2.0 dti cold start problems

[nickp1975]

hi, i have a 53 plate 2.0dti and in the cold weather it is reallly hard to start, i have replaced the glow plugs and glow plug controller, and this hasent cured it or even made it any better at all. the pre heater light works and i ahve teasted the cable at the plug and this works as it is meant to. It works fine all through the day then.

Please, please can anyone help me with this issue as it drives me mad in the morning, someone said to replace the fuel leak off pipes but surely if they were damaged it would not start properly even in the warmer weather

[bigmac]

Could be temp sensor

[siz1]

Ive had similar issues, what i do is heat the glowplug about 8 times, i.e. turning the key to heat glow plug position, waiting for the light to go off, repeating around 8 times and it starts first time, if i dont do that it wont start.... it is abit wierd but it work , this only applied in minus conditions, otherwise its neva an issue to start the car first time the key is turned. Hope that helps

[keithtinman]

This sounds like you may have leaky injector seals. The diesel runs back to the tank as air gets let in to the system, so as you crank it over trying to start the diesel is slowly draw back up through the system.

Also do check your leak off pipes as you mentioned someone had told you about. At the front of the engine, these are by the front- -top part of the cyclinder head and look like small rubber tubes. They inter-connect to each other, bend each one and see if they are cracked. If they are then this could be your air ingress problem. This is a simple job and I am sure theres a "how to do it" on here.

Also if you park you car on a hill with the nose pointing up the hill and leave it for about 12 hours you'll find the car wont start, this is another pointer to air ingress or injector seal problems..


The glow plugs dont operate on these engines until it's about -20 c, the engine should start easily in cold conditions.

I had the same problem with my old Vectra.. Fixed it by replacing injector seals and leak off pipes, I also fitted a non return valve to the diesel supply pipe going to the injection pump. It never happened again !!!!

Hope this helps you...

Keith.

Ive had similar issues, what i do is heat the glowplug about 8 times, i.e. turning the key to heat glow plug position, waiting for the light to go off, repeating around 8 times and it starts first time, if i dont do that it wont start.... it is abit wierd but it work , this only applied in minus conditions, otherwise its neva an issue to start the car first time the key is turned. Hope that helps

[bigmac]

This sounds like you may have leaky injector seals. The diesel runs back to the tank as air gets let in to the system, so as you crank it over trying to start the diesel is slowly draw back up through the system.

Also do check your leak off pipes as you mentioned someone had told you about. At the front of the engine, these are by the front- -top part of the cyclinder head and look like small rubber tubes. They inter-connect to each other, bend each one and see if they are cracked. If they are then this could be your air ingress problem. This is a simple job and I am sure theres a "how to do it" on here.

Also if you park you car on a hill with the nose pointing up the hill and leave it for about 12 hours you'll find the car wont start, this is another pointer to air ingress or injector seal problems..


The glow plugs dont operate on these engines until it's about -20 c, the engine should start easily in cold conditions.

I had the same problem with my old Vectra.. Fixed it by replacing injector seals and leak off pipes, I also fitted a non return valve to the diesel supply pipe going to the injection pump. It never happened again !!!!

Hope this helps you...

Keith.

They operate from anything from 20 degrees mate you only ever get a glowplug light when its below 5 degrees but everytime you start the glowplugs come on for a fraction of a second.