citroen dispatch 2004 will not start

[goatty2]

Hi
the van will not start with starter engine turns over easy but if it is towed or pushed it start straight away and runs normally.
have had it on the computer and it said nothing wrong but starter a bit slow and have replaced it.
engine turns over faster but still not start
any idea of what could be wrong

[RichardW]

Welcome along.... What engine? 2.0HDi is my guess. There seem to be a few just at the moment which are exhibiting this sort of behaviour. If starter is OK, then need to get it on a diag computer and see what the rail pressure is doing - my guess is insufficient at cranking speed to allow it to start. As to the fault, well, could be HP pump, injectors, pressure regulator or sensor, or some random electrical fault! How many miles has it done? Has it ever been misfuelled with petrol?

[goatty2]

Hi Richardw
thanks for reply
engine is 2.0HDi done 117157 miles
injectors looked alright as had to replace copper washer on 2 of them as it was leeking a couple of weeks ago
diag computer said nothing wrong
and as far as i know not had petrol in it

[BX]

Richard W has said it all. The engine must turn fast enough to build the rail pressure. The less leakage the slower it needs to turn. The other factor is achieving sufficient air pressure and temperature within the cylinder for it to fire when fuel is injected. On most modern engines this is not a problem even after mega miles. Excessive injector leak off or hp pump problems are usually the cause of low rail pressure if the engine is turning over fast enough. Really you need some sort of code reader to read the rpm and rail pressure. A lexia is great but many cheapo hand held units will give you enough info. The lexia will also let you know many other details. For instance it tells you if the crank and camshaft have synchronized. This means that the timing belt hasn't slipped. The lexia will also access all the other computers on the car.