Help! Start my old diesel ...SOLVED!

peasant

The diesel in my camper won't start ....again ...

This also happened last year after not having driven it for a while. That time I had a mechanic come round to give it at tow (and a service afterwards) but apparently after some fumbling under the hood they got it started on its own account. Unfortunately I wasn't there for that so I don't know what they did.

Basically they mumbled something about the diesel having flown back into the tank and the fuel pump and line having been empty.

So this time round I thought I could figure it out for myself. So far I have
- checked the fuel filter for water ..there was none, just diesel
- vented the fuel line at the filter (at the appropriate screw) several times
- pumped the fuel pump with the little hand lever that's there exactly for that purpose (vented, pumped again, etc)

No success!

Now ...my little handbook says, that while pumping and venting I should also disconnect one of the fuel lines at or near the engine and keep pumping until fuel starts to come out of there.

Makes sense to me ...as I could be pumping forever, if there is nothing going through the incector ...and without a disconnected fuel line there probably isn't and I'm just compressing the air that's trapped in there.

My problem is now ...there is no effin way that I can get at the injector lines to loosen them wthout first taking half the engine apart. No way the mechanic could have done that either last year (wife says they had it going in ten mins).

So ...anybody know "the trick" how I could ensure that diesel actually reaches the engine?

It's a 2440 cc 92bhp Fiat/Iveco direct injection turbo btw ...

Any help would be highly appreciated (because mechanics making "house calls" are bloody hard to come by)

maidhc

I have a digger that just wont start after a filter change unless you open the injector pipes one at a time while someone is cranking. It shouldn't be that hard to reach them.

Is there a bleed screw on the diesel pump? Lucas ones often have a small one at the side.

You *could* throw a sup of petrol in through the air breather. It is known to work and I have seen it be done.

peasant

Thanks, maidhc !

At the engine the injector pipes are covered, at the injector pump they're at about an arms length inside and behind a lot of other crap ...I can reach one, but not open it (no room to move the spanner)

Will see if I can find a bleed screw somewhere.

The petrol trick sounds a bit scary

Would it help to have somebody else cranking the engine over while I'm pumping away at my little lever?

maidhc

peasant wrote:

Would it help to have somebody else cranking the engine over while I'm pumping away at my little lever?

Probably not. Again my only experience is with slightly heavier engines, and generally you just pump that until the air comes out and the lever gets stiff. Most engines (except the one I referred to above!) just start with that.

How about loosening the injector pipes at the pump side? I have never had reason to do it, but it should bleed the diesel pump.

Avns1s

peasant wrote:

Thanks, maidhc !

At the engine the injector pipes are covered,

Are they covered just with a plastic engine cover?

In any case, it would probably solve your problem if you can access one of them and just open it until the nut is loose. then crank the engine. It should fire on the other three and then tighten up the nut.

peasant

Are they covered just with a plastic engine cover?

Yes ...but I have no idea how to get that off without doing any damage ...and very little room to get at it as well.
Don't really want to start prying and poking around with screwdrivers, trying to lever it off and there are no obvious fastners/bolts that hold it on.

I'm one of these dangerous people, you know ...lots of theoretical knowledge, but all thumbs and elbows when it comes to the practical side of things ... shouldn't be let near an engine,really

peasant

Problem solved !!

It does actually help to have more than just dregs in the tank ...especially when parked on a slope, so that the fuel is on the wrong side of the tank

Put some more in, pumped some more and after some spluttering and coughing it's now running fine.

pheew