hi guys.

wondering if anyone can help me? i have a 04 tdci ford foucs ghia 1.8, the problem started out of the blue one morning when i went to start it and it would turn over but just wouldn't ignite. i had parked with the car facing downhill with a low tank so my first thoughts where the fuel was to low and on the wrong side of the tank to get to the engine. so i towed it to level ground and it started with relative ease.
a few weeks went past and it was fine but the problem started to happen again on level ground. i took the pipe coming from the fuel tank off the filter and it was bone dry after trying to pre charge the engine by turning the ignition to position 2 a couple of times then turning it over.
the only way i could get it started was to connect diesel straight onto the incoming filter slot, via a lemonade bottle. the car then fired up first time.
i have just had a new filter and a couple of pipes changed one of which going back to the tank but the problem still persists. im wondering if the car has two fuel pumps in the installation and the one pumping fuel to the filter has packed up and hoping its not the injector pump.
i hope someone out there can help or has some advice many thanx.
ben.

This may just be a case of air in the fuel system. These are meant to be quite difficult to get running again after a filter change because from what I know the pump doesn't work via a priming system like most, its more a gravity fed type. When I replaced my fuel filter, I fitted the new element then filled it to the top with diesel, it started first time without any problems, however im told that if you do have air in the system right the way back to the tank, they can be a right pain in the rectum to get going. You could try filling the fuel filter to the top, and using a manual priming bulb/pump on the fuel line to the tank and keep at it until you get fuel through, then reconnect the fuel line, crank it and it should start, just give the revs some beans for a min or two, to make sure the fuel is pulling through.