Anyone familiar with sprinters and bleeding diesel fuel systems

[John_Doe]

Long story short I've managed to disable my van! I was changing glow plugs and one snapped. So after all my cursing and removing much more then I needed to I finally got the bottom of the glow plug out. But in my ignorance I took off a fuel hose and let air in to the system. So after more cursing and lots of googling I am still vanless!

Anyone have any info on how to bleed the system. It's a sprinter 208 cdi if that helps

 

[Dieselman]

Fill the filter manually then turn on the starter until it fires up.

 

[John_Doe]

I been trying that serval times but with no luck. If there is definitely air in the system would the red light on the dash stay on? Unsure what it is called, the one below the stereo next to the traction button?

 

[im bigt]

I been trying that serval times but with no luck. If there is definitely air in the system would the red light on the dash stay on? Unsure what it is called, the one below the stereo next to the traction button?

we get that problem all the time just run it on easy start till the air goes and it will be fine

 

[John_Doe]

I've heard of easy start before. What do you do with it?

 

[Stratman]

Spray it into the air filter inlet.

 

[Dieselman]

Funnily enough I've just been out to start a couple of my cars that have been idle for months. The first one is almost certain to be broken down but after 6 months of lying it started first turn, the other one is a nice car but seems to be suffering air ingress even after new pipes, filter-head, and it's taken about 20 mins of bleeding to get it to fire up.

Bloody air...

 

[John_Doe]

Ok. Had a mobile mechanic out to attempt but no luck! Which is strange. He sprayed in easy start and it started but as soon as he stopped spraying it the engine cut out! So does this mean that no fuel is going to it at all? He is going to come back on Tuesday and try again with a primer? That right?

My next question is, a neighbor was walking passed and started talking about the problem with his car. He was talking about a sensor or something on the fuel rail, that tells it to pump fuel? Now, when I took some of the electrical connectors off to move them I noticed one near the front underneath had a really lose sensor connected to it. I don't know what the sensor is as I can not even see what it is connected to. BUT if it is the sensor my neighbor is talking about and it is broken then would this cause it not to start or run on diesel?

 

[Dieselman]

The rail pressure sensor is at the front and will stop the engine running.

 

[John_Doe]

So maybe I should get that replaced before he comes back to prime it.

 

[Dieselman]

If it's broken it won't run without it and it will be the problem.

 

[John_Doe]

Ok the mobile mechanic man is still unable to get her running! It looks like all the air is out the system but still won't start. Even easy start doesn't seem to get it to kick. Am I right in assuming that the fuel pump must be working because it is pumping lots or excess fuel out of the overflow?

 

[WG M-B]

I find this helps to bleed them a bit quicker......
Remove the oulet pipe on the fuel primary pump [this is the small one on the front of the engine]. the outlet pipe is signalled by an arrow.
Fill the filter up till it is overflowing then clip the pip back into the filter but not the pump.
Crank the engine over to see if fuel is pumping from the small pump. If it doesnt you have a problem. If it does then once its running freely plug the pipe back in.
Now a bit of cranking will get her to fire up. Also once she starts dont rev the engine but let it idle for around 15secs first.
This should work.I have found sprinters to be a pig to bleed in the past at times!!!!
In the workshop we force the fuel up with an airline in the tank just to help it.
Hope this helps.

 

[John_Doe]

Weill I have had it diagnosed and it come up with no codes!? What the hell! Lol. All air seems to be out of the system and yet she still won't start! Any more ideas? I thought maybe the pressure sensor was faulty but again surely this would have given me a fault code

 

[Dieselman]

Injectors leaking off too much, but that should log a low pressure code.

 

[carat 3.6]

There is a pressure sensor at the bulkhead end of the fuel rail, held in by 2 splined bolts. Take this out and see if the 2 small o rings have split. If they have, the ecu cant see pressure in the fuel rail and will not trigger the injectors.

Hope this helps.

 

[John_Doe]

STILL NOT RUNNING! Lol. I been working non stop so ain't even had a chance to do anything else but just a thought... If an injector was lifted but not removed and then put back, could it have been out back wrong causing this issue?