Hi,

Hope you can help as I have had the mother of all mornings.

Car was low on diesel this morning, ok ultra low - trip showed 0 miles left (I know, I know, I shouldn't but I did) so filled up wth Asda fuel and all was well. Drove the eight miles to my parents house and all remains well. There I changed the air filter and fuel filter, no biggie as I have done them often before and all was fine. I thought.

The missus jumped in it to go down town and it died after 40 metres. Will not restart.

So far I have checked the air filter, changed back to the original fuel filter, checked the timing belt is still turning the cam, bled some fuel out of the inlet pipe to the filter from the tank and checked there is fuel into the tamdem pump. All is well and the diesel looks like diesel, not water! In tank pump is running ok, fuel flows into the filter ok I think (what pressure does it run at?). I took the plug off the air meter and it looks clean and dry, gave it and the wiring a good wiggle too.

The only thing I did notice was that when I took off the twin pipe fitting at thefront of the filter when I went to change it to the original there was a puff from it as if it were drawing air in/under pressure. Dunno if it was the case for sure but I'm sure I did hear something.....

The only thing I can think of is that I have got dirt in the system yet there was nothing out of the ordinary during the filter changes and everything is clean enough in my engine bay - not lumps of crud everywhere or excessively dusty, just ordinary working car.

So what can I check next? Electrical maybe? Any way to check the fuel system / tandem pump / PDs? Help!

Thanks,

Peter

just sounds like the fuel filter needs priming turn the ignition on and off a few dozen times and then try and start it

just sounds like the fuel filter needs priming turn the ignition on and off a few dozen times and then try and start it

+1

If im right in thinking then you replaced the whole unit (as appose to the 2.0pd where just the filter is changed) did you fill it with diesel first?

Yeah, my reading of this went "did you prime the fuel filter?" too. These cars do have self-bleeding injectors, but it takes several minutes spinning the engine on the starter motor to re-prime the fuel system after changing the filter.

Sounds just like the fuel filter isnt primed as above. Its used what was left post fuel filter then cut out because there is no more fuel been fed.

Had to add this in... Friday 13th :(

Sounds like others have already stated

Fabia_19; You're absolutely right!

Thanks guys, makes sense. Previously I've done half a dozen filter changes on VRS and have just disconnected old, connected new and driven away. It seems this time I'm not getting away with that.

New filter went on dry. After the car had stopped I took it off, it had fuel in it. The old filter was still upright from removal and hadn't been emptied so was full of fuel, it's now back on the car and had made no difference. Seems my problem is further up the line now.

I had the feed pipe to the tandem pump off, when I turn ignition on fuel came out of it so the 1 second prime is pushing fuel through the filter and up to that pump, I must have air after that.

Any special process for bleeding or just turn it over until it sorts itself out?!

Thanks for all your quick replies.

You check or change the o rings on the fuel pipe?

A final update.

Went back out to her after it had sat for some time. Some more time turning over and then it caught and ran perfectly. Must have bled out and all is well.

Many thanks to all those that posted for expanding my education and calming me down! Thanks guys.