Broke down this afternoon...bugger

landowner · Feb 17, 2013

Driving along nicely in the Disco 300tdi when she lost power, struggled up a hill and we had to pull over before the engine stopped.
Left my tools at home had nothing but a rag and a bic pen

Took fuel filter off and there were bits of jelly in the top of it so gave it a good shake and emptied it, refitted it and fired her up. She ran a bit rough till the engine had bled itself and we were off again but very low on power and only able to limp home at 20 to 30 mph.

Once home I changed the fuel filter and started up but it was still the same, one good rev and thats it no power after that.

Decided to look at the lift pump, bits of jelly in gauze filter so cleaned it out with thinners and refitted it. Started her up but still te same.

Began to check fuel supply, blew down feed pipe from tank and got diesel on my lips

reconnected pipe, got fuel up, fuel to filter, filter full and fuel at injector pump.
Started her up and cracked injector pipes off to ceck for fuel at injectors, all ok.

Gave her a good rev, but on second try she faded and died

Spun fuel filter off and it was near empty so filled it up and tried again, couldn't get fuel to come out of bleed screw on filter.

Took fuel supply pipe off again and blew down it with the air line for several seconds.

Hooked back up and hey presto bags of fuel pressure and she ran beautiful, so pipe in tank was blocked.

Is there a filter on the pipe in the tank please??

gillett33 · Feb 17, 2013

Take a look at the sedemeter on the drivers side behind the rear wheel inside the chassis,

If you do a search there are lots of threads on this, I'd guess its full of crud ;-)

landowner · Feb 17, 2013

gillett33 said:
Take a look at the sedemeter on the drivers side behind the rear wheel inside the chassis,

If you do a search there are lots of threads on this, I'd guess its full of crud ;-)

By passed it a few weeks ago, pipe in tank was blocked so I guess it must have a gauze on the end of it.

I have been using bio and I think that some of it has turned to jelly maybe in the cold weather, and the jelly is being drawn into the pipe in the tank.

tried to get the pipes out of the tank but tey will need to be undone and tey are corroded so maybe just take the plastic pipes off the top with heat so as the rest can be drawn out

uncle albert · Feb 17, 2013

ass. its same as 200 then yes theres a little gauze type filtter on pick up in tank

gillett33 · Feb 17, 2013

Have you let the tank drain low almost empty, could of sucked all the crap from the bottom of the tank ??

If you have the time, space might be worth taking the tank off or give it a good clean out from the top, (through boot floor),

You're be surprised how much crap can collect in the bottom

landowner · Feb 17, 2013

uncle albert said:
ass. its same as 200 then yes theres a little gauze type filtter on pick up in tank

Thanks I'll have to get in there and clean it

gillett33 said:
Have you let the tank drain low almost empty, could of sucked all the crap from the bottom of the tank ??

If you have the time, space might be worth taking the tank off or give it a good clean out from the top, (through boot floor),

You're be surprised how much crap can collect in the bottom

Did run it low last week to use up the diluted bio so as I could put just diesel in, I'm about half full at the moment and have been running ok since topping up last Thursday. This was sudden and unexpected

gillett33 · Feb 17, 2013

Are you sure the lift pump is working ??

I can't think of any thing else apart from like you say a blockage, but it is deff fuel starvation ???

landowner · Feb 17, 2013

gillett33 said:
Are you sure the lift pump is working ??

I can't think of any thing else apart from like you say a blockage, but it is deff fuel starvation ???

Lift pump ok, its going like a rocket at the moment, just waiting for the blockage to bring me to a halt again

uncle albert · Feb 17, 2013

I had same about year ago , bio cleans crap of sides oftank etc so block not uncomon , once clean should be fine

landowner · Feb 17, 2013

uncle albert said:
I had same about year ago , bio cleans crap of sides oftank etc so block not uncomon , once clean should be fine

Bit worried about the small blobs of jelly in the fuel though, maybe a little petrol will melt it down a bit.

uncle albert · Feb 17, 2013

landowner said:
Bit worried about the small blobs of jelly in the fuel though, maybe a little petrol will melt it down a bit.

only way I know works is clean tank and fuel lines - filter any fuel to remove lumps etc

landowner · Feb 17, 2013

uncle albert said:
only way I know works is clean tank and fuel lines - filter any fuel to remove lumps etc

OK ta, I'll run the tank low and get in there with the syphon then clean it out. here's hoping she doesn't block up in the meantime.

I can allways carry a pump I spose and blow it through if she stops again.

rosedale1 · Feb 17, 2013

HMPE's (high melt point Esters) are usually like margerine/or like small white balls that settle at the bottom of bio, this is due to the wrong feedstock oil for the time of year. I would be more concerned that jelly could be soap that has not been been removed from bio.

Take a sample of fuel. Heat filtered water/distilled/deionised to over 20deg and add bio sample 50/50 bio/water. Shake until it goes all murky and allow to settle. Good quality bio will seperate leaving clear water at the bottom, if water stays opaque then i suggest you take bio where you got it, its poor quality? It should seperate quite quickily.

landowner · Feb 17, 2013

rosedale1 said:
HMPE's (high melt point Esters) are usually like margerine/or like small white balls that settle at the bottom of bio, this is due to the wrong feedstock oil for the time of year. I would be more concerned that jelly could be soap that has not been been removed from bio.

Take a sample of fuel. Heat filtered water/distilled/deionised to over 20deg and add bio sample 50/50 bio/water. Shake until it goes all murky and allow to settle. Good quality bio will seperate leaving clear water at the bottom, if water stays opaque then i suggest you take bio where you got it, its poor quality? It should seperate quite quickily.

Thanks I'll try that with some neat bio that I have left in the drum. It smells like a chip shop from behind so I reckon it's badly reclaimed cooking oil

biolandy · Feb 17, 2013

Bio always smells like chip shop oil when burnt,unless the vehicle has a cat fitted(the 300 tdi has a particulate filter not a cat).
I would get the fuel out of tank,add 5%-10% petrol,mix it well and let it settle for a day or so-draw off the good clean fuel off the top once settled

Steviecops · Feb 17, 2013

During this cold weather, I've stored my bio in plastic 25 litre containers in the garden. They are transparent enough to see the higher melting point stuff settle out at the bottom. I've been just using the clear bio that sits above the creamy layer. If I bring a container inside, the layer at the bottom turns clear as it warms up. The trouble is, bad things always settle at the bottom and will do the same in your fuel tank! Even though I'm only using bio that's stayed good in sub zero temperatures, I'm still mixing it 50/50 with regular diesel just to be on the safe side. I filtered some of the creamy stuff today through a j cloth and its not surprising that waxing bio quickly clogs a fuel system!

Broke down this afternoon...bugger

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