Defender 300tdi - why has it died?!

[horsepower]

My engine died whilst out on the road.

• Battery fine – fully charged and no poor connections
• Starter motor turns engine, no nasty noises, all belts (including timing) appear intact
• Rockers seem to be moving fine
• Fuel in tank, no air trapped in the lines/filter
• Fuel pump seems to be working, injectors all spraying into cylinders (so doesn’t seem to be stop solenoid)
• Compression seems fine (tested with thumb over plug holes)
• Glow plugs are all scrap – but the engine has always started first time since I’ve had it, and they wouldn’t stop the engine running

Could it be part of the fuel system not working under pressure?

Why would it just stop - with no warning noises or vibrations?

Anyone?

[biggerlandy]

do a compression test or has belt slipped only takes about 2 teeth then wont start

[horsepower]

Cheers fo that, will let you know what I find.
Thanks, Andy

[extreme90]

take top hose off the inlet manifold
a pressure pipe could have de-laminated ( common with age) and cut off its air supply
no air, no go
was it sluggish before it stopped?
or just stop dead ?
did it happen whilst changing down the gears ?
cam bolts shear sending the cam back into the block ( happend to one of my 200's), which results in lost timing
although mine still ran.....some how  :?
ill get a pic now of the cam and timing gear
its impressive  :lol:
dan

[extreme90]

cant remember where i put the cam gear, afink its in with a set of gears, will look tomorrow
but here is the cam
the nose has broken off were the woodruff key sits and every lobe is missing the corner's

[Saffy]

My engine died whilst out on the road.

• Compression seems fine (tested with thumb over plug holes)

[/list]

Means nothing, mine old gave good compression against a finger even though two pistons and bores where trashed after a overheat. When finally obtaining a diesel compression tester it showed them to be less than a 1/3 of what it should be. I actually had the head off and the piston tops looked okay with a slight pick up evident on no.4 bore but I didn't know any better so had the head skimmed and new head gasket. Engine never actually ran again. Was only till I pulled the pistons out that I could see they was fubar.

You may want to get someone to turn it over while you look at the coolant in the header tank to check for any bubbles/lots of movement just to help towards ruling out a headgasket blown.

[J13 MUD]

Hi

I had exactly the same problem with my sons Defender a few weeks back. Plenty of compression, rockers moving when the engine turned etc, etc. The RAC guy assured my son that the problem was not serious as it ran fine when he squirted easy start into the turbo hose, but it would not keep running. The first thing I did was remove the timing cover to find that about ten teeth had stripped from the timing belt!!! Fortunately there was no damage caused and a new belt was all that was required. I think its worth the effort to remove the timing case and have a look.

Good luck.

Jim

[horsepower]

It was the alternator ... !

The front bearing on the alternator was shredded (lack of lubricant?), and the unit had seized - acting as a brake on the engine via the auxilliary belt.

I though I heard a screech when it died - and that's what was screaming.

At the time I was changing down while approaching a roundabout, and it must have happened while my foot was off the accelerator, allowing the belt to stop the engine, and prevent it from re-starting.

We used a squirt of Easy Start to get the engine to fire up, and then filled the garage with smoke from the belt and the pleasant song of shattered bearings.

Anyone ever seen that before?

[Saffy]

Anyone ever seen that before?

My powersteering pump pulley seized solid just over a week ago and the serpentine belt cooked and snapped pretty much within a few moments, doing about 40-50mph.

I know alternators (esp ones that get water dunked and grit blasted ) can develop faults which cause them to overheat underload sand this melts and disperses the bearing grease which ends up trashing the bearings.

[Range Rover Blues]

I've had the serpentine idler belt bearing collapse, but a big V8 doesn't worry about such triffles.  I've also had a rear diff nose bearing collapse, now that was interesting.

[Freelander1980]

Gald to hear that it was nothing to serious, it is always the things you dont expect that cause the problems.

[landyman37]

It was the alternator ... !


Anyone ever seen that before?

Yep had it happen to our disco mrs was on her way back from shopping phoned me and told me the engine would not start.I had just changed the cam belt all sorts goes through your mind.