Hard / No Start

[adept99]

Count me among the afflicted. Our 2001 Volvo 770 with the D12 engine had been stumbling for some time, but only for one "event" and only for the initial start of the day. No smoke of any color was present in excess of the usual diesel start. Today that changed to a "no run" where the engine would crank, start to run and then quit as soon as the key was released.

 

For lack of anything quicker or more obvious, I started to change out the fuel filters. Changed the can on the driver's side, then pumped the primer until...well, you know. Bumped the starter which squirted fuel everywhere out of the bleeder screw. Tightened the bleeder screw & tried to start the beast. Started & ran for about 2 minutes. Quit and has done nothing since. Will not "hit" at all, and is starting to drain the battery. Still have fuel in the canister filter and it appears to have some amount of residual pressure with no air bubbles.

 

Is it reasonable to think I "flooded" it somehow?

 

The fuel level in the Davco separator is normal, but I will proceed with changing that filter in the morning regardless. More than half of the fuel is less than a month old, from my usual trusted Marathon source.

 

Naturally, the truck is parked about 400' from the nearest power and my shop with tools and whathaveyou.

 

Anybody know what exactly is wrong??? (well, maybe not 'zackly, but nearly)!!

 

Thanks for any help

 

Paul

 

 

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Sounds like air in the system.

What does the oil and antifreeze look like?

Off the top of my head like I said Air in the system....... BUT there have been several topics lately about injector cups. Just a thought.

[Darryl&Rita]

where the engine would crank, start to run and then quit as soon as the key was released.

 

Fuel shut off solenoid?

[Nigel]

I would pump the primer again. If it starts move it closer to the power outlet before it quits again. I am also thinking air or lift pump but you said you had fuel when you bumped the starter. Mine didn't want to start after sitting overnight without cranking for about 45 seconds a few weeks ago but would start right up with about four or five pumps with the hand primer. Was going to take it back to the mechanic (just serviced with fuel filters) but sorted itself out after a few days.

 

Nigel

[spindrift]

Assuming it's air, I'd recommend one of these:

 

http://www.apexinds.com/tools/M50041.html

[Brad & Jacolyn]

Paul,

All I can do to help is relate what I had to do. I had white smoke on initial start up and the coolant going down. The initial start up was also rough and stumbling. All starts were good after that. My cure was 6 new injector cups and 3 new injectors. This is what was happening (as they explained it to me). The white smoke was coolant burning off and this was caused by leaking injector cups allowing the coolant into the cylinders. The stumbling and hard starting was leaking fuel injectors allowing air into the fuel system. My problems seem to be corrected now. The starting got hard enough that I actually had to use starting fluid once (I did not like to do that).

 

Brad

[adept99]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Tom:

The service manual shows installing 2 of the sight glasses, along with some clear tubing and a variety of other bit and pieces. Still too sore to do very much of that work myself, although I did change the filters.

 

Brad:

No smoke and the coolant level is constant. Also, no obvious contaminates.

 

I don't use Bio-diesel, so algae should not be a problem. Mobile Mechanic coming this morning to try to start the ol' Toy Draggin. Hoping for just air.

 

Paul

[spindrift]

Keep us updated. Better now than on the way to the ECR.

[adept99]

Turned out to be air. The hand primer had apparently been sucking air for some time directly into the fuel line. Wasn't leaking back until this morning when I had DW crank the truck while I pumped the primer. Got quite a bit of fuel out of the pump but didn't recognize the full significance until the mechanic fixed it. Pump unscrews & I'll replace it tomorrow. Supposedly a Volvo part.

 

Better than the side of the road.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Sounds simple enough!

[crazybanshee]

Were is this primer pump located. Getting all the parts and fluids together to do all of them at the same time.

[Nigel]

Top of the fuel filter housing on mine.

 

Nigel

[Phil D]

Top of the fuel filter housing on mine.

 

That would be the logical location, regardless of engine make, although there may be exceptions. It has to be at the highest point of any fuel system to purge all of the air, and that's typically on or very near the fuel filter housing (the secondary filter housing in a two-stage system).

[adept99]

That's correct, top of the fuel filter housing on the driver's side, about even with the bottom of the frame rail and about the mid point of the engine. However, that's for a Volvo D12 engine. While the idea of a fuel primer pump is generic, the location isn't necessarily so. Haven't checked, but I'd bet that this is a generic part that could be purchased at Napa or Total Truck Parts. Don't know that I see the need to keep a spare on hand. Volvo price was $43.

 

Turns out this is a Dealer Only part mfg'd by Bosch. If the pump fails, there should be no reason to replace the housing unless it's actually cracked or broken in some fashion. Otherwise, replace the prime pump, prime the fuel system, and

 

....Drive On

[billr]

I had a similar failure about 8 yrs ago on our D12. Replaced the whole filter housing and pump. It was getting progressively bad stumbling after start and stalling until finally no start. Had to pump to start. We were on the road and wanted to just get home so once running we never shut off on the last day. ha

[crazybanshee]

Thanks guys. Will have to check it out this weekend. Weather is getting nicer. The first oil change will be a pain till I get the drain valve put on it.