Cold Start Help

Gd Day guys..got a cranking issue on my TD27 D21...it use to fire up pretty decently with no lag..last week it started to lag and sometimes i only manage to crank it up on the 2nd attempt...once it starts up its splurts and misses and starts running perfectly normal...

The glow plugs are running fine and the battery is only 3 months old...im thinking its something to do with fuel but cant really place it as to where the problem is...any of you guys come across this problem???...got the twin diesel filters setup on the truck

edit: sometimes on idle or moving slowly on traffic its feels like its gona stall and the idle drops quite alot

Does sound like glow plugs, Try glowing it 2 or 3 times straight after each other and see how it goes

thanks dave ill check on that again i got it checked by the guy who works on my truck...

I know this may sound dumb but a mate of mine bought an older model and never let the glow plugs heat up before starting, just thought I'd put it out there

nah im use to running diesel before this...i crank it up after the glow light switches off...generally its roughly about 4-5 seconds after switching on ignition...maybe timing of the plugs are off???

YALA said:

thanks dave ill check on that again i got it checked by the guy who works on my truck...

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My old hilux the glow plugs powered up but took 2 or 3 goes to heat up enough to start it

How cold are we talking about?

If the diesel fuel gets too cold, it starts to form waxy crystals which can block fuel filters.

outside temp is about 29C. but the engine hasnt been cranked in about 8 hours and the temp gauge reading is on the far end of cold side

try pumping you your priming pump before you start it , might be getting air in the system, have you changed your fuel filter recently or taken a fuel line off

As per D22Dave - I'm thinking it's starving for fuel or has air in the lines somewhere.

Stick some clear hose in after primer pump and look for bubbles!

Also, Twin filters? Is that standard or a mod - could be too restrictive?

d22dave said:

try pumping you your priming pump before you start it , might be getting air in the system, have you changed your fuel filter recently or taken a fuel line off

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nah the filters were replaced a good 9 months back..i did do some work on the fuel gauge where the motor shop took off my tank to replace the floater unit...but i had run 2 full tanks after the replacement before this started happening...

managed to speak to my dad about it he reckons its something to do with the priming pump and the reverse valve not working properly..ill try pumping it and firing up the truck if that works ill just replace the priming pump...

nakedape said:

As per D22Dave - I'm thinking it's starving for fuel or has air in the lines somewhere.

Stick some clear hose in after primer pump and look for bubbles!

Also, Twin filters? Is that standard or a mod - could be too restrictive?

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reckon its standard..as when i called the OEM shop for filters they quoted me for two one small and one large filter.....ill try and post up a picture of it

If it's 29C in the mornings you won't be worrying about the fuel getting too cold!

I'd be wondering if a fuel line has developed a crack, or a clamp has caused the hose to pinch a little.

If the primer bulb can be squeezed more than 5-6 times it might be a leak, as Dave said, give it a try. Don't race out to replace the primer itself - it might just be an over-tight hose clamp.

Bucktruck said:

I know this may sound dumb but a mate of mine bought an older model and never let the glow plugs heat up before starting, just thought I'd put it out there

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Yep, sounds dumb.

YALA said:

outside temp is about 29C. but the engine hasnt been cranked in about 8 hours and the temp gauge reading is on the far end of cold side

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Glow assistance is still needed at this temperature but usually without glowing, after several cranks you'll manage to start it. With glow assistance and the starter, wiring, battery and engine in good condition, it will fire on the first rotation of the crank. Once you get below 10 or 15 degrees without glow assistance, it will take lots of cranks to start, usually enough to flatten the battery.

As has been mentioned, see if the primer bulb is soft when the truck sits for a good while. I've got a Terrano that loses fuel prime when parked with the nose up a hill and the symptoms are similar.

Update

So i decided to change the fuel filters on it over the weekend at a local service depot..all was fine until i cranked up the engine and gave it some gas...the engine kept stalling and blowing white smoke from the pipes..it has a very slight rough idle but apart from that engine runs fine on idle...the guy at the depot reckon i have water in the lines which is causing this..but it ran fine until i changed the filter so i dont think that was the problem..in the end towed it back home but im scratching my head wondering where to start..

White smoke can be unburnt fuel too. Happened in my Jaguar when an injector got stuck open.

How long since the injectors have been serviced? Have you ever used any injector cleaner in it?

i havent worked on the injectors since i bought it 12 months back. but looking at the fuel filters and the crap which was inside it i reckon nothing has been worked on for sometime..

Anyone know the injector timing for a TD25 and/or TD27 please? Cheers.

For those like myself who might wonder how to time your TD25 injector pump (Bosch VE type) there is a very simple method. Don't worry about getting a micrometer gauge setup to look for a change in the plunger pump depth. Unnecessary effort and cost.

Quite simply, if you have set your timing cogs correctly with the marked teeth aligned (ie: one X between the other two Xs), all you have to do next is align the marked line etched into the side of the injector body (where it bolts onto the rear of the timing cover case), with the corresponding line etched into the rear of the timing cover case. You should be able to clearly see them (if they're not covered in oil or dirt - use a toothbrush and petrol to clean the area if they are).

Then with the etched lines aligned, tighten the three nuts there and also the bolt down at the lower mounting bracket (all these four bolts go through slotted holes to enable you to rotate the injector pump body to align the etched lines while the cogs stay where they are). It takes about half an hour to do it with a 12mm spanner on the three timing case nuts and an extended 13mm ratchet socket on the lower mounting bracket bolt.

I didn't have to remove anything from around the injector pump to perform the task.

Simply, just loosen off the four nuts, turn the injector pump body to align the marks, then tighten the nuts again, that's all.

Starts and runs beautiful now.

Cheers.

YALA said:

i havent worked on the injectors since i bought it 12 months back. but looking at the fuel filters and the crap which was inside it i reckon nothing has been worked on for sometime..

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Try using some Cleanpower Fuel Treatment from Cost Effective Maintenance (Aust) http://www.costeffective.com.au/

There is also some fault diagnostic info on the website regarding fuel and carbon related engine problems.

If it doesn't cure it, check the micro-screen fuel filter in your fuel supply line pipe where it first goes into the injector pump, or replace your injectors.

I've used the products for years and can personally vouch that they DO make a noticeable difference.

BTW, I don't think glow plugs matter at all as far as the idle, power or anything else is concerned once the engine is started. They are just for the purpose of starting the engine when cold, that's all. They only function at start-up.

YALA said:

Update

So i decided to change the fuel filters on it over the weekend at a local service depot..all was fine until i cranked up the engine and gave it some gas...the engine kept stalling and blowing white smoke from the pipes..it has a very slight rough idle but apart from that engine runs fine on idle...the guy at the depot reckon i have water in the lines which is causing this..but it ran fine until i changed the filter so i dont think that was the problem..in the end towed it back home but im scratching my head wondering where to start..

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The colour of the smoke your engine blows tells you whats wrong. Check this out http://www.costeffective.com.au/news_show.php?StoryId=9

One other thing, their treatments may seem expensive but you only use a tiny amount per tankful of fuel, so it lasts for years and so does your engine.

No, I'm not an employee of this mob.