Hi,

Firstly thanks to all who helped me diagnose that the plugs were not the problem with my wifes car.

However..........................

This car will not start and idle. It will start first time, but then stalls. It wont stay running unless it has a good helping of throttle. It then belches out wedges of white smoke. Then it will idle. Then it runs perfectly. No MPG problems, or anything. No fault codes. Perfect.

So far,

1. Glow plugs have been checked and are working

2. Starter motor was changed so that it started first time, (half the original problem cured)

3. EGR valve checked and is working properly ( May well blank it off after looking at other threads anyway)

4. All of the induction system checked and is leak free.

The next step seems to be going to a garage. Luckily I am not far from a diesel injection specialist that is an agent for all of the major fuel injection manufacturers and was thinking of going there rather than a Ford dealership.

Unless anyone has any other ideas? I think I have remembered everything I've checked anyway. I've been so long trying to figure this one out , may have forgotten something. LOL

Thanks

Suction control valve on fuel pump will it cut out unless u rev up

Is that what the Haynes manual calls the fuel metering valve? Cant find a suction control valve on my fuel pump? :(

Yeah same thing just few different names for it

Crankshaft sensor and/or camshaft sensor?

Fixed mine :)

Crankshaft sensor and/or camshaft sensor?

Fixed mine :)

Would that only affect it idling from startup then? I did clean and check the connections on the camshaft sensor but not the crankshaft.

Yeah same thing just few different names for it

Can you test it anyway or is it just trial by replacement?

Does this go away after ten seconds or do u always have to keep revs up or it cut out

It goes away after 10 seconds revving up. The white smoke clears and it idles as normal and runs perfect. :)

I be checking injectors then probably leakin over night into cylinders causing over fuelling on start up

Cheers. Confirms a thought I had when I checked the glow plugs. I took them out first thing in the morning without starting it up and one was wet. Having a cold I couldnt smell if it was oil or diesel but the compression was ok when I tested it so I thought 141K miles on the original injectors could be the problem.

Thanks again

Russ

Your symptoms are exactly the same as Carmel's saloon last year. It had been a pig to start for ages, lots of cranking, then would start and cut out a couple of times.

I changed the battery, then the starter motor, just to try and start with a strong system, as there was a lot of early starts for work.

I was changing the sump and giving it a service one day and clutching at straws (not really consistent with the symptoms) I changed the crank sensor.

It fired instantly and has done so ever since!

I cured the lots of cranking when the starter motor was changed. Now it starts after a turn or so quite happily but then stalls straight away unless throttled up. Might give it a try though, only a few quid for a crank sensor.

Fixed 3 of 4 injectors were on the way out. It now starts perfectly. :)