603 won't start...help please
 

Hey all, my 87 300d won't start, glow plugs are new and working fine, fresh battery etc. I cracked the #1 injector line at the injector and at the IP and there doesn't seem to be any fuel coming out. There is fuel at both filters and at the banjo bolt going into the IP but not at either end of the line. What gives? It was bogging down and not running right and then finally just wouldn't start one day. TIA
-J

The most common cause is an air-leak upstream of the IP.

1) Remove the fuel filler cap and attempt to start.

2) If no go.........rig up a small can of fuel under the hood. Run the supply line to the pump from the can and run the return line to the tank to the can. See if it will start.

3) If no go.........remove the output line from the fuel pump and run it into an empty container. Crank the engine for 15 seconds. Measure the amount of fuel in the container. You should have about 2 ounces. If not, report back with the amount.

Ok she started, I cracked all 6 lines at the injectors and rebled with the fuel cap off. But, she still is all bogged down, won't rev over 1200 RPM no matter how much fuel I try to give her, lots of white smoke, no chance of driving it anywhere, what could it be?
thanks
-J

It could be:

1) Bad primary filter
2) Bad secondary filter
3) Plugged tank screen
4) Weak fuel pump.

ok cool, even though I'm getting fuel at the injectors those things could be bad still? I changed the inline(primary?) already, but not the big one, and now my trunk won't open so I don't know how I'll get at the tank:confused:

Change the secondary filter...........that's the first step. Make sure you have some clean fuel to totally fill the new one.

will do thanks brian, you've been very helpful, and as I look through the search feature, I can see you're always very helpful :thumbup:

Jay: Maybe you have a blocked cat...sounds exactly like what I had, could not rev over 1200 rpm. Do search under my name and you will come up with some easy to do things if that is the problem..."No start."

hehe take off the exhaust downpipe and see if that helps any.

White smoke and no power tells me it is likely not hitting on one or more cylinders.

Start the car, loosen the line at the injector one at a time, the ones that don't make a difference are the ones that are not firing.

This process might bleed the system and cure the problem, if nothing else is wrong. It is also possible that there is air getting into the system and causing this problem.

You said that the glow plugs are new? Did you mess up any of the fuel lines when you had the manifold off? Drop anything down into the delivery valves?

Did this start all of a sudden or right after you did the glow plugs?

it ran like a champ for about a month and a half after the glow plug change, then just started bogging down and really slugging along, now the white smoke just started.

Is the Trap Oxidizer still in place? (in the exhaust line, located under the hood)
if so is highly suspect. Emphasize HIGHLY suspect.
If not then possibly the CAT (under the car) may be plugged. Both have been known to cause symptoms like yours

If you do end up checking the tank screen, let me know. I got great instructions on how to do that from another forum member. It is accessed from underneath the car. The supply line on my car was on the passenger side of the differential. It's a miserable job, and requires a 46mm socket, which is rather pricey ($30-$40).

Well first change the fuel filter than report back, start with the simple stuff first. Disconnecting the exhuast can be a PITA.

If your going to take off the exhaust, i suggest you get a blowtorch it will save your ass in so many diffrent ways. I bought one while i was doing my engine swap yesterday, and ive used it on everything! i couldnt get my starter bolts out because they were corrodeded inside and i started rounding off the hex head (****!@) i took the blowtorch to the starter where the bolt threads in, and and it slipped right out.

Now as for your bogging problem..
it could be:
1 water in the fuel
2 blocked fuel passage
3 timing chain stretch
4 cat/trap

As to the jokers who want to take off the exhaust and are too lazy to check posts, there is a bolt at front of the engine in the exhaust manifold right at top easy to see, remove it and see if cars runs better, If it does then u know your cat is plugged...Diesels need lots of air which in turn means the air has to go some where...Good Luck

Much better solution, start trying to remove the exhuast and you will start snapping bolts.

First I'd change the fuel filter, then check the output of the lift pump. If both of those check out report back.

The trap oxidizer has been updated as per the recall, I just got in from changing the fuel filter. I got the same result as a few days ago, the car starts right up with the intake runner off(from the turbo to intake).

-There is a ton of exhaust coming out of the turbo and if I reinstall the runner the car bogs down and quits. Looks like I do have a blockage in the exhause somewhere. Anyone want to buy an 87 300d in Rochester, NY?? :mad:

just read through your posts wolfsburg, I think i'll look into a straight pipe and removing the cat, how much did your guy charge you?

If taking off the intake runner helps, you have a blockage in the intake.

Could be the turbo, could be a nest in the air filter. Take off the inlet to the turbo and try again, and look for the turbo spinning. Keep your fingers away when running, but with the engine off you can see if the turbo turns freely by hand.

As Jeff mentioned, the exhaust is not the problem if the intake runner causes the engine to stall.

Take a look at the turbo and see if it rotates. If the turbo is seized, you'll have no power and poor intake and exhaust flow.

yeah but, couldn't a blockage in the cat cause the exhaust to come back up through the EGR and back into the intake runner? The intake is clear from the filter up through the runner, I cleaned it out when I did the plugs. Like i said it's not that the runner itself is choking out the engine, it's the fact that there is white exhaust pouring out of it, and I don't even have to hook it up completely, just pointing it at the intake chokes out the oxygen flow to the engine. Turbo is working because I'm getting pressure out the runner :confused: my symptoms seem so similar to what wolfsburg was talking about, IDK anymore.....

Explain in more detail please...........where is the white exhaust pouring out of the runner.........what's the source?

And, let's the the terminology straight.........the pipe that goes from the riser above the turbo over the top of the engine to the intake manifold is not a "runner".........it's the crossover tube.

Check to see if the flap is stuck in the air-flow sensor, ... or if it's backwards. Still sounds like an intake blockage.

the crossover tube is pouring white exhaust, directly out of the turbo, and when it's disconnected from the other half of the intake, the car runs because it's not ingesting raw exhaust. I can take the crossover tube off of the turbo and see the exhaust blasting right out of the turbo. and there is some exhast coming back out of the intake side of the engine also, probably because it has nowhere to go.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o...nginedone2.jpg

At this point, take the exhaust bellows out of it at the exit of the turbo and see if that fixes it? Plugged muffler? At least if that allows it to run you know the turbo is not the issue, and it is in the exhaust.
Sounds like the exhaust is blocked, and the air is not getting out of the engine and so it is comming back out of the intake?

Isn't there *supposed* to be some exhaust coming out from there? That's right where the EGR is after all...

Almost sounds like your EGR is stuck open.

Ok guys....as per wolfsburg's suggestion and similar symptoms I went with what my gut instinct was telling me. The Cat was totally clogged and the EGR was stuck open releasing all of the cars exhaust back into the intake. I removed the EGR temporarily to let it breathe and took the car down the street to my local shop. He bored out the Cat and blocked the EGR. Hour and a half labor, $100 cash and now the car starts and runs better than ever! I though my 300 was supposed to be slow and stately, the thing really moves now! Crisp throttle response, great acceleration and feel. Like it was 1987 all over again.
Thanks again for the constructive help, I had a feeling all along it was the cat after reading wolfsburg's post. I think everyone should have theirs removed to avoid future troubles...cheers! :dancefool:

Took her on a highway jaunt yesterday, got up to 100 in a big hurry no problem, no excess smoke. The car wouldn't do over 60 before. Soooooo happy!:)

Good job!

Now, that's way better than selling it..........right?!!

Now you need to fix the EGR, permanently.

done, installed a block plate so no more soot or exhaust can get in there.