2003 X Type Diesel 2 litre saloon

[Ian Wood]

The car has done100,000 miles and has suddenly developed a fault. For no apparent reason the engine cuts out. It doesnt matter what speed I am doing .

9 times out of 10 if you switch the ignition of and then on agaiin it will re start, but the more you do this the harder it becomes to start. It has been put on a computer by a mechanic  but shows no fault. He advised that modern computers are not suited to older cars. Has any one had this problem or has an idea please?

Graham

[Big John]

Hi Ian

Can you give a little more detail?

Does the engine just stop dead? Any warning lights? Any smoke? Rough running? Noises?

Not sure I agree with your mechanic that yours counts as "an older car" in terms of reading the DTC codes. My cheap code reader is more than happy reading any DTCs on my 2.1 petrol from 2003....

Regards

John

[Ian Wood]

On 9/16/2024 at 8:48 AM, Big John said:

Hi Ian

Can you give a little more detail?

Does the engine just stop dead? Any warning lights? Any smoke? Rough running? Noises?

Not sure I agree with your mechanic that yours counts as "an older car" in terms of reading the DTC codes. My cheap code reader is more than happy reading any DTCs on my 2.1 petrol from 2003....

Regards

John

Hi John,

Sorry for the delay getting back to you. Yes the engine stops dead. No lights, no smoke, no funny noises. The computer reads the DTC codes but advises no problems.

[Big John]

That sounds very odd 😞

Only thing that comes to my mind is a faulty ignition key switch or wiring, or possibly power to the fuel pump as, once started, a diesel just keeps running until its fuel supply is cut off or it is starved of air. For it to switch itself of "cleanly" without any misfiring, as you are describing, suggests that either, there is a fault in the key circuit (it thinks you have turned the ignition off). or the fuel pump is losing power and cutting the fuel off.

Maybe you could try rummaging around the wires inside the steering column (when parked!) and see if you can replicate the problem?

Regards

John

[Powderfinger]

I have a similar problem with my 2-litre diesel estate.  The problem has now worsened because I was moving my X-Type on my driveway, white smoke started coming from the back of the engine and all electrics have now stopped working.  Not even the red immobiliser light flashes and the central locking no longer works. I do not dare start it.

The smoke stopped after a few minutes. I assume a wiring connection or relay has burnt out.  Are there are wiring specialists in the Birmingham region or is it a problem that can be repaired by a good mechanic?

Any advice will be gratefully received.

[N6 JMX]

Smoke, associated with wiring implies heat and heat in electrical circuits is generated by resistance or shorting. If you had smoke for several minutes, then there should be tell-tale indications to assist you track down a location. Either there will be a melted section of plastic insultation (wire covering) = possibly with a brown hue on the adjacent wires, or even a molten mass of cables merged together.

The fact that you now appear to have no electrics, would tend to suggest the latter - a molten mass where multiple cables are now in electrical proximity to each other because the insultation plastic has failed.

Trace the wiring harnesses at the bulkhead - rear of the engine - before any further attempts to start or move the car. You are looking for those tell-tale signs.

N6 JMX