 VW Passat Estate 1.9TDI - SOLD
2008 BMW 320D M Sport Estate - SOLD
2001 Defender 90 Td5 Hard Top - SOLD
Post #1008164 19th Sep 2023 3:29pm
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geobloke



Member Since: 06 Nov 2012
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4410

United Kingdom 
God to know and great she is working again Thumbs Up Thumbs Up
Post #1008181 19th Sep 2023 4:35pm
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Hazza



Member Since: 10 Jan 2011
Location: North Yorkshire / Leeds
Posts: 216

United Kingdom 1990 Defender 110 Td5 HT Bronze Green
Great to hear you've had success with a repair. I've seen a few stories of failed repairs on these ECUs, but I'd far rather a repair than replacement with another which may also go on to fail. 1990 Defender 110 200TDI Camper - now converted to Td5 power
Post #1008521 22nd Sep 2023 6:32pm
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