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maq1974



Member Since: 19 Jul 2020
Location: Karachi
Posts: 9

Pakistan 
Defender 90 Puma fuel issue. Engine stalled and not starting
Hi i are working on a 2012 Defender 90 PuMa with the 2.4 litre fuel injected engine

The engine was running just fine until 5 daya ago. I had changed fuel filter on the vehicle after which it was driving fine for a short while until it started randomly sputter or felt like missing on acceleration or high speed. I assumed it might be something in the fuel that will clear out on it’s own but got worse to the potent that the engine would suddenly just choke up and not go beyond 2000 rpm with the Pedal fully depressed. After this it got worse to the point that the vehicle just shut down while driving at low speed and refused to start almost feeling like it had run out of fuel whereas it still bad quarter tank.

So far I have opened up the tank , cleaned the lines thoroughly , taken out air from the lines checked all the connectors to the fuel pump but to no avail. When I try to crank it the fuel just doesn’t reach the engine from the main line.
I have even connected the diagnostics computer via the OBD2 and it shows no errors.

I am not sure if the pump , the lines , air , electrical or if it’s something else.

Can someone who has experienced a similar problem shes some light on what to look for.

Thanks
MAQ 1974
Post #862482 19th Oct 2020 7:38pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16863

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
It would be interesting to know the fuel rail pressures while you're cranking the engine, but my first suspicion is that the VCV (volume control valve) in the fuel pump has packed up. The VCV is a ridiculously fragile component which regulates the flow of fuel from the LP stage tot he HP stage of the pump and by doing so controls the fuel rail pressure. Any dirt or moisture in the fuel tends to make it malfunction.

Generally if you have a 2.4 Defender with a misfire or other symptoms that are similar to fuel starvation, and there are no DTCs pointing anywhere else, suspect the VCV.

There are many threads on this forum on the subject of the VCV.
Post #862488 19th Oct 2020 8:18pm
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maq1974



Member Since: 19 Jul 2020
Location: Karachi
Posts: 9

Pakistan 
It seems it is not being able to keep any fuel in the rail on startup unless we manually pressurize it by pushing air through the fuel tank inlet. I dont have an exact measure of how many bars pressure the rail is keeping but when I unscrew any one of the injector lines coming from the rail there was no pressure. Likewise the main link coming from the pump to the rail was not pushing fuel into the rail.
Post #862526 20th Oct 2020 4:59am
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LR90XS2011



Member Since: 05 Apr 2011
Location: bickenhill
Posts: 3612

United Kingdom 2011 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Galway Green
its probably no coincidence it failed after fuel filter change, remove the filter, top it up with fuel, refit it , ensure it is fitted correctly, and then crank it for a while, you may need to get a bleeder to get the air out of the system before it will start DEFENDER 90 TDCI XS,

I hope everyone is well and your land rovers make you happy
Post #862539 20th Oct 2020 7:42am
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16863

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
Worth bleeding it to be certain no bubbles are in the fuel at the bleed point on the engine. No pressure at all on the fuel rail suggests to me that either there is air in the system, or the VCV has failed completely, or the PRV on the fuel rail has popped.

I'm not sure if it is possible to disconnect the return pipe from the PRV to see if fuel is being pumped out of it when cranking - it may be necessary to bite the bullet and replace the PRV and VCV.

The PRV is a non-resettable valve, if it has popped it must be replaced.
Post #862548 20th Oct 2020 8:41am
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Race.it



Member Since: 27 Aug 2019
Location: Algeciras
Posts: 741

Spain 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SW Alaska White
@Blackwolf, is there any codes etc on a nano com that would show this as an issue? I know there are not many sensors so to speak on these vehicles (one of the reasons I brought one, down with computers Smile ) Searching for my first Defender...and started just as Covid hit, so talk about timing.

5 months after starting the search I found it, and here is the details
Post #862549 20th Oct 2020 8:44am
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16863

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
No, the VCV area is very poorly monitored and it is the fact that there are not stored codes that tends to suggest the VCV may be at fault.
Post #862550 20th Oct 2020 8:46am
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19551

United Kingdom 
Does sound VCV like symptoms. Mine stalled twice one day pulling out of a junction and pulling up to a roundabout. Interesting times! Confused
It was the VCV.

Also did you prime the fuel filter before fitting? Diesel$ Live$ Matter. ⛽️🛢️👨‍🔧🧰⚙️ RED, WHITE & BOOST! 🇬🇧
Post #862579 20th Oct 2020 11:54am
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maq1974



Member Since: 19 Jul 2020
Location: Karachi
Posts: 9

Pakistan 
So I changed the VCV and took the air out using the bleed valve at the engine level but still the same issue. The vehicle started and idled for a while but still shuts down randomly. Rechecked to see if there is fuel coming in the lines and it is and also out the return pipe. Now it’s not even starting. Totally perplexed.....
Post #862592 20th Oct 2020 1:00pm
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maq1974



Member Since: 19 Jul 2020
Location: Karachi
Posts: 9

Pakistan 
So Update is that its still not starting. Has anyone experienced having to change the pump or service the pump installed near the engine?

Also in the event that the pump is faulty is it possible to replace it with a submersible pump in the tank rather than replacing the pump near the engine.

Also last question how easy or difficult is it to get the pump out?
Post #862795 21st Oct 2020 12:12pm
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maq1974



Member Since: 19 Jul 2020
Location: Karachi
Posts: 9

Pakistan 
So we took out the fuel injection pump from the side of the engine and had it tested. It appears the pump is throwing excess fuel in the return line and not enough fuel in the main line which causes the engine to stall. Have been advised to replace the fuel pump to fix the problem.....
Post #863129 23rd Oct 2020 5:35am
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16863

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
Interesting, not heard of that failure mode before. Let us know if the new pump solves your problems, it all adds to the Defender2 "body of knowledge". Thumbs Up
Post #863157 23rd Oct 2020 8:52am
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maq1974



Member Since: 19 Jul 2020
Location: Karachi
Posts: 9

Pakistan 
Problem Fixed!
Problem Fixed! And yes it was the pump which was totally busted unfortunately .

Got the new Denso pump today afternoon and had it back installed by early evening and back on the road flying like never before. Pump wasn’t cheap but the sound of the engine cranking effortlessly and then moving effortlessly was worth every penny.

My take is the pump had taken a fair amount of bearing given our quality of fuel here and was already on its last leg during the lag few months so it was only inevitable that it would fail one of these days.

Thank you all for your help and advise.
Post #863262 23rd Oct 2020 7:41pm
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DannyB1973



Member Since: 26 Jan 2024
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 1

United Kingdom 
Hi Maq1974 just dropped on your thread regarding this issue my 2011 90 2.4 puma has identical issues to this, so obviously I'm jumping on this 3 years later but did the Denso fuel pressure pump fix the issue 100%?
Post #1022529 26th Jan 2024 9:32am
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19551

United Kingdom 
Glad to hear that you have it sorted, it’s a shame the new VCV didn’t wort it out but still goes to show that it was fuel pump related.

And I think you are right, any poor quality fuel or possible contamination can cause a lot of damage.
The bad part is, you just never know what might end up going in.

I hate to think how much the fuel pump is, off the top of my head I bet it’s a good £800 exc labour possibly more. Anyone know ? Diesel$ Live$ Matter. ⛽️🛢️👨‍🔧🧰⚙️ RED, WHITE & BOOST! 🇬🇧
Post #1022576 26th Jan 2024 3:55pm
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