| Author | Message | ||
     RAY HARRISON (Rahar) New Member Username: Rahar Post Number: 1 Registered: 04-2004 |
Hi all. I ve got a series 1 Disco (EFI 3.5) with a modest 160,000 kms on clock. The beast has only travelled about 10,000 kms in the last 5 years. Used mainly for boat towing and beach cruising. My son has had his eye on it for a few years. I decided to let him have it—sigh….. As he was planing a 3000k trip to the North (of Australia) we decided to undertake some maintenance. Replaced: - All ignition leads and plugs Distributor cap and rotor Oil Filter (with new oil of course) Fuel Pump Fuel filter Air filter (K&N) Radiator Shock absorbers ..and so on After having done all this the beast was running as smooth as silk. I took it for a test run and was impressed!! Now for the good bit. Some 500 kms into his trip he has rung me to say that the damn thing stalls/cuts out at low revs after normal driving. He had driven 100 kms or so, sitting on about 110 kph and as he slowed down for a stop sign it cut out. The revs went from a normal idle (I guess about 800-1000 rpm) to zero in a flash. When he tried to start it again – no go. He says it sounds like it’s out of fuel. He let it sit for about 10 minutes and it started -smooth as silk again. He managed to find a local mechanic who could nothing wrong with it. (Of course it was behaving itself when it went to the mechanic). He suggested that it might be water in the fuel so a new fuel filter was put on with some type of water removal additive to the tank. (fuel pump pressure was checked too and was ok). Off he went. Some 50-60 kms down the road he pulled over and as he did, it stopped again. And wouldn’t start for 10 minutes. He says its running fine on the open road but when he slows it down (to less than 20 kph) it just cuts out. He has also told me it doesn’t do it all the time but only about half the time!! Says again it’s like its run out of fuel. The nearest Land Rover dealer is about 1000 kms away!!! Anyone got any ideas? Ray H | ||
| eric johnson (Eric2) Senior Member Username: Eric2 Post Number: 322 Registered: 05-2003 |
Coil? As it heats up and expands, certain contacts pull away just far enough to cause problems. Then it cools down and things get close to where they will work. This is just a big fat guess, based on years of guessing. Plus you seem to have replaced everything but the coil. | ||
| David (98disco) New Member Username: 98disco Post Number: 38 Registered: 03-2004 |
Coil would be my first guess too. It could be other things, but the description of starting back up after it cools down is a classic symptom of a bad coil. The next time it throws a fit, check the spark from the coil before it has time to cool down. Remember, just because it throws a spark doesn't mean it's strong enough. It should be a blue/white spark. Orange or yellow is bad. Other suggestions - check the points gap, check for any carbon deposits on the breaker points. | ||
| Tony V. Sawyer (Tony_sawyer) New Member Username: Tony_sawyer Post Number: 16 Registered: 06-2003 |
Is he running a bunch of auxillary electronics (Engel fridge, ham/shortwave radios, computers, GPS, etc.)? It could be that with extra electric load it will work fine at higher revs but when he slows down the voltage drops to a level that it won't support the fuel pump and ignition. Happened to one of our vehicles last fall on trails when his engine speed dropped. | ||
| RAY HARRISON (Rahar) New Member Username: Rahar Post Number: 2 Registered: 04-2004 |
David, No points-all electronic Tony, No, nothing at all except radar detector pluged into cig lighter. | ||
| Tony V. Sawyer (Tony_sawyer) New Member Username: Tony_sawyer Post Number: 17 Registered: 06-2003 |
With no other electronics drain, I would look at either the coil or the ignition amplifier. If the amplifier is still mounted on the distributor, it has a tendency to get hot and cut out. | ||
| RAY HARRISON (Rahar) New Member Username: Rahar Post Number: 3 Registered: 04-2004 |
Coil question. I assuming that the coil is the first problem to look at. Its going to be replaced anyway but Im told that the only coil available is a genuine Landrover item (made by Bosch). Getting my hands on one is a bit complicated. The closest dealer is about 1000 kms away and with ordering, freight time etc could take up to a week to get to him. Is anything else compatible? | ||
| Chris Browne (Chris_browne) Senior Member Username: Chris_browne Post Number: 737 Registered: 02-2003 |
Replace coil. If you look at the current one, you may even see the coolant leaching out. Until then, when everything is switched off, spray water on coil to cool it off. | ||
| Geoff 93 RRC (Geoff) Senior Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 322 Registered: 11-2002 |
Intermittant spark usually rears its head at low revs and can be masked at higher revs. Since it ran fine at first it makes me think your son hit some bad roads that knocked something loose. Check all of your new parts' connections such as leads to plugs. Perhaps he picked up some bad fuel with water in it or just old somewhere. I have recently found that the spark plug gap is critical (.033"). If the gap is too large the engine will run fine at first due to the plugs being new, then degrade fairly quickly. The coil is a possibility as the other guys have mentioned. If travelling on bumpy roads that may have broken some of the internal windings causing a short and reduction in efficiency. Hopefully when the rotor was replaced they didn't break the little plastic "top hat" clip that holds the shaft down. If so the mechanical advance weights may have been all disconnected, which then lets the rotor flop around and ruin the timing. You can check by moving the rotor about 5-10 degrees clockwise - it should spring back. Also check the connection to the ignition amplifier (side of distributor) from the wiring harness and also the little ground wire just behind the ignition amplifier to the ground point on the right side of the block. | ||
| RAY HARRISON (Rahar) New Member Username: Rahar Post Number: 4 Registered: 04-2004 |
Thanks Chris and Geoff, I passed all that on to him to check. Seems maybe that the coil may still be the problem. He can pick up a new coil hopefully within the next day or so (if in stock). Im still curious about the coil though. From what I've been told the only replacement has to be a "genuine" coil. I'm a bit dumb about coils and thought that "coils are coils" to some degree. Could someone enlighten me? Thanks | ||
| Shaun Power (Shaunp) Senior Member Username: Shaunp Post Number: 277 Registered: 05-2003 |
I'd be checking /replaceing the ign amp. | ||
| eric johnson (Eric2) Senior Member Username: Eric2 Post Number: 328 Registered: 05-2003 |
Coils have different specs.,I.e. the resistance(ohms) between the primary and secondary circuit. Some are.5 ohm, some are 1.5 ohms. A different coil might work in a pinch, but try to match specs. Holley makes a coil and some brand called KEM-for Disco's. Jeez, I'd think any auto store in the outback should have the right coil. | ||
| RAY HARRISON (Rahar) New Member Username: Rahar Post Number: 6 Registered: 04-2004 |
Eric, Thanks for info. Probably academic at this stage as he is a days drive away from dealer. Will get whole thing checked. Still playing up though but no worse than when he left. Problem with the outback is there are no stores for hundreds of kms-let alone an auto store. Some places only stock fuel and diesel at that. In some places you may not see another car all day and still drive 500-700 kms. Its a big country!! | ||
| Shaun Power (Shaunp) Senior Member Username: Shaunp Post Number: 279 Registered: 05-2003 |
Ray M.R Automotive in Brisbane will post Landrover parts anywhere for you and there prices are good and parts are Original equipment. | ||
| eric johnson (Eric2) Senior Member Username: Eric2 Post Number: 330 Registered: 05-2003 |
Oh, many here(U.S.) think the Outback is just crawling with Rovers. | ||
| RAY HARRISON (Rahar) New Member Username: Rahar Post Number: 7 Registered: 04-2004 |
Eric, LOL The outback is crawling with Toyotas and Nissans! |
