A few weeks ago while driving on the highway my return fuel hose broke causing the fuel system to suck air and stall. After some scavenging and replumbing I was able to start the car and drive it a little ways further, but it stalled again. This time I could not start due to a drained battery. AAA picked me up charged the battery and I started and drove without issue for 50 plus miles. Car sat for 1 1/2 weeks. I then replaced the fuel hoses and used the hand primer to bleed air. I think I got most of it. I started, it ran for a minute, then sputtered and died. Seemed like fuel starvation. I could not get a complete start after that regardless of hand primer use. I since have changed the secondary fuel filter ( primary is clean) verified lift pump is working ( although possibly slowly?) by pulling the hose going to filter and cranking to see fuel coming from hose. Checked and cleaned all three banjo bolts / connections on IP and filter head, confirmed glow plugs are good ( 4 of 5 anyway) and cracked injector lines. There is no fuel seeping from the hard lines at the injectors when cranked. SO... I pulled the vac shutoff hose...Verified the pressure relief spring and ball on the rear of the IP was intact. no change. I suppose it is possible that some hose debris or other got into the IP intake. Maybe the IP has failed. I'm not sure how to test or remedy either of these issues. Any help diagnosing and fixing the issue is greatly appreciated. 1984 300tdt

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1984 Astral Grey 300TDT - The French Fry
1979 Yellow 300SD - The Pomme - SOLD
1985 Light Ivory 300DT - Fritz
1987 Anthracite Grey 300SDL - ?

How long are you cranking for with no fuel coming out of the injector lines? Are you holding the throttle wide open or cranking with your foot on the floor? It may take 20-30 seconds.

I stopped cracking open the injector lines, just prime the IP, put my foot flat on the floor, and crank until she starts.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

Well, after the 5th battery charge and cranking w/ wide open throttle it finally started. I needed to keep the pedal to the floor for about 60sec before it would idle without threat of stalling. I guess I had no idea there could be that much air intrusion and how difficult it can be to remove it. SHEESH!

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1984 Astral Grey 300TDT - The French Fry
1979 Yellow 300SD - The Pomme - SOLD
1985 Light Ivory 300DT - Fritz
1987 Anthracite Grey 300SDL - ?

generally, the issue is air in the IP.

step one needs to be pure bleeding with the primer pump to be CERTAIN THERE IS NO AIR LEFT IN THE FUEL LINES!

it's easy if you have fresh clear fuel lines.

next step needs to be opening the hard line nuts at the injectors.

then finally, after all injectors are weeping fuel, with zero bubbles, you tighten the nuts, and glow the plugs, then crank with the pedal down, and it should rumble to life.

I find a trick for the bleed process with the line nuts open is to disconnect the glow plug harness from the relay, so the battery doesn't deal with that draw as well... gets the motor spinning better, and lets the battery relax a bit...

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Purging the hard lines by cracking the nuts at the injectors is essential.
Otherwise you are just squeezing the air trapped in the lines between the delivery valve and the injector nozzle. The nozzle cannot open when air is in the lines since the air can compress. The only way the nozzle can open is when there is a continuous path of fluid in the line to transmit the pressure pulse from the delivery valve to the nozzle.

If you have air in the high pressure lines, it's like doing CPR when the victim is on a mattress or couch (the first thing they warn you about at CPR class).

Also unplugging the glow relay is good advice. Not only is this better on the battery but it is rough on the glow plugs to be heated during all the cranking attempts. Their duty cycle is not meant for long term operation.

That also applies to whenever you are doing electrical troubleshooting that involves the key in the II position. If you turn the key on and leave it, the relay times out. But if you keep cycling the key then the timer starts new every time.

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The OM 642/722.9 powered family
Still going strong
2014 ML350 Bluetec (wife's DD)
2013 E350 Bluetec (my DD)

both my kids cars went to junkyard in 2023
2008 ML320 CDI (Older son’s DD) fatal transmission failure, water soaked/fried rear SAM, numerous other issues, just too far gone to save (165k miles)
2008 E320 Bluetec (Younger son's DD) injector failed open and diluted oil with diesel, spun main bearings (240k miles)

1998 E300DT sold to TimFreeh
1987 300TD sold to vstech

Hand pump 5 or 6 times; crank for 3 or 4 seconds. Repeat as necessary. Mine almost always starts by the 3rd or 4th cycle. Usually needed after filters replaced or injectors and or lines pulled.

Do you have the old fashion twist and pump primer or the newer black one?

Once you remove the pressure relief valve, you will loose all the fuel in the ip...when makes bleeding the air out an even longer practice. When you disassembled the valve did you stretch the spring to 27mm?

How old is your battery? My assumption is, that the battery should not drain that fast.

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