Diesel Problems, wont start

[storm vy]

I know its not a holden but im sure someone on here will know more than me and im not a member on any other forums.
I've got a 2.8l diesel hilux that won't start, it turns over but just won't actually start. The glow plug light still comes up on the dash and i even put new glow plugs in it the other day but still no go?
Any ideas on what to look at next? I don't know a whole lot about diesels so don't know what else to try.
Thanks for any help :)
Nick

[VH-COM]

Check fuel cut-off solenoid is working inside injector pump assy.
Put your ear close to the pump and have someone turn key off and on.
If no noise (usually faint) then check fuse....most diesels have a fuse or fusable link for this.

[QldKev]

Once it's been cranking any fuel smell, I guessing the fuel pump has said bye bye, or buy buy a new one.

I'm not sure how to check them

[VH-COM]

If it has an owner manual read up on bleeding air from fuel system.
Also if motor is a bit old you might like to get a can of "Start Ya Barstard" or Aerostart .

[storm vy]

ta, i'll check the solenoid shortly.
No noticeable fuel smell but i wasn't exactly looking for it last time so i'll check this aswell.
Just remembered i had a problem with it a little while before it died, tried to drive it early one really cold morning, idled fine but when i got around the corner it lost all power and wouldn't rev and kept stalling so i only just managed to crawl it back home. Later that day it drove fine so i put it down to frozen/gelled up fuel as it was freezing that morning. Drove it a couple of times since but then let it sit for a few weeks before i tryed to start it again, i don't think i've put any fresh fuel in it since. Do you think it would be worth trying fresh fuel? or would i have killed something in the fuel system trying to drive it? Or am i completely wrong altogether with the gelled fuel theory? haha
Cheers
Nick

[storm vy]

If it has an owner manual read up on bleeding air from fuel system.
Also if motor is a bit old you might like to get a can of "Start Ya Barstard" or Aerostart .

No owners manual but i'll see what i can find on the net.
Didn't realise you could use aerostart etc. on a diesel lol might give it a go if i can't work anything else out haha

[VH-COM]

Definitely change fuel filter after it has that problem.
You can inspect fuel for water or dirt etc when you have it out.
Really old diesel gums up fuel filter and fuel lines ...so have it drained if its old fuel.

[VH-COM]

Didn't realise you could use aerostart etc. on a diesel lol might give it a go if i can't work anything else out haha
It is just easier to get running by using it.... saves a lot of cranking .

[Alex81]

If it not a common rail, crack one of the injector lines and see if it pumps the fuel up and it could be the fuel cut off, do you have the heater bar across the glow plugs as most diesels wont start if it can't complete the circuit. Aero start will make it fire but not run.

Edit, if there is no bar, just earth one glow plug and see if its an earth problem.

[TAKEITEZ]

being a 2.8L it'd definitely not be a common rail...
and it'd have the bar connecting all four glow plugs too...

first thing i'd do:
check to see you're getting 12v to the fuel shut off solenoid with the ignition ON... no power with the ignition OFF...

check to see you're getting 12v to the glow plug tips for a period of time when the ignition is first switched on... usually around 3 - 8 seconds...

change your fuel filter for a new one, it could be blocked a bit, just change it...
- when doing this, disconnect the hose that runs from the FILTER HOUSING to the FUEL PUMP on the side of the engine at the filter housing... pump the 'button' on the top of the filter housing until fuel comes out... then reconnect the fuel hose and keep pumping until the button goes a bit hard...

crank the engine over... if you still have a no start condition, get a 17mm open end spanner and loosen off the four injector pipes at the injector end... crank the engine until you get little fuel spurts coming from each pipe...

retension all injector pipes and crack it over again... it should go...


Failing that i'd remove the glow plugs and just put a new set in so you know they're good, and maybe do a compression test at the same time to see what's happening...

[Ausmartin1]

Try ....
Leave iginition on ON for 20 section (GLOW) ignore the dashlight, then turn off glow again for 2 sec and try to crank.
Could be a glowplug timer issue.

Cheers,
Martin

[VL Executive]

A few years ago, A bloke we know was having trouble with his 84 Model Hilux 2.4 Diesel. His would start and run, but when driven about 5 -10, sometimes up to 30 km, it would stop and not restart.

Turned out there is a fine screen on the fuel pickup pipe in the fuel tank. And it was blocked. Cleaned it up and was all good.

So just check that your getting fuel to the injector pump and injectors. As was mentioned before, disconnect the hose that runs from the filter to the Injector pump and press the hand pump 'button' on the top of the filter until fuel comes out. If little or no fuel, Check / replace the filters. If still no fuel after that, check the screen in the tank.

If plenty of fuel coming out, its most likely its the fuel cut soleniod on the injector pump. Make sure it can be heard clicking when the ignition is turned to 'ON'. It wont really be a loud click, more like a dull click sound. Because if thats not working, the pump wont be supplying fuel to the injectors.

[storm vy]

Try ....
Leave iginition on ON for 20 section (GLOW) ignore the dashlight, then turn off glow again for 2 sec and try to crank.
Could be a glowplug timer issue.

Cheers,
Martin

i did basically this the other day, also tried glowing them a few time before starting but still no go, thanks anyway.
I picked up a new fuel filter tonight so i'll chuck it on over the weekend and put new fuel in then start going through everything suggested here and see how we go, probably should give it a bit of a service while im at it, although it uses that much oil its always got fresh stuff in it haha.
Thanks heaps for everyones help, really appreciated.
Cheers, Nick

[fatas]

get a real good battery and crank it with our foot flat to the floor my old oil burner did this for a while :rofl: :vpo:

[VL Executive]

Just a side note if your going to use Aerostart. Disable glow plugs before using it. I was told Aerostart and glow plugs used together is no no.

If the engine is worn quite a bit they can be difficult to start. As fatas said, give it a bit of throttle while cranking. Wide open throttle while feeding it the areostart as well if you go down that path. But Aerostart should be a last resort if it still does not start and its getting / injecting fuel.

[storm vy]

get a real good battery and crank it with our foot flat to the floor my old oil burner did this for a while :rofl: :vpo:

Haha yeah gave that a shot also but it my battery started to die so thought i better give up before i kill it completely and wait till i've actually got some idea on how to fix it lol

[Dieselman]

Just a side note if your going to use Aerostart. Disable glow plugs before using it. I was told Aerostart and glow plugs used together is no no.

That is correct. Aerostart will literally blow glow plugs apart :flamin:

My money is on the pump and injectors being a bit tired and the engine is not cranking over quick enough. Crack a couple of fuel lines at the injector end and crank it over. Diesel should be pulsing out if it has no air in the system and the shut off solenoid is operating correctly.

I would put the battery on a good automatic charger all night and try the above steps and see how you go :)

Good luck

[Alex81]

On another note, if your going to replace the pump, insure it's correctly timed and check it has the timing marks as i got a new pump for mack and there was no timing marks so i re calibrated and timed it on the test bench. Also if your stop solenoid has a fuse check that first.

[storm vy]

first thing i'd do:
check to see you're getting 12v to the fuel shut off solenoid with the ignition ON... no power with the ignition OFF...

check to see you're getting 12v to the glow plug tips for a period of time when the ignition is first switched on... usually around 3 - 8 seconds...

change your fuel filter for a new one, it could be blocked a bit, just change it...
- when doing this, disconnect the hose that runs from the FILTER HOUSING to the FUEL PUMP on the side of the engine at the filter housing... pump the 'button' on the top of the filter housing until fuel comes out... then reconnect the fuel hose and keep pumping until the button goes a bit hard...



Well finally had a chance to look at it today but when i went to put the new filter on i found it was a different filter, so spent half the day chasing a new filter with no luck, its got a 'WIX 33211' filter on it and buggered if i can find one compatible with it at anywhere thats open today.
So i ended up just putting the old one back on so i could try some other things. When i tryed pumping the 'button' nothing happened, i pumped for bloody ages but nothing came out and i ended up with about 5mm of fuel in the clear tank underneath the filter so im assumming this is probably my problem? blocked filter or line somewhere? when i pulled it off it was full though. Any other ideas/suggestions? Anyone know if theres an equivilant ryco filter or anything? (repco couldn't work it out) I might just have to source one on tuesday from the filter joint or something, i was hoping to do it over the weekend but i just got rained out again anyway lol
Thanks, Nick
Oh and where would i find the fuel shut off solenoid to check that? I checked the fuel pump etc and all fuses and all was good.
Thanks

[VH-COM]

Fuel shut-off solenoid is inside injector pump housing.
You will find one wire going to a connector on the housing somewhere - check that it is 12v with key on.
Or.....Most times if all is quiet you can get someone to turn the key on and off slowly and with your ear close to the injector pump listen for a click of a solenoid inside.
Your problem does sound like fuel blockage issues though, going by the evidence you have given.

[VL Executive]

when i went to put the new filter on i found it was a different filter, so spent half the day chasing a new filter with no luck, its got a 'WIX 33211' filter on it and buggered if i can find one compatible with it at anywhere thats open today. Anyone know if theres an equivilant ryco filter or anything??

Correct fuel filter for Hilux 2.8 Diesel 1988-12/97 should be Ryco Z252X

http://www.rycofilters.com.au/img/product/z252x.jpg



When i tryed pumping the 'button' nothing happened, i pumped for bloody ages but nothing came out and i ended up with about 5mm of fuel in the clear tank underneath the filter so im assumming this is probably my problem? blocked filter or line somewhere?

Get the new filter and put it on and try pumping it. If still no fuel it will either be the line from the tank to the filter / primer pump. Or the strainer in the fuel tank I mentioned earlier. Try removing the diesel in / from tank hose (not the diesel out hose to injector pump) that goes into the hand pump and blow back through it. Listen for bubbling in the fuel tank. If it does not blow through easily or not at all, it'll be an obstruction in the line or blocked strainer in the tank.

[storm vy]

VH Com, cheers just realised you already mentioned that earlier, i should've read properly lol Thanks

Correct fuel filter for Hilux 2.8 Diesel 1988-12/97 should be Ryco Z252X

http://www.rycofilters.com.au/img/product/z252x.jpg




Get the new filter and put it on and try pumping it. If still no fuel it will either be the line from the tank to the filter / primer pump. Or the strainer in the fuel tank I mentioned earlier. Try removing the diesel in / from tank hose (not the diesel out hose to injector pump) that goes into the hand pump and blow back through it. Listen for bubbling in the fuel tank. If it does not blow through easily or not at all, it'll be an obstruction in the line or blocked strainer in the tank.

Thanks, thats the filter that i've got but it doesn't fit so the setups obviously been changed at some stage, its very similar but slightly different size threads which is why its causing me drama's cos i've got no bloody idea what the new one is lol, not much on the car is original these days.
I'll source a new filter and try the things mentioned here and see how we go.
Thanks heaps, Nick

[storm vy]

well it just got the better of me so i decided to go 'blow my hose' lol, can defianately blow through it and hear it bubbbling, its not that easy to blow through but probably no harder than i would expect, or should it be fairly easy? so hopefully its just the filter thats clogged.
Now to get rid of the diesel taste on my lips haha

[Dieselman]

Now to get rid of the diesel taste on my lips haha

Rub chilli sauce on them :jester::jester:

Is this the filter that is fitted to your ute???

http://www.wixfilters.com/filterlookup/PartDetail.asp?Part=33211

[storm vy]

yep, thats the one