Cold Starting Tdi

fatboyfinn · Nov 12th, 2017, 11:46

I have a problem starting the beast (850 Tdi) on the battery first thing - glow plug light on or off. It might take 20 30 second of cranking but usually will start. But if I bump it down the road it fires up instantly. Also, no problem when its hot. I was assuming it was taking time to pull fuel up the pipe - air leak maybe. Second thought, old starter motor drawing too much current to run the electronics - voltage droop. The dash lights do get very dim on the compression when cranking over. If I could leave it on a hill it would be no problem, just somebody always parks in front of me.....

Andy

Martin Cox · Nov 12th, 2017, 13:27

The commonest cause of bad starting with these engines is the pump timing being out of adjustment. When was the pump timing last checked or adjusted? Cold or hot starting difficulty is a typical symptom of the pump timing being off.

The glow plugs have very little bearing on the starting at most UK winter temperatures. Mine ran for years with five dead glow plugs and I didn't even know until the head was removed to repair damage caused by a cambelt failure and I thought to check them. It always started within a couple of turns.

It might also be a tired battery. Does it start any better if jump-started?

Hope this is of some help

Martin

1998 V70 Tdi auto 222720 miles

doingitsideways · Nov 13th, 2017, 19:32

I'm with above... Poor battery or lazy starter motor.

These are all about compression and take a hell of a lot of amps to crank them over from cold.

As they're a compression ignition engine, like any diesel, if you can't spin them over quick enough, there won't be enough heat generated in the cylinders to ignite the fuel.
The fact that you say it'll run if you bump start it down a hill compounds this as it'll likely spin the engine quicker.

If it was timing related, the bump start probably wouldn't work either.

Telekito · Nov 19th, 2017, 03:29

Hello,

I had this problem two times in my tdi.

There is a transparent tube at fuel pump. Ask for someone who start the car and see if there are bubbles in the tube. A bad fuel filter replacement can cause it.

If not. It can be the battery plugs. Clean it and tight its well. But in this case usually don´t fail at cold start...

You can use vol-fcr with an ebay OBD to read the codes and timming. It will help.

Best regards

shezza250 · Nov 22nd, 2017, 09:12

Yeah I'd agree. Test your battery. It should be 12.5V or above otherwise it could be that. How old is the battery?

Nov 12th, 2017, 11:46	#1
fatboyfinn New Member Last Online: Nov 12th, 2017 14:55 Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Plymouth	Cold Starting Tdi I have a problem starting the beast (850 Tdi) on the battery first thing - glow plug light on or off. It might take 20 30 second of cranking but usually will start. But if I bump it down the road it fires up instantly. Also, no problem when its hot. I was assuming it was taking time to pull fuel up the pipe - air leak maybe. Second thought, old starter motor drawing too much current to run the electronics - voltage droop. The dash lights do get very dim on the compression when cranking over. If I could leave it on a hill it would be no problem, just somebody always parks in front of me..... Andy

Nov 12th, 2017, 13:27	#2
Martin Cox VOC Member Last Online: Yesterday 11:32 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Hull	The commonest cause of bad starting with these engines is the pump timing being out of adjustment. When was the pump timing last checked or adjusted? Cold or hot starting difficulty is a typical symptom of the pump timing being off. The glow plugs have very little bearing on the starting at most UK winter temperatures. Mine ran for years with five dead glow plugs and I didn't even know until the head was removed to repair damage caused by a cambelt failure and I thought to check them. It always started within a couple of turns. It might also be a tired battery. Does it start any better if jump-started? Hope this is of some help Martin 1998 V70 Tdi auto 222720 miles Last edited by Martin Cox; Nov 12th, 2017 at 13:30. Reason: additional comment added

Nov 13th, 2017, 19:32	#3
doingitsideways The Daddy Last Online: Feb 29th, 2024 15:07 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Manchester	I'm with above... Poor battery or lazy starter motor. These are all about compression and take a hell of a lot of amps to crank them over from cold. As they're a compression ignition engine, like any diesel, if you can't spin them over quick enough, there won't be enough heat generated in the cylinders to ignite the fuel. The fact that you say it'll run if you bump start it down a hill compounds this as it'll likely spin the engine quicker. If it was timing related, the bump start probably wouldn't work either. __________________ XC90 V8 Exec, C70 2.4T Convertible, S70 T5 CD, 850 TDI, 2 x Escort vans and a 2.8i Capri. Clearout has begun, but must continue!

Nov 19th, 2017, 03:29	#4
Telekito Junior Member Last Online: Jan 26th, 2024 12:25 Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Vigo	Hello, I had this problem two times in my tdi. There is a transparent tube at fuel pump. Ask for someone who start the car and see if there are bubbles in the tube. A bad fuel filter replacement can cause it. If not. It can be the battery plugs. Clean it and tight its well. But in this case usually don´t fail at cold start... You can use vol-fcr with an ebay OBD to read the codes and timming. It will help. Best regards

Nov 22nd, 2017, 09:12	#5
shezza250 Junior Member Last Online: Dec 5th, 2019 19:16 Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: southend	Yeah I'd agree. Test your battery. It should be 12.5V or above otherwise it could be that. How old is the battery?

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