406oc.co.uk

My 1997 1.9TD (with Bosch injection) is refusing to start and I suspect that the problem is with the fuel supply rather than the electrics, as the car sounds as if it is trying to fire at every revolution. My problem is that I simply cannot find two components that I need to check: –

1) The bleed screw associated with the rubber priming-bulb. The Haynes book (3394), which has been my only guide so far, says that it is on one of the unions on the injection pump, but I cannot find anything that looks remotely like a bleed screw. (Fuel is certainly reaching the bulb itself, but I cannot trace it any further.)

2) The solenoid that shuts off the fuel supply when the 'ignition' is switched off. My guess is that this switch may have died with its jaws shut; but, again, where is it? Haynes give a photograph (illustration 9.4) which professes to show its location on the Bosch pump (facing upwards, under a union at the right-hand end), but this bears no resemblance to the unit on my car. (I suspect that it actually shows an older variety of pump; the same image is used in Haynes 1992, relating to Citroen ZXs of the early 1990s.)

Can anybody give me a lead?

Oliver Mundy.

First thing I'd do is pop the fuel filter cover off and clean and check the rubber seal, also make sure the faces it sits in are clean.
Then look to the left of the fuel pump and you'll see a brass coloured union with flats on, slacken it off slightly (probably 1/4 turn will do) then pump the primer. You should see bubbles, tighten back up when they stop. When tightened pump again until the bulb has good resistance.
While you're there check for signs of fuel around the injector leak off pipes as they can perish over time allowing air in to the circuit.
I'd recommend changing the leak off pipes if they look old as the slightest hole can cause hard cold starting from fuel leak back even if you see no evidence of fuel leakage.
I've even come across perished priming bulbs doing the same in the past so check your hands for diesel after you've used it.

From memory the fuel stop is located near the passenger side strut top but not 100% on that.

Hope that helps

Another thought, check your plugs, it is rather nippy at the minute and mine was a bitch to start until I changed the glow plugs.

Thank you! This gives me some clear clues to follow. I shall report back after the week-end.

I know there is a sort of re-set button - a white switch with a round cover of soft rubber - near the passenger-side strut housing. According to the original handbook, this is a device which cuts off the fuel supply if the car is involved in a front-end collision (which my car certainly has not); you then press the button to reinstate the supply. It seems to be quite distinct from the regular fuel cut-off, which has to act every time the engine is switched off rather than just when the car has had a punch on the nose! However, I shall look again in case there is another unaccountable component in that same area; so far I have only checked around the pump and the filter. (I did try poking the re-set button in case something had tripped it, but it made no difference.)

I am indeed a little doubtful about the glow-plugs. The engine has never been actually difficult to start, even in the recent cold spell, but it has not been as prompt as the other XUD units (five of them) I have encountered in the past. I have got a set of plugs on order.

Oliver Mundy.

Changing the plugs is straight forward enough but you will scrape your knuckles!!!
The 2 plugs furthest from the pump are relatively easy to do, hardest part for my chunky fingers was getting the nut back on when I reattached the wiring.
The next one is do-able with the air intake pipework out of the way, iirc I took the little bracket off the block as well for easier access (you'll see what I mean when you pop the bonnet).
The other is probably original as I never even attempted it!!! (again you'll soon see why when you look) car starts first turn with the 3 I changed so I still have a brand new plug rattling round in my door pocket.

gumby6371 wrote:hardest part for my chunky fingers was getting the nut back on when I reattached the wiring.

When I watched the mechanic here change the glowplugs on my D9 he had a little trick for the nuts - he stuck them on the end of one of those telescopic magnet things and just used that to start it on the thread. He has fingers like sausages...

I have the 1.9TD Executive.

I had problems with the Stop solenoid recently. If you have the older model like mine, the solenoid is under what I think is the injector pump assemly. It has an Anti-Tamper cover fitted. On mine plastic but later models metal. You need to knock the cover off with a cold chisel to get access to the solenoid. Even then, I think you need to remove the injector assemble to remove/refit it.
In my case, what failed was a small circuit board mounted under the Anti-Tamper cover. It stoped voltage getting to the solenoid, so I was able to bypass it and everything worked fine.
There is a thread & phots' showing how to do the metal Anti-Tamper cover. I'll see if I can find it.

Doing the glow plugs is a lot easier than it looks. You do need good quality spanners that can grip without slipping. I bought a rachet ring spanner and it worked great. Fiddly job.

Best of luck.

Regards,
Colin.

Thanks also to Steve and Colin. My hands are child-sized, which may be an advantage for once.

I have found what may be the thread mentioned by Colin: 'Anti-start/theft system', dated 19th July last year in this same section (Engine and Transmission: I am not sure how to post a link). My problem is not the same, since my keypad is behaving perfectly normally, but the details of the siting of the solenoid should be helpful.

More news when I have it!

Oliver Mundy.

mmn test glow plugs
i remove cable then switch ign on and connect cable u should seea spark
if u do not see any almost sureely that one is dead
replace but make sure u aheva very good fitting spanner socket
if its firing on one or 2 assume the solenoid is ok
sqeeze the grenade rubber squeezy thing make sure u have fuel to pump
no leaks

It was only a matter of glow-plugs after all! The new ones, ordered on Thursday from the eBay seller 55deltic (Autobitz of Weston-super-Mare) for £14.98 including postage, turned up on Saturday; I fitted two – I cannot even see, much less work on, the pair at the injector-pump end - and this was enough. I removed the black plastic air-duct which runs lengthways over the top of the engine, pushed aside the hose which clips to the side of the battery-box, and removed another hose which connects the back of the oil-filler to a round plastic object plugged into another larger hose near the brake-fluid reservoir*, and this gave me access enough for a 12mm socket on the end of a ten-inch extension bar.

Thank you all again for your help.

*I am sorry I cannot give their proper names to all these things.

Oliver Mundy.

take out the two injector lines that go behind the pump, takes 2 minutes. plugs are easy then.