Citroen dispatch 2.0 07 plate slow starting

[wheeler]

I seem to recall that, on an HDi engine, the RPM needs to be at 800 before the injector ECU will command the injectors to put fuel into the cylinders.

Cant imagine you would get much more than 350 rpm when the engine is turning off the starter so the engine would never fire up if that were the case.

[Kal13]

Todays update: I left the van for a day. The temperature dropped abit today so I tried the van. It was turning over slow but not that slow. I used the battery pack and it started up ok

I was thinking should I give the battery a good charge overnight and see if that makes any difference? I recall I did that when I came off lockdown and to my surprise it started 1st time too.

I also used to turn the key and wait for the glow plug light to go off. Is that of any use? Would do it 3 times

[vincentfishing]

injector leak of test might help(very quick ,easy and cheap), first sign of worn injectors and excesive leakoff/leakback is poor starting when weather gets colder, cold weather means lower pressure so worn injectors cant reach the pressure required easiliy for pressure sensor to allow ecu to let engine start, if it starts easily once its warmed up it also points to worn injectors as warm engine means higher pressure, also spinning engine faster gives quicker build of pressure compensating for worn injectors, worth checking injectors as they rapidly get worse once you start getting starting trouble, eventually easystart or similar will be the only thing that will start it(and it will restart from warm for a good while )

[Kal13]

When Its started its ok if I turn it off straightaway and turn it over again. Its a strange one and iv lived with it since I bought the van. Its when the temperature drops below 10 degrees and especially when its left for couple of days. It always starts in the end, sometimes with some smoke from exhaust which is probably unburnt fuel

[vincentfishing]

if you know someone with any diagnostic tool that reads live data, you can check fuel rail pressure when cranking and see if its good straight away or rising the longer you crank, will give you an idea of whether you have fuel pressure problem, still reckon you should do leak off test as its simple and quick, u can make your own test kit with pipe and small plastic bottles but a proper kit with adaptors for all different makes of injectors is only about £12-15 off ebay usable on any diesel you might get in future,

[Kal13]

Thank you all for your advice

I did some battery start checks 1st thing at 10am about 10 degrees

I put my head lights without ignition for about 1min. Then started the van and the battery voltage dropped to just below 10v however it started okay.

I done some reading in batteries and read I shouldn’t be charging my phone from the car/van .
So im not going to charge my phone and see what happens.

I think the battery is voltage is too low on crank?

What you think people?

[Kal13]

Updates: took my van to get some diagnostics and nothing was found

Did some volt tests on the glow plugs and all looks ok

Next step is earth straps and see how that goes

Fuel pressure was fine too

[vincentfishing]

I presume you that if you took it for diagnostics, it was running and warm and thus also turning over well , needs to be diagnosed on a cold morning and when not been started, thats when you have the problem and live data would be more usefull,, if you paid for diagnostics you may have been better off paying for leak off test, even when failing enough for starting problems they wont throw up a fault, but the test would have ruled out injection faults, on a cold morning will it start 1st time using easystart or brake cleaner ???