Xantia starts, stops and starts again (just)

[flygirl767]

Hi Guys and Gals,
Can I run something past you gurus. Xantia 1.9TD (1994).
Car starts reasonably well when cold (even in this weather) and then runs quite happily for about 4 or 5 minutes and then dies a death. I then have to really crank it for quite a long time (15 secs +) and then it will just start with a little help from juggling the accelerator pedal. From then on, it's the old Xantia I know and love except when I want to start it when HOT (after it's been left standing for about 5+ minutes) and then it takes a lot of cranking again (it didn't used to be like this).
The battery is new. The glow plugs are new and working correctly. The priming pump blobby thingy is new (today). The alternator and starter are 6 months old. The water level is constant and the oil is as clear as a bell.
I know this sounds totally stupid (put it down to my sex, by all means) but do diesels have the equivalent of a petrol engine choke. A friend of mine has likened it to an automatic choke cutting off too early or an air leak somewhere (the hoses under the bonnet look absolutely clean and fine). Surely, if it was an air-leak, the car wouldn't run as sweetly as it does once it finally gets going.
So, if it's a choke type thingy can anyone tell me where it is and what it is (relay etc?) and if it's an air leak can anyone tell me the likely weak points. Male friends of mine have pored over the Haynes manual and chucked it away with many curses and mutterings of, "rubbish, they aren't what they used to be."
Anyway, some men are waiting to get their hands on it. It'll make a change for them from Aero Engines (do they have a choke?)
Sorry to go on for so long. I just wanted to make sure you knew all the facts. Anyway, I'm a girl and that's my excuse - so there!
Here's hoping,
Michelle

[fastandfurryous]

The priming pump blobby thingy.....

Ahh... the good 'ole technical term!

There's only 1 reason a 1.9TD engine would fail after starting, and that's fuel starvation. They do not have a choke (that's a carburettor-fed petrol engine system)

Since the engine re-starts after a short while, it's probably safe to say the stop solenoid is not the problem, and it's most likely to be either air getting into the system, or a blockage somewhere. Has the fuel filter been changed recently?

When it dies, does it gradually loose power until it stops, or is it a sudden death, and does it matter how the car is driven as to how long it takes to die?

Also, next time it dies, try pumping the primer bulb before re-starting the car. Does it help?

It'll make a change for them from Aero Engines (do they have a choke?)

Not usually. Aero engines tend to use a manual mixture control system and a primer, meaning there is no need for a choke.

hope this is of some help.

[Peter.N.]

When was the fuel filter last changed? That could cause the problem.