Engine turns over but fails to start

[BailingBen]

Hello,

I have a P reg transit 2.5l TD with Lucas epic pump and have only been using the red key.

This may be two issues but it seems unlikely so please bear with me whilst I give a little history to the problem.

Over the past few months preceding the final failure, on 3 occasions I had an issue with the engine loosing power and stopping completely, eventually in all cases it would restart after much cranking.

The first incident happened about 2 miles from home, I noticed the engine loose power and quickly looked down to see the EML had come on, the engine then stopped as I coasted to the side of the road. I checked the engine visually and checked the oil, all seemed fine so I went back to the cab, cranked it over a fair bit and it eventually fired up and did another 1 mile to the destination without any issue and no warning lights, It then also did a faultless trip home.

A while passed without any problems, I did a trip from Portsmouth to Southampton without issue until I went to come back the next day.

The second incident.

This time as I came to the end of the road I had started on as I slowed the engine just stopped when it approached idle speed, same as above cranked it over and it started and did the return trip without any issues.

The third incident happened a short while later, I had done about 40 miles between incident 2 and 3 without any issues but again I got to the end of the road and it stopped in the same manner as incident 2 but this time would not start. I checked everything and bled the injectors but a dodgy intermittent starter motor made it such that it was impossible to see if it was spraying properly.
I called out the RAC and he said that the starter motor was making it hard to diagnose but eventually got the van going with some easy start, I drove it round the block NP and parked it up.

I ordered and fitted a new starter motor and with new hope went to start the van and no luck, I tried bleeding and checking connections/ voltages and decided to call out the RAC again
to summarise what he said:
- The mechanical lift pump is working but not as much flow as he would expect, but should be enough (He admitted a lack of experience with older engines)
- There is next to no fuel after the injection pump (Lucas EPIC)

His summary was that the injection pump needed replacing.


After his visited I checked the stop solenoid and although I found it hard to check the resistance was different to that shown in the Haynes manual, so I looked for a replacement solenoid but failed to find one.

The other thing I found was that there are two loose cables on the nearside of the engine, one I believe to be the water in fuel sensor but the other I cannot figure out and travels about half way forward along the side of the engine about halfway up, the connector seems clean which makes me think it has been connected to something but two people have checked the area of reach on the engine and cant find any receiving connections, I have also accounted for the crank position sensor and that is in place.

I suppose my main questions at the moment are;

1. Does anyone know what the mystery wire might be.
2. Does anyone have a source for the stop solenoid.
3. Does anyone have any other ideas?
4.Is there anyone in Portsmouth UK with the same engine who wouldn't mind me coming and having a look to compare things such as wires?

I'm extremely grateful for any help as the van has been sat outside for the last couple of months and is really starting to get me down.

[BailingBen]

Just for the benefit of anyone else it was the engine start relay.... I'll sulk into a corner....