Car will not start ? C250TD

[pepe]

Car was fine yesterday, just gone to start it today and its turning over fine but just wont start,where do I begin to look ??

 

[Steve_Perry]

Glow plugs? Sorry dude not much experience with diesels, hope you get it sorted soon. I hope some more sensible answers will come along shortly too.

S.

P.S. At least I didn't say spark plugs.

 

[Brian WH]

Car was fine yesterday, just gone to start it today and its turning over fine but just wont start,where do I begin to look ??

When a diesel will not start, try fuel starvation? Have you any?

 

[pepe]

half a tank of fuel, whats the easiest way of testing to see if its getting to the engine. and i was only singing its praises yesterday of how its never let me down.

 

[Dieselman]

Look at the clear fuel pipes leading upto the fuel filter and then to the pump. I suspect you have air in those pipes, possibly bubbles, possibly no fuel at all.

This is due to the O rings allowing air past and as the whole system from the tank to the lift pump is under vacuum then it sucks air and doesn't leak fuel.

Has the car been parked facing up hill. This will exacerbate this problem.

Is there any smoke at all being blown out of the exhaust. If not then definately no fuel.

You could bypass the faulty union to get the car going. My guess puts it at the unions onto the pre-filter. Just a hunch.

If you keep cranking it will possibly suck fuel but you may kill the battery first.

It will fire up without glowplugs in this weather if you keep cranking for about 15 secs, but will be smokey until it fires.

 

[pepe]

Ive kept on turning it over and over and slowly it began to try and start, after a while it started. the rac bloke said its maybe because its been sat overnight and air is being pulled in somewhere slowly, so dieselman seems spot on, where is the most likely place for this to be happening, is it something i can locate and fix myself or will it need testing to find out.

 

[Dieselman]

Start by seeing where the bubbles are in the clear pipes. My guess is that the air is leaking at one of those unions.

Have the car idleing then rev the engine whilst watching the pipes.

Just replace all the clear pipes and the pre filter. They are available from the dealer and only a couple of pounds each. They unclip by pushing the white C ring inwards then pull the union out of it's socket. New ones just clip in. Apply a bit of grease to help them seat properly when you push them in.

 

[pepe]

thats great, thanks for all your help, excuse my ignorance but where exactly on the car will i find the tubes ?

 

[Dieselman]

At the front of the engine at the top on the near side of the cylinder head. You can't miss the silver filter hanging down. The pre filter is inside the aluminium casting where the pipe clips into the top, you can just make out the black plastic top of the filter.


See picture reproduced by kind permission Jimmy...Ok I lied, no permission.

 

[amazir1]

hej!
i have the same problem as Peppe mentioned. My car doese not start in the mornings but now i gott i clue because av you. You mean the 3 transparant pipes hanging from the filter. i actually spotted the bubbeles. When i took away the pipes and put them back again i got the same symptom as in the mornings when the car doesnt start.

 

[amazir1]

Is it difficult to take off the pipes from the filter? You mentioned somethig about pre fillter.

 

[Dieselman]

The pipes to the main filter are held in place by the black metal plate.

The pre filter is where the first pipe clips into. Undo the bolt and lift out the filter.

 

[amazir1]

Thank you Diselman and greetings from Stockholm.

 

[DrNick]

It appears to be a common (ish) problem. My E300 TD had this non-starting issue and this was due to air leaks. Mercedes fixed this leak but in the process created another leak, this time letting diesel out, which resulted in the same non-starting.

Nick

 

[pepe]

It started fine thismorning even though it was left for longer than when i had problem. going to take dieselmans advise anyway and renew pipes around filter housing.

 

[DrNick]

Yes, thats the same. Would go for weeks sometimes without a problem, and then just wouldn't start. Churning for ages would get it going unless the battery went flat first. You just couldn't tell when it would do it.

 

[racall]

The pipes to the main filter are held in place by the black metal plate.

The pre filter is where the first pipe clips into. Undo the bolt and lift out the filter.

Is the pre filter a replacable item? as i only replace the main filter

 

[Dieselman]

Is the pre filter a replacable item? as i only replace the main filter

Yes, it's only a few pounds but the dealers never do it.

 

[Goldcard]

Thank you Dieselman! Your advice in this thread has saved me from having my car towed to a garage. I just topped up the fuel filter and she started! I can nnow book her into a garage to see if they can find any air leaks.

 

[Wee Jay]

Hi ive got a 97 c250 td i was driving down the road yesterday and it jus died out thought it ran outta diesel but i put diesel in it and still wont start.. i loosened one of the injectors and its not gettin diesel wat wud this be any body help