200tdi struggling to start - fuel?

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bluedog333

bluedog333

Well-Known Member
Posts
5,458
Location
Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire
For a while now my Disco 200-engined tratter has struggled to start if left unstarted for a few days. This has now become overnight. Once started, she runs fine and will restart no problem throughout the day. The starter will spin for about 10-15 secs, fire up then die, it will then start. To me, it feels like air getting in/fuel draining down. Where should I start to look? I’ve replaced all the leak-off pipes as they looked a bit old and perhaps porous, I’ve got a new fuel filter on order. Anything else?
The symptoms don’t really point to the solenoid, but I’m happy for someone to say otherwise!
Cheers
 
You are on the right track bluedog, air getting into the system while standing causing fuel to drain back to the tank. Fuel filter and leak off pipe's are the common cause. Lift pump next port of call after you have done the filter. Cheers.
 
Is the battery still up to the job.
As it gets weak it slowly has trouble spinning the engine fast enough.
Eventually there is not enough grunt to start it at all.
 
bluedog333 said:
For a while now my Disco 200-engined tratter has struggled to start if left unstarted for a few days. This has now become overnight. Once started, she runs fine and will restart no problem throughout the day. The starter will spin for about 10-15 secs, fire up then die, it will then start. To me, it feels like air getting in/fuel draining down. Where should I start to look? I’ve replaced all the leak-off pipes as they looked a bit old and perhaps porous, I’ve got a new fuel filter on order. Anything else?
The symptoms don’t really point to the solenoid, but I’m happy for someone to say otherwise!
Cheers
Click to expand...

Put a piece clear plastic in the fuel line. Move it round until you find the join that has no air going into it, but air coming out. On my 200, it was the main fuel line from the pickup pipe to the lift pump.
 
bluedog333 said:
Cheers Mick. Did the engine have any running issues when it actually started?
Click to expand...

No, it would drive fine for a few miles, and then all of a sudden die. Struggle to start, eventually start, then drive fine again for another few miles. If you drove like miss daisy, slowly slowly, then it drove ok with occasional misfire.

Edit: I will say that mine appeared to have quite large air bubbles entering the fuel line, so I would guess less air will give different symptoms.

It didn’t take long to fix it. I bought a 25mtr roll of fuel hose, and replaced everything from the tank to the injection pump. It’s all piped up in the same size now, not a narrower return pipe like standard.
 
mick 1986 said:
No, it would drive fine for a few miles, and then all of a sudden die. Struggle to start, eventually start, then drive fine again for another few miles. If you drove like miss daisy, slowly slowly, then it drove ok with occasional misfire.

Edit: I will say that mine appeared to have quite large air bubbles entering the fuel line, so I would guess less air will give different symptoms.

It didn’t take long to fix it. I bought a 25mtr roll of fuel hose, and replaced everything from the tank to the injection pump. It’s all piped up in the same size now, not a narrower return pipe like standard.
Click to expand...
If the fuel filter & leak off pipes don’t fix it I think I’ll go down this route and replace all the fuel line!
 
Do not forget the old favourite, the stop solenoid, especially the wiring connector itself, solenoids under a tenner.
 
lynall said:
Do not forget the old favourite, the stop solenoid, especially the wiring connector itself, solenoids under a tenner.
Click to expand...
I’ve got the solenoid on the list. Definitely feels like fuel draining down, I’ve read that a faulty lift pump can cause this, so I’m going to order a Delphi one and see what happens. I found this little spring on the manual pump lever on the pump, may be unrelated, but a bit unusual.
22B24EC7-C999-47EB-8FC2-97FC05DCF937.jpeg
 
It is there to return lever to the down position after you have pushed it up. Quite often lost or broken and you have to work lever both ways.
 
Lets hope lift pump fixes it, you will need a spare as all the current ones are pants!
I gave up after the last one died, and went electric, Facet copy from ebay, ten quid iirc.
 
lynall said:
Lets hope lift pump fixes it, you will need a spare as all the current ones are pants!
I gave up after the last one died, and went electric, Facet copy from ebay, ten quid iirc.
Click to expand...
Picked up a pump today. It’s a Delphi, but made in Turkey, so God knows how long it’ll last, it doesn’t look as good as the Delphi one that’s fitted.
 
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