GLX 110 HDI Cuts out every 5 mins........

[jonnyjoda]

Hi everyone, im new to this and i'm hoping that you all can help me! This forum is great, allready learnt so much from the posts here. Well heres my probem. I have a 1999 GLX 110 HDI 406 and I ran out of diesel!
I know, i should have known better, i had plenty of warnings, the red lights, flashing messages on the radio screen etc. Well, after filling up on the road side now it started as normal after a few trys, but after driving for a few minutes everything dies. It just cuts out, no steering, no power, no brakes, the engine just dies. Now the enigne K light is on constantly. First thing i thought was air in the fuel system, (btw i'm no mechanic, i've just picked stuff up over the years watching me Dad work restoring vintage vechicles), so i start looking for a fuel primer or a bulb in the fuel line to bleed air out with. Can't find any. So i tried the old trick i used on an old Astra i had years ago, unscrewing the injectors while turning over the engine. It spluttered letting the air escape. Cool i thought that had solved the problem. Started the car and drove around for a while but the problem was still there, it cuts out after 5 mins.
Then i thought that there may be dirt in the filter. Checked the filter but the fuel is coming out clean from the bleed screw on the bottom. Then it happens......I attempted to take of the fuel filter cap and in the proceess of removing one of the pipes from the top with those akward push fittings i broke it. It just snapeed right off! So now i have to buy i new complete fuel filter housing (cos u can't get them separatly) from a main dealer which will cost £55!

So heres the questions:
1. What is causing the car to cut out?
2. How i fix it without taking to a dealer?

If anyone can help it will be much appriciated. Thanks!!!!!!

[puggy]

sounds like air in fuel line to me,when you have fitted the new filter housing fill
the housing with diesel before you start the car,then what i have always done though
not had to yet on my hdi,is sit with accelerator flat on floor and start the car,it usually
starts revs high then dips as it pulls air through and picks up again.
you may have to repeat this a few times and you must keep your foot flat on the accelerator
till you are sure it will tick over. If this doesn,t work on a hdi am sure there are others on
here that will be able to say if it does or doesn't

[puggy]

Another reason could be the low pressure fuel pump in the tank is fooked
when you turn ignition on just before you turn it over you should hear a very faint
hum as the pump primes

[jonnyjoda]

Thanks mate, that was a quick reply. Just got word that they have the filter housing in stock so heading there shortly to pick it up. I'll try wot you said and post back what happens. Thanks again.

[Welly]

There is no need to bleed a HDi as they are self-priming. A few turns of the key to the 'ignition' position is enough to fill the filter housing and return fuel to the tank (after a lot of sloshing and gurgling).

Your 'cracking open' an injector was exteremely dangerous and is strongly warned against because you are potentially opening a pressurised system (mega high pressure) which can kill you.

The K light will have come on due to low fuel pressure in the system (because you ran out).

A couple of senarios are that the in-tank pump has crapped out due to no lubrication from the Diesel and/or the High Pressure pump has failed.

[jameslxdt]

you will have air in the system, change the filter housing and do as Welly says and on/off the ingition about 5 times with 30 second intervals to bleed the system

[djmartin]

this sounds like my fault last month mine was the rail sencer wire this is under the the filter housing and i drained my filter and it got derv in it changed all the things that they told me to do on hear and no better
mine was a yellow plug just unplug it clean it and try it you can run with it un pluged and if it is not the plug might be the sencer
the low presure pumps ether work or they dont they do not go on and off like they all say on hear
martin
hope this helps

[puggy]

Disagree with you there dj, when my car wouldn't start called out the RAC
explained to the guy what had happened he went straight to the pump
said it was common on these . He tapped it and car started, used this tapping
technique for next several days till the new pump arrived .

[Welly]

djmartin- you seem to be complaining about the advice given on 'here' but failed to mention you spilt diesel all over an electrical plug which caused the problem. You may not have known you spilt the fuel but no one can be expected to give accurate advise without knowing ALL the facts first.

Also the 'tank slapping' is a temporary way of re-starting a worn pump for a few days as the pump begins to die off it's been on here quite a few times in fact although you really shouldn't drive like it TBH.

It's worth remembering that Car forums are for people to ask around for similar experiences from others to help come to their own conclusion for what to do. Mostly the advice will be pretty accurate, other times it won't, but it would be unwise to treat a forum as a diagnosis and repair centre especially without ALL the facts to hand.

We could all use main dealers of course

[djmartin]

hi to all i was not conplaining just pointing some thing out
because he drained the fuel this could have been the same as mine
i had mine in the main dealer and they could not fined any problem
they said t was the pump and after i came across the problem i have done 2500miles since so the pump is not gone
i thought this forum was for every one to give there views not 4 some pepole who think they no every thing about 406s
martin
ps to the man with the problem hope you get it fixed and if my idea works or not it wood not cost any thing like buying a new pump like they all told me even main dealer and the rac

[V6Exec]

i had mine in the main dealer and they could not fined any problem

Just adding my two pence to the discourse.

I have two vehicles, both 6 cylinder engines. One of a V6 the other is one of these, but not in a saloon car.

Whilst I would happily do anything to the IOE 6, the V6 is another story!

Diagnosing a modern engine can be very difficult for an amateur. We are often working blind and what works for one my not be the right answer, but something to try.