Wouldn't start this morning

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finallysnapped

finallysnapped

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East Lothian
Alrighty so stupidly parked nose front into the driveway last night. Snow is quite deep and has been for a few days, icicles everywhere etc proper winter wonderland. The last few days it's started with a bit of coaxing, letting the heater on a couple of times before starting then feeling like it's been pulling soup through as it turns over. Today was a total non starter, managed to get it pushed out and then got a jump start and it started fine, drew forward into the drive again to leave it ticking over when and stalled the fecker :doh: but it started fine again. Checked with a multimeter and there's ~14v going back across the battery and the battery looks quite new. So I'm guessing since I didn't run it really before starting it fine again that I can rule the battery out. Do you think my glow plugs are in line for a change?

Also got my first chance to drive two wheel drive car in the snow, didn't like it one bit.

oh and it's '98 Discovery 300tdi
 
finallysnapped said:
Alrighty so stupidly parked nose front into the driveway last night. Snow is quite deep and has been for a few days, icicles everywhere etc proper winter wonderland. The last few days it's started with a bit of coaxing, letting the heater on a couple of times before starting then feeling like it's been pulling soup through as it turns over. Today was a total non starter, managed to get it pushed out and then got a jump start and it started fine, drew forward into the drive again to leave it ticking over when and stalled the fecker :doh: but it started fine again. Checked with a multimeter and there's ~14v going back across the battery and the battery looks quite new. So I'm guessing since I didn't run it really before starting it fine again that I can rule the battery out. Do you think my glow plugs are in line for a change?

Very cold weather is like a triple whammy for diesels.Low battery power,poor fuel vaporisation and very thik oil all add up to hard starting.
If a jump start helps it might show that battery power is an issue?
Fuel filters etc.can also cause problems in the cold esp. if there; is water in them! ;)
Click to expand...
 
I had all the filters done a just two months ago so I'm fairly confident about that just now. Just with my pre-heating a few times like in that other thread it got me wondering. I think the first thing I'll do is nip over to maplin and but one of those jumper packs, then when the garage is open (wasn't today) I'll get it in for glowplugs. I don't imagine for a moment this will be the coldest weather we'll see between now and February so I'll do my best to start stacking the cards in my favour against jack frost, the icy bastard that he is.
 
Flters should be ok then,hope ya used quality stuff!

The jump pack should give you extra oomph on turnover.Glow plugs are cheap(c.£6)for mine so no great loss to change if doubt.Shouldnt be much more for your tdi.Easy to test them and the circuit too!

Common sense stuff like parking in shelter or muffling the bonnet can help too the wind blows the frost into things.:)
 
after putting up with very slugish starting last winter ( ended up parking on a hil so I could bump start it ) I changed the glow plugs this week and its like a different car, the engine barely turns over before starting.. dont know why I didn't do it last year really
 
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Haven't gotten round to doing the glow plugs yet because I (everyone in my family) have needed the car every day for the last couple of weeks.

I needed a jump start again yesterday, then again today. Today was different though because it didn't just fire up, I tried a booster pack as well that I got from maplin which was as useful as bacon sandwiches at a muslim/jewish outreach workshop.

So after not starting on multiple attempts I decided to try a hot kettle of water poured over the fuel filter then with a little encouragement the engine spluttered into life. Should I put some thermal socks or a hot water bottle in next to the fuel filter?
 
Clean and tighten all your battery and starter motor earths and live cable connections. Make sure your alternator belt is adjusted properly. You might as well fit new glow plugs they're cheap enough. Shouldn't be any problems then.
 
Just because the battery reads 14v doesn't necessarily mean the cranking power is upto scratch, it could be your battery is suffering a wee bit, give it a charge on the night if possible and check/replace the glow plugs, the can get carbon build up after a while which can degrade their use.
 
Was speaking to the mechanic I use today, said he was out to about four people with frozen diesel yesterday. He suggested insulating the fuel filter which I've done now with some reflective foam backed stuff and a couple of jubilee clips. Will finally have it in for glow plugs as well tomorrow though.
 
finallysnapped said:
Was speaking to the mechanic I use today, said he was out to about four people with frozen diesel yesterday. He suggested insulating the fuel filter which I've done now with some reflective foam backed stuff and a couple of jubilee clips. Will finally have it in for glow plugs as well tomorrow though.
Click to expand...


Toss a gallon of unleaded PETROL into at least half a tank of diesel.
Does wonders to keep the oily stuff flowing, and the wax at bay.

Do NOT assume the fuel refinders bothetr their arses about "winter diesel".

If fact, if you don't want to have trouble, assume they do NOT make winter grade diesel. basically, it costs them cash to do it, and they don't like that.

CharlesY
 
CharlesY said:
Toss a gallon of unleaded PETROL into at least half a tank of diesel.
Does wonders to keep the oily stuff flowing, and the wax at bay.

Do NOT assume the fuel refinders bothetr their arses about "winter diesel".

If fact, if you don't want to have trouble, assume they do NOT make winter grade diesel. basically, it costs them cash to do it, and they don't like that.

CharlesY
Click to expand...
Wasnt sure to suggest that.Did it for years on CAV gear but wasnt sure if the newer pumps liked petrol. We used to start tractors in -20 with petrol in the fuel. I havent had waxing for years tho,but its milder here!
 
Turboman said:
Wasnt sure to suggest that.Did it for years on CAV gear but wasnt sure if the newer pumps liked petrol. We used to start tractors in -20 with petrol in the fuel. I havent had waxing for years tho,but its milder here!
Click to expand...


My TD5 Disco started OK the other morning after a night at minus 19°C.
It took a second go though.

Between goes I poured some hot water over the fuel filter in the rear right wheel-arch.

Second time I decked the throttle before turning the key. After 10 turns of the engine it flings in heaps of fuel. Either it goes or it floods up. It started. I let mine tick over till warm when it is very cold. It heats up sooner. The big stupid viscous coupling fan is in the boot. I might put it back on the engine next summer.

CharlesY
 
CharlesY said:
My TD5 Disco started OK the other morning after a night at minus 19°C.
It took a second go though.

Between goes I poured some hot water over the fuel filter in the rear right wheel-arch.

Second time I decked the throttle before turning the key. After 10 turns of the engine it flings in heaps of fuel. Either it goes or it floods up. It started. I let mine tick over till warm when it is very cold. It heats up sooner. The big stupid viscous coupling fan is in the boot. I might put it back on the engine next summer.

CharlesY
Click to expand...
Nice when they start up inthose temps, shows alls well really.

My tractor is DPA pump I always give that full bore,the 90 I dont touch the pedal at all.

Really surprised the TD5 still had viscous fan,had to get mine off asap.Love Kenlowes they hardly ever come on but when they do they cool it fast and there is so much room under the bonnet without the cowl and fan.
 
£100 for three glow plugs fitted and a spare one to take home with me because he didn't want to get into the tricky one. He said he tested it in there and it's fine though.

Was that an ok price for the work since it was bosch plugs he put in?
 
finallysnapped said:
£100 for three glow plugs fitted and a spare one to take home with me because he didn't want to get into the tricky one. He said he tested it in there and it's fine though.

Was that an ok price for the work since it was bosch plugs he put in?
Click to expand...

:doh: Would have taken you 5 minutes with basic tools and no knowledge to fit them yourself. Bosch are good though, not much point messing around with the really cheap stuff unless you want to be replacing them again 6 months down the line.
 
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