1.9 TD Starting Problems

Breedsey · Post by **Breedsey** » 01 Jan 2010, 14:21

My 1.9 TD 406 has become difficult to start when it's cold, i'm pretty sure it's glow plug related , if i keep turning it over it starts eventually.
What i need to know is, is there a fuse or a relay that i can check?
I'm pretty sure the glow plugs themselves are ok because the car started fine in the morning in the snow but started to struggle when i came out after work, it's as though none of them are heating up hence my thought that it's a fuse or relay.

Post by **CitroJim** » 01 Jan 2010, 14:52

One thing that can cause hard starting in very cold weather on these engines is tight valve clearances. It's a quirk of the XUD that the valve clearances are tightest when the engine is stone-cold. If they're marginal at normal temperatures then when it's really cold, the clearances can go negative, hold a valve or two marginally off its seat and make starting very hard.

1.7 XUDs suffer from this badly. 1.9TDs not so badly but if the glowplugs check out OK and starting is generally fine when it gets warmer, it's worth a check.

Breedsey · Post by **Breedsey** » 01 Jan 2010, 14:59

Thanks for your reply, i think i may have sorted it, i found the relay and popped the top off and found a bit of crud in between the contacts, i think it may have been stopping the contacts from touching.
I guess i'll find out once it goes cold!!!

mark21td · Post by **mark21td** » 01 Jan 2010, 15:58

I thought the XUD's had hydrolic lifters.

Post by **CitroJim** » 01 Jan 2010, 19:07

Pleased you found the problem Breedsey

Fingers crossed...

mark21td wrote:I thought the XUD's had hydrolic lifters.

No, only the 2.1 (XUD11) Mark, all other XUDs (and 8V XUs) have inverted buckets and shims...

Fun job to re-shim them, or at least it is to calculate the shims you need although I have an Excel spreadsheet to help do the maths...