75 diesel engine cut out - won't start

trefonix · 1st January 2021, 21:18

Hi all,

My Rover is giving me some more trouble (it's good at doing that).

Here's the story:
I was driving home from getting some fish and chips, car started fine, drove off towards home and as I'm going I feel the car give a 'cough' if you like where it lost a bit of power and then cut out abruptly almost like a stall. My first thought was that it had run out of fuel as it was on the low side, filled it up to about half a tank and turned it over to no luck. As I was being towed home I attempted to give it a bump start in gear 3, the engine turned (but wasn't firing) but as soon as you put the clutch down it would immediately cut off again.

So, it definitely feels like a fuel issue. I can hear both pumps running when I turn on the ignition but I've done no further diagnostics.

My question is:

Where should I start? What could be wrong?

marinabrian · 1st January 2021, 22:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by trefonix

Hi all,

My Rover is giving me some more trouble (it's good at doing that).

Here's the story:
I was driving home from getting some fish and chips, car started fine, drove off towards home and as I'm going I feel the car give a 'cough' if you like where it lost a bit of power and then cut out abruptly almost like a stall. My first thought was that it had run out of fuel as it was on the low side, filled it up to about half a tank and turned it over to no luck. As I was being towed home I attempted to give it a bump start in gear 3, the engine turned (but wasn't firing) but as soon as you put the clutch down it would immediately cut off again.

So, it definitely feels like a fuel issue. I can hear both pumps running when I turn on the ignition but I've done no further diagnostics.

My question is:

Where should I start? What could be wrong?

I'd start off by looking inside the plenum chamber Alex, see if the ECM isn't wet

Brian

Yorkshire GOC · 2nd January 2021, 14:57

First thing to discount/consider is a failing crank sensor - when you try and turn her over is the Rev Counter still or flickering slightly - if it remains still this points to a failing/failed crank sensor which can cause cut outs and non starts.

Yorkshire GOC · 2nd January 2021, 14:58

Also on a diesel would consider doing an injector leak back test - a dodgy injector will cause loss of power and cut outs .

trefonix · 2nd January 2021, 15:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yorkshire GOC

First thing to discount/consider is a failing crank sensor - when you try and turn her over is the Rev Counter still or flickering slightly - if it remains still this points to a failing/failed crank sensor which can cause cut outs and non starts.

Rev counter works fine so I don't think it's a crank sensor. When being towed trying to bump got a reading on the rev counter also it does bounce a bit when turning over

trefonix · 2nd January 2021, 16:09

Unplugged the fuel lines from the fuel filter to check if the pumps were working, turned on the ignition to see a healthy squirt of diesel come out, thought that was odd, tried the other side, good also...

Well I thought if it's getting this far with the fuel then it must be an injector issue or maybe some air so I plugged it all back in and turned it over and it started right up.

I think what had happened is that I had run out of fuel (and the gauge isn't totally accurate), the pump had sucked in a bit of air and that was what was causing my issue.

Yay for easy fixes

Number 6 · 2nd January 2021, 18:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by trefonix

Unplugged the fuel lines from the fuel filter to check if the pumps were working, turned on the ignition to see a healthy squirt of diesel come out, thought that was odd, tried the other side, good also...

Well I thought if it's getting this far with the fuel then it must be an injector issue or maybe some air so I plugged it all back in and turned it over and it started right up.

I think what had happened is that I had run out of fuel (and the gauge isn't totally accurate), the pump had sucked in a bit of air and that was what was causing my issue.

Yay for easy fixes

I was under the impression that these cars were self bleeding, In as much if you had run out of fuel they would prime themselves via the fuel pumps.

trefonix · 2nd January 2021, 18:20

Me too but I cranked and I cranked with a half full tank and no dice.

As soon as I played with the filter it started right up.

steve-45 · 2nd January 2021, 19:35

Sounds like a good reason to keep it well above a quarter tank !

trikey · 2nd January 2021, 20:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yorkshire GOC

Also on a diesel would consider doing an injector leak back test - a dodgy injector will cause loss of power and cut outs .

I would agree with Martin's diagnosis, a leaky injector can cause what you are experiencing.

1st January 2021, 21:18	#1
trefonix Newbie Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Devon Posts: 29 Thanks: 0 Thanked 10 Times in 6 Posts	75 diesel engine cut out - won't start Hi all, My Rover is giving me some more trouble (it's good at doing that). Here's the story: I was driving home from getting some fish and chips, car started fine, drove off towards home and as I'm going I feel the car give a 'cough' if you like where it lost a bit of power and then cut out abruptly almost like a stall. My first thought was that it had run out of fuel as it was on the low side, filled it up to about half a tank and turned it over to no luck. As I was being towed home I attempted to give it a bump start in gear 3, the engine turned (but wasn't firing) but as soon as you put the clutch down it would immediately cut off again. So, it definitely feels like a fuel issue. I can hear both pumps running when I turn on the ignition but I've done no further diagnostics. My question is: Where should I start? What could be wrong?

2nd January 2021, 14:57	#3
Yorkshire GOC I really should get out more....... Rover 75 connoisseur se v6 auto Join Date: May 2014 Location: Hull Posts: 2,064 Thanks: 1,842 Thanked 623 Times in 469 Posts	First thing to discount/consider is a failing crank sensor - when you try and turn her over is the Rev Counter still or flickering slightly - if it remains still this points to a failing/failed crank sensor which can cause cut outs and non starts. __________________ She came off the Longbridge Line on 20-05-2003 The Silver Machine was the 13th of 160 Rover 75's to come off the production line that day and is the 100th of 527 Starlight Silver Rover 75 2.5 V6 Connoisseur SE Auto saloons listed in the build records produced world wide.

2nd January 2021, 14:58	#4
Yorkshire GOC I really should get out more....... Rover 75 connoisseur se v6 auto Join Date: May 2014 Location: Hull Posts: 2,064 Thanks: 1,842 Thanked 623 Times in 469 Posts	Also on a diesel would consider doing an injector leak back test - a dodgy injector will cause loss of power and cut outs . __________________ She came off the Longbridge Line on 20-05-2003 The Silver Machine was the 13th of 160 Rover 75's to come off the production line that day and is the 100th of 527 Starlight Silver Rover 75 2.5 V6 Connoisseur SE Auto saloons listed in the build records produced world wide.

2nd January 2021, 16:09	#6
trefonix Newbie Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Devon Posts: 29 Thanks: 0 Thanked 10 Times in 6 Posts	Fixed Unplugged the fuel lines from the fuel filter to check if the pumps were working, turned on the ignition to see a healthy squirt of diesel come out, thought that was odd, tried the other side, good also... Well I thought if it's getting this far with the fuel then it must be an injector issue or maybe some air so I plugged it all back in and turned it over and it started right up. I think what had happened is that I had run out of fuel (and the gauge isn't totally accurate), the pump had sucked in a bit of air and that was what was causing my issue. Yay for easy fixes

2nd January 2021, 18:20	#8
trefonix Newbie Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Devon Posts: 29 Thanks: 0 Thanked 10 Times in 6 Posts	Me too but I cranked and I cranked with a half full tank and no dice. As soon as I played with the filter it started right up.

2nd January 2021, 19:35	#9
steve-45 This is my second home Rover 75 Saloon CDTi Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Belvedere Posts: 4,076 Thanks: 108 Thanked 1,089 Times in 774 Posts	Sounds like a good reason to keep it well above a quarter tank !