zx volcane TD starting problems

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hawk
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zx volcane TD starting problems

Post by hawk »

hi all can any one help me i have a zx td that struggles to start when i try to start it it fire a few times then just spinnes over after a min or so it will start iv,e changes the glow plugs fitted a new fuel filter a fuel primer and as i was talled that the one way valve had gone and it still struggles to start.the car has done 160000 miles and its been seviced regaruly. any adive would be great.
many thanks simon.
p.s a friends zx has got the same miles on the clock with the same starting problem.
NiSk
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Post by NiSk »

Is it as difficult to start when the engine is hot?
The two major starting problems with diesels are air the fuel and misfunctioning glowplugs.
Have you tried pumping up the fuel pressure by hand first? If this helps, then you've still got air leaks - the seal on the fuel filter canister is a well known source of air ingress on this engine, alternaterly, ols fuel hoses can leak in air without leaking out díesel.
You say that you have changed the glowplugs - can you hear the glowplug relay clicking in and out? Try measuring the voltage on the terminal of one of the plugs, just to check that they are getting voltage (approx 12V).
Does it help if you depress the acclerator pedal while starting?
Try these tests and get back to the forum.
//NiSk
Stuart McB
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Post by Stuart McB »

Have you drained the fuel filter latley for any sign of water?
hawk
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Post by hawk »

hi yes it helps with the acclerator depressed have checked the relay and thats ok. i will check the fuel filter housing tomorrow and the fuel lines. many thanks for the help.
kind regards simon.
NiSk
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Post by NiSk »

OK, there was a thread on the citroën forum here a month or so ago, where someone else had starting trouble on a diesel. He tried almost everything, including changing a lot of parts that didn't make any difference, in the end he found that the engine started fine if the throttle was depressed half way. I can't remember exactly wht the fault was, but I think it was something to do with the injection pump. Try searching and see if you can find anything, or hope some else who uses the forum remembers the cure!
//NiSk
Sl4yer
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Post by Sl4yer »

Had the same problem a few months ago (following a service). The pipe from the fuel filter to the pump had cracked when it was disturbed (it was the original, braided pipe). Replacing that sorted it [:)]
ZXturbo_Aura
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Post by ZXturbo_Aura »

if it is troublesome when starting from cold, i would suggest that it is the cold start cabe (waxstat), especially if it starts ok when throttle depressed
Dan
hawk
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Post by hawk »

hi all thanks so far for the help still trouble some to start from cold changed fuel return pipe,s have been talled it the cold start but i don,t know how to test it to see if it works or not.
kind regards simon.
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

Simon - try this Diesel coldstart device description.
JohnCKL
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Post by JohnCKL »

Simon, as Nisk puts it, the fuel filter housing could be warped on the bottom, allowing air to seep as my TD suffered the same problem. Take out the housing, a main screw attaches it at the bottom. Check the bottom edges, if some parts of the edges are glazed, its a sure sign of warping. Visually the bottom edge can be seen to be warped or wavy, not flat. Use a flat file or glue sandpaper to flat sheet glass to even out the warping. Not too much as there is the rubber seal to fit in. After that, to ensure better seal, I used high temperature black silicone sealant (or liquid gasket) to seal the edges. Worked like a charm, still starting good after 2 months, churns once or twice before starting. But this is only one of the few problems that might plague a starting problem.
P 2501
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Post by P 2501 »

That is an excellent and really useful description of the cold start device Anders! Thanks alot for that.
hawk
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Post by hawk »

hi all found the problem in the end checked ever thing you all said which did help but there was still a lack of fuel pressure so i took it to a diesel specialist he changed the fuel none return valve on the top of the injector pump and it seems to be ok.
many thanks simon.
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