Towed home...

In article , Tim Hobbs writes

I don't want to start you on a wild goose chase, but was it very cold with you last night, and is there any possibility of water in tank or pipes?

Modern diesel shouldn't wax, but you might have ice problems...

Regards,

Simonm. (in soggy unfrozen Bristol - my prob's a leaking roof!)

Don't think it was that cold, and it certainly isn't right now.

But another thing springs to mind...

Where is the fuel cut off? If I don't have the ignition on while I'm doing the lift pump priming thing will I be fighting against the solenoid?

OK - the plot thickens a little.

There is fuel pissing out of no 1 injector if I slacken it a little. Am I right in thinking that means the fuel system is now OK?

However, no matter how much battery power I strap to it the bugger won't turn over very long (say 2 seconds) before it gets very weak and then becomes just a rapid clicking from the starter. This is with a booster pack, a brand new and fully charged 069 and the smaller one that came with the truck. Have I fecked the starter when I used it to drive me off the road on Wednesday night?

Bloody Land Rovers - they always have to pick a fight with a new owner don't they?

Any reason why Tim can't drag it round the block to tow start it if it's bled out?

I did wonder about that. There's a reasonably competent garage just down the road as well, so I may have to hold my hands up and get a tow down there if they can fit me in early this week.

Actually, low-wax diesel is a seasonal thing in the UK. The refineries switch over sometime in September, I think. So if you have a diesel parked up for a few months, it could be hit by waxing.

Farmers work from large on-farm tanks, since they can use the low-tax "red" diesel in tractors, so they have to be a little careful. Usually the autumn, with all the fuel used for ploughing, takes care of any likely problem.

Water, usually from condensation, but I've known water get into bulk supplies, is more likely. Would the methanol trick that works with petrol (and carburettors) work with fuel injection?

Probably. If the starter is getting red hot and not turning much then you've shagged it. Did you use the starter to move the vehicle with a dead engine? Probably burnt out a winding somewhere. Take the starter off and get a elecrical specialist to look at it.

I once had a starter that was taking over 1100amps when cranking, and still not actually spinning the engine very fast. Couldn't touch the starter it was so hot.....

Alex

The fuel cut off is on the injection pump, at the back. There should be a single wire going to a spade terminal on it. If youve got fuel up at the injectors then it sounds like its opening. You should be able to hear the fuel soleniod click open when you put

You may have finally worn the starter out... Did you say its just clicking?. Is it the soleniod clicking or the starter itself? (soleniod is the small cylinder hanging around on the side of the starter motor). I got my starter reconned. It wasnt cheap though :(. Sadly the 2.5 starter is different to the nice easy 2.25 one.

I'd have thought that with a fully charged battery it should turn over for a fair while. Mine will go for a few minutes

You can tow start it. Ive (with many helpers!) managed to push start mine a couple of times when my starter went. Its not easy though!.. Unless you choose a nice high gear it just locks up and skids to a halt when you put it in gear. I still park at the high end of car parks when i get a choice! :)

On or around Sun, 21 Dec 2003 03:09:22 +0000, Tom Woods enlightened us thusly:

Some of the parallel ones take about 50A for a set of 4.

the old series ones on the 2¼ used to take about 90 seconds on a cold morning, but presumably less current.

ditto the sherpa 1.8 diesel I used to have. anything less than 90 seconds on a cold morning and it wouldn't fire. Dog of an engine.

In message , Tim Hobbs writes

Have you checked your earth straps - from battery to chassis and from engine to chassis. Symptoms are sane as flat battery/knackered starter, and I got caught out (again) myself a little while ago - just the slightest movement in the crimped joint on one of the straps.

i don`t know, you give a diesel to a petrol head and they break it in

as for bleeding the system, if the lift pump doesn`t seem to do much, turn the engine over jsut once, and then the lift pump should be in a different position allowing proper priming. once fuel has reached the injection pump you shouldn`t need to prime it any more. Also, the solenoid shouldn`t make any difference to your priming wether its on or not.

From what you`ve posted it certainly looks like you`ve bled it fully, are you using the glow plugs for long enough? turn ignition on, then one more click over so the orange cold start light comes on for 20 seconds then go for it. You are turning the fuel solenoid on, switch goes down for on, up for off? not being pedantic, just checking all the silly things that i used to forget when i first got it!

Nick C

ps don`t be tempted to use powerstart or any other such guff on a diesel. Might be what you`d use on a petrol to help start it after messing about with fueling - but on a diesel you run a real risk of blowing the head!

My local farmers' merchant has these for thirty quid a pop. (OK, strictly it's my in-laws' local farmers' merchant, but let's not be picky here.)

What's interesting if you're an anorak like me, is the British Standard for diesel fuel. BS EN 590 is an adopted EN and it includes specs for (I think) nine different grades of diesel fuel, all with different temperature tolerances. Each country that adopts the EN has to choose one of these grades for "summer" and one for "winter" diesel.

The UK chose Grade C for summer use, and Grade E for winter. This, and just when "summer" and "winter" are, is laid down in The Motor Fuel (Composition and Content) Regulations 1994 :

On or around Wed, 24 Dec 2003 00:31:46 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@dev.nul (QrizB) enlightened us thusly:

cheaper than 069s etc. as well. They fit in a disco 1 with about 1/4" to spare. You have to move the wiring that runs round the end of the battery out of the way, and modify the battery clamp with a big hammer. but it went in, and starts the thing prontissimo.

On or around Wed, 24 Dec 2003 00:44:50 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@dev.nul (QrizB) enlightened us thusly:

only once had a CFP, when it was indeed about -15. blowlamp on the filter sorted it. I suspect that the filter was in need of replacement at the time.