Evening ppl.
Ok we’re to start , after going out this morning to carry out my volt testing on p38 with 300tdi (I know ) !
l tried to fire her up and to my shock the car struggled to start and the engine was bouncing all over , its idles rough and won’t rev past 1100 rpm with out cutting out .
Started it over and its the same tho I have had it idling for 15mins with slight to no improvement in rev range and shuddering .

seems to me and what I have read it sound like fuel starvation ?

I have ordered 8mm I’d and 3.2mm I’d fuel hose and am going to run it from tank to lift pump and FIP back to tank and not use metal existing lines. Also lift pump to FIP and fuel rail all 3.2mm. I have also ordered new lift pump . To try and rule out leaking old fuel lines / pump.

I have also removed injectors and there going for a free test Monday .

I have been using coolant on the run up to this but I am in the middle of building a test pump for coolant using a old coolant cap to try see if there is a leak any were before i put it all back together then find out it’s the head gasket . I have new water pump and gasket , p gasket that going on but fitted and
thermostat and temp sender just before I run it for the 15 mis idle as I said earlier. all heaters and hoses go warm and Thermostat opens but temp gauge never moved at all so I will change this back to original .

is there anything I can Check or anything I have missed , pls add or question anything thanks Liam .

You could try UV fluid in the coolant with a black light, May help identify the leak site if there is one.
Cost about £15 including the torch. I have put it in my 90 and leave just in case I need to hunt a coolant leak.

Cheers

neilly said:

You could try UV fluid in the coolant with a black light, May help identify the leak site if there is one.
Cost about £15 including the torch. I have put it in my 90 and leave just in case I need to hunt a coolant leak.

Cheers

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Yeh thats a option I will do , check it at night with torch after a few pressure tests might show better

Did it have plenty of antifreeze in the coolant?

Blackburn said:

Did it have plenty of antifreeze in the coolant?

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morning Blackburn is was a bottle of ready mixed blue silicate antifreeze with more water in to top bup still a nice a blue in header tank

It was pretty cold around here [Jarrow] last night topping it with water will have reduced its protection , only way to be sure would be to test the coolant.

Blackburn said:

It was pretty cold around here [Jarrow] last night topping it with water will have reduced its protection , only way to be sure would be to test the coolant.

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Got the test running now just using hand pump with gauge pumped it to 15/16 psi and it’s ****ing out 3 loose clips , tightened up now it’s holding steady loosing 1 psi every 10 mins is this ok ?

Liam bird said:

Got the test running now just using hand pump with gauge pumped it to 15/16 psi and it’s ****ing out 3 loose clips , tightened up now it’s holding steady loosing 1 psi every 10 mins is this ok ?

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can only do cold pressure test due to engine being in bits is this ok or best warm

Liam bird said:

can only do cold pressure test due to engine being in bits is this ok or best warm

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just reporting back after 40 mins test held up good , loosing a bit pressure is ok and holds well above 13/14 for a hour so am happy with that will repeat test after car is warmed up and the uv liquid is in header tank . Am confidant to say cooling is all good . Check clips and hoses regardless of how long they been on they do come loose .

Just a quick update on this.

ok so had air in fuel lines or lift pump was shot.
due to not being very clued up in engines at all and following videos and guidance I replaced my lift pump and fitted a new Delphi one.
I then changed all fule lines from tank to lift pump and lift pump to filter then to IP.
Then changed fuel filter and topped up before refitting .

I then changed all jubilee clips on coolant system and turbo hoses and made sure there were tight. Then replaced all the turbo vacuum hoses from waste-gate to back of inlet plenum to IP .

Coolant held pressure from 15bar down to 13Bar with in 40 mins so was looking good. With a fully charged battery I tried to fire her up and it was just cranking but would not start my head was in my hands after thinking what have I done wrong .
One last attempt cranked engine for a good 20 second long and pressed throttle a few times she fired it to life . Well happy .

The only problem I had was bleeding the coolant after changing clips and hoses as the Thermo plug is snapped in the hole cant remove it at all.
And being a p38 300tdi there is no top plug on the radiator so just filled up the tank and took her for a drive to warm up, then once thermostat opens I carried on filling . Till line and left to cool over night . Things seem good .

my only regrets are not doin one job at a time to find out what was causing the problems in the first place . Just stripped everything out and fitted new . Stupid mistake .

thanks for the guidance

I also fitted new dayco tensioner and belt and the wear line after setting is only 3/4 mm gap I have seen ones fitted were the wear gap is a good 10mm . Mine has started at about 3mm apart bit worrying