T25 1.6TD trouble starting, and advice please

[sparkiekitty]

Hi,

I have a 1990 1.6 TD T25 (Holdsworth conversion). I've had her a year and it's my first diesel vehicle.

She's struggling to start and I wondered if anyone had any advice on where to begin in trying to diagnose the fault. I've worked on petrol engines a little in the past and I'd really like to be able to maintain my T25 without having to rush to the garage all the time.

The problem began on Monday and is intermittent, but frequent. She turns over fine, but just isn't trying to fire. I wait for the glow plugs light to go out again and then try again. This carries on for a few minutes. She then fires a few times, but won't get going. Then finally she starts and runs fine from then on. It doesn't happen every time, but is getting more often. I had this problem with my Saab recently and it turned out to need a replacement fuel pump.

I'd check the spark plugs, fuel filter etc if it was a petrol engine, but I'm not sure where to start with a diesel.

Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Btw, before posting I did searched the forum, but couldn't find anything, so sorry if I've missed a thread on this somewhere.

Thank you

[Winchweight]

Sounds like glow plugs. As well as the light theres a glow plug relay which energises the plugs and this could be playing up, or the plugs themselves.
We had a similar issue where the light came on and did its thing, the plugs were fine but the relay wasn't working correctly.

[dave friday]

Have you got a test meter and know how to use it? Oh! And pull out the cold start lever!

[kevtherev]

Have you got a test meter and know how to use it? Oh! And pull out the cold start lever!

..and no it's not a choke.

[Middle29]

I've just had problems starting and replacing the fuel lines and using the correct clips etc fixed it but whilst having the jump leads hooked up to my dads car while it was running I would turn the ignition to 1st glow plug setting and my dads engine would change pitch - indicating to us the glow plugs were ok, well drawing a lot of power. There was also a big audible click from the black box that houses the relay. This helped us (maybe incorrectly??) assume that the glow plugs were working ok.

But with mine air was getting into the fuel lines. Whenever I parked pointing down enough air would gather at the highest point (fuel pump) and give starting problems. Turning it over lots would eventually force enough fuel through and it would start that was until it became more air than fuel and then wouldn't start at all. If your fuel lines are the clear type get someone to turn it over and look to see if there is air bubbles in them maybe.

There is also a rubber blanking cap on the first injector that perishes, check that. And maybe a stop fuel solenoid, with an electrical connection to the pump, that we cleaned up the connectors on.

Just been through this... As an aside I always revved when starting up but was told this isn't necessary.

[silverbullet]

A mucky fuel filter (water in fuel) can also give problems.
I would change the glow plugs first, not much fun but worthwhile.
(I have owned and maintained turbo diesels in a previous life)

Ich fahre einen Bulli. Ich hilfe mir selbst...meistens!

[sparkiekitty]

Brilliant! Thanks for all the advice.

Have you got a test meter and know how to use it? Oh! And pull out the cold start lever!

I have a standard multimeter. I guess I need to check the spec of that and the glow plugs. Unless there's a special test meter for glow plugs? As I say, new to diesels. And didn't know about the cold start lever. Cool!

I'll get on with checking what you all suggested ... when it stops raining! I need a bigger garage

[clone123]

No any multi meter will do. I'm the same as you with diesel just starting to get to no my way around them but one of the thing I have leant is that a lot of problem with diesels not starting or taking a long time to start is to do with air getting in to the fuel lines not just that but that's where I would start because I had a van and all it was. Was the pipes that go between all the injectors was wet so was leaking £5.00 all fixed

[Zeb]

Hi, before you go to any hassle check the glow plug relay fuse. Common point to fail as it is probably ancient. Open the black box and you should see a fuse wire strip intact. I don't think it is covered with anything else other than a mess of wires. Does it start to when hot?

Cheers Zeb

[tony1256]

having trouble starting after an episode of overheating, could it still be fuel  line / injectors or am i looking at blown head gasket / lack of compression and how do i check

[davidoft1]

having trouble starting after an episode of overheating, could it still be fuel  line / injectors or am i looking at blown head gasket / lack of compression and how do i check

How hot did it get , how much coolant was lost