86 Diesel Golf: suddenly will not start

I am going to look at this today. My Golf Diesel suddenly kicked over of a fraction of a second then would not start.

I thought at first it was the filter. I looked at the fuel gauge and it does have a little and I could draw some fuel from the hoses to the fuel filter (being concerned that it might be out of fuel with the gauge showing some)

Now the injector pump is the fuel pump correct? Cranking over it is not drawing fuel, as I cranked over the vehicle and no fuel was evident in the lines. I recently changed the timing belt but taking a look all looked fine under the cover.

That electric fuel-turn-off switch on top of the injector pump: I seem to remember it making a louder click. Now this turn-off would stop the fuel from being drawn, correct? I jumped it. It did have oil on the terminal that I cleaned.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Harry

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Harry
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I primed the new diesel fuel filter but the engine is still not drawing an fuel in the line to the injector pump.

The on/off valve is clicking.

Sucking (my mouth with mouth was handy) on the line I can draw fuel but there seems to be some back pressure drawing it back in like a siphon effect.

I am going to take the on/off valve and take a look at it. Perhaps it is clicking but the plunger or whatever is not moving. It seems to me that if this valve is stuck closed it would stop drawing fuel through the line.

Harry

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Harry

That "any" fuel through the line.

Thats with "mouthwash" not "with mouth" LOL!

Harry

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Harry

I am writing this in case anyone knows anything about diesel they would like to share. Luckily I have my new car but I use this for a runner

anyway

I got the car started BUT the car will not run on any fuel lines in the car. The mail IN fuel line seems to have pressure and I thought it was blocked however I ran a line direct from the fuel tank to the fuel filter with a new long fuel hose just to check it and the car would not start.

It starts if I put a small fuel tank in the engine compartment and gravity feed it to the injector pump. Does the whole fuel system have to be primed? I looked in the Bentley and did not see a check valve in the main IN to the fuel filter, if so, the fuel line seems to not be clear HOWEVER why didn't the test fuel line from the tank work if it were just a blockage?

The engine runs great (good news as I thought it could be serious engine trouble) when gravity fed.

Anyway my experience is more with gas so if anybody has any suggestions with diesel fuel issues or even a guess it would be appreciated for any other thoughts. If the injector pump is not drawing from a fuel line - is the injector pump shot internally where it suck fuel. The engine runs great.

Harry

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Harry

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none2u

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none2u

Thanks. I wrote that I sucked fuel out of the stock line with my mouth. It should be freer though sucking empty.

I have a small tank in the engine compartment temporarily. Also an accident happened under the car that damaged my water separator and I had to order another one (removed)

I ran like I said a direct new rubber hose from the tank after sucking fuel to the beginning near the filter, hooked to injector pump, and it did suck any fuel up. I need to hook up my remote starter and feel if there is suction.

I have a small fuel pump at 4psi that I may hook up temporarily until I sort out the problem by running the rubber hose direct from the tank to fuel pump to filter to injector pump.

Gravity fed it runs great but it sends fuel back to the tank via routing so it does not run long. I could route the fuel back to the small tank also, but I think the fuel pump routing from the main stock tank is the best temporary fix until my water separator comes in I ordered and I replace or clear or find out why the stock line (that fuel can be sucked through, but even disconnected, sucking, it seems to have resistance compared to the new, say, long rubber hose.)

Harry

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Harry

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none2u

"none2u" wrote

Got it running using the main tank

Yeah, I know it has no fuel pump. That is actually one of the beauties of the diesel. No electrical fuel pump failures on the road. What happened to me is strange and a rare occurrance I am sure. It is weird to look in the fuel tank as there is no filter there just the front filter near the engine on this year. Just a hole on the bottom of a plastic boss going to the bottom of the tank.Though the injector pump is quite a feat of engineering the rest of the perpheral concerns are hilariously simple.

Thanks for the input. I primed the whole thing including putting a temporary long, new rubber fuel line and using electrical ties to hold it up against the bottom body, temporary, until I clear out or replace the original fuel line.

It works.....................I made sure the gas filter was full all the way and took that little screw out...........I then......took the rubber fuel line before I put it on the filter, at first, the whole fuel line just loose on the outside of the car to test. I drew fuel to the end of the fuel line and them bent it with my two fingers holding the fuel to the end of the line and pushed it on the filter trying to get as little air in the system as possible.

Yeap. Got my beloved diesel back with it's incredible mileage. I got this car not long ago and I have beer reversing some really lame repairs and things to put this back in top condition. When I am done I am going to paint it as the body has no rust at all for a 21 year old car. The engine runs perfect and before this was a perfectly reliable car.

I guess it is about half of its lifetime................

Harry

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Harry

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none2u

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