Slower starting - 300Tdi

[VladTepes]

My ute used to roar into life on the second 'rev' of the starter motor.
Now it takes 7 or 8 times before the engine kicks into life.
Seems to be a recent development.

Where should I even begin trying to track down the cause...?

[incisor]

check your earth cables....

do you wait for the heater light to go out?

[vnx205]

It doesn't seem to make any difference to mine whether I wait for the heater light to go out or not.

What does seem to make a difference is the age of the battery. When I have an old, dying battery, it seems to need to turn over a bit more.

My guess is that when it turns over very quickly, there is less loss of compression. When it turns more slowly, there is time for a tiny bit of leakage.

I don't know if it is enough to be significant.

[austastar]

Ditto!

[Shoogs]

Last time mine did that, it was the lift pump...

[86mud]

As said above sounds electrical - how old is your battery? Also check power cables to starter, positive and negative connections on battery plus earth connection on chassis/gearbox mount (under battery compartment)

Also check the wire that goes to the fuel shut off solenoid on the back of the fuel pump. I have to recrimp the connector on mine as it was giving me intermittent starting (engine would crank over but not fire)

[VladTepes]

Thanks - it shouldn't be the battery as that is relatively new.

I'll check out the other 'lecky stuff.

I know NOTHING about lift pumps....

Inc - heater light ? ha ha that'd be the last thing in our climate. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Tdi engines would start without functioning glowplugs

[weeds]

I had the smallest crack in one of the plastic fuel lines......it got progressively worse and when it affect actual driving I eventually found it.

[Shoogs]

As said above sounds electrical - how old is your battery? Also check power cables to starter, positive and negative connections on battery plus earth connection on chassis/gearbox mount (under battery compartment)

Also check the wire that goes to the fuel shut off solenoid on the back of the fuel pump. I have to recrimp the connector on mine as it was giving me intermittent starting (engine would crank over but not fire)

yep mine sounded electrical, checked everything as all have stated, was the lift pump... just something to consider.

Vlad, its the little in line pump you would normally hand prime your injector pump with, they wear out/fail easily but will still start and run when faulty and can cause what you are describing.

[incisor]

Inc - heater light ? ha ha that'd be the last thing in our climate. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Tdi engines would start without functioning glowplugs

thats what i thought till i actually did the procedure and it surprised me how much easier some of them start.

the wife's 300TDi starts much better doing it

no so much mine but it does make a difference

hers has 380000 klms on it mine 480000 klms

[workingonit]

Vlad. Is it a wheezy 7 or 8 or a perky 7 or 8 to start. From my experience wheezy turning = electrical (earth, battery etc); perky turning no fire = fuel. Much like a petrol engine, spark or fuel. Hope it's not both problems for you [bigsad]

[steane]

Thanks - it shouldn't be the battery as that is relatively new.

I'll check out the other 'lecky stuff.

I know NOTHING about lift pumps....

Inc - heater light ? ha ha that'd be the last thing in our climate. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Tdi engines would start without functioning glowplugs

Glowplugs have been disconnected on mine for 5 years now and it starts instantly even in the Snowies in close to sub-zero weather. Can sit for three months without starting and it will start at the first hint of the key being turned.

Probably has no compression...

[vnx205]

... .... ..
Probably has no compression...

I would have thought the opposite. Good compression -> easier starting.

[steane]

I would have thought the opposite. Good compression -> easier starting.

Yeah, I agree, but my fingers were out of control.

[VladTepes]

Vlad. Is it a wheezy 7 or 8 or a perky 7 or 8 to start. From my experience wheezy turning = electrical (earth, battery etc); perky turning no fire = fuel. Much like a petrol engine, spark or fuel. Hope it's not both problems for you [bigsad]

Doesn't seem wheezy...

I'll have a go later and pay close attention.

[Trout]

I had the smallest crack in one of the plastic fuel lines......it got progressively worse and when it affect actual driving I eventually found it.

I had same issue. Slow starting otherwise ran fine. Try bleeding and see if you get bubbles. The cracks are very hard to find as there may be no diesel leaking
from the crack. Mine was in the bend near the sender/pickup

[Red90]

Air in the system or a dead lift pump. Check the lift pump for flow and look for any leaking fittings including the return line.

[VladTepes]

Air in the system or a dead lift pump. Check the lift pump for flow and look for any leaking fittings including the return line.

Umm, how?

[Trout]

Air in the system can be found by cracking open the bleed screw on the top of the filter. Bubbles means you have a leak. To check the lift pump, you could get a mechanic to check the fuel pressure. Not recommended and not a good test but you could probably just pull the fuel line off and crank the engine to see if it's pumping fuel. But pumps are not too much $ and easy to change so I would probably just replace it anyway and see if that resolves the problem. If it does not fix the problem keep the old pump to carry as a spare. On a tdi it will fail at some stage so a new pump won't hurt.

However I would be surprised if it is a pump as when my pump died the car would start and idle fine but died when you tried to apply power.

[workingonit]

Read somewhere that provided the fuel system is primed then the injector pump can pull fuel from the tank without lift pump assist.

Another way to test the lift pump is to take it off, put the vacuum end on a tongue, pump the red handle. Vacuum should hold it firmly on tongue for more time than is comfortable (by this time the dog will probably have bitten you for trying). If the vacuum is quickly lost or none at all then diaphragm is split.

[Red90]

Disconnect the fuel inlet line to the injection pump and stick in a bucket. Remove the wire from the pump solenoid. Crank the engine. You should get a good flow of fuel.

[dromader driver]

when doing the pump test if the fuel is foamy or creamy looking can be an indication of a small air leak.[thumbsupbig]