Offroad-Express

G'day fellas,

Driving home yesterday in the heat (38 degrees!) I noticed a gradual power loss accompanied by the transmission being unwilling to shift out of first.

I had to limp it home, full throttle, at about 30km/h with the engine misfiring and transmission refusing to shift. All vital signs were ok. Temp was fine, no auto trans temp warning (plus it has an trans cooler).

Any ideas? Turbo stuffed? Injector pump? Transmission?

Check trans fluid . How many kms on trans

fh2014 wrote:Check trans fluid . How many kms on trans

255k on the tranny. I serviced it maybe 5k ago when I put the cooler on. I've got a trans filter there to put in, just need a hoist and some time.

It now drives fine? Maybe it had a bit of gunk go through the fuel system and it's cleared itself out now.

Diesel bug?
Air getting into fuel line?
Fuel pump failing
Fuel filter blocked?
Air filter blocked?
Air intake if under bonnet getting to hot?

Could be dozens of little issues or one big one. Just have to write a list and start crossing stuff off once youve checked each unit.

What mudlva said, diesel bug for a starting place, pull your fuel filter and inspect it

checked the air filter, air intake. Both all clear. Injector pump was leaking, but I added some 'additive' and it's stopped leaking since

It was a very hot day, the air intake getting too hot is a distinct possibility. But I'll certainly look at the fuel filter as it was the next on my list. Although it is relatively fresh....

It hasn't done it since, in fact it's going better?!

Rusty wrote: But I'll certainly look at the fuel filter as it was the next on my list. Although it is relatively fresh....

That's usually first thing on the list mate

Touché. I'll grab a new one and bang it in. Can't hurt

Well it did it again, this time worse and 280km from home. Wouldn't rev, was running on three. Drained fuel filter and no traces of water or debris. ill replace he fuel filter today and see if that's the culprit, otherwise I suspect the fuel pump has finally given up the ghost

Check the engine oil level. The usual issue is the hard facing on the shaft of the injector pump wears where the seal sits allow fuel into the timing chain housing and into the sump. Visa versa it will also suck crank case pressure in this way as well hense the coughing and spluttering. If the oil appears thin this maybe the case.

Often when they wear the shaft they suck engine oil through the pump and your diesel will get darker. You would notice when you change the filter.

Tps bro! Both engine and trans share this. EGR is affected too, hence the engine mix.

I'll have to have a decent dig. It's just been sitting on my front lawn doing nothing since it died on me.

Barely ran long enough for me to get it on the lawn before it died. Got quoted an injector pump rebuild for 3k.... I just don't have that sort of cash so I'm thinking about scrapping the car.

D21 injector pumps are not electronic, so you can get exhange ones for around 600-700 bucks mate. Even if do have to pay labour to pull it and install the new one, someone is trying to rip you off with that quote. IMHO

BlakeNZ wrote:D21 injector pumps are not electronic, so you can get exhange ones for around 600-700 bucks mate. Even if do have to pay labour to pull it and install the new one, someone is trying to rip you off with that quote. IMHO

Oh no doubt in my mind that's a "we don't want your business, go away" kind of quote.

Just tried the fuel filter, whilst the old one had some sediment in it when I drained it, the new one netted the exact same behaviour.

Unless I manual pumped it it was trying to run on 3. When I manually pumped it enough it ran on all 4 again but wouldn't rev past 3000rpm.

Where can you get the exchange pumps?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-par ... 203153.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-par ... 202684.htm
this guy seemed good to deal with, helpful, good advice.

The rubber o ring in the hand primer tends to perish and leak to.

BlakeNZ wrote:http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-par ... 203153.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-par ... 202684.htm
this guy seemed good to deal with, helpful, good advice.

Cheers dude, much appreciated.

Update. Changed the fuel filter and it ran beautifully again for a couple of hours, the most power it's ever had!

Then it happened again, noticeable power loss. However this time I got it home before it reached a terminal point like last time (miss firing and so little power it would barely move)

Surely this is the injector pump? Or is it the worst batch of diesel ever?!

Rusty wrote: Or is it the worst batch of diesel ever?!

might say higher up but have you tried emptying the tank and flushing out and refilling?

Yea mate I think you may have a bunch of water in the tank?

If there is water, then almost for sure a diesel bug. That will block the new filter.

http://www.oillab.co.nz/diesel_bug_explained

fh2014 wrote:Yea mate I think you may have a bunch of water in the tank?

I think you may be right. I drained the fuel filter yesterday and there were small, but noticeable water droplets in it. I think it's time to drain the tank, flush it out and start again.

Any specific chemicals you can use to flush it?

mudsurfv6 wrote:

Rusty wrote: Or is it the worst batch of diesel ever?!

might say higher up but have you tried emptying the tank and flushing out and refilling?

Not yet, but it's certainly the next step. I'm starting to think that if it was the injector pump it just wouldn't run at all, or it'd be consistently running poorly.

to remove all doubt bypass the filter a rig up a small tank above the pump and gravity feed the fuel in. you may have a blockage in your fuel line and this will prove it is not the pump. If it is the pump just put an electric pump inline and away you go[excellent for filling the filter after a change as well.]

Where was it 38 Deg?