Club 80-90 Forums

Hi,
A quick query please for you mechanically minded folk. The engine is a replacement Seat 1.9TDi. My VWT25 has been unused in a barn for months due to being away etc. I put in 10 litres of fresh diesel, the battery has been on charge, it's turning over when starting, fires once but doesn't maintain anything so quite frustrated. A mechanic recommended Bradex Easy Start. My questions are : [1] would you recommend it, [2] where would you spray it & I've attached a photo as I'm a little confused as to where the air intake would be. There's a big drum where the air filter is which I replaced a while ago. Thanks in advance if you can help.

First of all, don't use Easy Start. It puts strain on everything and can break piston rings.

The best thing would be to find out why it's not starting.

If it's a viable engine, it's turning over and not starting, (assuming nothing has changed since it was last running), then the problem may well be lack of fuel. This is often due to air in the fuel lines. The air needs bleeding out of the system.

See if this post helps https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... m#p7681415" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You will also need to find out where the air has been getting in. First port of call would be the braided rubber back leakage pipes between the injectors, and the little rubber cap on injector 4. These may have perished while the van has been standing. Change them anyway. They are a few quid from any parts store.

Air can also get in the inlet pipe to the injector pump, this will appear as a stream of bubbles (assuming you have a translucent section of pipe there) once the engine is running. Main culprits here are the joints on the air filter and pipes. These leaks are difficult to find. Be thorough.

If there's air in the system, then the engine won't start until it has been excluded.

I'll second not using easy-start.
You hear of engines becoming "addicted" to it, what's really happening is it's damaging your engine to the point where it will no longer start normally and you keep resorting to easy start because "it worked last time".
One theory is it puts so much vertical force on your con-rods that they get distorted and effectively shorter which reduces compression.
I'm not sure how much of that is theory and how much is reality but it definitely does damage so DON'T even use it once.
As Colin says, better to find the fault.
It's worth checking your glow plugs are all good, if it fires once it may be that some of the plugs aren't coming up to temperature.
My Ranger did a similar thing when 2 of it's glow plugs were shot.
Good luck and hope she's singing soon.

P.S-
1) yes. but not in an engine.
2) on the BBQ.

Thanks for the reply bigbadbob - though maybe not on the BBQ this time of year

Thanks for the reply & tips ColinTheFox. I think you're right with the air in the fuel line & bleeding the system. I did replace the the braided rubber back leakage pipes a while ago but as they're cheap I may just do it again & possibly also the glow plugs.
I've been away a few days so not had chance to check it all yet but I'll check the air leak idea out in the next few days. At least I've got some ideas to work on.

I had a z650 which was addicted to easy start ! I'd only ride it every few weeks and a quick shot of mist and it'd fire up first kick.
Sold it to a mate who used the bike regularly and he never had to use easy start.

Well, finally got it running & MOT'd - well, not me, mechanic. It needed new fuel filter, new copper fuel pipes re-routed round the engine, new solenoid for the fuel pump, new injector breather pipes, replaced a coolant hose and changed the coolant. Phew. Then we went to drive it away and the heater motor isn't working. Not so happy now