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Mine did that tonight when I changed the fuel filter. Luckily my neighbour is a mechanic and helped coax it back to life.
Mine is a CLK270CDI and it may be that there is no pump in the fuel tank. No matter, all my diesel drained out of the line and was replaced by air that I pumped through the cam pump and into the common rail.
Our solution was to
1. Attach my Pelo pump to the exit of the filter and draw fluid from the tank through the filter, then clamp the filter inlet with a vice grip.
2. Disconnect the metal pipe from the bottom of the cam pump and reattach the filter outlet. Attach the Pelo to the pump outlet, release the clamp and draw diesel through the pump - there was a lot of air. Reclamp the filter feed and reattach the pump outlet.
3. With me turning the engine over and the foot to the floor, my neighbour released the inlet to the common rail and all the air spewed out in bubbles. Eventually the car started.
It took nearly 2 hours and 1 dead battery to figure this out. I drew nearly 2 litres of fuel out of it before he was happy that most of the air was gone.
He thinks the main problem was my car was slightly uphill and allowing the diesel to drain all the way back to the tank.
Battery is now on charge.
Hope this helps and best of luck.
Mine did that tonight when I changed the fuel filter. Luckily my neighbour is a mechanic and helped coax it back to life.
Mine is a CLK270CDI and it may be that there is no pump in the fuel tank. No matter, all my diesel drained out of the line and was replaced by air that I pumped through the cam pump and into the common rail.
Our solution was to
1. Attach my Pelo pump to the exit of the filter and draw fluid from the tank through the filter, then clamp the filter inlet with a vice grip.
2. Disconnect the metal pipe from the bottom of the cam pump and reattach the filter outlet. Attach the Pelo to the pump outlet, release the clamp and draw diesel through the pump - there was a lot of air. Reclamp the filter feed and reattach the pump outlet.
3. With me turning the engine over and the foot to the floor, my neighbour released the inlet to the common rail and all the air spewed out in bubbles. Eventually the car started.
It took nearly 2 hours and 1 dead battery to figure this out. I drew nearly 2 litres of fuel out of it before he was happy that most of the air was gone.
He thinks the main problem was my car was slightly uphill and allowing the diesel to drain all the way back to the tank.
Battery is now on charge.
Hope this helps and best of luck.
Gave it a dose of easy start and it ran great until I turned it of then it would not start again with out a snort of easy start ( god that makes an awful noise) once running I could see it was pulling air so I took the feed from the tank straight to the filter bypassing the pre heater and it's fine. So new pipes and pre heater ordered today
bigjim
Active Member
- Joined
- May 17, 2010
- Messages
- 182
I have exactly the same with mine at the moment. I just wish I understood what you blokes just said then I might be able to fix it.
View attachment 19164
My problem arose because I didn't clamp the hose going into the filter so all the fuel drained back into the tank. The when I tried to start it, I filled the system with air.
I have a Pelo pump for sucking the oil out of the dipstick tube. This saves having to take the sump guard off to change the oil.
I used the Pelo to suck diesel through the filter. Then the feed line to the filter was clamped with vice grips to stop it all going back into the tank.
The we had to connect everything up at the filter and attach the Pelo in place off the metal pipe at the High Lift Pump, release the clamp and suck diesel through the pump.
Clamp the fuel feed line again and attach everything the way it should be.
We then released the clamp and turned the engine over (for ages) while the feed to the common rail was released slightly to let more air out, seen as bubbles. Once the car started to fire, he tightened it all up and that was job done.
I wouldn't know how to do it without some sort of vacuum pump.
Good Luck
My problem arose because I didn't clamp the hose going into the filter so all the fuel drained back into the tank. The when I tried to start it, I filled the system with air.
I have a Pelo pump for sucking the oil out of the dipstick tube. This saves having to take the sump guard off to change the oil.
I used the Pelo to suck diesel through the filter. Then the feed line to the filter was clamped with vice grips to stop it all going back into the tank.
The we had to connect everything up at the filter and attach the Pelo in place off the metal pipe at the High Lift Pump, release the clamp and suck diesel through the pump.
Clamp the fuel feed line again and attach everything the way it should be.
We then released the clamp and turned the engine over (for ages) while the feed to the common rail was released slightly to let more air out, seen as bubbles. Once the car started to fire, he tightened it all up and that was job done.
I wouldn't know how to do it without some sort of vacuum pump.
Good Luck
Last edited:
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- 2017 Audi RS6 Avant Performance Edition. Range Rover Supercharged - Lovely!
If it is the high pressure pump a new one is expensive at around £500 IIRC.
When replacing the pump make sure you replace all the fuel lines, and also check that the fuel line nearest the poly-belt isn't catching the belt after replacing it (the original may well have been scuffed in this way).
When replacing the pump make sure you replace all the fuel lines, and also check that the fuel line nearest the poly-belt isn't catching the belt after replacing it (the original may well have been scuffed in this way).
