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Helping a bloke at the recycling centre - car wouldn't start, a Kia Diesel. It would crank over, but not catch. I did the usual manly thing of peering under the bonnet, poking random things and making "Hmm" noises.
Fuel was very low - took him to get more diesel, but that didn't cure it. Am I right in guessing that he might've got air in the fuel injection system by running it dry?
Feel a bit guilty leaving him there, but don't think there was anything else I could usefully do.
could be anything from a knackered fuel pump to a sensor not knowing the engine's turning over so fuel being cut off.
Yeah some injection systems need priming if you get air in them.
Turning it over might help, but overdoing it could potentially damage things if the pump is running dry (the fuel provides lubrication for parts of the pump)
Feel a bit guilty leaving him there, but don't think there was anything else I could usefully do
Are you a member of the RAC or AA or somesuch?
My RAC membership covers the person, not the car so , in that position I could have phoned and they would have come out and assisted / recovered the dude's car as long as I was there with
him.
Have done exactly this for someone at work.
If the fuel was very low then its possible air has been sucked into the fuel system. Trying to pull it through by cranking it will take forever (as I found out after changing a fuel filter) and the little plastic bulb may lift the fuel eventually (although in my case all it did was compress the air already in the line and not actually pull fuel though). In my case I had to suck the air out, whilst avoiding a diesel mouthwash. The low pressure fuel hoses are usually clear leading up to the fuel pump and air / fuel should be visible in them.
Take an injector off and turn it over, See if any fuel is coming through. Hold a rag over the end to avoid the mess in the engine bay.
[i]Take an injector off[/i]
easier said than done on a lot of diesel engines 🙂
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Does the glow plug light come on and then go off when you turn the ignition on?
easier said than done on a lot of diesel engines
Also, easier said than done on someone elses car at a recycling centre with no warning, no real expertise in repairing modern diesel engines and only whatever tools you happen to have in your car.
It's a big ask in the OP's situation.
Could be a fuel pump relay- this has happened to mine recently. Often find them under the dash board near the fuses. Mine just needed a spray with switch cleaner to get it going again, but will need replacing soon
It's a big ask in the OP's situation.
Yeah, but the OP is a Astrophysicist. Which, if I understand astrophysics correctly, means he can summon the spirt of a long dead diesel fitter to help him. Just like Derek Accora would in the same situation. And Derek is only a Medium, the OP is a Large.
the OP is a Astrophysicist
It's a wonder he was able to get his head under the bonnet with that helmet on. Those spacesuits really restrict your movement.
he can summon the spirt of a long dead diesel fitter to help him
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Immobiliser problem? Might not be the diesel issue, could have smacked the key somehow and it's not now being recognised by the car? Worth trying.
Is the chap still there ?
You could take him a flask of tea, maybe some cake too.
I left him shouting at his recovery company on the phone 😉
The glow light went on for a couple of seconds, then turned off, so I assume that was okay.
Pressing the manual priming thing on the fuel pump got stiffer after a few pushes, so I think fuel was getting that far but no further.
And Derek is only a Medium, the OP is a Large.
Hey!
The glow light went on for a couple of seconds, then turned off, so I assume that was okay.
Not necessarily - that can happen on a time and the relay not kick the current to the plugs. I had this fault on my T4.
But if you'd just driven to the recycling cneter and I assume were done in a few minutes, the engine probably wouldn't need the glow plugs to start anyway.
It's a wonder he was able to get his head under the bonnet with that helmet on.
If he took the helmet off his blood would boil and his head would explode. Same thing happens when anyone sees TJ put a helmet on. 🙂
Does it have an adblue tank?
If that's empty the car might not start, some modern diesels do that.
possibly a cam or crank position sensor that often mess up when warm if it's just cranking and cranking and wont fire.
If the engine then starts after being allowed to cool for 30 minutes and runs fine otherwise it's worth checking them on the diagnostics.
Not a lot you can do at the tip other than suggest he lets it cool down with the bonnet open.
possibly a cam or crank position sensor that often mess up when warm if it's just cranking and cranking and wont fire
This
It would have started with a bump.
It would have started with a bump.
Or Easy Start if you prefer a bang.
The worst thing about this thread is that we'll never, ever, know what the fault was.