2.0TD Sudden Power Loss

[Martingo]

The running fine then power loss was how it first happened. The power has never come back, the engine barely runs now. Seems like more than one cylinder down if I compare it to spark plug going in a petrol engine but I don’t know if one injector down causes more power loss in diesel engine as I have very little experience with diesel

[Doctordiesel77]

If it isn't the injectors try taking the inlet pipe off the turbo, the wired hoses have an annoying habit of delaminating, they still look ok, but when you rev the engine the inner layer sucks in, blocks the air supply off & causes exactly the symptoms you describe...Make sure there is nothing anywhere near the turbo that might be sucked in when you try it! A severely blocked silencer would also make it cough and bang, but seems unlikely to have happened so suddenly. If it isn't that, could it have jumped a tooth on the timing belt...again seems unlikely, but worth checking if nothing else seems amiss. I bought an engine that had come out of a Land Rover to put in mine & the cold start on the pump was wired incorrectly, so it was on cold setting all the time (higher fuel pressure & advanced timing), this wouldn't make it run that badly, but might damage something in long term, so also worth checking (power off for cold start/run, power on for normal running, it seems a strange way of doing it, which I guess is why mine had been wired the other way )

[robert1]

It could be the head gasket

[Martingo]

Thanks for all the advice

I will check the turbo hose and injectors in next few days. Not sure the engine will run well enough to notice a change when the injectors is loosened but will give it an go. I was actually thinking about renewing the turbo hose because it’s very dirty/oily inside. It’s always been like not a resent thing.

[Martingo]

When I first go this LR the cold start was not wired Ip at all which I have since fixed.

I was also wondering about the stop solenoid, what’s the function of this? I assume if this was a problem the engine would be dead

[Martingo]

Yes my first thought was the head gasket. No signs of coolant in engine oil or loss of coolant or oil but still could be possibility

[Doctordiesel77]

The stop solenoid cuts the fuel off, so it must be working, or it would be unlikely to run at all. The head gaskets usually only fail due to coolant changes being missed, gasket corrodes, heater stops working and water needs topping up but engine generally runs ok. I've driven a long way with failed gaskets in the past, the only way it will fail spectacularly is if you either miss the thermostat out or put your foot down in a big way when gasket is already corroded. Does the engine still start instantly, then refuse to rev up? If so, then blocked exhaust/inlet/sticky turbo most likely, if it is a pig to start, then timing likely to have slipped (or air intake completely blocked).

[robert1]

"Not sure the engine will run well enough to notice a change when the injectors is loosened" If there is no change the cylinder is not doing anything, stopping a good cylinder will most lightly stop the engine if its running poorly. A head gasket will not effect all cylinders but might have blown between two

[Martingo]

Ok I thought that’s what the solenoid did and I did check it had power.

the engine starts easily which is very strange but then just runs like a dog, no revs, no power, lots of knocking and smoke! I did have a look at the timing belt and it looks in nice condition and well tensioned.

I assume to check the injector I would loosen the same coupling that you bleed the fuel from, must get a bit messy with diesel.

I read about keeping the coolant in good order to slow down corrosion on the head gasket so I’ve changed it couple of times in 3 years but who know what happened before me, though it was pretty clean when I drained it the first time. You might have seen previous posts of mine about the coolant fan never kicking in because it appears to never get up to temperature which again suggests everything it ok on the coolant front

[Doctordiesel77]

If it starts easily the fuel system is most likely ok, so you might want to leave loosening the injector pipes & spraying diesel down the side of the engine 'till last.... If removing turbo intake doesn't cure it, try disconnecting exhaust at turbo, if that doesn't work take the outlet pipe off the turbo, if that makes it run better, then turbo is knackered...at least it is easy to get at in a Land Rover!

[Martingo]

I disconnect the intake pipe of the turbo. The pipe condition was ok inside, just bit oily. There’s a rubber elbow which connects to the inlet pipe and to the turbo and that was clear inside but felt bit dodgy like it might split soon, can you buy this elbow and the intake pipe?

anyway with the pipe off there was no difference to the engine running

can you attach videos on here, seems to only allow photos. I recorded a video more for the sound really, if you put a bit of throttle on it does rev as it should but the knocking noise increases a lot

[Doctordiesel77]

Not sure if you can upload videos, don't remember seeing any on here....If it does rev up it is back to sounding as though it could be an injector at fault, blocked inlet or exhaust would stop it from revving, which is what made me point the finger at them... a video might make it easier to work out... loosening the injector pipes one at a time might be the best next move, there won't be a massive amount of spillage, a bit of rag should soak it up. I'm not sure how easy genuine intake hose is to find, but don't think it is anything too fancy, a Land Rover one should fit & do the job.

[Martingo]

It’s not really reving, just slight increase in tick over. I’ll give the injectors a go though to confirm.

says you can take a photo or video to upload but couldn’t get it to work

[Martingo]

OK guys we have some results!
I loosened each injector one at a time - with cylinders 1 and 4 the engine stopped dead as soon as it turned the coupling. With 2 and 3 the engine just carried on running with no change!

So I guess this means I have two duff injectors. Is it normal for more than one to go at exactly the same time and what actually happens to them that stops them working?

Next question is can you get replacements? I have read online about injectors being refurbished?

Cheers

[Doctordiesel77]

Injectors don't normally fail in pairs, I might be about to eat my words re head gasket failure being rare, it could be blown between 2 and 3.. If you swap either of the 'dud' injectors with one of the good ones then try again, you'll find out if it is faulty injectors, fault will move with injector if injector is faulty...if not then something is amiss mechanically.