D24TIC Starting Problem but not from cold

[Laney760]

My D24TIC has always taken longer to start from warm than cold, right from back in the summer when I bought her in July. With the advent of this colder weather she starts first turn on the key from cold, no problem (very rough tickover when cold no doubt due to the blown head gasket sucking in air) but is getting increasingly more difficult to start from the second start of the day onwards, it's not yet really serious but she does turn over a long time before she 'fires', fortunately I have a fantastic Bosch battery. On warmer days the second start onwards doesn't take so long. So, obviously not a glow plug problem, 2 diesel specialists have found nothing wrong with my injectors but I'm assuming this is something to do with fuel delivery, pump timing? One thing she hasn't yet had is a new fuel filter, I will get one asap. All advice greatly appreciated, thank you

[bvs]

I am not seriously saying this is your problem,as modernish cars are deviously complicated,but I have had problems with fuel shut off solenoids.
Cheapish and easyish to change normally.

cheers baz

[Laney760]

Originally Posted by bvs

I am not seriously saying this is your problem,as modernish cars are deviously complicated,but I have had problems with fuel shut off solenoids.
Cheapish and easyish to change normally.

cheers baz

Hi Baz

Thanks. I don't know if 16 years old is modernish? It's quite a straightforward engine. Funny enough, when there where no answers to my thread this morning, I googled my problem and one of the two answers I came up with mentioned solenoid. What doesn't make sense is that the problem seems worse in the cold but maybe that's coincidental and nothing to do with it. I'll paste here what I got for poor hot starting, the third reason I think I can discount, that of the glow plugs not working when the engine is hot, my glow plug light comes up still when the engine is warm. Fortunately I have another pump in gwo which I picked up cheaply recently so I may have to have that put on. Pasted:

1) Hard hot starting is almost always due to a worn injector pump. Diesel fuel is an oil and it thins out as engine temperature climbs. After shutting off a hot engine, the temperature climbs even further. A worn injection pump cannot develop enough pressure to get the injectors to open and start the engine. If it won't start and the engine is hot, poor some cool water over the injector pump, not much, may be 20 oz of cool water. If it starts after that, the solenoid on top of the injector pump is bad


2) Any air in the fuel system will cause problems. Diesel fuel can be pressurized by the injection pump, but air cannot


I don't know if my Bosch pump is self-bleeding when it comes to air, nor do I know if it has a solenoid on the top, does anyone on here know please?

[bvs]

Hi LS
I am not a diesel expert,and am not familiar with your engine but the pump will have a fuel shut off solenoid,usually just a cylindrical thing on the right side of the pump (as you look at it)maybe about 60mm long,has flats at the base and screws into the top of the pump.The top end is usually coloured plastic (mine is blue) and has a single elec lead to it (7 or 8mm nut).
When i do an oil change i disconnect this lead and operate the starter until the oil press light goes out.
My random thoughts on starting problems...have you changed the glow plugs ? if not and they look old..might not do any harm to change,and certainly if you remove the pump then access to them may be better.
Going back to your original post,rough cold running can be caused by 'iffy' glow plugs,on really cold days the glow plugs are energised for up to approx 30 secs after engine start ,if you listen you can hear the relay 'click' off,on warmer days the glow plugs shut off much earlier.
I changed the cambelt on my 440 last week and removed the glow plugs to turn the engine over ,number 4 (behind the pump !) was a real b**ch to get to so I bought a new set anyway as I did not want to have to 'do it again'.
I always check the glowplug impedence between the body and the connection screwthread before fitting...my new plugs were reading approx 1.1ohms which seemed reasonable!!

regards baz

[bvs]

Fuel filter
Hi LS
Obviously it was too early when I did my previous post,forgot about the fuel filter as you had mentioned it!!
Yes good starting point (unintentional pun!!),crucial to have a clean fuel filter on a diesel and also not to have any air leaks...My previous car had a 'full service history' and when i looked in at the fuel filter...it had obviously never been changed so well worth a few quid.

regards baz