Club 80-90 Forums

Hi there, van is actually braking my heart this week. Just got it back after sorting rust and took it on its first trip since before the summer started this weekend. We were driving along no hassles and after about 100km it felt like it was no longer accelerating and lost power, so i free wheeled into the hard shoulder. Tried to atart it again and it was just sputtering ao got out for a look. There was fuel in the lines and i could see no leaking fluids anywhere when i was under the van or looking in the engine bay.

Tried atarting it again and while the missus started it i was pushing on the throttle valve on the engine. It roared into life but as soon as i released it it sputtered and died. While i held my head in my hands i noticed the fuel return line was empty so i sucked aome diesel through and hey presto it started and idled nicely for about a minute and then died.

Any ideas what i am looking for? So much trouble with the van this year i am seriously considering selling it now if i cant sort this easily enough like!

1.9d 1990

Could be a number of things but the cheap/easy ones to rule out are the fuel lines (degraded and letting air in) and filter (possibly blocked). Change the lines from the tank through to the pump and stick a new filter on. I always fit an inline primer bulb in the line between filter and pump as this makes priming the system easier without winding over on the starter and they have a one way valve in to stop fuel draining back if the pump is worn.

Hey thanks for the reply!

Ya i was thinking the filter, but i replaced it about a year ago and due to not being able to get an n.c.t due to rust, the vab hasent been driven very much. This was the first "big" spin since sorting the rusty panel and getting the nct a month ago.

Is there a way to test to see if it is the pump has failed? Maybe a silly question but can someone tell me if it is a pump or an injector or a carboratteor or are they all the same thing? Its a 1.9 diesel non turbo. The line comes from the filter into a big block thing mounted on the engine that has the throttle attached on the top of it as well.

Thanks as always for any help!

Check that the banjo on the top of the fuel filter housing is clear of carp. Favourite place for it to collect and block the fuel.

Will do. Waiting for the aa man to come back with the van on the trailer and drop me home. Will be able to change out filter thrn i hope, and see if that is the issue.

The part i am not sure about is in the schematic image below. It just seems awfully big to just be a mechanical pump.

https://imgur.com/a/57Tx2DH" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Normal injection pump and filter in that diagram.

Cheers for identifying that. Appreciate it. Are they known for failing and if so are they a rebuild job or straight replacement?

The reason i ask is i had a similar issue about 2 years ago after getting dodgy diesel and it blocked the filter. So i could clearly see there was no fuel in the lines, where as this time i can see fuel in the ingoing line.

Just because you can see fuel in the line to the pump doesn't mean that it is free to move - if the banjo is blocked it will not allow any fuel to move. I have had it happen to me exactly the same, fuel in line but static due to blockage. 30 second job to whip off the banjo to see if it is blocked. (Mine was full of what looked like cat fur! )

Just brought it into the mechanic who is very knowledgeable the van. He thinks it is an issue with the injection pump. So will have to wait and see on Monday.

Thanks again for l the suggestions. I will keep ye posted on events!

Possibly a combination of a fuel restriction, which causes a higher than usual "vacuum" in the pump (actually a relative drop in pressure) and a bad seal in the pump. This increased "suction" can then overcome the seal at the input shaft and the pump draws air in. It is very common when parking the vehicle for a length of time, this pressure difference will draw air through the seal into the pump body until the pressure is equalised. When you go to start, the pump has a big air bubble inside, it can't make enough fuel pressure to the injectors and it won't start. The fix is to remove the injector pump and replace the front seal, whilst making sure all fuel lines and fittings are clear, in good condition and leak free (they can go porous and draw air, with the same result, but not show as leaking as they're never under positive pressure).
The squeezy priming bulb between filter and pump is very useful, and a good idea IMHO. It can be used to work around this issue in the short term to get it to start before you have a flat battery.

Just an update. Mechanic said possibly dirty fuel or lots of dirt/rust in the fuel tank. When he drained it the diesel came out full of dirt and a dirty colour. Fuel filter was completely clogged which was restricting flow. Hasnt looked at the injectors yet but i am taking off the fuel tank to get it cleaned and a new filter to see if that will fix it.

Tha ks again for the detailed reaponses.

It’s worth pointing out that after around 90days diesel begins to separate and wax, where the chemical elements separate meaning it burns very poorly, if at all. A drain mix and refill will help. Diesel tanks also tend accumulate condensation very, quickly particularly when not full, raising the water content in the fuel and causing poor running/loss of power.
This is based on us not storing diesel in jerrycans for more than 90 days. Our fuel tankers, we must flush through to circulate the fuel every 90days and in severe cold we switch to Aviation Turpentine, bit like kerosene.

Dont forget the horrors of "diesel bug"

https://www.octane.uk.com/diesel-bugs-biofuel/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sent from my S60 using Tapatalk

silverbullet wrote:Dont forget the horrors of "diesel bug"

https://www.octane.uk.com/diesel-bugs-biofuel/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sent from my S60 using Tapatalk

Interesting stuff!

Oldiebut goodie wrote:Check that the banjo on the top of the fuel filter housing is clear of carp. Favourite place for it to collect and block the fuel.

If there's a carp in your carb - you're in serious trouble - Lol
We know what you mean