Broken down van just stopped. WHY?

[Paul7502]

T25 1600 CS diesel.

I was driving down the road everything fine when I lost power.

I rolled into a side road and had a look at the engine.

Oil was a bit low so I topped up.

There are small bits of rubber bits on the injector pump which may have come from the cam belt. Not sure if they were there last time I looked or not.

I wonder if the belt has slipped a tooth?

I could start the engine and it reved OK but then slowed and died after a few seconds.

Now the battery is flat, it may or may not start one more time.

Any bright ideas or texts?

[Paul7502]

Any bright ideas or tests? That should say.

[Mocki]

Contaminated fuel or lack of fuel ?

[davidoft1]

Sounds like it may have run out of fuel or possibly blocked fuel filter, when was it last serviced

Check the fuel lines intact , someone may have chopped it and drained the tank

[Paul7502]

Funny you should mention that...

Before reading it I took what looks like a bleed screw out of the top of the fuel filter and no fuel came out when I turned the engine over...

Should it have?

How do I go about bleeding it?

[Paul7502]

Well, just got some diesel and it started but nothing came out of the screw on top of the fuel filter, and then it stopped with the same symptoms as before.

I could see bubbles in the clear fuel line from the filter to the injector pump

I am wondering if the fuel has not quite got there yet.

I need to know if fuel should come out of the screw on the fuel filter.

How do I bleed it?

Battery is now flat so I will need wait until morning and try to catch some sunshine on my 20W solar panels.

Good job it's a camper.

[colinthefox]

 Nothing came out of the screw on top of the fuel filter.

I could see bubbles in the clear fuel line from the filter to the injector pump

Nothing will come out, but air will get in when you loosen the screw. It's all above the level of fuel in the tank so fuel will just run back into the tank.

Those bubbles may be the air you just let in through the screw, or there might be another leak letting air in.
 

[Paul7502]

Thanks for the reply...

So is that the screw on the filter to bleed the fuel system or is there one on the injector pump too?

How does the fuel get pumped from the low tank to the high fuel filter and pump?

[Paul7502]

Thanks for the reply...

So is that the screw on the filter to bleed the fuel system or is there one on the injector pump too?

How does the fuel get pumped from the low tank to the high fuel filter and pump?

[colinthefox]

Thanks for the reply...

So is that the screw on the filter to bleed the fuel system or is there one on the injector pump too?

How does the fuel get pumped from the low tank to the high fuel filter and pump?

I've never noticed a screw on the fuel filter so can't comment on that.

The injector pump contains two pumps. The first is a vane pump that sucks up fuel from the tank and fills the pump body. It won't work if it's full of air. The second pump provides the extreme pressures needed for the injectors. It won't work if the pump body and injector pipes aren't completely full of fuel without air.

Bleeding the pump is done in two stages. To bleed the fuel pump, slacken the nipple on top of the pump and suck up fuel until the pump is full. Tighten the nipple. You may have to do this a few times if you don't want to get mouthfulls of fuel. When pump body is full, slacken three of the injector  pipe nuts at the injectors, and with ignition ON and at full throttle operate the starter until fuel without air bubbles comes out. Close off the pipe nuts while still cranking and the engine should start. Beware of fuel squirting!

Before doing that I think I'd check that the timing belt isn't chewed up, as you've noticed random rubber bits around the place. If the belt isn't correctly timed then running the engine may cause serious damage, or write it off. I've never known a belt slip or jump a tooth:They are designed not to. But I have had plenty of belts run off centre and chew themselves up by rubbing on the engine or belt cover. This can be caused by either the tensioner pulley or the pump pulley being out of true.
 

[colinthefox]

Oh and your 20W solar panels might take around 40 hours of full sun to fully charge a flat 70Amp Hour Battery.

[Paul7502]

Thank you for that.

As the battery is not completely flat, 45ah and doesn't need to be fully charged it might just be enough after a few hours.

Thanks for the stuff on bleeding, I will have a try when it gets light.

Not sure what the underlying problem is still, but have now got air in the system.

Thanks for the bit on the belt, I was a bit worried when I saw black bits but take your word for it and ruled it out.

I have an oil leak and the oil was very low, I wonder if that is the cause?

People have pointed to fuel and I have a dicky sender in the tank, I don't know if I ran out or not.

Tomorrow is another day ...early start...

[colinthefox]

Thanks for the bit on the belt, I was a bit worried when I saw black bits but take your word for it and ruled it out.

I didn't say that your belt isn't damaged, just to say I have never experienced a belt jumping a tooth. A belt rubbing on the side will produce plenty of black bits and probably eventually fail. I strongly recommend that you take a look, but it may not be connected with your present problem.

[Paul7502]

Again thanks for the replies.

I have had the battery charged and it started without even bleeding it... It was out of fuel...dicky sender in fuel tank to be investigated.

That's the first te I have run out of fuel in this van, in my multiple experience of running out in other diesels I have never known them to start until fuel is added and the system bled.
This one started and ran for a minute or so over 6 times which threw me.

I will have a look at the belt and will replace it soon, hopefully before it snaps.
The wear is definitely coming from one side where it must be rubbing.
When I saw the black bits on the injector pump I thought O poo or something along those lines.

Anyway crisis over, the rock n roll bed worked well, I will keep some bedding in the van in future.

What a useful forum A+ mods...

Over and out.