2004 Vectra 2 litre diesel cold start

The glow plugs only operate if the temp is below -7 IIRC. Most likely fault to first look at is the spill pipes from the injectors.

IIRC the glow plug relay and fuse is near the battery in a box.

Can you suggest an authoritative source for this information, please? Local garage suggests injectors are always powered for starting, then powered with pulses until engine is warm. But they can't point to a manual that says anything useful.

Spill pipes replaced last winter when cold starting problem first noticed. Also injector seals, because it would not start until cranked for about 2 minutes continuously after having been left unused for 3 days, on a slope, nose up; even on a warm day.

Starting after injector seals replaced, on warm days, now OK.

Cold start just as bad. Coughs and dies up to about 5 times before it will run; then it runs rough (as if misfiring) for several more seconds. Usually cloud of blue smoke from exhust.

There's a lump with heatsink fins on the inboard side of the battery, about level with the bottom of the battery. Is that it?

There are lots of fuses in a box between the battery and the NS wing; will it be one of them?

Thanks.

I will look in autodata tomorrow for fuse details

In general terms, with common rail Diesels it's more that they don't /need/ the glowplugs above -7C rather than not using them. Many such engines do as the garage has said but it's for emissions purposes rather than getting a cold engine to start. You can easily drive a modern Diesel in this country without ever realising the glow plugs (or control module/relay) are FUBAR.

Upshot being, chances are your starting problem is something else.

did you use the genuine 3mm leak off pipe? or car shop generic stuff (usually 3.5mm)

A garage did the work, on the instruction of the dealer that sold me the car, so I don't know what pipe was used.

That same garage later replaced the injector seals.

They're not the sort of place that lets you watch them work; and in any case they were working for the dealer rather than me - so I guess all bets are off. It was Breckland Auto Services in Attleborough, so if anybody knows them by reputation perhaps we could form a view.

Does Autodata give any information about the timings of power to the glow plugs?

Thanks.

Then your first job should be to buy a length of genuine hose from a vauxhall dealer (about 6 quid) and fit that, 9 times out of ten the starting problem will be fixed (once it has been used long enough to get the air out)

the glow plug control module is just below battery (autodata)

the fuse is an 80 amp F38 in engine bay fuse box 2 (about 9 fuses and a couple of relays)

If you want to test whether having the glow plugs powered helps starting then power them directly with a jumper cable, by the time you get back to the drivers seat they will be hot.

This looks different.

Vehicle is Vectra Club DTI 16v 1995cc first registered 11/2004

High-current fuses in fusebox between battery and NS wing:

F29 = 40A F32 = 40A F34 = 60A F35 = 40A

No fuse location labelled F38.

All the 40A fuses look good. Did not look at 60A fuse.

Local mechanic checked last night that all glow plugs conduct, but could not find any current coming from control relay.

This morning (it being cold, and before starting the engine) I pulled of the plug lead (nearest battery - easy to get at) and connected a lamp. This glow plug measures 0.8 ohms.

Ignition on, lamp glows for about 34 seconds. No audible click when it goes off, so probably solid state control. I therefore suspect glow plugs are only powered when the engine is cold. Does anybody have any authoritative documentaton on this?

On Saturday (weather permitting) I will measure all 4 plugs and supply leads. Plug leads are very tough to remove - probably I will have to make a tool with which to prise them off. May have to remove the air pipe from the turbo to gain sufficient access.

Thanks,

you would need to ask in a vauxhall dealer, but either -4 or -7 is variously quoted by unofficial sources. Try the new spill pipes before getting too involved. You only need a hairline crack in one or a loose joint to allow air to get in .

Probably because the engine was warm.

That sounds pretty definitive that you've got power to the glows.

Certainly modern diesels use the glows much less than they did - but were they ever not so?

Mrcheerful wrote: [snip] >> On Saturday (weather permitting) I will measure all 4 plugs and supply>> leads. Plug leads are very tough to remove - probably I will have to>> make a tool with which to prise them off. May have to remove the air>> pipe from the turbo to gain sufficient access.

...

Please can you explain why the spill pipes are needed?

As I understand it the correct volume of fuel is delivered by the pump controlled by the management unit. So why should there be any surplus that needs to be returned to the pump/tank?

Thanks.

Injectors have the spill pipes to allow excess fuel out (I have never examined the insides to find out why) The spill pipes in your case lead back to the inward side of the injection pump, when the car stands for any length of time, if there is the tiniest leak in a spill pipe air gets drawn in as the weight of fuel in the pipes drops toward the pump (trying to get to the lowest point (the fueltank), when you try to start the car the air that is now in the pipe/s gets pulled into the injection pump and of course means that the pump cannot create pressure enough to make the system work properly (or at all in some cases) until that air has been expelled, which can easily cause poor running for a while or exhaust a weak battery before the car will go.

A bit of googling will show that there are countless examples of vectras that won't start after being parked nose up on a hill, but are fine with plenty of fuel and pointing downhill. The usual cure is change the spill pipes.

Another less common source of air in the system is a faulty fuel filter housing.

Is fuelling on post-mechanical diesels not controlled by injector dwell?

Chris

Is fuelling on post-mechanical diesels not controlled by injector dwell?

Chris

Is fuelling on post-mechanical diesels not controlled by injector dwell?

Chris

Is fuelling on post-mechanical diesels not controlled by injector dwell?

Chris

I think that only applies on common rail diesels, IIRC the vectra has an electronically controlled pump that looks very like the pumps of yore, just no throttle cable.

Thanks, understood.

Chris