Citoren ZX Diesel
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One point of note though, rather inadvertently I did turn the white plastic screw the is at about the same level as the fuel bleed valve and about 90 degrees around from it (if the rear of the car is at 12 o?clock and the bleed valve is at 6 o'clock this thing is at 9 o'clock) after mistaking it for the bleed valve (my first service with the car). I cant find reference to it in the Haynes manual but fear that somehow this fiddling as lead to air getting in the system ? anyone know wheat this thing is?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Tim
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Tim,
Care to repeat your question, this time without offending the swear filter?
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Just done a service on our ZX Diesel. Oil, air filter, glow plugs and fuel filter now the pink fluffy dice wont start. I tried priming the fuel system but it didn't help however, despite talk of the the rubber priming bulb going hard it never goes really hard - just less squashy. I tried a high pressure bleed and despite a fair bit of engine cranking very little fuel comes out. I presume this means an leak of some sort? Thing is it was fine before the service.
One point of note though, rather inadvertently I did turn the white plastic screw the is at about the same level as the fuel bleed valve and about 90 degrees around from it (if the rear of the car is at 12 o'clock and the bleed valve is at 6 o'clock this thing is at 9 o'clock) after mistaking it for the bleed valve (my first service with the car). I cant find reference to it in the Haynes manual but fear that somehow this fiddling as lead to air getting in the system - anyone know what this thing is?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
... I can offend the swear filter with the word pink fluffy dice? Wow! Good job it doesn't mind dirty looks.
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>>... I can offend the swear filter with the word pink fluffy dice? Wow!
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Anyway, your problem. Have you tried turning the screw back to where you found it? Maybe try tightening it up and see what happens. I once did a similar thing on a CD deck thinking the laser beam adjustment pot. was a case screw :-$! Otherwise are you sure the fuel filter is secured how it should be?
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I don?t know what you said but the filter didn?t like it!
The thing with the screw is that with the filter out you can see it turning some sort of valve inside the filter housing and as it turns the valve changes position - it isn't simply a screw that tightens to holds something in place or is just there to fill a hole - it seems to be an adjustment screw of some sort. Whether its the problem or not I'm a little curious as to what it actually does!
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I don?t know what you said but the filter didn?t like it!
The thing with the screw is that with the filter out you can see it turning some sort of valve inside the filter housing and as it turns the valve changes position - it isn't simply a screw that tightens to holds something in place or is just there to fill a hole - it seems to be an adjustment screw of some sort. Whether its the problem or not I'm a little curious as to what it actually does!
I think the problem could be an airlock in the system - that's what user on another group have suggested - everything they said seems to suggest it should be the first thing I try.
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... I can offend the swear filter with the word pink fluffy dice? Wow! Good job it doesn't mind dirty looks.
Tim,
suggest you read www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=20783
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Just read it...
Don't mean to bang on off topic but 'bug her' is not a swear word in anyone's language. It makes sense to have a swear filter but when it comes down to this level fussiness it becomes plain silly. You can cause more offence with the tone of your reply!
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This is getting off topic isn't it. You say that you have just serviced it. Have you accidentally dislodged the fuel cutoff solenoid connection, or similar? Regardless of the screw position, have you loosened the fuel feed to one of the injectors, cranked the engine and looked for fuel?
Have you tried cranking the engine and squeezing the hand pump bulb at the same time?
Are the glow plugs actually working? You say that you have changed them, were you having starting problems before, or was it a precautionary change. If there was a problem before, it may not have been plugs, it may have been the associated relay, fuses, timer etc.
Have you inadvertantly blown a fuse by accidentally shorting something?
If you are not getting even the odd cough from the engine, it suggests a total lack of fuel.
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I did wonder If I had knocked something ? I cant see that I have but it is acting as if something has been disconnected! I have loosened a pipe at the injectors but nothing ? which is why I?m convinced that I have done something to the fuel system but all I have done is replace the fuel filter!
No starting problem before but I know the glow plugs probably haven't been changed for years if at all!
There was a wee cough of the engine (suggesting there was a bit of fuel in the line) to start with but now nothing.
It is almost as if the fuel pump isn't working
I hadn't considered that I had blown a fuse ? Ill check that next - then take another look at the solenoid.
Thanks,
Tim
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This is just odd - I have tried squeezing the bulb and bleeding the system and after initially expelling half a cup of diesel now nothing comes through at all. After tightening and squeezing the bulb again It feels as if the fuel line is compleatly empty. What is going on??
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The valve you turned, did you turn it back to the position you found it in? After stripping my fuel filter a while back on my old XUD 306, it looks to be a valve which can cut off the fuel if moved. Dies it have an arrow on it? Turn the arrow so it faces upwards and try repriming.
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Yeah I tried that too.
I managed with the aid of some clear pipe to suck the fuel through the system as far as the fuel pump, reconnect it then loosening the fuel pipes at the ejector and crank the engine (for a deep bleed) but no fuel comes out after a couple of minutes of cranking.
The hand primer seems to do nothing but put air into the system so perhaps there is a pin hole in it somewhere? (which would mean that I spent long periods of saturday adding air to the system!)
As I said, it everything worked fine before the service and the only change to the system was a new fuel filter - now I cant even get it to cough.
Got no choice but to swallow my pride and call the pros in tomorrow.
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Yoy should have got the pros in the first place.
Whatever you do, don't don't mess with the brakes.
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Thanks for the advice funny man.
Unfortuanatly the swear filter wont let me thank you properly but you can be sure it would have contained a few F's and W's!
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TimR
Sorry the responses you have had are sometimes less than helpful. Unusual for this forum. Seem like your maintenance has created a problem that you can't find. I assure you, it has happened to us all at some time. You seem to have gone about the fault finding in a logical way, so don't let the cynicism irritate you. These things happen, particularly with Citroens
You have all the symptoms of air in the system, probably from a leak in the filter, or your mystery valve (no idea what it is, and I run the same engine in my Pug). Sort of mystery a second pair of eyes can sometimes sort out in a minute.
One thing, when the ignition is on do you have live feed to the solenoid on the pump? If you don't have a live feed the plunger drops down and blocks off the inlet to the high pressure pump. The AA man spent an hour on my mate's 106, then I spent something similar (having to charge the battery continually). I did check the solenoid had a live feed, but not that the solenoid was working. The next thing, honest, was to take the solenoid off and try without the plunger, honest. Local garage solved it in a couple of minutes.
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That's the trouble, you can't express yourself without swearing.
I had a ZX, the brakes were awfull, don't touch.
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That's the trouble, you can't express yourself without swearing.
Quite.
I have sent an email to TimR pointing out the reason why we don't allow swearing on this site, so now can we drop the subject please.
DD.
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Crack the fuel pipes at the injectors and turn the engine over on the key ( may require a jump by now )then tighten inj. nuts one by one each time attempting to start on the key , will probably go .
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I think TimR has a point, one particular response was rather patronising. I applaud him for having the courage and determination to service it himself rather than paying someone else - if we were all to "call the pros in the first place" then what would be the point of a forum for technical matters?
And to jump swiftly back to the issue, are you sure there is fuel in the tank?
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Thanks Graham,
I have been playing with engines since I was 11. I stripped and rebuild a Triumph Spitfire engine on my own (with a bit of help from my father) when I was 13. I service my own V6 coupe and my friends cars when they call for it. However, from time to time you simply get flummoxed ? but as with the run-around (that?s the ZX by the way) which it why groups like this are so helpful ? thanks again! Another consideration for me is that I live in the Highlands so its not always easy to pop down the local garage.
Ah! Self expression! I have written for the broadsheets, a couple of academic journals and given evidence to House of Lords committee hearings, so you'll be surprised to hear I can express myself quite well without using the full range of our glorious language! (and despite a crippling dyslexia; something else I have written about professionally). I really does depend on the company... but as our host has asked us to drop the subject Ill say no more.
Back to the car. I got a new priming bulb yesterday ? put it on this morning, rebleed the system, engine turned over twice and it started. The more I went through what was happening the more it became clear that was air getting in to the fuel line.
So another case solved by those willing to share their experiences. Thank you!
Tim
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