I've recently been having problems starting my car which I believe to be due to air getting into the fuel system. The AA man who came out after I'd worn the battery down trying to start it remarked that there was no fuel in the filter and so he had to prime it.
On priming it myself I notice that as soon as I stop pressing the priming bulb I see air being drawn back into the filter (at the outlet the other side of the bulb).
Am I correct in assuming there should be no air in the system at all? If so are there any common areas where the air may be getting in?
Thanks for any help.
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I had similar problems on my 220 SDi when I fitted a cheap plastic fuel filter from Halfords.
It was a very poor design, and leaked air in several times, so best policy is stick to the proper metal ones from Rover (I think they're Bosch actually). They're not that dear.
Other than that:
1) check all the hoses are securely connected...
2) ...and not perished anywhere
3) When changing the filter and bleeding the air out, make sure you tighten the bleed screw (top of the filter) before any air gets sucked back in when you release the bulb.
4) Check the water drain tap at the bottom of the filter is tight.
Bleeding air out and draining water off always were fiddly/messy jobs as I recall.
The Haynes manual explains the filter changing & air bleeding process. Just have lots of tissue/rags handy !
Incidentally, one day I decided to check the battery fluid level (don't know why I did it) and discovered it was really low, IE under half full. I topped right up with some distilled water, bunged it on charge for a few hours, and then couldn't believe how much more quickly it started ! I guess you don't notice gradual deteriorations.
Might be worth checking !!
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Thats great, thanks for your help!
Something I forgot to mention was that a few months back a friend of mine changed the fuel filter and remarked that it was strange as there was no fuel in the old one - i assume there is some kind of valve in or near the priming bulb to stop fuel from flowing back, is it possible this may be broken?
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About 98% of diesel fuel problems stem from poorly seated or poorly made fuel filters. As its about the cheapest option, replace it with a good quality Unipart (as recommended by the manufacturer)GFE 5301. You will always get a bit of 'frothing' when bleeding the system but keep priming until fuel runs clear.
Hope this helps...
Robin the (Rover) Technician with 35 years in the trade. I fix, therefore i am......
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Thanks for all your help - looks like i'll be buying a new filter at the weekend!
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Finally got round to fitting a new fuel filter and all seems to be going well - the test will be when I leave it for a while as it was always after not using the car for a few days that the problem would start.
One question, after fitting the filter I bled and primed the system as described in the Haynes manual and took the car for a drive - is it normal for the priming bulb to be 'soft' again after a couple of hours or should it remain 'firm'? Do i still have a problem?
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On many vehicles,the best way to change the fuel filter is to remove the filter along with it's mounting and then change the filter off the car-you can then see that it seats correctly and also you usually spill less fuel.
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Yeah! Audi A4 TDi is one example of this practice!
That's what I'm doing tommorrow......
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Having had both types (400 & 220sdi)with no apparent problems, have you changed the fuel filler cap - I know it a long shot but it can screw up the fuel flow.
Our 19 ltr diesel engines at work suffer from fuel stavation - but that is down to fuel pump / injector design - supose you have checked the injector pump output??
Good luck anyway
K2
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