Difficult cold start on C5 X7 2.0HDi

[myglaren]

You may need the extra-strength antipodean formula

[vincentfishing]

give it double that and see what happens, you wont harm anythig

[Sloppysod]

................... I had to crank for almost 5 min like in the video above...and when it finally started up everything was fine...all day.

.................If you park it on a steep slope with the back high you may possibly be able to see a leak by looking along the fuel pipes with a bright light.

Peter

hmmm, as you know a Deseil ICE is a very basic concept and only needs compression, fuel/air, however, in cold conditions a little help is provided by the Heater plugs.
These examples are from my personal experience with a similar problem.

• My 2.0 XM, when it was difficult to start, the fix was the thermostat in the inlet trackt was not doing what it should, ie telling the ECU the air coming in was cold, my fix was new sensor.

• My Xantia 19.TD, it got harder and hard to start in the winter, the heater plugs had started to fail, however, as the heater plugs are controlled by a timer and not the combustion cambers tempreture, you simply, turn on the igintion - DO NOT TRY TO START -wait until the heater plug light has gone off the then the turn the igintion off, do this 2 or three times, then on the last time try to start. If this works then it is defiinately the preheat system.

• My 2.0 C5, it was difficult to start when on holiday, it turn out that when parked on a very steep slope the fuel was draining back to the tank, fuel filter conectors. ( as previously mentioned by Peter).

[Steve Walsh]

Have you checked for power going to the glow plugs

[Hell Razor5543]

The HDi engine is so efficient it hardly ever needs the glow plugs. They are (as far as I know) used for very cold weather starting and for DPF regeneration.

[Steve Walsh]

OP location looks like Oradea, Could be cold out there, I am in SW France and for the past couple of weeks it has been minus 8 most mornings

[xf1ref]

I know that on my RHH engine I get an error if I'm cranking too munch and the engine doesn't start.
You said that no errors on Lexia/Diagbox...but how about parameters while cranking, like pressure in the rail?

[Lacrosse]

The HDi engine is so efficient it hardly ever needs the glow plugs. They are (as far as I know) used for very cold weather starting and for DPF regeneration.

Is exactly how I know. Glow plugs on HDI engines hardly help starting the engine (only below -15 C) and help with depollution.
Anyways, as I mentioned I replaced the glow plugs with new ones although the old ones were functional.

hope you sprayed plenty in because the car should run on easystart/brakecleaner even momentarily even if no fuel supply,

I bought an easy start spray, and sprayed a lot in the intake....with NO difference...

I know that on my RHH engine I get an error if I'm cranking too munch and the engine doesn't start.
You said that no errors on Lexia/Diagbox...but how about parameters while cranking, like pressure in the rail?

Looked at the pressure in the rail when cranking. It is in parameters.


What is more to mention is that after the engine finally starts I get looots of white smoke on the exhaust, that being the unburnt fuel (it smells like pure diesel) then everything is normal.

[moizeau]

Have you tried an actuator test on the egr and other butterflies etc. If yours is a vacuum operated one it may be stuck but the car 'thinks' it's working because the solenoid is working.

[vincentfishing]

well your definately overfueling, which would also give low fuel rail pressure which would also then give hard starting,this would also increase in cold weather hard starting as cold equals lower pressure,when engine hot starts easy because heat equals higher fuel pressure
this in normal circumstances would lead to the conclusion that the the injectors are not working correctly, excessive leak off(leakback) will cause identical problem your having and I suggest that excessive nozlle leak/overfueling would also give exactly the same symptoms,
2 very confusing things happening hear.....A).you fitted new brand new injectors , i would check they are brand new/are the correct injectors and do a leak off test to make sure they are running corrrectly even new things go wrong, leak off directly affects fuel rail pressure and starting,
B) easy start/brake fluid not firing engine up,,,,, why not??? this bypasses everything that could stop engine starting as its compression firing up a more volatile fluid than diesel and relies on nothing else, would suggest that something is blocking easystart getting through air system and if this is the case this would cause hard starting as air starved to engine...this could also explain unburnt fuel in exhaust,

[Peter.N.]

Try taking the air filter out and injecting easy start directly into the intake pipe. There is no fault I can think of which would prevent it at least firing on easy start as it completely bypasses the fuel injection system.

Peter

[Lacrosse]

well your definately overfueling, which would also give low fuel rail pressure which would also then give hard starting,this would also increase in cold weather hard starting as cold equals lower pressure,when engine hot starts easy because heat equals higher fuel pressure
this in normal circumstances would lead to the conclusion that the the injectors are not working correctly, excessive leak off(leakback) will cause identical problem your having and I suggest that excessive nozlle leak/overfueling would also give exactly the same symptoms,

True but injectors are brand new Delphi.

A).you fitted new brand new injectors , i would check they are brand new/are the correct injectors and do a leak off test to make sure they are running corrrectly even new things go wrong, leak off directly affects fuel rail pressure and starting,

Problem is that I replaced the original injectors BECAUSE of the difficult start. I thought that the difficult start is caused by worn injectors like you suggested too...but the problem persisted with the new ones...

B) easy start/brake fluid not firing engine up,,,,, why not??? this bypasses everything that could stop engine starting as its compression firing up a more volatile fluid than diesel and relies on nothing else, would suggest that something is blocking easystart getting through air system and if this is the case this would cause hard starting as air starved to engine...this could also explain unburnt fuel in exhaust,

That's why I am going crazy...because I dont't understand what's happening.
I sprayed a lot of "easy start" stuff in. (took down the air temperature sensor from the intake manifold and sprayed directly there) with NO difference (even while I was cranking)

I am starting to wonder if isn't there something with the exhaust system or the FAP...I don't know...something is blocking the exhaust....water vapour that is freezing in the exhaust, FAP...

[Lacrosse]

Try taking the air filter out and injecting easy start directly into the intake pipe. There is no fault I can think of which would prevent it at least firing on easy start as it completely bypasses the fuel injection system.

Peter

I sprayed a lot of "easy start" stuff in. (took down the air temperature sensor from the intake manifold and sprayed directly there) with NO difference (even while I was cranking)

[Peter.N.]

What you are saying sounds impossible although it obviously isn't. The only fault in my experience that would cause non reaction to easy start would be a broken cam belt, if the valves don't open it wont get into the engine, but as it starts eventually it can't be that. I'm mystified.

Peter

[vincentfishing]

one thing that wasnt on your list of new replacements was fuel pressure sensor, you changed everything else but not this, presume it has one?