300tdi cold starting problems

[Frank]

Check heater plugs. DO NOT CONTEMPLATING USING EASY START.

If one plug is not working this does course bad starting.

 

Checked plugs. Working. From cold I undid the bleed screw ontop of the fuel filter and cranked it. Took ages to release air and get fuel through. That's got to be the problem. Its fuel starvation not plugs.

[C.J]

Fuel starvation is when an engine cannot get enough fuel to run or maintain a certain speed.

 

What you appear to have is a leak in the fuel system, which is not leaking fuel ,but is allowing air to enter the system when the vehicle is left stopped for a period of time.

 

The bleed off line, or the leak off line ,or as landrover call it the spill return line, only returns a very small amont of fuel to the fuel pump and i think there is a one way valve so that it should never be under any pressure.Therefore it is quite possible that a spill return hose could be letting air into the sytem but not leaking fuel.

 

Go to a landrover part shop, ask for about 0.5 meter of spill hose ,which will probably cost less than a quid, cut into 3 and fit to engine.

 

Your problem may be more complicated than this ,but for not much money and very little time you can rule out this potential fault and prevent it happening in the future or you might even cure your fault!

[treebloke]

Three things,

 

1 - both on the 300 tdi and Transit engines the fan belts are tightened by a tensioner so there is nothing for you to do there. The squeeling you hear is the bearing in the tensioner. It is possible to replace the bearing but its a fiddly job. Its easy to replace tensioner but it cost's approx £40 whearas a bearing is approx £4.00.

 

2 - if you are happy the electrical side of things are ok then I would replace the lift pump next. Relatively cheap and easy and if it's not that then you have a spare pump.

 

3- to give it a bit more power when starting it's quite easy to get two batteries under the passenger seat side by side (if that's where yours are). Your alternator will charge both or you could fit a split charge system but mine works fine as they are. A chap called Gwyn Lewis does a battery tray if you google him he has loads of interesting stuff.

[Tom D]

I'd still check the engine earth strap Darren, its a common cause of poor starting, the cold weakens the battery and it becomes apparent. Air in the fuel isn't good but I can't think why that would only happen when its cold.

[armchairarborist]

I'd still check the engine earth strap Darren, its a common cause of poor starting, the cold weakens the battery and it becomes apparent. Air in the fuel isn't good but I can't think why that would only happen when its cold.

 

to check the earth strap you can run a jumplead from the engine block to body or battery negative terminal, saves a mucky crawl underneath:thumbup:

[Frank]

I'd still check the engine earth strap Darren, its a common cause of poor starting, the cold weakens the battery and it becomes apparent. Air in the fuel isn't good but I can't think why that would only happen when its cold.

 

Its been doing it a while now. Hasnt just started.

[Frank]

to check the earth strap you can run a jumplead from the engine block to body or battery negative terminal, saves a mucky crawl underneath:thumbup:

 

can you go through this in better detail. Im dumb.

[Frank]

Right here is where we are at. We have gone down the fuel starvation route as it all adds up.

 

Starting at the back and working my way up to lift pump and fuel filter and we have fallen at the first hurdle. The fuel sedimenter that should have been attached to the chassis rail is not there??? The crud that wouldve been filtered there will be getting into the lift pump. So my plan of action is to get a fuel sedimenter and new lift pump. Will keep you all posted.

 

what about the problem of there being no sedimenter????

[treebloke]

can you go through this in better detail. Im dumb.

 

Put one jump lead on the battery earth terminal and the other end on a starter motor bolt or as near to the starter as you can get it.

[armchairarborist]

can you go through this in better detail. Im dumb.

 

take one jumplead, fasten one end to a lump of metal on the engine somewhere, the lump at the front is ideal (thermostat) and fix the other end to the negative post on the battery, then try starting it.. according to haynes manual under the heading ENGINE DIFFICULT TO START WHEN COLD.. 1.battery discharged 2.ignition timing incorrect 3.battery terminal connections loose or corroded 4.preheating system faulty 5.wax formed in fuel 6.fuel injector fault 7.low cylinder compressions.