transit minibus keeps cutting out

[minitravel]

HI i am wondering if any one else has had this problem and any idea the cause.
I have a transit 02 plate 80ps 280 duratorque minibus, over the last few weeks the engine justs cuts out without any kind of warning and will not start again for a few minutes. It has only done it a few times and does start again if you leave it for a while. It got worse today when it cut out on motorway and would not start for 10 minutes, carried on and it did it again and again, came of motorway and got aa out,,,,guess what it started first time when he tried. He decided to follow me home ( approx 8 miles) and it was fine untill i got to my street and it shut off again. we got it home and he doesnot know what it could be.
Dad had it pieces checked all electrical connections and other things dads check while i watched lol. Still would not start, i have bought a new air and fuel filter and not got round to doing them yet so we went to replace air filter while we were there and it was black and full of s!*t and also was very WET, it has been pouring down here all day. Bus then started again and has been running fine for last 2 hours. Could something as minor as air filter be causing this?
Also we are going to do fuel filter as well but coz of all troubles folk have priming them we didnt want to add to problems so we thought leave it running with new filter in and if its solved problem then do fuel filter. Anyone any suggestions on this as i cant really keep it off road for computers to do there thing this week as i have loads of jobs on and only running 1 vehicle this week untill i get my new one on road next week.
Got an airport run on at 4 in morning for 8 people and im praying it doesnt do it with passengers on as i have always avoided this before. Thanks.

[Nighthawk]

was the glow plug light flashing when it chopped?

If it's starting again as normal after it's cooled a little, the worst guess is a pump problem thats starting to show.


more details on exactly what it does before the shut down and how it restarts would be good.

[Tdci_boy]

I have a 125t280 fwd & about a year ago mine did this until one last time when it just would not fire up, RAC attended due to it still being under warranty & downloaded the fault codes, he found the camshaft position sensor logged as a fault, off to Ford it went & sure enough they said the same & replaced it, been fine ever since

[Nighthawk]

only the 125ps FWD engine has a cam position sensor

[minitravel]

Before it shuts down i have never noticed any lights on or anything, however when we tried to start it again and it wouldnt the glow plug light did start to flash but does not flash every time it wont start. when its running its sweet as, no splutters or coughs.

I am not very mechanical thats why my dad does most of my work so forgive my next question, whats a camshaft sensor, is it a big job and is it expensive. Thanks for your quick replys guys.

[Nighthawk]

you don't have a cam position sensor, so don't panic about it.

BUT, if the glow plug light was flashing the system should have recoded a trouble code.

Get it's mind read and report back

[k w r s]

Hi minitravel - hate to say this but I hadthe same trouble as you a while ago. Had it plugged in and diagnosis confirmed fuel pump at a cost of approx. £800 includiing labour for a reconditioned pump. Apparently it's a common fault. Good luck - hope I'm wrong... wish I had my 190 tipper back ...