300 Tdi wont start when cold

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Andy Cook

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:confused: Diesel Newbie. Ok have read all the threads but looking for a difinitive guide on what to check and in what sequence. Picked up a high milage (but with service history) Disco last week and starting 1st time has been deteriorating. Once she has been started once she fires up no problems for the rest of the day. Checked the Battery and is holding a reasonable charge checked the voltage when running and it is up to 14 so that seems okay. No smoke, runs fine, some smoke on 1st start up (white) so suspect that there is plenty of fuel getting through.
Have seen that there are plenty of things that I can check but wondered if there was a diffinative sequence or if this particular symptom identifies a specific problem.

Andy
 
get a volt meter across the plugs and mke sure they are getting 12v ish

then take them out one by one and apply 12v again, they should get red hot in seconds
 
Andy Cook said:
:confused: Diesel Newbie. Ok have read all the threads but looking for a difinitive guide on what to check and in what sequence. Picked up a high milage (but with service history) Disco last week and starting 1st time has been deteriorating. Once she has been started once she fires up no problems for the rest of the day. Checked the Battery and is holding a reasonable charge checked the voltage when running and it is up to 14 so that seems okay. No smoke, runs fine, some smoke on 1st start up (white) so suspect that there is plenty of fuel getting through.
Have seen that there are plenty of things that I can check but wondered if there was a diffinative sequence or if this particular symptom identifies a specific problem.

Andy
Click to expand...

Hi Andy

You don't say if it is having problems turning over or if it is turning over but not fireing. They are 2 completely different issues.
 
Make sure you don't touch the accelerator before it starts else you;ll reset the cold start mechanism...

Does a 300 have a cold start mechanism...?

anyway, probably best to let it do it's own thing.
 
:eek: Car turns over, just does-n't catch, when it eventually did catch yesterday there was plenty of smoke (white/grey) so don't think it is a fuel problem, will try Glow plugs tonight.
 
a 300 should start with next to no help from the glow plugs, but thats on the assumption that there is plenty of compression there

you might want to get a compression test done if you find the plugs are in good working order
 
Andy Cook said:
:eek: Car turns over, just does-n't catch, when it eventually did catch yesterday there was plenty of smoke (white/grey) so don't think it is a fuel problem, will try Glow plugs tonight.
Click to expand...

No you're right, plenty fuel. Mine starts without heater plugs all the time, but no harm in checking them. But check the thread "white smoke" plenty of tips in there.
 
Not touching the Go Pedal at all when trying to start, have ordered a new Fuel filter, will pick up some Glow Plugs (it is pretty cold up here in the North). If it waqs a compression issue would performance not be hit elsewhere? car drives fine when she is running??:confused:
 
Andy Cook said:
Not touching the Go Pedal at all when trying to start, have ordered a new Fuel filter, will pick up some Glow Plugs (it is pretty cold up here in the North). If it waqs a compression issue would performance not be hit elsewhere? car drives fine when she is running??:confused:
Click to expand...

I live in the north as well and mine starts no probs, I don't think the throttle bit makes a difference.

I doubt if you would notice a difference if you're engine was down on compression, most people only go looking for faults with a diesel when it wont start in the morning, or it's pushing out clouds of smoke.

As a diesel requires compression to ignite the fuel, loss of compression has quite an impact on it, also if timing issues, in particular fuel timing is present then a late delivery by only a few degrees makes it very difficult for a diesel to start.

I doubt a fuel filter will make any difference since it runs fine when hot thus no fuel starvation.

Do yourself a favour and see if you can advance the pump timing a tad, it's only a few nuts and if you mark it you can return it back.

I presume it's chucking out clouds of white smoke when you're turning it over, so plenty fuel.
 
Okay got home checked the glow plugs and they were functioning fine, tried jump starting her and she fired up straight away so back to battery, replaced that and she started no bother this morning...:rolleyes: but on way back from a short dual carrigeway run she died on the way up a medium incline, gradual loss of power then ......:( turned over fine but would not pick up. Left it a while while trying to get hold of the Recovery company tried it once more and she went, no smoke no lack of power....:confused: have i bought a lemon or is it a fuel fault????:mad:
 
Andy Cook said:
Okay got home checked the glow plugs and they were functioning fine, tried jump starting her and she fired up straight away so back to battery, replaced that and she started no bother this morning...:rolleyes: but on way back from a short dual carrigeway run she died on the way up a medium incline, gradual loss of power then ......:( turned over fine but would not pick up. Left it a while while trying to get hold of the Recovery company tried it once more and she went, no smoke no lack of power....:confused: have i bought a lemon or is it a fuel fault????:mad:
Click to expand...

If the loss of power happens again, rather than flooring the accelerator harder to make up for the power you are loseing, try easing off gradually instead. I am thinking it may be a fuel blockage. The harder you floor it the worse the blockage.
 
Andy Cook said:
Okay got home checked the glow plugs and they were functioning fine, tried jump starting her and she fired up straight away so back to battery, replaced that and she started no bother this morning...:rolleyes: but on way back from a short dual carrigeway run she died on the way up a medium incline, gradual loss of power then ......:( turned over fine but would not pick up. Left it a while while trying to get hold of the Recovery company tried it once more and she went, no smoke no lack of power....:confused: have i bought a lemon or is it a fuel fault????:mad:
Click to expand...

Sounds like clasic fuel starvation, you said before it ran fine once started but on startup it chucked out clouds of white smoke.

Sounds like two faults here, but could be the injection pumps ****ed.

The lift pump is prone to failure on them so it makes sence to check that first, if you could have screwed off the fuel filter to check you might have seen that it was empty. Take the lift pump off and operate it with the outlet to the injection pump disconnected and see what the flow is like, this is a good way to check your fuel lines, but be wary that you could be miss-led if the lift pump is ****ed, give it a good test and keep some of the fuel to top up the fuel filter when you change it.

also look at your fuel, pour some in a jar and see if it's clean, it might be a little cloudy though but that's the ****e they put in to stop it freezing.

Could be fuel cut out, again common on these check the threads on the spider.

And of course it could be that you have a faulty fuel line or blocked sedementer and you need to check them all carefully for chaffing, pinched etc, check all connections, and hope it's not in the fuel tank. Have had occasions where **** in the tank, paper etc floats about and occasionally blocks it up, stop for a bit and it goes again. "see above for test" When you take the filter off you will have some indication of how well it was serviced, if the top of the filter is manky then it's neglected, but not the end of the world.

Start with the fuel supply side first.
 
Problem solved turned out to be a dodgy feed to the fuel Cut off Solenoid. Was shorting to earth. New lead sorted..

Next Question and I know there are hundreds of threads out there on this..

Anyone had any experience of the General Grabber UHP,s I am predominantley driving on road but want to retain some of road ability green laning and building sites. Have shoped around and Camskills seem to be offering some good deals at the minute I need to repalce all four hoops on the disco and don't want to fork out BFG money so the options are:

General Grabber UHP
Toyo AT
General Grabber AT2
Toyo Tranpath

Anyone got any views on what offers the best mix of on road performance whilst retaining a modicum of off road ability???:D
 
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