HELP! C5 2.2 hdi won't start

monkfish · Post by **monkfish** » 12 Sep 2010, 15:45

HELP my c5 2.2 hdi wont start got up this morning went the car it started and then died on me i left it a while and tried again and the same thing happend it starts and then dies ive taken the engine cover of and the pipe leading from or to the fuel fillter seems to have air in it any ideas any one HEELLPP

Post by **myglaren** » 12 Sep 2010, 16:05

Can you hear the lift pump in the tank running? Should run when you turn the key in the ignition , only a few seconds to prime the system.

If not then a whack on the bottom of the tank will sometimes give it a new, albeit brief, lease of life.

If it won't run, drag it out and see if it is clogged with gunk.

If any moisture gets in the tank then some alien life forms spring into existence
and form a very repulsive goo that bungs up the strainer and overloads the pump.

Check for cracks and splits in the fuel lines and leakoff pipes if the lift pump appears to be OK.

monkfish · Post by **monkfish** » 12 Sep 2010, 16:18

thanks i can here the pump prime and it allmost starts ie it comes to life then dies but theres deff a lott of air in the pipe (the see through one )

Post by **myglaren** » 12 Sep 2010, 18:34

As mentioned on another recent thread, if you can get it running, spray the pipes with WD40 and see if you can spot where the leak is.

monkfish · Post by **monkfish** » 12 Sep 2010, 19:53

found the problem doughnut brain me no fuel gauge not showing empty though

Post by **myglaren** » 12 Sep 2010, 20:01

The first thing to check and the one no-one thinks of until very late in the game

I recall trying to get a mate's Cortina going. He'd filled it up the night previously and it had died 1/4 mile from home.
Did all the usual checks except fuel as he said it was full.
Crawled underneath to discover the fuel line cut through - someone had nicked all his petrol during the night. It started and got him down the street with what was in the carb.

KevMayer · Post by **KevMayer** » 15 Sep 2010, 20:13

I once ran out of fuel in my 2.2 hdi C5.

I ran the C5 until the low fuel light came on and even further into the time when the miles to go indicator showed a line of dashes to say it couldn't be sure how much was left.

Then, all of a sudden, the fuel gauge lifted and the distance to go showed around 60 miles.

I kept driving and eventually ran out of diesel on a country lane while the distance to go indicator still showed 42 miles.

I had to ring for a taxi.

I still can't work out what was going on.

Post by **Paul-R** » 15 Sep 2010, 21:23

monkfish wrote:fuel gauge not showing empty though

Another victim of the totally untrustworthy C5 fuel gauge!

Post by **myglaren** » 15 Sep 2010, 21:33

I always fill mine up as soon as the light comes on, there is usually enough for about thirty miles left but I don't like leaving the lift pump high and dry.

jimleshed · Post by **jimleshed** » 16 Sep 2010, 17:16

Thats what mine did last year, ran out without the light coming on...sometimes it just seems to decide by itself how much fuel it has...
I now never run mine below 1/4 full/100 mile range