Hi all

For the first time since buying it 2.5yrs ago, my L322 let me down and I had to call the recovery people...

Symptoms:

1) Car starts fine from cold and runs perfectly for about 50km
2) Stop car for about 15 mins
3) Car will not start. Engine turns over fine and fires but dies again almost immediately

No CEL light coming up, hard to see if there are any error messages as I have the dead pixel problem so the display is basically useless.

Any thoughts on what this might be?


Searching on here suggests fuel filter or pump, but most other similar threads seem to have symptoms where the engine will not fire up at all, whereas mine will, it just will not carry on running. Also surely if it was pump/filter related the problem would manifest itself under high load conditions needing lots of fuel rather than when trying to start?

Are there any simple diagnostic checks I can run to try and identify the problem - for example can I check there is enough fuel coming through and rail pressure is OK? Can I easily check that the pump is running? I do have the IID tool - can I use this to measure the fuel rail pressure while trying to start (as presumably this will drop significantly if the problem is pump or filter related)?

I need to decide asap whether to have the car recovered to LR dealer, who have probably never seen a petrol V8 before (I am in France) and will fleece me horribly - or to get it brought home so I can tinker myself.

TIA for any help you may be able to give me.

Cheers,

Jerry

There is a Schrader valve on the fuel rail under the plastic cover, get a pressure gauge and have a play, specs will be in Rave...  Pete
I now have permission from the boss to use Y.O.L.O. Enjoy life
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

sounds like the fuel filter needs replacing under the plastic cover, mine had the issue where it world start perfectly when cold then when warm it would take ages to fire up. Replaced the fuel filter and since then has started within a fraction of second each and every time.

Matt

I was just addressing this on a similar thread, have you access to some good old fashioned easy start in an aerosol? When car is not starting, If you take off the air filter top, and spray in some through the MAF (that's the device after the air filter, before the inlet manifold. ) then that will give the engine some fuelling and if if then starts, you can spray a continuous burst to see if it idles......this tells you that there was no fuel to run it. At that point if you push a pen tip into the shreader valve on the left front of fuel rail, it should spurt out so use a rag etc. if only a little dribble, meaning low fuel pressure. Possible the common old fuel pump failing. Mine did this, and I changed the pump motor, for £60. Big job though. You can change the whole fuel pump assembly a little easier, but they are hundreds. Look in the wiki 'fuel pump'. It in the petrol tank under rear seat. But the pump filter is much easier, it's under the tank and and very diy in off road mode (suspension.) another thing you should be looking at is the fuel pump relay, it in the boot fuse board, you can easily swap it with another etc. also, if you fold rear seats down and forward, you can remove seat catches, and peel back carpet, and prop it up, and remove pump cover with screwdriver, (see wiki) and reveal the pump. You could try thumping it in case it's seizing? This could also be done by thumping the underneath of the tank to jar it to possibly spin it up? Much easier to do than guessing it needs changing....

Have you enough fuel in tank? Previous cars:
S-Max 2007-2013 (only diesel I've had, good car but expensive when diesely bits go wrong, so what's the point?)
Galaxy 2001-2007
Mondeo Estate 1997-2001
Sierra Estate 1993-1997
Uno Turbo 1987 -1993
Fiesta 1984 - 1987
Fiat 127 1982 - 1984

I think appj62 is referring to the 1/4 tank issue. The saddly type tank has an extra pump (well not all) that pumps the fuel over the saddle to the main pump side. If that pump fails then the fuel on one side of the hump is not getting to the main pump. MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Thanks everybody for the very helpful responses. I now think it is worth me trying to sort this out myself.

One unanswered question still however - if the fuel pressure is low due to filter or pump, would that not throw up an error code from the ecu? I have always assumed fuel pressure is one of the things it measures.

Cheers


Jerry
Ps tank is 3/4 full

Probably worth buying a simple obd2 diagnostic kit ( one of the el-cheapo ones ) which will let you read the basic engine readouts such as throttle position, air flow, air temp, temperatures, O2 readings etc. Can be helpful in getting starters for 10 when diagnosing the engines. V8 or else ...

Long shot here but check your MAF Is clean and properly connected. Can affect the running. After a run and if loose can alter the air mixture? (Someone please shoot me down if I am mistaken ...... It's the onlY way I'll learn! )

It's most likely the fuel filter under the plastic cover as I had an issue where it would start perfectly when cold in a morning then after driving and stopping then trying to start it would struggle for ages before firing, changed the filter and bang perfect starting every time since then.

Matt Current
2012 Range Rover 5.0L SC Ultimate Edition
2012 Range Rover 4.4L TDV8 Autobiography
2010 Range Rover 3.6L TDV8 Autobiography
2003 Range Rover 4.4L V8 Bespoke Vehicle

Inventor of the retro fit paddle shift and many other modifications.
Creator of the custom 2010+ RR MK4 splash screen.
Creator of the Range Rover CarPC and lots more!

Founder of Range Rover Owner
rangeroverowner.com | Facebook.com/RangeRoverOwner | Latest Videos âžž YouTube.com/RangeRoverOwner

His last post was six weeks ago so he'll have sorted it by now or sold it...!!! Pete
I now have permission from the boss to use Y.O.L.O. Enjoy life
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-