I've been abandoned! calling for help- Taunton area

[campercrazy1]

HI everyone, really need some help!

I sent my van of for a petrol to 1y conversion to a local t25 breaker who said he could do it for me 'in a couple of weeks' (!!!!!)
6 months have passed and hes pissed off with it and has pretty much given up, leaving me with a van which will only run when tow started!
I think its something to do with the wiring for glow plug etc- but i havent the foggiest about electrics!

It would be great if someone could come have a look at the van (its christmas afterall )
I dont mind paying, but I cant afford anthing near workshop prices- it would suit somebody who loves a challenge?! maybe in crates of beer?

Equally if anybody knows an affordable/semi retired electrician/auto electrician in the area

any help would be great as I'm too scared to tell the misses that its all gone breasticles up!

van is near bicknoller taunton and I would be happy to come and pick people up, thanks

[big red bus]

hello , when starting from cold, does it chuck out any smoke?. if yes what colour.
presumably once started from tow, will then start by starter until left to go cold?
you have a good battery?
once started van runs/drives o.k?
Could be anumber of issues, glow plugs, relay, fuel filter pipe work, pump timing.
not local so cannot come to look but just give answers to above and will try to help.

[futbus]

We could help, but can you get the van down to us to have a look for you.

Give us a ring and we`re see what we can do to help.

Dave

[campercrazy1]

Hey big red bus, thanks for the support. I personally havent seen it running, but the chap said it wouldnt start unitl tow started and it was very smokey! and even following this it wouldnt start by itsself. I have spoken to a few people (mainly colinthefox), who thinks it might be because the battery is still under the drivers seat and not in the engine bay. This may cause the starter to not spin fast enough and the glow plugs not to get hot enough due to voltage drop?? So I was going to by a diesel battery tray and weld it in and have a go at the wiring and see what happens!

[campercrazy1]

Hi Dave thanks for offering to help!

Presently I dont have any means of getting the bus to you unfortunately. I'm goin to have a go at moving the battery to the back of the van (as it was a petrol van) do you think theis is essential? thanks craig

[tinman]

If it was just the battery too far away, couln't you just connect up a "jump" battery but put the jump leads directly to the starter motor?
if it was just the glow plugs it would restart fine when warm?
Did you see the engine running in the donor vehicle?
If there is loads of smoke could the pump timing be wrong?

[big red bus]

Sounds more than just the battery position to me. Does the van turn over when cranking and at what speed does the engine turn. You will have a diesel bell housing fitted now so presumalbly now have a diesel starter fitted? Starter should be alot more powerful for diesel than petrol because of higher compression ratio to turn engine.
This is the first thing that needs sorting. You need to get the van turning over at a decent cranking speed.

When this has been sorted then you can start on the running. if very smokey could be pump timing. this would not help starting at all and would make it run poor and smoke.

Would not move battery. for now would rig temp battery up to get it going and find the prob. then do a proper repair or mod when happy that I have sorted problem and its o.k

Good luck

[campercrazy1]

Hey guys, thanks for the interest. Unfortunately I never saw it running myself as I was at university (it was suppose to be finished way before I started my teacher training!). I know it has been running because there is some carbon stuff in the exhaust. When I tried to start the van it was very sluggish, but this could have been the battery as it had sat for a while in the van untouched. Ive now got the battery on charge and im ready to test if it does turn fast enough- but im snowed in- which is bloody annoying and cant get anywhere near the van!

If I was going to hook the battery direct to the starter, I undertsand I would need to hook the positive to the positive connection on the starter- but this will be hard to grip? Can the negative lead go anywhere metal bodywork, like the on the gearbox earth strap (I have never seen this, just read about on here, is it easy to find?)

thanks

[ghost123uk]

If I was going to hook the battery direct to the starter, I understand I would need to hook the positive to the positive connection on the starter- but this will be hard to grip? Can the negative lead go anywhere metal bodywork, like the on the gearbox earth strap (I have never seen this, just read about on here, is it easy to find?)

thanks

Yes you sound like you have got that bit right, but PLEASE DO BE CAREFUL !
If you touch a jump start lead onto the wrong place and get a short circuit, the result can be an exploding battery and Sulphuric acid all over the place (and you).

As the space around the Positive on the starter is limited, I would perhaps attach a spare starter cable (borrowed off another car ?) and hook the jump cable up to that. The negative lead can go on any firm metal bit of the engine casing.

It does sound like you are going to need the help of a Diesel experienced, pref VW, mechanic.

There is a list on here somewhere of folks from here who offer to help out (by region).

Not the weather for doing all this though is it !!

E D I T - Here is a list of T25 compentent garages from our "wiki" =
http://wiki.club8090.co.uk/index.php/Ga ... 5_Specific" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I cannot find the list of forum members who offer to help out though, I am sure it is here somewhere !

[campercrazy1]

OMG been ages since Ive posted or got near the van- teacher training is a lot of work!

any way I have made some progress and got the van to start!- BIG THANKS TO CARPMASTER (Tom) FOR THR S/H STARTER!

but the van does take ages to start- makes LOTs of white smoke and then runs VERY lumpy!

Im thinkin its the glow plugs or the relay? how would I test them? I was thinkin of putting a voltmeter to the wire- but am I interested in the volts or should I be looking at amps? how would I test the relay

thanks craig

[colinthefox]

Testing glow plugs. Get a 12V light bulb. A 21W indicator bulb will do nicely. Disconnect 3 of the glowplugs and the fat red wire from the copper strip. Connect one side of the lamp to 12V (positive side of battery) and the other to each of the 3 glowplugs in turn then to the copper strip. (That way you don't have to disconnect the awkward one behind the injection pump) The bulb should light to full brightness through each glowplug. No light = duff glowplug.

To test the relay use the same bulb but connect one side to the fat red wire that goes to the copper strip, and the other to the engine body. When the relay is working it will light the bulb.

Also check the big fuse inside the black box front left of the engine bay. It's at the bottom with a screw at each end. It can be cracked or corroded.

The relays do fail. Mine failed because the copper tracks on the little circuit board were cracked. I'm too tight to buy a new one so I soldered some thin wire on to repair the tracks.

Don't short circuit the big fat red wire or the copper strip to the engine or there will be a big bang, and you'll need a new big fuse thingy.