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benniferj

Member Since: 20 Oct 2016
Location: Basingstoke
Posts: 361

Fuel starvation under max load

Hey all
Issue that is confusing me quite a bit and unfortunately hard to diagnose on the drive!
Car: 200tdi Defender engine in 90 with under drivers seat fuel tank
background: Recently changed fuel tank for new one. New in tank sender. New fuel filter.

A few times when going up an extremely steep hill on an off road site, or actually thinking about it, a couple of times on the flat dragging some incredibly heavy tyres around, when revving with the vehicle essentially being very heavy and needing a lot of power from the engine, the vehicle will try and stall. Starts spluttering, if I keep foot to the floor it will stall, if I back off it will normally just about keep going until I load it again and the same happens again. If I keep the foot to the floor it will stall and then be a pain to re start and sit there turning over with no fuel

When this happens I see my digital voltmeter essentially 'reboot' and show a " -- " value for a few seconds which shows it has lost power. Apparently my headlights flick on and off too. This made me think that for some reason I was losing electrics and thus my fuel stop solenoid was losing power and clicking in and out rapidly, dropping fuelling. I have rigged the fuel stop solenoid directly from my aux fuse board feed bypassing the main dash looms and this has not changed anything.

I did think that when dragging tyres that maybe it was electrical, with the jolting of scrabbling for grip was vibrating a loose connection around. However a very steep, but smoothly attacked climb at the weekend, the car was definitely not bucking around or scrabbling and the sheer load or angle or intensity of the climb gave me the same spluttering engine.

What is confusing me is the lack of fuelling and the flashing lights. It still makes me think the stop solenoid is clicking in and out. What would be the link between these factors that makes sense? A dodgy fuel breather, filter or in tank sender would make me expect the spluttering but doesn't explain flashing electrics???

I can rev the car and hold on the limiter on the drive and it has no issue at all...

Thanks for any help! Insta: @thebenjordan4x4

5th Oct 2020 8:52pm

Mo Murphy

Member Since: 01 Jun 2008
Location: Letchworth Garden City, Herts
Posts: 2218

1984 Defender 90 BMW M57 3.0 Diesel HT Auto Pennine Grey

Knackered alternator bearing causing alternator to seize ?
Mo The Land Rover 90 - Many are called, few are chosen.

50 Shades of Pennine Grey

5th Oct 2020 9:54pm

benniferj

Member Since: 20 Oct 2016
Location: Basingstoke
Posts: 361

Not sure why that would cause mis fuel? Insta: @thebenjordan4x4

6th Oct 2020 5:47am

Dave T

Member Since: 07 Jun 2013
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 490

I know of a 300tdi that when a new fuel tank was put in it would randomly splutter and occasionally cut out, turned out there was a bit of paper in the fuel tank going over the pick up. Worth checking tank is clean 2015 RRS Autobiography SDV6
1994 Def 90 300tdi

6th Oct 2020 5:50am

Scotm

Member Since: 28 Feb 2014
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 666

2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 SW Orkney Grey

Not sure about the electrical issue but fuel starvation could be the fuel lift pump giving up or blocked.

6th Oct 2020 5:58am

yostumpy

Member Since: 01 Aug 2010
Location: n/kent
Posts: 327

breather vent in filler cap blocked, causing vacuum.? 'Volvo XC 70, taking the rough with the smooth’

6th Oct 2020 6:41pm

benniferj

Member Since: 20 Oct 2016
Location: Basingstoke
Posts: 361

Thanks, its crossed my mind to swap out the lift pump as its simple and cheap - and I did wonder about the breather being blocked maybe causing that.

Can anyone try and explain the link between the electrics flickering while the spluttering happens? Thats the bit thats baffling me and made me think it's electrical rather than fuel - the electrics killing the stop solenoid of course as a byproduct... Insta: @thebenjordan4x4

7th Oct 2020 6:04am

jst

Member Since: 14 Jan 2008
Location: Taunton
Posts: 8008

2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Stornoway Grey

Mo did try.

Take the aux belt off, whats the alt bearing like?

Are feed and return pipes connect correct way around?

I would suggest alt loading system as mo did, or fuel blockage, if alt is eliminated start looking at fuel and what you have changes Cheers

James
110 2012 XS Utility
130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper
90 2010 Hardtop
90 M57 1988 Hardtop

7th Oct 2020 6:59am

BogMonster

Member Since: 05 Feb 2008
Location: Stanley
Posts: 400

2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey

Possibilities
Alternator as stated
Breather to fuel tank blocked with

and/or weak lift pump
Blocked fuel sedimentor (if it has one)
Blocked fuel filter ---
2006 Defender 110 SW 300Tdi • 2011 Ford Ranger XLT crewcab • 2015 Defender 110 Station Wagon Utility TDCi

8th Oct 2020 12:10am

jst

Member Since: 14 Jan 2008
Location: Taunton
Posts: 8008

Did it do it before tank change? Cheers

James
110 2012 XS Utility
130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper
90 2010 Hardtop
90 M57 1988 Hardtop

8th Oct 2020 5:00pm

Blackhat90

Member Since: 31 Dec 2016
Location: Forfar
Posts: 86

Leave the fuel cap off, =try,, then run a live from battery to stop solnoid ,=try , my moneys on lift pump,,,,i did fit a new fuel sender once ,and it hit the bottom of the tank, i cut 5 mm off pick up pipe, , ]

8th Oct 2020 6:57pm

Horneteer

Member Since: 10 Feb 2015
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 60

My money's on the lift pump

I had a 300 tdi disco with a delphi lift pump. There's a screw in the centre of the top cap, so you can take the cap off to clean the filter strainer that you don't know is there

. I had similar symptoms when the strainer was blocked with goo.

8th Oct 2020 8:37pm

jst

Member Since: 14 Jan 2008
Location: Taunton
Posts: 8008

hes not been back, maybe its fixed.

if it wasnt there before fitting new parts, i think the filter is wrong or more likely the pickup is squished into the bottom of the tank.

if fault was there and new parts were trying to resolve it then lift pump gets my vote. a good fix and upgrade is an electric one RRC lift pump, makes priming easier too. Cheers

James
110 2012 XS Utility
130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper
90 2010 Hardtop
90 M57 1988 Hardtop

8th Oct 2020 8:47pm

Mo Murphy

Member Since: 01 Jun 2008
Location: Letchworth Garden City, Herts
Posts: 2218

I've fitted an electric facet duralift to my 200 because of the poor quality across the aftermarket suppliers of mechanical lift pumps.
Mo The Land Rover 90 - Many are called, few are chosen.

50 Shades of Pennine Grey

8th Oct 2020 9:13pm

Dave T

Member Since: 07 Jun 2013
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 490

jst wrote:

. a good fix and upgrade is an electric one RRC lift pump, makes priming easier too.

Is there a thread or details anywhere on this? 2015 RRS Autobiography SDV6
1994 Def 90 300tdi

9th Oct 2020 7:51am

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