Ladies and Gents
I am looking for info to see if anybody else has had contamination of the diesel fuel.
One person in our club has spoken to someone in a LR dealership who said they have had vehicles in with these same symptoms and it was to do with the breather for the tank. I will call them on Monday to see if I can qualify this if the person will speak to me.
On the way back to home from Edinburgh we spent the whole time in a downpour with water all over the road for 100 miles. It was the next day that we noticed the problem.
The dealership said the fuel was taken after the filter and was brown with a settlement of water in it. We do live in a rural area and there's often mud being led onto the road from the fields, could this explain the brown colour.
Fuel analysis should ascertain if its corrosion products or mud from the road. I will ask for a sample and if they have the filters this can provide evidence also.
Has anybody out there got a new Puma engined 110 that can see where the fuel tank breather is located and is it possible for water to get to the end of it. Pics would be nice if possible.
There is a bowl under the drivers side rear wheel arch, is this the main diesel filter or is it a water knock out filter.
Also has anyone got a Td5, where is the breather for the tank, does it have a warning light in the filtration system for water build up in the filters as I have heard.
My suspicions are that the contamination is being drawn in somehow into the tank but I will need the fuel samples analysed first to confirm the contaminants.
Any info on this situation would be greatly received
Thanks in advance

Tony

Sounds like cobblers to me! These vehicles are tested exhaustively in extreme conditions-are you suggesting that normal road use in rainy conditions will cause a serious water contamination problem? I think not! I have been in the motor trade for many years and know these vehicles (and many others) intimately. If your problem is genuinely due to water contamination, it is more likely to be due to contaminated fuel from either elderly, corroded fuel storage tanks or from drums used for refuelling. I am happy to be proved wrong on this one but I think that in the fullness of time, a more logical root cause will be found. It annoys me to hear people condemning these excellent vehicles and their skilled designers, in a bid to cover for their own poor "fuel hygiene" or just plain ignorance and incompetence!

I look forward to any reply to this post!

Bossman wrote:

Sounds like cobblers to me! These vehicles are tested exhaustively in extreme conditions-are you suggesting that normal road use in rainy conditions will cause a serious water contamination problem? I think not! I have been in the motor trade for many years and know these vehicles (and many others) intimately. If your problem is genuinely due to water contamination, it is more likely to be due to contaminated fuel from either elderly, corroded fuel storage tanks or from drums used for refuelling. I am happy to be proved wrong on this one but I think that in the fullness of time, a more logical root cause will be found. It annoys me to hear people condemning these excellent vehicles and their skilled designers, in a bid to cover for their own poor "fuel hygiene" or just plain ignorance and incompetence!

I look forward to any reply to this post!

Have a look at:

http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic396.html

Tim

Just spent the evning around a friend of mine who has a new Puma engined Defender. He's been having problems with stuttering and the MIL coming on.

Drained the fuel filter into a clean coffee jar and it doesn't look good. Half of the contents was dirty water.

So she's off to the dealer tomorrow for the inquest.

He uses the same servo that I fill up at and my TD5 shows no symptoms of water in the fuel at all. He has driven the car in wet conditions on road (we've had some pretty wet days lately) and hasn't been near so much as a puddle off road. Looks like another one for 'faulty tank breather'. I just hope we have caught it in time without stuffing any up.

It's a real shame that the new Defender is suffering this fault as it is otherwise a very nice vehicle.
_________________
Land Rovers are an addiction. Toyotas are for quitters.

WWW.CQLROC.ORG

sorry to here that, tell them chin up land rover know about it and its now a fix.........can i ask you foz if you can keep me updated with the problem and HOW they fix it!!

thanks mate

foz.in.oz wrote:

Just spent the evning around a friend of mine who has a new Puma engined Defender. He's been having problems with stuttering and the MIL coming on.

Drained the fuel filter into a clean coffee jar and it doesn't look good. Half of the contents was dirty water.

So she's off to the dealer tomorrow for the inquest.

He uses the same servo that I fill up at and my TD5 shows no symptoms of water in the fuel at all. He has driven the car in wet conditions on road (we've had some pretty wet days lately) and hasn't been near so much as a puddle off road. Looks like another one for 'faulty tank breather'. I just hope we have caught it in time without stuffing any up.

It's a real shame that the new Defender is suffering this fault as it is otherwise a very nice vehicle.

As mentioned a known problem with extensive posts on here and lro - where i have hosted the pdfs
_________________
Mike
2.4TDCi 90CWS XS
300TDi Discovery

Will do, Dullbird.
_________________
Land Rovers are an addiction. Toyotas are for quitters.

WWW.CQLROC.ORG

Was a bit worryed about the water problem with the fuel tank breather so I have moved mine

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

whatch out for fuel vapours in the cab
_________________
Mike
2.4TDCi 90CWS XS
300TDi Discovery

Update on my friends Defender Dullbird,

Dealer removed the tank and washed it out. same with pump and fuel lines. Replaced a switch on the fuel rail? and repositioned the breather behind the tail lamp cover. All done under waranty with no charge. collected and delivered the vehicle too (350kms round trip).

Looks like we caught it before it destroyed the injectors although my friend is keeping a very close eye on things.
_________________
Land Rovers are an addiction. Toyotas are for quitters.

WWW.CQLROC.ORG

This is a known problem with land rover, there is even a TSB on it!! the fuel breather is incorrectly positioned, and draws in water and mud etc. this then wrecks the high pressure fuel pump.

Fault rectified by fitting new tank, breather, filter, HP pump, common fuel rail and finally, new diesel!!

Is the fuel pump before the filter outside the tank?
I found quite a bit of silt in the bottom of the external fuel filter.
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Puma 110 - so far so quiet
Ser III 109" - seldom a problem

CapeLandy wrote:

Is the fuel pump before the filter outside the tank?
I found quite a bit of silt in the bottom of the external fuel filter.

How about the rest of the manuals
_________________
Puma 110 - so far so quiet
Ser III 109" - seldom a problem