VW Diesel Questions (1 Viewer)

[splitbuseric]

Hi,

My 1994 VW Jetta Diesel is acting crappy lately. It is very hard starting and occasionally stalls immediately after start up. I generally runs good once you do get it going but has the occasional burp as well. Also the idle is varying a little bit. The glow pulugs are new. The engine to my knowledge is in very good condition. Doesn't burn oil and head gasket etc is good with no leaks. It has good power, so I think the compression is good. Therefore I figure it must be fuel problem. I don't believe it has a water separator so is it possible the fuel filter is plugged and/or iced up? It has been -10-20C for the last month. Although the it still is hard starting on warmer days.

Nothing has been played with and no work has been done recently. For comparison the same car last winter started every time with no problems....

Does anybody have any ideas? I think I will start with the fuel filter as it is cheap....

I am not a diesel mechanic, but mechanically inclined. I am learning between this and my BJ60's.....

Thanks

 

[splitbuseric]

forgot to mention

The supply line coming out of the filter is clear, and I can see bubbles coming from the filter. Is this normal or maybe the cause of my problem. I was under the impressions diesels don't like air in their system.....


Help!

 

[cam75w/ls1]

They don't like air in the system. You probably have a crack in the fuel hose somewhere between the injection system and the tank. The dodge diesel trucks have a known problem w/ the fuel lines when they get old and start leaking air. The fuel system drains down overnight and is a real PITA to start in the mornings. Does yours start fine for the most part after the hard start or is it every start hard?

 

[splitbuseric]

It always starts hardest when it is cold, but lately its been even after the car is warmed up and driven a fair distance. A major pain as its my wife's car and she is carting around our 5 month old son.........I know its been at least a couple of years since the filter was changed.

I had a quick look at the lines and didn't see any major leaks/seeps, but I should really do a thorough check..... This s*** is a pain in laying in the snowy driveway....

Thanks for the reply

Eric

 

[cam75w/ls1]

Wow,just looked at your sig and saw all the VWs. I've got a friend that just bought a 1956? or 1958? Beetle w/ split windows and sunroof.

 

[cam75w/ls1]

Oops, forgot to respond to your reply. The lines may not leak any fuel. That's what makes em hard to diagnose. The pump pulls fuel from the tank so the lines are in a very minute vacuum so it would pull air through the pores of the hose. Not saying this is your problem but just a guess. If you haven't changed the filter in a couple of years then yes, start there.

 

[honk]

Change the filter and get some fuel treatment in the tank. In that cold temperature your fuel is probably half waxy gel if you haven't taken any of the usual cold weather precautionary steps.

See the diesel forum here.

 

[arcteryx]

check your glow plugs, since you said it was hard to start

 

[DieselROCKS]

I had the same problem kind of problem with my 1991 passat (1.6 td). It turned out to be a pin hole leak in the rubber fuel line between the filter and the injector pump. You couldn't see the leak until the engine was reved up a little and the line was twisted a little bit.

Took me forever to figure that one out!

Cheers
Geoff