Starting Problem Extra/Express Van 1.9D

[golf]

Hi all,

I have had a look around but can't find anything relating to my problem..

After leaving the van sitting for about 2 months it will not start..before I left the van I was using some old fuel and it was running okay - there were only a couple of issues: one was the engine stalling very occasionally when pressing the clutch on deceleration, starting to change down the gears (approaching a junction for example).
Another occasional issue was the engine revving very high on start up for a second/two then going back to normal and idling fine..

No back to the present..I tried starting it and it would fire then nothing, so I put fresh fuel in the line running up to the pump in the engine bay and turned it over and over again - nothing. I disconnected the inlet and put another line off the inlet so it's now has a feed from a fresh source (guessing there is no pump in the fuel tank or having a short line from the fresh source will not require a second pump?) and still nothing.

I have checked all the pipes connected to the injectors and don't seem to be blocked.
I have check the glow plugs and seem fine - glowing - three of them are pretty much new anyway.

Does anyone have any suggestions of what to try next? Could it be a seal gone in the pump? Meaning there's not enough pressure going to the injectors?

Thanks for reading, sorry if it's a bit long winded just want to be clear ;D

[Blackwatch]

first of all you will need to bleed the system of any air or your engine wont start.

if when you crack the injectors feed pipe is there any fuel coming out of then,


are the glow plugs getting voltage?

can you see the stop solenoid ? if so check to see if its working, should click when you put 12v to it...

you can put a temp feed to the stop solenoid to see if she will start up..........

[chairchild]

Lucas pump, or bosch pump? And is it purely mechanical, or electronically controlled?

Might help a bit with figuring out what could've gone wrong

[golf]

Thanks for the help! Managed to get out today and have another look.

Okay so I have taken all the injectors out to see if theres any blockages etc. and they appear to be fine - all the fuel was fluid nothing solid/waxy (no moisture/water in from the old diesel)..

I also checked to see if there was anything coming out of the pipes leading up to the injectors when I turned the engine over, nothing came out. (I primed the engine before doing this test)

Does inlet pipes to the injectors need to be connected for the diesel to flow?

Can you get an air-lock within the pump itself?

I also checked the solenoid in the pump and it sounds like its working fine (clicks when I put a 12v current to it).

I tested the Glow-plug with the positive coming of its natural supply and just making a new earth, so I could see the plug glow up..

Its a Lucas pump and I think the system is mechanical

Cheers

Jul 19, 2012 17:47:15 GMT Blackwatch said:

first of all you will need to bleed the system of any air or your engine wont start.

if when you crack the injectors feed pipe is there any fuel coming out of then,


are the glow plugs getting voltage?

can you see the stop solenoid ? if so check to see if its working, should click when you put 12v to it...

you can put a temp feed to the stop solenoid to see if she will start up..........

Jul 19, 2012 21:12:47 GMT chairchild said:

Lucas pump, or bosch pump? And is it purely mechanical, or electronically controlled?

Might help a bit with figuring out what could've gone wrong

[vaughant]

Have you tried pushing the big red button thing up by the battery?its a kill switch with a rubber gasket over it and works on any sort of impact to cut the fuel to the engine in an accident.
However,with them and age they require next to nothing to activate,even taking a battery in and out I've seen them trip.
You'll know if it's been activated as the switch will "click" when you press it,if it's ok it just goes hard and won't go down.
This is on the old kangoos and most frog stuff from that era so should be the same.
If that's ok and it still won't go I'd try towing it a bit first and bumping it,seen a few dervs start that way after being left standing.

[golf]

I did find an electronic kill switch and it did click in but this seems as if it hasn't made any difference?? I'll have a go at bump starting it when I got someone around to help.

I tried primed the bulb without the injectors in and got fuel right through the pump but still nothing was coming out of the injectors..(cranked over the engine and still nothing) When trying to prime the bulb further it wouldn't let me, once the pump is primed can you continually pump fuel through manually?

I put everything back to see if something un-blocked by taking it all apart but nothing..

It seems like there's fuel going through the pump just not down the injector inlet pipes.

It's not firing now making me think it was firing originally using the left over fuel in the injector inlet pipes.

Jul 22, 2012 17:03:24 GMT vaughant said:

Have you tried pushing the big red button thing up by the battery?its a kill switch with a rubber gasket over it and works on any sort of impact to cut the fuel to the engine in an accident.
However,with them and age they require next to nothing to activate,even taking a battery in and out I've seen them trip.
You'll know if it's been activated as the switch will "click" when you press it,if it's ok it just goes hard and won't go down.
This is on the old kangoos and most frog stuff from that era so should be the same.
If that's ok and it still won't go I'd try towing it a bit first and bumping it,seen a few dervs start that way after being left standing.

[vaughant]

You could try pumping it up until its totally solid then crack off an injector to try and release any air etc,that should bleed it through.
Failing that try the bumpstart method as I've found this works 90% of the time on diesels.
That killswitch thing only cuts fuel I believe so you may have been unlucky,knocked it when doing the battery,got air in the system and although you've now reset it you won't get rid of the air easily.
Had it on my old escort van a few times after changing filters etc,really does take the smallest amount of air to fault.
I hate diesels!!!!

[vaughant]

Oh,one quick thing could be to try easy start or lynx deodorant down the air intake pipe just to fire it,that could suck it through then.