Thread: 300tdi not starting

Have you got another battery you can substitute, or maybe a jump start from another vehicle? Sounds like your battery is kaput.

Sorry - didn't read your post properly. If it ran for a little bit on its own, then I'm changing my guess to air in the fuel lines....

I will still try another battery could be knackered...that or your alternator could be knackered

Check the injector pump fuel sender connection as well.

My car was problematic in that it would run fine. Then stop for no apparent reason. It wouldn't start....

Turned out to be a loose connector on the fuel injector pump.

Worth a try as you may have dislodged it.

Ok, so i picked up a new battery this afternoon, put it and nothing. checked what wires i could find and they all seem to be fine.

Re air in the fuel lines, I didn't touch the fuel lines...but I'm new to diesels and discoveries so is there something I'm missing?

Don't really want to pull it all down again cos I can't actually think where I went wrong except that when I got under the car to put the tool into the flywheel, the gap for the tool doesn't line up with TDC on the cam or crank gear...(I did the timing belt based on TDC of the cam and crank - ie lining up the markings)

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

Eli

check the lead to the solenoid and if in doubt pull the solenoid out.

hope for air in the system but it sounds mis timed to me by your description of the timing tools not lining up.

crack your fuel lines one at a time after the lift pump and turn the engine over a few times to ensure a good bleed.

once youve cracked the return line from the injector pump and have clean fuel there crack one of the injector lines and then crank it till you get fuel coming out of that. when it gets fuel coming out the engine should be trying to run on the other 3 pots and return to normal idle when you close up the injector line again.

Ok thanks for that.

The plot thickens slightly...

Took it all apart again this afternoon, and lined up the little mark on the crank pulley to the arrow on the timing belt cover. Got underneath to put the timing tool in and discovered the slot was now lined up fine. Pulled the crank pulley off and then the timing belt cover. Woodruff key on the crank shaft now sitting dead on top, from memory this lines up with the arrow on the back cover.

However, the timing mark on the cam gear is no where near the corresponding mark on the back cover, about 180 degrees out.

Was definitely not like this on the weekend!

Am I safe to take off the timing belt and line up the cam gear to the right mark and then put the belt back on? Do I also need to move the fuel pump?

Any advice much appreciated (kinda wanted to take the car away this weekend)! Thanks.

As a fellow 300tdi owner, I suggest you make sure that the engine is locked at the right TDC ie, both #1 valves closed ( Whip the cover off). Then by all means line the cam and IP timing marks up - use an inspection mirror and liquid paper, as it helps. Loosen the nuts on the IP, and the belt should tension easy. There's no need anymore to rotate the belt afterwards ( Don't forget to remove the locking device). Check that you haven't blown a fuse on the solenoid circuit (I've done it during a belt change) and it should be fine.