Citroen Berlingo 1.9D was hard to start, now wont start at all

[SNubbe]

Hello fellow berlingo people. I have recently got a problem with my berlingo. A few days ago i stopped by a friend. When i then went out to go home, about 20 minutes later, i had troubles starting the car. I cranked it about 5 second and it didnt even try. Did the exact same thing one more time. Then at the third attempt it was really close to starting, so close the car even thought it was running and turned on the lights and blower. But it didnt quite start. At the fourth attempt the car finally started. Then i went home and forgot about it. Then the next day i went to start the car and this time i didnt get it to start. Tried using the priming thing next to the fuel filter but still nothing. Then tried cracking one of the injector lines and i get no fuel to there. Have also tried the fuel line directly on the pump and no fuel there either. I have change all the glowplugs and that doesnt help either. I have tried a bsi reset but im not sure how i can know if it actually reset. I can hear the fuel shutoff solenoid click although i guess that doesnt mean it surely works, but i feel like the hard starting behavior i got the first time isnt because of a bad fuel shutoff solenoid. What could my problem be? I know it diesel pump has fuel to it, but i dont get any fuel out of it.
Im happy for any tips or help, thanks. The engine code is DW8B i think or just DW8
One thing i noticed was that when i removed the injector lines directly on the diesel pump, there was no fuel in the lines at all, almost like it has flower backwards or something.

[CitroJim]

Welcome to the forum I'd start with excluding any problems with the fuel system up to the pump first of all...

Disconnect the fuel inlet to the pump. Then squeeze the primer bulb. Fuel should issue freely... If not. suspect a plugged fuel filter, a blocked fuel strainer in the tank or a perished/punctured priming bulb.

Then reconnect the fuel inlet pipe to the pump and then disconnect the fuel return pipe that goes back to the tank. Attach a short temporary pipe to the pump fuel return union and with the ignition switched on, squeeze the fuel primer bulb again. After a few good squeezes fuel should issue from the end of the temporary return pipe.

This will prove fuel is able to flow through the primary side of the pump. It does not fully prove the stop solenoid as the pump is an 'open' design and will flow fuel between the inlet and return regardless...

The next test is to see if fuel flows from the temporary return pipe whilst the engine is cranking. If so then all parts of the low pressure fuel supply is in order...

Let us know how those tests go and then we can advise further...

I cannot recall now if these vehicles have a mechanical low pressure lift pump built into the pump or an electric lift pump in the fuel tank... Maybe someone can advise?

[SNubbe]

I will try the thing with the return pipe. But one thing i have notice that seems a bit wierd is that i had a air bubble in the clear pipe that goes from my fuel filter to the injection pump. When i cranked the engine i feel like that bubble should have atleast moved a bit. But it didnt move at all. Seems kinda weird to me

[CitroJim]

I will try the thing with the return pipe. But one thing i have notice that seems a bit wierd is that i had a air bubble in the clear pipe that goes from my fuel filter to the injection pump. When i cranked the engine i feel like that bubble should have atleast moved a bit. But it didnt move at all. Seems kinda weird to me

Yes, that bubble should definitely have moved with the ignition on, either when cranking or squeezing the primer bulb...

[Paul-R]

I cannot recall now if these vehicles have a mechanical low pressure lift pump built into the pump or an electric lift pump in the fuel tank... Maybe someone can advise?

Is it not the case that the squeezy bulb is fitted if there's no in tank pump?

[CitroJim]

I'd have thought so Paul, there's something nagging in the back of my mind that makes me a little unsure but yes, if there's a primer bulb I'd think a lift pump integral with the pump...

Be good forcsolid conformation do as not to lead the OP astray...

[RichardW]

Is the cambelt intact?

[SNubbe]

Went to the scrapyard and got a much better one for only 50sek . This is the version that has the fuel filter housing and priming pump in the same thing part number 1911 44 . I dont know if cambelt is intact but i would think so.
Well, now i can least get the bubble to move and even get the fuel to run all the way through the pump and into the return line to the tank. So that is improved. The only problem now is that my battery needs to charge so i cant know if it will actually start untill tomorrow afternoon.
Il let you guys know if it starts tomorrow.

[CitroJim]

Il let you guys know if it starts tomorrow.

Fingers crossed

[SNubbe]

Well, i have a bit of good news and a bit news. Bad news is, it still doesnt start. But good news is that when i towed it and put it in gear i got fuel to the injector to the right looking from the front of the engine. That was the only one i could access without removing the intake. So i mean i got some sort of progress but not enough... Could it be some kind of huge air bubble?

[CitroJim]

Could it be some kind of huge air bubble?

It could but more likely a lack of adequate fuel flow through to the pump and through it... Check there is a return flow as I described in an earlier post.

[SNubbe]

Alright. Im getting a lot of good flow using the hand pump. While cranking i get not nearly as much fuel coming out of the return line but still a steady flow. Im guessing that isnt very weird as some of the fuel when cranking should go to the engine instead but im no proffesional.

[myglaren]

Although this is unlikely, it might be worth a look.
Back in the seventies the place I worked at had a diesel transit minibus.
If it was driven over 120km/hour it would suck air into the injector piping and die.
We were fortunate enough to have on the staff a genius engineer, he had been in the Swedish merchant marine as an engineer, and in the navy too.
He would loosen all the injector pipework and bleed it all through, then it would start and run but it did have to be tow-started to get enough revs, the starter wouldn't do it.

Although it may be a hazard, maybe loosening the injector pipes one at a time and ensuring that there is diesel actually reaching the injectors may prove something.

[CitroJim]

Alright. Im getting a lot of good flow using the hand pump. While cranking i get not nearly as much fuel coming out of the return line but still a steady flow. Im guessing that isnt very weird as some of the fuel when cranking should go to the engine instead but im no proffesional.

Good, that's healthy as a good return flow means there's more than enough fuel for the pump to work correctly...

Although it may be a hazard, maybe loosening the injector pipes one at a time and ensuring that there is diesel actually reaching the injectors may prove something.

Yes, a very good and valuable check... Wrap a rag around the loosened union for safety as a jet of diesel can cut skin like a knife. A rapidly soaked rag will show there is at least some delivery...

There should be no need to do this to bleed the system but it will prove the stop solenoid one way or another... If you have a good flow and return into/out of the pump and no delivery to the injectors you either have a stop solenoid/immobiliser problem or an internal pump fault...

With the stop solenoid being under armouring diagnosis is made a little harder.

[SNubbe]

Well thanks for all the help, but now its solved. It wasnt anything of this, or maybe you could say it was the fuel solenoid. This car is built to what we in Sweden call an "A-Traktor" its basically a car that is in some way rebuilt so it can only go in 30km/h and you can drive it if you are 15 years old. I use a small electrical box that uses speed signals and rpm signals to make the fuel solenoid shut off when it reaches 30km/h. Basically that box isnt working. Sorry for taking your time but i wanted to try everything before looking at that box since its built into another box so you cant easily manipulate it. So i had to get a bit illegal and open the box that the box was in and hook up 12 volts directly to the fuel solenoid. And it starts right up!!
Thanks again, i have learned a lot of troubleshooting things and the pump that i changed definetly needed to be changed anyways.