300TDi Cut out why???

[MRWOO]

On my way home from work tonight in standing traffic while the engine was still cold the engine decided to cut out completely, this has never happened in the last 2 years (20k miles) at least. The engine would not start on the first attempt but came straight back to life on the second.

I'm not sure if this is related to another symptom of the engine sounding slightly louder when cruising around 55 - 60 than usual??

To note also I have recently blanked the EGR off and I didn't notice any increase in engine noise after doing it, the noisier engine developed later.

Advice please in priority order on what to check, to my knowledge the injectors have never been cleaned/replaced and this is first thing coming to my mind to check.

Ta Rich

[simonb]

On my way home from work tonight in standing traffic while the engine was still cold the engine decided to cut out completely, this has never happened in the last 2 years (20k miles) at least. The engine would not start on the first attempt but came straight back to life on the second.

I'm not sure if this is related to another symptom of the engine sounding slightly louder when cruising around 55 - 60 than usual??

To note also I have recently blanked the EGR off and I didn't notice any increase in engine noise after doing it, the noisier engine developed later.

Advice please in priority order on what to check, to my knowledge the injectors have never been cleaned/replaced and this is first thing coming to my mind to check.

Ta Rich

1. Check electrical connection to stop solenoid on injector pump is tight. If is stops again, don't turn off ign, check 12v is present on solenoid before restarting. If thats the problem, either wiring or ign switch fault.

2. Check all fuel lines for splits allowing air in.

3. Check fuel filter is tight.

4. If it has a standard factory fit immobiliser could be a fault with that.

5. If its done close to or more than 100K miles, lift pump may be on the way out. However that usually causes problems on 1st start of day rather than sudden cut outs.

[MRWOO]

1. Check electrical connection to stop solenoid on injector pump is tight. If is stops again, don't turn off ign, check 12v is present on solenoid before restarting. If thats the problem, either wiring or ign switch fault.

2. Check all fuel lines for splits allowing air in.

3. Check fuel filter is tight.

4. If it has a standard factory fit immobiliser could be a fault with that.

5. If its done close to or more than 100K miles, lift pump may be on the way out. However that usually causes problems on 1st start of day rather than sudden cut outs.

Thanks, I'll go and check these things after work. I did have a play with the manual pumping handle on the fuel lift pump and this has no resistance at all. The handle can go down and stay down not like on the old series where it actually springs back, is this normal?

[Lars L]

Yes, that's normal. As it acts on the camshaft, the engine has stopped when the camlobe is at its highest position. Flick the starter to move it a bit, but remember that the cam just makes one revolution while the crank makes two.

[Gromit]

I drove about for ages with a dead lift pump. It shouldn't stop you running.

Given the sudden creasing of proceedings, it does sound like an electrical fault - i.e. stop solenoid, or associated wiring.

[western]

Fuel solenoid wiring gets hardened by the heat in the engine bay, so maybe it's got a partial break that opens up to prevent the electric current flow at certain times when the engine moves on it's mounts.