Glow plug light flashes, car stops.

[Bearly awake]

Hi. My 2.0d has recently started running slightly rough sometimes, seems down on power, lurches when accelerating and seems to stall more easily. It doesn't do these things all the time, but often enough. My mechanic said there seems to be a fault with one of the fuel pressure regulators, but is unsure which one, and recommends I take it to a diesel specialist. A couple of days ago, after about fifteen miles, the glow plug light started flashing and the car cut out as I exited a roundabout onto a busy duel carriageway-not nice. It started again a few moments later and has been ok since. 

I've had a look around on here and this would seem a fairly common thing, with the turbo actuator often being the culprit. I checked mine and it seems ok, moving through about 45degrees when the engine is revved. 

Does anybody have anything useful to suggest, or do I bite the bullet and take it to a diesel specialist for a good wallet-rogering? Any help much appreciated! 

[Old Peter]

Hi Charles, 

I would suggest that you either use and additive or get a terraclean service.  And a big assist to the engine is to use premium fuel..

Peter.

[Bearly awake]

Thanks Peter. I always do use premium diesel, Shell V power, and I have run injector cleaner through it recently. Might be worth doing again. 

[david moore]

i would first check for diesel/fuel at the injectors, plus correct pressure too. change fuel filter, check all air sensors, along with air filter, EGR valve cleaned and check for correct operation under vacuum pressure. then connect up to ECU (electronic control unit) which after all of the checks done above should give you a closer pinpoint of any other problems if any?  good luck ..... dave

[JOE-DOT-COM]

Hi

I'd get it plugged in and check for any fault codes

modern cars store most of the faults and should point you in the right direction

just swapping parts for new ones can get quite expensive and can take a few goes before you find the fault

there that many electronics on modern diesels, it could just be a sensor, only easy way is to get it plugged in

or even take it to a diesel specialist, they come across similar faults all the time and may know the cause from experience

cheers

Joe

[Bearly awake]

Thanks everyone

[Bearly awake]

On 2017-6-16 at 5:20 PM, david moore said:

i would first check for diesel/fuel at the injectors, plus correct pressure too. change fuel filter, check all air sensors, along with air filter, EGR valve cleaned and check for correct operation under vacuum pressure. then connect up to ECU (electronic control unit) which after all of the checks done above should give you a closer pinpoint of any other problems if any?  good luck ..... dave

Thanks Dave. Any advice re the fuel filter? Do I need to depressurise the system somehow before removing the old one, and how would I bleed the new one? Cheers

[david moore]

you do not have to depressurise the fuel system, there is a screw underneath so you can drain the diesel out first from the filter if need be?  but make sure you have a container and some rags handy,  plus rubber gloves as diesel spillage  for when you remove the clips.!   take a photo or draw a diagram so you know where the clips go for when you place them back on the new filter.( in the right order) then turn the car over until it starts... may take a while for the diesel to get through so do be patient.

[david moore]

as for your limp mode? look to see what kind of turbo actuator you have? if its one like this the mechanism inside fails and stops working...which then puts the car into limp mode but may also give a glowplug warning light too. so you need to buy a new one and fit .. easy to do job. cost of actuators vary around from £75 to £100....  right  if it is this one check to make sure that the actuator arm moves from the unit to the turbo unit? if not then this is definitely the actuator unit that has broke and needs replacing with a new unit.

[Bearly awake]

The actuator arm moves through about 45 degrees when the engine is revved, so I guess it's ok-although I suppose I had better check when it is hot. I have heard that some people clean the turbo by drilling a hole in it and filling it with oven cleaner. Have you come across this? Otherwise, I think I will change the fuel and air filter, blank the EGR valve, check and clean all connections on the MAF etc then run some good quality fuel cleaner through it. I've been quoted £300.00 for full diagnostics, and the guy said it sounds like injectors to him (£1000.00 to fix!) , so I will see if this works first. 

[Old Peter]

My S type had its MOT last week and passed.  I had asked my mobile mechanic to run it through a full diagnostic test  ---  he has the full set of equipment to do so.

He did - no issues or codes came up,  Cost ==  FREE.

I think it could be worth have a Terraclean service done on your car.  It is well worth the £125 or so you will have to pay.

Regards,

Peter.

[Bearly awake]

Hi Peter, David and Joe. With your help, I have fixed my car, so thank you all. Before getting into what I did though, I would like to clarify the thing about a potential £300.00 charge for for diagnosis-rather than reading the fault codes, which my  mechanic had already done for free, that was for a full system check-injector spray patterns, pressure at different points in the system, software analysis, fuel sample chemically tested etc, all using Delphi specific kit. Anyway, in the end I didn't much fancy that. Based on your advice and other threads on here, I decided to change the cam sensor, air and fuel filters, fit an EGR blanking plate and run some good quality fuel cleaner through it. In the process of doing this I also discovered that a vacuum tube was not fitted to the underside of the air box, the inlet snorkels were not fitted, the pipe between the turbo and MAF was split and an electrical connector in the engine bay was burnt out (not sure what it is, a fairly large wire to a stud, where another wire picks it up, running along the front of the engine). All in all, I'm surprised the old boy ran at all. I fitted the new parts and repaired all the faults, and cleaned various other electrical connectors....and my car now goes better than it ever did, it runs like a sewing machine and pulls like a train and is a joy to drive. Thanks again!

BTW, when replacing the fuel filter, I remembered an old tip a mechanic once gave me-turn the new filter upside down, unscrew the drain cap and carefully fill it with neat injector cleaner. This primes the system (Worked at treat, it fired immediately) and gives the injectors a good dose.

[Old Peter]

Hi Charles,

Result! 

Peter.

[david moore]

great news.....enjoy your jag experience