Fuel Soleniod - low voltage ...supply ??

[Tall Paul]

Hello all !!

I was at asda in my 300 tdi disco 96 plate and came out with the shopping, loaded the disco up and it just did not want to play at all. After 2 hours i gave up and got a pull home.

After much investigating I found that the voltage to the Fuel Soleniod is not 12 v its only getting about 6 volts. When i runn a wirefrom me battery directly to the soleniod the fuel is back and the engine runs.

I was going to leave this wire in place and fit a switch but then i realised that i can not stop the engine with out flicking the switch off. I would rather wire to a switched wire all ready in place.

I tried to go off the cigarette lighter as this id dead when no keys are in, but has power when key turned - but the voltage was not high enough - when i cranked the engine the voltage droped completely away no power.

Does any body have any ideas where i can pick up an switched live, preferbly in the engnie bay, that will have enough voltage to open the soleniod then cut the power when i remove the key ?

Many thanks in advance

Paul

[JimAttrill]

I would trace the fuel solenoid back from the engine. My Defender had a bad connection in one of the multiplugs.

[Tall Paul]

I thought the other end went directly to the spider unit ???

[Guest DiscoTD4]

mmm sounds like a generic voltage drop when cranking, regardless of where you take the power from, with exception of direct from battery ?

In which case check the main feed wire off the positive terminal of the battery, not the big thick starter feed cable but the other one, it could be a dodgy connection or crimp on the connector giving high resistance to the electrical circuits.

If she is turning over OK then unlikely to be the main earths as that should affect the starter current, which does not seem to be the problem.

Good luck

[Ally V8]

Your smart spider is dying.

[filthy]

My Disco 300TDi had the same problem.

Turned out to be the multi-plug behind the fuse box next to the drivers foot well - upper right under dash.

Had other intermittent electrical issues also.

The plug was never snapped shut properly from day one of manufacture.

I also removed the volume down button from cluster & replaced it with a heated window switch & made an additional break in the solenoid wiring with it as an extra security measure & left a fly lead with a croc clip on the input volts side under the bonnet hidden incase it failed again, so the dash switch would still work & I could hook up to the battery if the problem re-occured.

Filthy

[Tall Paul]

I think i will check the multiplugs beside the drivers foot well again.

what do you think about running a wire from the positive terminal of te starter motor to the fuel soleniod ? should allow voltage when i turn my key and should stop the voltage when i turn the key back

then again will the positive on the starter have a constant supply of 12v ?? it wont will it because the starter will be engaged all the time if it was constant.

..... mmmm ??

[yellow90]

as said above sounds like the spider, which is the immobiliser unit. a single wire wouldn't be suffient with out running it through a relay, do this and it will be a by pass of the immobiliser.

[pw8757]

I agree with Jim and the others. Replacing the wire will just cover over the present problem and if this practice continues to be followed you get to the situation which I had on my Disco, that the ignition wiring had to be virtually rebuilt because so many people had played with it in the past.

A few hours spent effectively sorting this issue will mean that you have a standard loom when something else happens......!

[Tall Paul]

true !! roll on the warm light nights !!