Not starting when cold - but will when warm!!

Hi

Have very strange problem with my trident - garage cant seem to fathom it out so it's going to a diesel specialist on Tuesday to try and work it out!

Problem is -

Wont start from cold - battery fine just not firing up
Has had new starter plugs in - still not working from cold
Glo plug light comes on - and she starts fine when engine is warm
Seems she is getting fuel as smoke comes from exhaust
She does however start from cold when tow started from AA or she has a little spray of Holt Easy Start!

Foxed! Not that I would really know!!!
Any ideas out there before I take her in

Many thanks
Caroline x

caroline70 wrote:Hi

Have very strange problem with my trident - garage cant seem to fathom it out so it's going to a diesel specialist on Tuesday to try and work it out!

Problem is -

Wont start from cold - battery fine just not firing up
Has had new starter plugs in - still not working from cold
Glo plug light comes on - and she starts fine when engine is warm
Seems she is getting fuel as smoke comes from exhaust
She does however start from cold when tow started from AA or she has a little spray of Holt Easy Start!

Foxed! Not that I would really know!!!
Any ideas out there before I take her in

Many thanks
Caroline x

I had this problem on a swift Diesel in the 90ties. it was the supply to the glo plugs.water in a connection at the bottom of the engine.One other point, i found the glo plug light was not accurate as to the time supply was delivered to the glo plugs.
I sent this in to MMM. i took the plug apart and used vasaline to keep the water out. never had a problem again.
Mike

caroline70 wrote:................. or she has a little spray of Holt Easy Start!

Caroline,

1) Aaaaaaaaaargh!!!! Anyone who knows about these things will tell you that a diesel engine can get addicted to "Easy Start"; especially on cold and damp mornings! Because of this I always treat it as a "last resort" solution; which unfortunately very quickly becomes an "every time" solution if you aren't careful.

2) In the bad old days, whenever a diesel engine demonstrated the symptoms you describe it was usually put down to "old age" as the only reason a cold diesel engine receiving properly jetted fuel and adequate air won't start is a lack of compression.

3) Rather than lash out on a new engine, and before you spend a fortune in new injectors, new lift pump or new injection pump I suggest that you change out the air and fuel filters, start the engine and run it for a few miles at high revs (just stay in fourth gear and keep an eye on the temperature gauge!) with a hefty dose of "Injector Cleaner" in the fuel; and if that doesn't cure the problem seek out a cheap supply of "Easy Start" for the winter months!

Best regards,

Ian

Hi Caroline,
Has this just started, or has it been like it since you got the van, I hope that a previous owner hasnt been using easystart regularly and got the thing addicted before you got it. Duttos suggestion is a good one so try it first.

Brian2

Hi Caroline
I would suspect you are not getting power to the glow plugs. See if you can get your Dad to check there is 12V on one of the electrical connectors that fit onto one of the glow plugs. If there is no 12V supply then the fault is either a blown glow plug fuse or the glow plug relay (I think this is relay 109 in the fusebox RHS under dash). Hope this helps.

John

My wife doesn't start when she's cold!!

shelldrake wrote:My wife doesn't start when she's cold!!

She does for the rest of us!!!

Ok!!!!

Right dad just been over - it was hard to get to glo plugs so we removed and refitted all relays in fuse box and checked fuses were secure..... Measured voltage at battery when glo plug light on - voltage dipped from 12.4 to 11.5 so we assumed that glo plugs were ok...

And guess what she only bloody started!!!!
Must have been loose relay or fuse?? Abit of corrosion???

Thank you for all your replies - lets see of that has cured the problem... No doubt it will be something else very soon!!

Thank you xxx

Hi Caroline,
Dont forget to cancel the trip to the diesel engineer. Glad to see dad managed to sort it, I assume he was a lot cheaper than the engineer would have been, several cups of tea/coffee I would assume.

Brian2

Well done Caroline and Caroline's Dad !
John

caroline70 wrote:Ok!!!!

Right dad just been over - it was hard to get to glo plugs so we removed and refitted all relays in fuse box and checked fuses were secure..... Measured voltage at battery when glo plug light on - voltage dipped from 12.4 to 11.5 so we assumed that glo plugs were ok...

And guess what she only bloody started!!!!
Must have been loose relay or fuse?? Abit of corrosion???

Thank you for all your replies - lets see of that has cured the problem... No doubt it will be something else very soon!!

Thank you xxx

Get rid of that can of 'Easystart'!!



PB

GET RID OF THE EASY START!!

IAN

Have done!!!! X