I love clear diesel pipes !!

BonceChops · Post by **BonceChops** » 27 Mar 2006, 09:29

I jumped in the car this morning to take the children to school/nursery and it ran like a bag of bolts. Would not idle, pig to start, kept stalling. I couldn't even swear at it to make me feel better because the children were with me. Eventually got them all dropped of and back home. When it was at normal temp it just about ran. Now what wa the last job I did to it. Yesterday I replaced the EUC temperature sensor as replaced by many on here. So I thought best swop the old one back as it was only a bit lumpy when its hot.
I popped the bonnet and had a look around. The first thing I saw was more air than diesel in the clear fuel line from the filter to the pump. Yippee I thought I have found the problem. Before the filter there were only tiny little air bubbles, after the filter massive bubbles. I replaced the fuel filter a few days ago but it ran fine after. All I did was remove the top of the filter and refit it and it is ok now.

Just a few questions that someone might be able to answer.

Would you expect to see tiny bubbles in the fuel line feeding the filter or do I have a small air leak somewhere?
Is it just the 2.1TD that has clear fuel lines?
Is the 2.1TD fuel filter known to leak like mine did? - it is a taller filter than the 1.9TD and uses a different element, although when I bought it there was a 1.9TD filter element fitted.

Sorry about the long post.
I would just like to suggest that fitting clear fuel lines might be a good idea on any diesel that is experiencing lumpy running, if its air you will spot it very easily.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 27 Mar 2006, 12:21

None of my 2.1 td's have had clear fuel lines so perhaps someone has done a mod, a very useful one, they all ought to have them!

Fuel filters are very prone to letting air in if they are not reassembled very carefully so its not an unusual problem.

Regarding the bubbles in the fuel line. You will almost always get a small ammount of air in the fuel somewhere, but providing it is a small ammount, and the pipe is otherwise full of fuel, I wouldn't worry about it.

mezuk04 · Post by **mezuk04** » 27 Mar 2006, 12:26

I was waiting for someone to post first incase I made a fool of myself....I would agree that i wouldnt expect clear fuel lines to be in so i also imagine this mod has been done by the previous owner or two......very good idea me' thinks!

deian · Post by **deian** » 27 Mar 2006, 17:34

My 2.1TD has clear fuel lines, as did my old peugeot 106 1.4d, after replacing the fuel filter you need to bleed the fuel line, look for a bleed valve, can't be far, you should also have a priming pump... which is like a little black balloon you can squeeze to manually feed diesel into the system, the hayes manual should elaborate a bit more.

from what i've learnt, you need to bleed/prime diesel because it's slighty thicker than petrol, you also need to prime the system if you run out of fuel too.

hope that helps.

BonceChops · Post by **BonceChops** » 27 Mar 2006, 19:26

They are definately original equipment looking pipes as they are pre-bent. I will try and take a picture of them sometime.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 27 Mar 2006, 22:03

Ah! of course mine have all been in XMs thats probably why.

HST · Post by **HST** » 31 Mar 2006, 19:58

I've got clear pipes in my 2.1TD too. I've also got the air problem, which started after I changed the fuel filter. It only affects mine when the car has sat for a few hours. After the engine has run for a minute or so there's no air.