Disco 1 300 tdi auto (the dreaded EDC) won't start...

Morning folks,

I recently bought a 1997 300tdi auto (EDC) as a non-runner, with the intention of it taking over from my current 300 auto (also EDC) when I retire it in the new year due to the rot getting beyond reasonable repair.

Anyway, the new one spins over but won't fire, initially it was quite slow turning over so have had the starter off and cleaned it up, now turns over much faster but still won't fire up.

This morning I have made an attempt to bleed the diesel system but I'm unsure of the correct procedure for the EDC system, I have diesel at the filter (comes out of the bleed screw when the lift pump is manually operated), I also appear to have diesel at all 4 injectors?? I cracked each off in turn and cranked it over, fuel was seen to appear at the unions (it didn't seem to have a great deal of pressure behind it, just ran out over the union, should it have been pouring out?)

I'm pretty sure I can rule out an issue with the pump itself as fuel appears to be coming through it, what should I be looking at next? Blocked filter? Timing maybe? Any pointers would be great!

Can you get a live to the stop solenoid and register it clicking(working), could be stuck, starter could also be taking all the amps, not leaving enough to hold solenoid open

I can have a look, would it be possible for it to be only opening partially then?
It's worth mentioning that I have also tried jumping it off the other disco to no avail

Little update on this, have just been out and checked the timing (arrow cast in the timing cover lined up to notch on crank pulley and 9.5 drill goes into the pump pulley), so satisfied that that isn't the issue.

Attempted to drain off anything in the bottom of the fuel filter, but nothing at all came out when I opened the drain?? Starting to wonder if it's a partially blocked filter, will get a new'un tomorrow and go from there.

mattsuffolk said:

Little update on this, have just been out and checked the timing (arrow cast in the timing cover lined up to notch on crank pulley and 9.5 drill goes into the pump pulley), so satisfied that that isn't the issue.

Attempted to drain off anything in the bottom of the fuel filter, but nothing at all came out when I opened the drain?? Starting to wonder if it's a partially blocked filter, will get a new'un tomorrow and go from there.

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Have you checked the fuel sedimentor behind the OS rear wheel ( inside chassis rail ) ?
After checking your sedimentor I suggest that you check the fuel lift pump .. as I suspect the pivot arm pin has come out or broken... it's a common problem on 300TDis ...
If you have or do fit a Delphi lift pump , these have a removable top cap on the inlet side of them and there is a mesh filter under the cap which you can clean out ...
If you have the screw on top of the lift pump, with a slotted head screw in the top, just undo the screw and lift off the cap which has the fuel pipe and union on it , then underneath it will reveal an O-ring, which is the seal and then the circular mesh filter. .. you can soon see if the filter is blocked with crud ... just remove filter and clean it off and blow it with airline if you have one, then refit ...

Funnily enough I was just reading a post about the sedimentor, will give it a look when it's not so damp out, so sometime next summer(!).

Would a damaged lift pump still move some fuel up to the filter then as I get some at the bleed screw when pumping it? I will have a go at cleaning it out tomorrow

mattsuffolk said:

Funnily enough I was just reading a post about the sedimentor, will give it a look when it's not so damp out, so sometime next summer(!).

Would a damaged lift pump still move some fuel up to the filter then as I get some at the bleed screw when pumping it? I will have a go at cleaning it out tomorrow

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If it's pumping fuel, then it's pumping fuel ...

Ok so spent the morning on this, still won't fire up... So far I have cleaned out the sedimentor, replaced the lift pump, fitted a new fuel filter, done lots of bleeding, both at the filter housing and by cracking off the return line at the back of the pump (fuel was running out of there when cranking).
It also doesn't fire when 'assisted' with easystart (direct into manifold)
Have had the rocker cover off to make sure everything is moving, which it is.
really at a loss now, not sure what to check next, compression I guess? Can't be much else it can be can it??
Think I've bought a total basket case! Guess that's the risk when you buy a non runner.

Have you had a look at the starter inhibitor on the gear box?

Lyndon said:

Have you had a look at the starter inhibitor on the gear box?

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I was under the impression (possibly wrongly) that the inhibitor switch simply prevented it from turning over all together?

mattsuffolk said:

I was under the impression (possibly wrongly) that the inhibitor switch simply prevented it from turning over all together?

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I'm not sure you could be right. I'm not sure with the later edc but could your ecu be preventing a constant live to the fuel solinoid? If not it could it be something do do with the electronic control wire to the injector? Try a constant live to the fuel solinoid from the battery an extra earth straight from the battery. It sounds like an imobiliser type issue.

If the gearbox sensor is at fault it will not turn over at all,

you should get diesel pumping out of the injector lines when its turned over.

you could check under the glove box as there is an alarm box under there that can fill with water as mine did, I got another box from a scrapyard but then had to get a stealer with testbook to set it up.

I had the same problem as you, also i don't think you can just run 12v to the stop solenoid as its all linked in to the alarm/immobilizer/EDC system

Needs a security relearn...

eightinavee said:

Needs a security relearn...

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I'm not sure that it does, as mentioned in my original post there is fuel at the injectors, I'm fairly certain that if the security system is at fault then nothing works at all, won't turn over and the fuel solenoid isn't opened, you just get a little red key flashing at you in the dash. I had this in my current disco a while back when the power feed to the alarm box corroded to the point that no power was getting to the alarm, when diagnosing that I managed to bypass some of the immobiliser circuit and get it to turn over but the pump refused to allow fuel through as the ECU had not had the right 'handshake' with the alarm system. So as I've got fuel at the injectors and its turning over I can pretty much rule out an issue with the alarm (plus it arms/disarms from the fob). What I can't do is run any diagnostics on any of it as I don't have the kit, but the check engine light goes out so I assume that no codes are logged anyway.

Going to spend some more time on it this evening, watch this space...

Two different things,immobilisation and the having the key symbol flash is one thing,the coded link between the alarm ecu and the engine ecu is another. The engine will still crank if its not got the correct link,but wont allow fuelling. Part of the reason why its quite difficult to nick a 300EDC D1 if you don't have the key and fob or the EKA code.
Until it goes on Testbook or similar its not going to go.

It should fire/run on easystart/brake cleaner if its immobilized or not. if it doesnt fire on easystart/brake cleaner then chances are its a mechanical issue not an eletrical one.

The plot thickens with this one, spent plenty of time on it over Christmas and ruled many things out including checking the timing which I was convinced the cam must had slipped right up until I finally got the cover off (that crank pulley bolt is a total @@@@!) and it was all spot on

As I'd not managed to find anything at all wrong anywhere I took the plung and had the head off, finally started to find a few things, firstly the head bolts didn't seem nearly tight enough, then when I got the head off, whoever had had it off previously (and I don't think it's run since, dispite what the bloke that sold it to me said...) had managed to trap a corner of the inlet/exhaust manifold gasket under the head! So the head wouldn't have been sitting square to the block, held off at the back right corner, which I think has caused a loss of compression on the rear 3 pots (there is some evidence that number 1 was firing, sooted up much more than the other 3) so I think I've finally got to the bottom of it.

Stripped the head down and also found a slightly bent exhaust valve on number 2 and a damaged valve guide (damaged at the top, looks like someone levered off the valve stem seal a bit heavily) so it's currently away for a light skim and a set of guides.

Hopefully will get it back Friday and built back up (with a replacement straight valve) over the weekend, fingers crossed I'll have it running by the end of Sunday... Fingers crossed!

Keep us updated as its good to know