TD5 Whines Before Start (poor girl)

What is the loud whine I hear when I turn on the ignition prior to turning the engine over. Sounds like a pump of some form but has progressively got louder over the past months and now sounds like it is struggling to do whatever it is doing.

Just need my mind put at rest from you enthusiasts out there rather than a garage who may fob me off with some other story.

I think it is your fuel pump from the description, and had this happen recelently with a friends, problem was the filter was a bit gunked up, change the fuel filter (in the wheel arch) and the sound may dissappear, if it doesn't then there is something causing this sound and could cause pump failure.

There is no harm in changing the filter, give it a go and see if it sort it.

Thanks friend. I have since confirmed this too by removing the fuel pump fuse and hey presto, no noise. Put the fuse back and she squeals like a pig.

Seems it is also related to my other post concerning starting problems as I have had the pump checked and apparently it is well under pressure too. Time for a new pump I think. Mind you this is the first mechanical expense in 85,000 miles. Oh and yes I will replace the fuel filter too.

When you get the car back, make sure they have not horsed the filter on, and put a little grease on the o-ring. A friend spent ages trying to get his filter off, and ended up having to take the wheel off and use a lot of brute force, all because someone horsed the one on before, once the seals start to compress give it a little 1/4 - 1/3 turn to lock it up.

Thanks again and sorry to ask yet another favour. But how does it come off. There is a connector (electric) on the bottom which I understand is the water sensor and when I unclipped that the connector itself was full of diesel confirming that was ok (I think).

That removed, the filter unit has four pipes total entering/leaving the top of the unit (fuel in and out I guess).

So does the bottom part, the bowl/tub below these pipes uncscrew like a standard oil filter or is there some bolts to undo to gain access to the filter inside.

For the benefit of the forum this was related to my other forum entry of starting problems.

Well, praying and fingers crossed, collected it last night and seems to repeatedly start last night when warm and this morning from cold. A definate result on before.

Replaced Fuel Pump and also it turned out to be the "air" regulator. Whether this is different to the fuel regulator or just a different translation from German (I live in Switzerland) I dont know.

It looks like it fits somewhere along the air intake line and has a small sensor sticking up in the middle of it, looks like a tiny thermocouple (temperature sensor to the un-initiated).

I guess that sends a reading to something else to regulate the fuel air mix.

Hope this helps.