Land Rover Repair: Disco II TD5 Auto starting problems, crankshaft sensor, hopeless kind

Question
Hi John: I have a 2001 TD5 Auto XS 7 seater. with 196000 kilometers & full service history.
After driving the car and stopping it will refuse to start. Engine will crank (like on an old petrol car you've pulled the spark-plug leads of) for minutes. Leaving the car alone for a few minutes then it will fire & run merrily. Always enough fuel, fuel pump NOT pumping loud from the tank indicating fuel leak / air leak. Replaced fuel pump, both electric harnasses, crankshaft sensor, CPU but still no start. Does it about 30% of the time.
Engine in good condition.
Engine does sometimes "shudder" when idling (dropping rev's from idle speed to 200rpm). LR dealership hopeless.
Kind regards from South Africa.  

Answer
Hi Cecil,

sounds like a cylinder compression problem or possibly the fuel cut-off solenoid could be faulty.  I hope that is the extent of the problem...remote possibility it could be timing related or even cam shaft troubles.  

Best of luck,

JohnMc