Original issue: following a service diesel leak from fuel filter perishes fan belt which disintegrates into cambelt which skips 5 teeth.  Loads of engine work needed: head off and skimmed, 12 new valves and 16 rocker arms replaced. Garage reckon it would have cost £3k but they accept responsibility for faulty fuel filter / fuel filter fitting and together with filter manufacturer cover costs. I pay £400 for new cambelt and a seized glow plug. 

I breathe sigh of relief...  3 weeks later take car back for a check over.  Fuel filter is checked, new oil and oil filter fitted, given the all clear.

About 50 miles later lose power then engine stalls. Recovered to garage who say most likely cause is failed high pressure fuel pump (yet to be confirmed), and they saying it's unrelated to all the engine work they have just done. 

 

I've obviously got a different view of the cause! I've looked at HPFP failures and loads of info about failures in the states (apparently due to poor quality diesel) but very little related to HPFP failure in UK.  I believe the failure to be related to the work that has just been done, garage say pure coincidence and not their fault. Stand-off with garage at the moment

Seems like main dealer approach is to replace whole new fuel system including fuel pumps, fuel rail and injectors, fuel tank and all pipework.  Apparently cost of all this is about £8k so probably more than the car is worth!

 

Garage are suggesting replace HPFP and flushing system.  Quoted cost of £1200.  Though I'm concerned that there is further damage to other fuel pumps / injectors (which we won't know about till new HPFP fitted), and that there will be contaminants left in fuel system.

 

Any thoughts / advice?  Please!!

So the fuel filter wasn't fitted correctly and now you have component failure due to fuel contamination.....

Coincidence ?

You need to get an expert to look at it and give you an independent professional report.

Then if the problem is due to the work carried out by the garage, then you will have to take legal action if they don't sort it for you

When the fuel pump fails and parts get into the ststem most of the diesel is sent back to the tank. So will then get picked up in the fuel filter. So the chances of it getting to the injectors is low - but obviously possible. I'd stand your ground on the claim it is related to the first problem. But like i said drop us a PM if you need parts.

When you have your fuel filter replaced you then need to vent the fuel system with the diagnostic machine in this procedure the fuel pump in the tank is activated and sends fuel from the tank to the filter and to the pump whilst bleeding the air in the fuel filter and lines. If you do not do this and constantly crank the engine to start the car the pump is turned over whilst dry and swarf is a major cause. I suspect that the garage you took it to are unaware/unable to vent the fuel system. Another cause for this is if it has ever been miss fuelled petrol does not lubricate the pump internals. A very delicate item that requires professional workmanship.

Edited 21 December, 201411 yr by FLAPPERJACK7

I've never heard of having to 'vent the system' when changing the fuel filter?

 

How would someone servicing their car at home do this?

Silver... you could use a mittyvac.

Not as good but best home repair.

Edited 21 December, 201411 yr by FLAPPERJACK7

The pump in the tank primes the system before either of the pumps on the engine kick in.

Yes the pump in the tank primes that's what we use to vent the system only we activate it in 3 minute cycle's to vent (bleed) the system for as many 3 minutes cycles as we need. Complete nightmare even on a total dry engine as it would of been when doing the op's cylinder head rebuild.

Thanks for replies. I have asked garage about correct bleeding of system as I remember them mentioning fueling problems when trying to start the car before the slipped timing belt was diagnosed and having to rebleed the system them. They tell me they are aware of the correct Elsa process and made no errors.

It has never been misfueled. At least in the 2 years I have had it.

Now need to find an independent expert opinion. Any advice?

You probably need take a sample of fuel for analysis before you can rule out its not poor fuel quality that has caused the damage to your hpfp as its not common for water in the fuel causing similar damage.

I think I'm thinking what the op is thinking. You only done 50 miles from the garage ..2 reasons i know of miss fuelled or dry pump continously cranked. If you already had swarf in the system it would of been in the old filter and surely they would of mentioned that on the service. Good luck with this.

Update: had phone call from garage, they've sent the HPFP off to Bosch to get looked at. It came back with a clean bill of health: no particles in filter 'screens' in the pipework leading to and from the pump.

So all our HPFP musings in vain!

Garage to investigate further...

Flapperjack- you are right. Fuel filter clean at the 'check-up' 50 miles ago.