Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

Hi guys, I am posting here and 4x4 community to see if anyone has had the same symptoms as me, or any ideas as to what went wrong.

We stayed at koningskop campsite this weekend and on the way to the trail my pajero cut out, and the engine light came on. I was driving slowly as we didn't know where the turn off was to the trail and my engine was cold still. Had driven maybe 4km at well under 2000rpm.

As the engine cut out, I stopped on the side of the road and smelt something odd, I opened the bonnet and there was electrical smoke billowing out from under the fuel filter area. I didn't have a 10mm spanner to undo the battery terminal, so I ran back to switch the ignition off. Luckily the smoke stopped! Note to self, buy a fire extinguisher ASAP, and an isolation switch on the negative lead from the battery to chassis would be a very good idea to switch off power in a hurry.

We towed the Pajero back to the campsite and had a better look under the gazebo. I first thought it was the starter motor, but it was fine and swung the motor easily. I also removed the battery and battery tray to look at the injector pump for burnt wiring on the loom, nothing! All OK, I couldn't see any damage to any wiring or pump without removing the pump itself.

There was no smoke from the exhaust, (black, blue or white) when the engine died and when I tried to start the Pajero again, it just swings and swings with no puffs of diesel smoke from the exhaust. Which tells me there is not fuel being injected into the cylinders.

Any ideas on what happened? I Googled and searched last night, but seems as if no one has posted on an injector pump catching fire or wiring burning on the net?


Sent from somewhere in a galaxy far, far away...

Shock - Horror!!

Not nice at all!
Is it not maybe the electric component of the pump like the governor or something that made a short and burned? Have you got any fault codes registered in the computer? It might lead you to the failed part and possible cause. I don't think the pump itself, being mostly mechanical can burn, but there are some electrical components on it. Why it would burn though is beyond me, unless a live wire earthed somewhere where it was not supposed to due to chaving? Are all the fuses intact? Is it still making smoke when you start it up?

I would not turn the engine too much without diesel going through as lubrication though as it might damage the pump further!

CATS

sounds to me like the starter wire from the battery is touching somewhere.

Follow the thick positive wire from the battery to the starter. Look for chaffing marks.

CATS wrote:Shock - Horror!!

Not nice at all!
Is it not maybe the electric component of the pump like the governor or something that made a short and burned? Have you got any fault codes registered in the computer? It might lead you to the failed part and possible cause. I don't think the pump itself, being mostly mechanical can burn, but there are some electrical components on it. Why it would burn though is beyond me, unless a live wire earthed somewhere where it was not supposed to due to chaving? Are all the fuses intact? Is it still making smoke when you start it up?

I would not turn the engine too much without diesel going through as lubrication though as it might damage the pump further!

CATS

Hi cats, yup not such a lekker feeling to b stranded 160km from home.

I thought as much as well, some part of the electronic control of the pump burnt out inside. Hope it isn't mechanical...

There might be a warranty still on the work done at mitspro on the pump when skillie had the Pajero fixed, he is finding out for me if it valid before I take it to a diesel injector pump specialist and possibly lose the warranty...







Sent from somewhere in a galaxy far, far away...

4ePikanini wrote:sounds to me like the starter wire from the battery is touching somewhere.

Follow the thick positive wire from the battery to the starter. Look for chaffing marks.

Hi Marius. Thanks I will double check on that more closely. Didn't see anything on Saturday, but that was a quick look. Will take the plastic protection off and closely look at the wiring before I send it to anyone.

Sent from somewhere in a galaxy far, far away...

Hi Nick Just checked out the campsite. Nice... If you are still stuck, I can be there in 16 hours. That is if I leave now.

Hi Nick, sorry to hear of your troubles.

Building on Marius' theme:
1. A chafed / broken wire to one of the sensors / actuators on the injector pump (also check fuses, because between when you saw the smoke and when you killed the ignition, a fuse could have popped).
2. Since the CEL (Check Engine Light) came on, there should be a fault code recorded - use Marius' thread re fault code reading without a MutII tester - that might help point you in the right direction.

Good luck with getting it sorted speedily and at min expense.

Hi guys, thanks for all the concern. I didn't mention that I got my van home yesterday, I disconnected the prop shafts and a mate towed me home very slowly yesterday afternoon with his ford ranger bakkie. I have just got back from my course, I am going to have another closer look at the wiring and fuses (which I haven't checked yet) now and see if anything looks amis.

I will also try the DIY error code job, but i don't hold out much hope as I have left the battery disconnected except for the drive home for lights and brakes for fear of the fire staring again. I am sure the error codes have been cleared by now. Ps. Thank goodness for the electronic brake booster and willard battery, was a life saver on the way home with no engine running!

Sent from somewhere in a galaxy far, far away...

OK, some feedback.

The 20A block type fuse for the engine management has blown in the main fuse box in the engine bay. I spent 3 hours carefully stripping the wiring to the injector pump, and found a couple of wires that had been stripped back slightly near to where they enter the sensor in the pump, seems something was attached to them as some stage?

I carefully insulated all of them with hella tyton insulation tape and then covered them again with some corrugated plastic sleeve for good measure. I put everything back together and made up a blade fuse holder with some crimp on lugs with a sort piece of wire that I could use to measure the amps with a DC clamp on ammeter. I put a 20A blade fuse in and read the amps, they shot up to 40A before blowing the fuse... I also got a brief whiff of the electrical burning smell again, but could not determine from where it came...

The only thing I think I can do is take the battery tray out and reconnect a higher rated fuse and see which wire/item is smoking to find the issue... But i am very scared of damaging the pump electronics or the ecu!

Back to the drawing board.


Sent from somewhere in a galaxy far, far away...

OR, instead of turning it into a fiery furnace and letting the smoke out of the components, you could check the various resistances etc. of the sensors per chapter 13C of the workshop manual - pages 46 onwards, FUEL INJECTION PUMP CHECK.