Every time i start the car from cold, it takes two or three turnovers before it will catch. It then splutters for a few seconds, and discharges quite a bit of white smoke.

What would be the cause of this? the car is under 3 yrs old with 36k miles.

JD

I'm having the same problem with mine.

Although it only seems to do it if it has been sitting for 7 hrs + (ish).

Have checked the Glow Plugs & they work fine, i'm thinking it might have something to do with the fuel system.

If anyone has any ideas i'd love to hear them!

Pete

I'm having the same problem with mine.

Although it only seems to do it if it has been sitting for 7 hrs + (ish).

Have checked the Glow Plugs & they work fine' date=' i'm thinking it might have something to do with the fuel system.

If anyone has any ideas i'd love to hear them!

Pete[/quote']

Hi Pete,

How did you check the glow plugs?

Steve

Sounds like a blocked injector.

Hi

I had mine in to have it looked at. When the dealer plugged it into the computer, they found that it was a faulty temperature sensor in the fuel injection pump. Unfortunately the entire fuel pump had to be changed, as the sensor is integral. Took 4 hours under warranty, but seems to have done the trick.

JD

There is a reasonable amount on glowsin this thred:

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/octavia/tdi-cold-starting/47571/

Specifically a post on checking glows by myself here:

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/post543672.html

If the comments about glow plugs (on a direct injection engine in this weather guys?) are wrong, maybe an air leak in the LP feed to the pump, so it's staying primed? I had this one with my old Xantia.

I assume your Xantia was a HDI as oppsed to a TD?

While I agree glows may well not be the problem they are definately worth while checking as a matter of cause in situations like this. It's a lot cheaper to check the glows and replace them than it is to get anyone to replace any of the fuel lines.

Saying that it's definately a valid point that you should check the pipes up to the fuel pump are tightly connected. A little bit of vaslene over the join will usually track down air leaks fairly quickly.

XUDt rather than HDi if that's what you meant? But my exp of DI engines goes back to the Trannie, and I know they cycle glows way faster than IDI ones do, so they're not as critical of glow condition.

Yes, that's what I meant about fuel lines, was joints and bends, rather than a critical examination of the whole line. For once it's even DIYable, at least to a diagnostic level!

Yeah was more along the lines of the problems I can remember with Lucas and Bosch fuel pump lines on the XUD & XUDt on a BX & 306

As I said definately agree with sealing the joints with something and seeing what happens.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys,

I can safely say its not the glows as i replaced them a couple of months ago, also tested them with high tension Ammeter inline and there is definatly current going to them.

I've had VAG com plugged in and it doesn't throw up any error codes, i've also run 4 tanks worth of Redex through it to try & clear any dirt of the injectors, but all to no avail

Looks like i'm gonna have to take it down to the dealers (i'm unfortunatly way out of warranty!)

Ken, if it was an air leak in the LP feed, is this something i could find myself, or is it dealer job?

As said above find all the joints on the pipes to the fuel pump and smear a little vaslene over all joints.

Turn it over until it starts, then run it for a minute or two. Turn it off an leave it for a good few hours or overnight. If that solves it then you have an airleak, and cleaning off each joint one by one until it happens again will locate the leak.

You will only have 1 or 2 connections in the system so shouldn't take too long.

As said ... too long.

Wot he said, but if there's a manual primer bulb in the system, check the inch or 2 eitherside of it as well.

I couldn't see one on my octy, but that is probably because I don't know where to find it on the octy so suggestion was to use the engine to prime.

The XUD bosch was a nice obvious bulb and the Lucas a black button on the top of the fuel pump

As said above find all the joints on the pipes to the fuel pump and smear a little vaslene over all joints.

Turn it over until it starts' date=' then run it for a minute or two. Turn it off an leave it for a good few hours or overnight. If that solves it then you have an airleak, and cleaning off each joint one by one until it happens again will locate the leak.

You will only have 1 or 2 connections in the system so shouldn't take too long.[/quote']

Thanks for that, i'll get the vaslene out over the weekend!!!

I noticed that my TDI Octy does not seem to self-prime (unlike my my 306HDI) for when I changed the fuel filter. Certainly I have not spotted a bulb anywhere to help with the priming.

Nope it doesnt, You have to turn it over and hope the battery lasts out.

I gave up in the end and poured some diesel into the filter!

Nope it doesnt, You have to turn it over and hope the battery lasts out.

Isn't this self-bleeding, rather than self-priming? Certainly I'm used to a manual primer pump, rather than having to rely on the starter on PSA cars.

Well i've just come back from 2 weeks in the south of France with it and the problem has disappeared!

Think it might have something to do with the heat making everything swell & what ever it was has 'slotted' back in to place, lets just hope it stays like that!

There is obviously a case for giving your car a holiday in the sun:thumbup:

I would go for the air leak to, got the same symptoms on my vectra, replaced the injector spill pipes and the problem was solved. (cost me a few euros)

See : http://groups.google.be/group/uk.rec.cars.maintenance/browse_frm/thread/8047aa84f5aa4da3/a02ab184d20db5d9?lnk=st&q=2.0+DTI+VECTRA+SPILL&rnum=1&hl=nl#a02ab184d20db5d9