100% SVO + unleaded

[MikeT]

impossible to start in mornings, dead as..

I had cold start problems that were fixed by replacing glow plugs and leak-off pipes. Have you checked the clear fuel line for air bubbles when it's running?

there is a small servo thing that pushes again the throttle lever, at the back of the pump, any ideas what it could be?

Probably the cold start (or fast idle) device but it's not the reason you're having starting problems.

[jgra1]

started perfectly this morning.. temp about 4°C

Think Gareth is on to something.. some stray SVO is near solidifying when temp goes below 2 C or so...

may explain why car starts fine, except when really cold.. will take diaphragm out asap.

[bigjl2]

Mine had the strange habit before I stopped using it due to the water leak, in that it would start OK then it would get about 1.5 miles down the road then cut out, it would then take ages to start, when there was acold snap the battery gave up the ghost, but I wasn't too upset as the battery was the cireon original from 1994, which after a recharge is now sitting in the wifes hyundai accent whose battery dies the same week, but couldn't be saved, so now I will get a new one from GSF, mine also used to hunt on 100% when the weather was cold, but run better with some pump diesel or a bit of unleaded, one thing I did notice was a habit of the car needing primed with the bulb after being left for a while, otherwise it would crank over for ages, and when it started without a big puff of moke, but pump the bulb and first time every time, can't see any obvious leaks, maybe the dreaded leak off pipes.

[weety]

Mine had the strange habit before I stopped using it due to the water leak, in that it would start OK then it would get about 1.5 miles down the road then cut out, it would then take ages to start, when there was acold snap the battery gave up the ghost, but I wasn't too upset as the battery was the cireon original from 1994, which after a recharge is now sitting in the wifes hyundai accent whose battery dies the same week, but couldn't be saved, so now I will get a new one from GSF, mine also used to hunt on 100% when the weather was cold, but run better with some pump diesel or a bit of unleaded, one thing I did notice was a habit of the car needing primed with the bulb after being left for a while, otherwise it would crank over for ages, and when it started without a big puff of moke, but pump the bulb and first time every time, can't see any obvious leaks, maybe the dreaded leak off pipes.

the actual priming bulbs do fail given enough time and allow the fuel to drain back towards the tank.....cheap and easy to do and you can get the bulbs on e bay

[jgra1]

Well I took the top part of the pump off, a Vacumn operated diapragm operating a piston.. There was some old black engine oil in there but no SVO and to be honest it all looked pretty good.. cleaned all up and reassembled..

No difference ... car will not start unless about 4 mins on and off starter.. many 'glows' , same yesterday and today. Now for the first time , the 'hunting' experienced just after start up contiues for a long long time, even does it when warm.. this has never happened, convinced it's a big clue ...

Still expect it to start very quickly when I leave office.. have parked with the sun shining on bonnet

just to recap, priming fuel bulb makes little difference, glow plugs just replaced. Yesterday was 90% SVO 10% UNL - today added 25% DERV ..

hmmm.. otherwise the car is fine..

John

[weety]

Well I took the top part of the pump off, a Vacumn operated diapragm operating a piston.. There was some old black engine oil in there but no SVO and to be honest it all looked pretty good.. cleaned all up and reassembled..

No difference ... car will not start unless about 4 mins on and off starter.. many 'glows' , same yesterday and today. Now for the first time , the 'hunting' experienced just after start up contiues for a long long time, even does it when warm.. this has never happened, convinced it's a big clue ...

Still expect it to start very quickly when I leave office.. have parked with the sun shining on bonnet

just to recap, priming fuel bulb makes little difference, glow plugs just replaced. Yesterday was 90% SVO 10% UNL - today added 25% DERV ..

hmmm.. otherwise the car is fine..

John

disconnect the fuel line into the diesel pump...attach this to a funnel and fill the funnel with diesel (have funnel held by willing helper ).... now try and start car....

if the car starts and runs ok you have a problem somewhere on the fuel supply side....if it doesnt start and run ok you have eliminated fuel supply and can start looking elsewhere

[jgra1]

weety thanks but



the car starts perfectly after 4-8 hours when cold , but doesnt start when (really) cold this doesnt suggest a problem with glow plugs or fuel delivery..?

[weety]

weety thanks but



the car starts perfectly after 4-8 hours when cold , but doesnt start when (really) cold this doesnt suggest a problem with glow plugs or fuel delivery..?

its all a question of elimination for me, if you try this when its really cold oe night morning its still going to either eliminate or condemn fuel delivery....

of course its possible you have multiple problems eg fuel draining back to tank, plus glow plugs plus an air leak

to start the engine requires heat (in the winter) which you have definately provided by changing the plugs

it needs fuel which you havent managed to determine it has enough of

it needs some air through the air filter which it almost certainly has

oh and the immobiliser must still be working ok (which since it starts when warmish should be ok)

so to me its got to be fuel

whereabouts are you? if you are close i could pop over and have a look

[jgra1]

hi Weety thanks for kind offer

I am South East, Sussex / Kent border..

well this morning I decided to go for the kill ! , the car is parked on a slight incline (A private track), so I gave 3 goes on the [new] glowplugs, put her in second and turned key while rolling down hill.. as expected the engine turned a lot faster, car started almost straight away..

today the idleing seemed better too..

Unfortunately I didn't try and start her on the key normally before bumping..

Temp today was warm! 0° !

will keep an eye on things over next few mornings, and will try normal starts before attempting bump starts..

Like I said, once running car is perfect, and all day it is to..
John

[weety]

hi Weety thanks for kind offer

I am South East, Sussex / Kent border..

well this morning I decided to go for the kill ! , the car is parked on a slight incline (A private track), so I gave 3 goes on the [new] glowplugs, put her in second and turned key while rolling down hill.. as expected the engine turned a lot faster, car started almost straight away..

today the idleing seemed better too..

Unfortunately I didn't try and start her on the key normally before bumping..

Temp today was warm! 0° !

will keep an eye on things over next few mornings, and will try normal starts before attempting bump starts..

Like I said, once running car is perfect, and all day it is to..
John

not to far away then (i'm in orpington) so i could get over to you if you keep having problems.....

have you tried going back to 100% diesel to see if all your problems go away (or get a little bit better)

another thought....whats the battery like?.... cold veggy is hard work on the pump/starter motor

[deian]

I'd agree with that statement! Last sunday was pretty icy here, the windows were solid. And saturday I didn't go out at all in the car, I got in and I tried it, and obviously it needed a couple of warms on the glow plugs, and then I turn her over, it didn't start, so I warm again, and then timid starter turns to click click and dead dash lights, oh oh!!

So I'd agree with veggie getting sludgy in cold weather, I had about 80% veggie against diesel.


Problem is, i've tweaked the pump so it smokes a lot now, it's fun, bit I wonder what problems I'd get forcing more veggie through? I will also shove 10% unleaded next week just to clean the injectors, he he. Oh and I will clean the pick up strainer in the tank, maybe you have a clogged one john??

Good luck, nice to see this site back.

[XantiaMan]

Had no starting problems whatsover recently including the very icey morning we had last week where the scraper wouldnt even touch the ice!

I am running 70-80% SVO, no unleaded or anything else. I know diesel is fine for my seals, i got a leak when it was on an unleaded/SVO mix. Not once has it hunted from cold or taken longer to turn over after 1 glowplug cycle.

At around the time i started running SVO i increased the boost and fuelling and have done 12k since then, SVO does burn differently but its most likely going to burn slower (lower cetane rating) and therefore the side effect IMO is more smoke with increased fuelling compared with diesel.

I always notice less smoke the more diesel i use, some people say their emissions are better on SVO?

[KP]

It does also depends on what SVO you use. if your using the KTC stuff the GM soya has been shown to leave horrible deposits on the injectors from the high heat levels in the pre combustion chamber where as good old rapeseed is much better and doesn't leave anywhere near the same levels of residue.

I had no problems starting last week on 100% SVO Rapeseed but rapeseed should be fine to -10 i think it is. I get a bit of smoke at startup but thats it really and it vanish's as soon as i blip the throttle up. I also think my cold start device is duff as for the first few minutes the engine has no guts at all but then perks up as the temp guage starts to move up. Now its warmer its not that long for the proper performance to come back to the engine after initial startup.

[jgra1]

thanks all...

well mine is still giving me a bit of gip...

I can't really find a pattern anymore..

Everyday generally it starts on the button no smoke, if I have already used it that day, no matter how long it's been sat.

Some mornings its fine, and some its not - today for instance it was impossible, temp around 6C but maybe overnight it dipped ?

It def seems worse if it has been cold, and it is often perfect if it has been warmer overnight..

its no huge problem, I live on a farm and the billows of smoke when it eventually gets going dont annoy anyone, the worst thing is having to use throttle to have a hope of it clearing the smoke and getting it running... i have always been an anorak regarding cold engines and throttle.. even just a few seconds idleing first is better then this

looking back at my post, I can only conclude that the ambient temp is having an effect.. that's all i can think of. (or all I want to think of )

I put 30/40 L of deisel in calais at weekend, and there was not much SVO left in.. have done 200 miles since I put that in

I will check the tank filter, but it doesnt really seem to explain why it starts perfectly most of the time....
John