- Joined
- Sep 16, 2004
- Messages
- 1,145
- Location
- Leven, Fife / Northampton
- Car
- 2006 320 CDI Avantgarde . 1997 312d Sprinter
I append this to the roll call of other 606;s not starting just to give some inspiration for others with similar problems.
O.K. my 300TD first began not starting in February during those heavy snows,and at first I had hoped it was just the intense cold. Then after churning the engine over and over, the car filled with acrid smoke and I knew I had burned out the starter motor. Next morning I surveyed the scene, heavy snow laying everywhere and the car stuck on the street, which could not be towed anywhere and with no way of starting it, I had to play "kerbside mechanics". Dressed in bright orange dayglo over trousers and laying on an un inflated lilo I dug away some snow and began progressively jacking up the car bit by bit and I managed to get it on ramps,no mean feat with such a heavy car. So at age 58 there i was laying under the car, freezing cold, water dripping from the snow all over me, I began removing the starter motor, which at 176000 miles had never been off before. Because space is so limited ( perhaps easier on a four post lift?) I had to take off the Inlet Manifold and managed to haul out the stinking starter motor. So after a trip to a motor factors at lunchtime the afternoon was spent fitting the new starter motor. there is very little space for undoing or doing up the bolts, just a tiny turn each time. Then tragedy struck, I managed to snap off the power terminal, so back underneath again, remove the starter and examine the damage and it was evident it was badly manufactured as the tiny weld had sheared. £150 worth of starter motor back to the factors for exchange. Good job my next door neighbour was very obliging, ferrying me about. So next day, still freezing cold, back underneath again and a new starter fitted in record time.
That issue dealt with, it was back to the original problem. I went to the dealers and bought O rings and I replaced all the seals that I had not done 2 years previous, when I had replaced all the clear fuel lines. I started it up, the engine had never spun over so fast in all the 8 years I have owned it, and the air soon bled out of the system and it burst into life. The six pot diesels sound so nice with no manifold connected !!!
At that time I noticed a slight leak from a delivery valve which when the weather was better I tackled using P.O.D;s excellent "How To" --inlet manifold off again.
So some 6 weeks ago, the non starting curse began again. At least churning it over and bleeding the air out was a lot quicker this time, but fear of burning out another starter motor sent me back to the dealers to buy new O rings for every pipe and join. Who so ever said they were "" pence "" well try 259 pence each !!.
I noticed another delivery valve leaking, so while inlet manifold was off again!!, the seal and washer on that was also replaced. At least the expensive socket I had bought was earning its keep.
Started car up and thought that I had cured the problem. But this was not be so,and the next day it was back to the familiar non starting .
I had to concede defeat, not having it start was just not an option and so got it booked into a Diesel Specialist near Buckingham who had successfully sorted out my Sprinter last year.
Two days later, I collected a "first turn of the key" starting E300TD. Oh what a happy bunny I was. Diagnosis was that there had been 3 other delivery valves with tiny leaks allowing air into the system, so all the delivery valve seals were done -inlet manifold off again! -- and problem cured. On hindsight perhaps I should have renewed them all myself, but they did not seem to be leaking, ---but then what do I know.
During all of this I did wonder why there was no supplementary electric pump to prime the system, but then with the system free of leaks there is no need to ever use it.
So, Readers apologies for the length of this tale, and what did I learn, well do not churn the engine over and over with out a break, and when things do not seem to be leaking out diesel then they still might be sucking in air. Regards Steve
O.K. my 300TD first began not starting in February during those heavy snows,and at first I had hoped it was just the intense cold. Then after churning the engine over and over, the car filled with acrid smoke and I knew I had burned out the starter motor. Next morning I surveyed the scene, heavy snow laying everywhere and the car stuck on the street, which could not be towed anywhere and with no way of starting it, I had to play "kerbside mechanics". Dressed in bright orange dayglo over trousers and laying on an un inflated lilo I dug away some snow and began progressively jacking up the car bit by bit and I managed to get it on ramps,no mean feat with such a heavy car. So at age 58 there i was laying under the car, freezing cold, water dripping from the snow all over me, I began removing the starter motor, which at 176000 miles had never been off before. Because space is so limited ( perhaps easier on a four post lift?) I had to take off the Inlet Manifold and managed to haul out the stinking starter motor. So after a trip to a motor factors at lunchtime the afternoon was spent fitting the new starter motor. there is very little space for undoing or doing up the bolts, just a tiny turn each time. Then tragedy struck, I managed to snap off the power terminal, so back underneath again, remove the starter and examine the damage and it was evident it was badly manufactured as the tiny weld had sheared. £150 worth of starter motor back to the factors for exchange. Good job my next door neighbour was very obliging, ferrying me about. So next day, still freezing cold, back underneath again and a new starter fitted in record time.
That issue dealt with, it was back to the original problem. I went to the dealers and bought O rings and I replaced all the seals that I had not done 2 years previous, when I had replaced all the clear fuel lines. I started it up, the engine had never spun over so fast in all the 8 years I have owned it, and the air soon bled out of the system and it burst into life. The six pot diesels sound so nice with no manifold connected !!!
At that time I noticed a slight leak from a delivery valve which when the weather was better I tackled using P.O.D;s excellent "How To" --inlet manifold off again.
So some 6 weeks ago, the non starting curse began again. At least churning it over and bleeding the air out was a lot quicker this time, but fear of burning out another starter motor sent me back to the dealers to buy new O rings for every pipe and join. Who so ever said they were "" pence "" well try 259 pence each !!.
I noticed another delivery valve leaking, so while inlet manifold was off again!!, the seal and washer on that was also replaced. At least the expensive socket I had bought was earning its keep.
Started car up and thought that I had cured the problem. But this was not be so,and the next day it was back to the familiar non starting .
I had to concede defeat, not having it start was just not an option and so got it booked into a Diesel Specialist near Buckingham who had successfully sorted out my Sprinter last year.
Two days later, I collected a "first turn of the key" starting E300TD. Oh what a happy bunny I was. Diagnosis was that there had been 3 other delivery valves with tiny leaks allowing air into the system, so all the delivery valve seals were done -inlet manifold off again! -- and problem cured. On hindsight perhaps I should have renewed them all myself, but they did not seem to be leaking, ---but then what do I know.
During all of this I did wonder why there was no supplementary electric pump to prime the system, but then with the system free of leaks there is no need to ever use it.
So, Readers apologies for the length of this tale, and what did I learn, well do not churn the engine over and over with out a break, and when things do not seem to be leaking out diesel then they still might be sucking in air. Regards Steve
