Yesterday, I replaced the main and pre-filter on my 300D, now it is having great difficulty starting.

The other things I did were:

1. Replace a piece of hose - pre filter to injector pump hose. A short piece less than a foot long. I used a piece of high pressure hose that I bought for replacing the fuel rail to injector segments on the 4.5. It looked to be identical hose.

2. I replaced the air filter with a K&N unit.

3. I filled the main filter halfway with Redline diesel catalyst and then attached it and bled out all the air using the hand pump.

4. When I was bleeding the air, a drop of fuel came out of the bottom of the hand pump fixture. I thought maybe it was loose, I checked tightness it was tight. I backed off the nut a little and re-tightened, the unit rotated slightly as I tightened it but otherwise seemed fine.

5. I also topped off the battery with distilled water and lubed the throttle linkages and door and hood strikers.

What could it be?!? The first time I tried to start it, the system would seem to take on air because the hand pump would feel soft again. I would bleed the air out and try to start it and the same thing for a few times.

Finally it started after much repeating of bleeding, cranking and waiting.

Could it just totally coincidentally be glow plugs? Once I got it going yesterday, I ran some errands and it starting fine, when warm. . . hmm. .

I just don't know if I did something to it.

__________________
63 220S W111
76 300D W115
2013 VW JSW TDI M6

previously-
73 280 SEL 4.5
86 300E 5 speed
2010 VW Jetta TDI M6

joshhol,

It was just out of fuel or air locked. When that happens, pump the hell out of the hand pump, maybe 50 to 100 times as fast as you can. You don't have to loosen or remove anything, the air will bleed out if you pump it enough.

P E H

Unless your old style hand pump is shot, and leaking air in.

Check the hose to make sure it's fuel tight, and crack the bleeder on the main filter. Pump until no more air comes out (this will dribble diesel fuel, so don't do it in the garage....).

If you cannot get the air out, the hand pump or fuel line is leaking and you will be at this forever until you get a new pump and/or fix the line. Also, verify that you are getting good fuel delivery to the hand pump -- you should see fuel surging in the pre-filter as you pump. If not, blow back down the line into the tank to clear it.

Air in the IP can take a while to clear -- I'd suggest a nice drive to make sure it's all blown out. Ditto for fuel filter -- if you don't bleed it out, it just sits there sometimes.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

joshhol,

Possible one correction: It depends what type of fuel filter you have. If you have the type where a can goes on bottom of filter frame, it is self bleeding. If you have the older filter where a cartridge goes inside the filter can, you open the bleeding screw on the top of filter to bleed it.

Thanks, I'll be out of town for a couple days and I wont have internet access at home anymore.

Either way, I'll catch up later.

Josh

__________________
63 220S W111
76 300D W115
2013 VW JSW TDI M6

previously-
73 280 SEL 4.5
86 300E 5 speed
2010 VW Jetta TDI M6