DieselDave Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Hi, I've just gave my car a full service and now I can't get the engine to start. Pretty sure the problems with the fuel filter (bleeding). I've serviced many cars before and had no problem, I just replaced the fuel filter and turned the engine a few times and they all started no prob. No fuel was coming through so I removed the outlet hose of the filter and sucked the diesel through but still no joy in starting. The car is a MK2 Focus Zetec 1.8TDCI. Any advice would be excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRAITH Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Hi, I've just gave my car a full service and now I can't get the engine to start.Pretty sure the problems with the fuel filter (bleeding). I've serviced many cars before and had no problem, I just replaced the fuel filter and turned the engine a few times and they all started no prob. No fuel was coming through so I removed the outlet hose of the filter and sucked the diesel through but still no joy in starting. The car is a MK2 Focus Zetec 1.8TDCI. Any advice would be excellent. Sounds like air lock. Has your car got a squeeze pump in the fuel line under the bonnet? not all cars have these fitted as standard but if its there, give it a few pumps and it will suck through. Some manufacturers get you to buy it as a service tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SierraYankee99 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 It'll take forever to fire up mate. Did you fill the new filter with diesel before fitting it? If not you've not only got to pump air out of the lines but also the whole filter full of air too. Theres no manual pump on them as they are self bleeding by cranking the engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordtech Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Your best bet is to draw fuel through the return at the pump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harle Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I'm having the same problem. The computer is claiming there is an "engine systems fault". Again a 1.8 TDCI. I didnt fill the filter when originally replaced. Since seeing this post I've filled the fuel filter prior to cranking. Still no joy. I'm fairly certain that there is air in the system. I get the impression that the fuel pump isnt trying to draw fuel from the filter. After removing the fuel pipes from the filter housing, there is no diesel evident. Also, the "engine systems fault", appears at stage 2 ignition. Any suggestions? How would i go about drawing fuel via the fuel return line? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SierraYankee99 Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 You sure you got the pipes on the new filter the right way round? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harle Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Yup, they will only fit on one way anyway, due to the length of the pipes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sr-performance Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Hi, you cant get the pipes wrong as there sized and only fit where they came off. you will have air in system still, try cracking open 2 fuel injector pipes a little then turn engine over untill air and diesel starts coming out of injectors, turn engine off, tighten injectors back up and should start.. may take some turning over still though so you may need a jump off another battery. been there meself!! just the once! :) steve www.sr-performance.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krixus Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Hi everyone, I have a 2007 1.8 tdci Focus Sport. To solve the problem of bleeding the fuel system. I had this problem after changing the fuel filter and resolved it by using a syringe bigger the better 50ml if you have one. Fill it with diesel then pump it down each of the feed and return pipes that lead into the fuel filter, careful not to spill any. Once you have filled each pipe carefully attach it to the filter body. Start your car and keep it turning over, it took mine about five to ten seconds. It worked for me. Krixus 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krixus Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Id just like to add to the above comment that I made that you'll also need to refill the fuel filter body as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEADS Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 Just got a 1.8 mondeo going that had run out of fuel easiest way I find is to top up filter then prime the line to the pump with a small syringe might take a few attempts but you won't be there hours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee_82 Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 Biggest bump in the history of the forum? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomsFocus Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 I wonder if the car in the OP is even still on the road now?? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan_Tango Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 Doc called he wants to replace his fuel filter on the Delorean again by himself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tdci-Peter Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 The time delay just shows that this is a long term problem with the 1.8TDCI. I had a lot of trouble last filter change. I think one problem is that the fuel tank pump is either not present, or not working, on my car, and maybe on others. It is reliant on the 1st stage of the main diesel pump to pull fuel through, and this pump will Not suck air. It has to be primed. I resorted to a jam jar with pipes connected through the top, and a hand operated pressure pump to ram diesel into the filter inlet, as hard as I could. Then there is the problem of re-connecting the inlet pipe, as soon it is disconnected ( to remove the priming kit), the fuel just whizzed back down to the tank, leaving a pipe full of air. I then used a vacuum pump (I happen to have one, part of my job!), to suck the air out of the top vent port on the filter. Took best part of two days to re-start. BTW: I really do not like doing anything on the filter outlet side, like filling the pipe. I known what the sizes of some of the holes and ports in the HP pump & injectors are like, and Any dirt (even invisible) downstream of the filter could be a real disaster. All the HP (>20,000 PSI) diesel bits, like pump, pipes, injectors, are a very expensive and critical part of the car. Best left undisturbed if possible! A permanently fitted priming pump or bulb on the filter inlet would be a very good idea. Anyone done this on a 1.8TDCI? Peter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee_82 Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 There is no fuel tank pump on the 1.6 or 1.8 TDCIs. Well that's not strictly true, there is a pump, but Ford don't use it. The fuel is sucked up by the High pressure pump before being sent to the rail. Just fill up the pipes and filter with fuel, connect it all up, job done, (use the filtered fuel) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomsFocus Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 Wait...there's actually a pump in there? Sure it's not just an empty pump casing with the level sender? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee_82 Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 Mine was, of course it might have been a replacement but the sender unit definitely had a pump in it, the replacements have the pumps so either ford have the pump and don't use it or its a replacement in my car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 Going to bump this cos the skinny: my focus mk1.5 1.8tdci has been cutting out with air getting into the system thru the fuel filter and I'm having to bleed by cracking the nuts of the injectors and running it then tightening up, its a pain when it cuts out on the A12. Note: all 4 injectors were fully reconditioned 6 months ago. Help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tdci-Peter Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 1 hour ago, Ladiesman020 said: my focus mk1.5 1.8tdci has been cutting out with air getting into the system thru the fuel filter and I'm having to bleed by cracking the nuts of the injectors and running it then tightening up, its a pain when it cuts out on the A12. If air is getting in the fuel filter housing, then that is where the fault lies! It is normally under suction while running, so any leaks will allow air in. But there was also someone with a Mk1 Focus, who had a cracked & perished pipe from the filter to the pump. That would do the same. On older diesels, cracking the injector nuts was normal. But common rail diesels run at much higher pressure (21,000PSI, and that is for real!), and have leak off pipes from each injector. So the High Pressure side of the pump is self priming, and opening up any of the critical, metal to metal sealed high pressure unions is not recommended. It can lead to leaks, or wear debris from the unions getting into the injectors. Using a hand pump (before the filter) to ram fuel (as hard as you can) into the main pump is the recommended procedure for these, or a good vacuum hand pump connected to the fuel return pipe from the diesel pump is also a good way to prime them. These methods avoid the risk of getting dirt into the very sensitive and very expensive pump and injectors. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zain611 Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 3 hours ago, Ladiesman020 said: Going to bump this cos the skinny: my focus mk1.5 1.8tdci has been cutting out with air getting into the system thru the fuel filter and I'm having to bleed by cracking the nuts of the injectors and running it then tightening up, its a pain when it cuts out on the A12. Note: all 4 injectors were fully reconditioned 6 months ago. Help When was the last time you changed the filter? I changed the fuel filter on my 1.6 diesel fiesta which was not changed by the previous owner for 6 years and that had water in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 The long version: I've had the car in the my garage unused for 3 years until may 2017. I decided to get the car running and start using it so a mechanic friend suggested I replace the diesel filter as they can turn to gel, so got a crossland one brimed it up, got the car running, all perfect, but then a few days later it wouldn't start so we took the pipes off brimed it up again, used a couple of rubber o rings on the ports and all fine at end of may. But then in November it cut out all of a sudden when i accelerated in a side road from start, tryed cranking a few times then away it went, on the half mile drive home I kept the revs low, but on my driveway i accelerated to 3,500 revs then it died on de acceleration, went to the mate he suggested I should try bleeding by cracking the heads, did that all worked fine no problems until 19 December, on that day I took my grandmother shopping, took a few short journeys went into lidl hour later came out wouldn't start, cracked heads then cranked it many times took 40 mins but got it running fine. Similar things have happened with it cutting out. On one time recent I had just put 30L fuel in , accelerated 200Meters down road, died, I just spun it over and away it went. I've had 8-12 incendents of it happing over 2 months. Cos of the problems I decided to replace the filter last Friday, I bought a new Bosch one, fitted it, brimed it up, away it went fine had the car idle for 5 mins then it cut out, no start, so back to cracking the heads, but no the filter was dry, so had to take the pipes off and brim it up again and got it running again. I have thought about getting a hand primer pump/bulb, but I'm not sure where it would go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tdci-Peter Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 15 minutes ago, Ladiesman020 said: but no the filter was dry, so had to take the pipes off and brim it up again and got it running again. Look to me like it must be a cracked or damaged hose or pipe connector, somewhere in the low pressure piping from tank, through filter, to main pump. It might be hard to find. If it is above the level of the tank, then fuel will not leak out of it. Unless you can find some way to slightly pressurise the tank, but the tank vent would probably prevent that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 I've the focus 1.5 estate tdci ghia. Do you meen the sender unit on top of fuel tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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