Land Rover Repair: Range Rover 2.5 Diesel Cold Start Problem, rangie, glow plugs

Question
Hello John. My 97 Rangie TD has a difficult cold start. It sounds like there´s no fuel arriving at the Diesel Pump. Only after 2 or 3 tries it becomes alive. This never happens during the day, only after a "rest" of a day or so. Could it the the Heater Plugs or is it something more serious.

Regards

João  

Answer
Hola João,

It's possible that the glow plugs are at fault.  Glow plugs and relay switches are the usual suspect. It's common for glow plugs to burn out on older Rangies.

Just in case...

make sure the engine is turning over quickly.  This means a good battery, alternator and starter connections.  Check the wiring to ensure no gunk is forming and robbing you of much needed starting power.

next test the compression of your cylinders. Low compression would cause difficult starts on diesel engines.  This can also be common on older Rangies.

check the timing on your Rangie diesel engine.

lastly, it's possible that air is mixing with your fuel.  Problem can be anywhere from tank to fuel pump.  Any air will make cold starts difficult and magically disappear once the engine is started.

Best of luck,

JohnMc