P38A [RESOLVED!] P38 DSE non start - fuel issue

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@P38_OTMS : have you got a copy of RAVE handy yet? You'll need it

I found a PDF workshop workshop manual earlier which I’ve saved. I’ve also got the air suspension software but I use a Mac so it doesn’t work. Will get myself a cheap crappy windows laptop for that when the time comes.

Through work I have access to many garages with up to date diagnositics equipment. Great for my newer cars, not so good for the P38!!
 
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It can’t possibly work. The valve is not attached to the body therefore it cannot possibly retract or extend. It’s very dead. Pretty certain this is what caused the stoppage.
It's a solenoid.Leave the spring off for the minute and fit the plunger, earth the body of the solenoid and positive to the terminal. The plunger should move. If it does then fit the spring and reassemble.
The end of the plunger is a rubber compound of some sort so I’d imagine that acts the seal?
correct
 
No absolutely dead. Speaking to a man in the know this evening via Facebook it’s not uncommon for them to fail entirely. I’ll order a new one via work in the morning so hopefully I’ll have that before the day is out.

However it also seems entirely possible that the cause of the glow lamp to be off is that the BECM has lost sync with the ECU as the battery is now only reading 10v due to the repeated cranking attempts.

So hopefully a new solonoid and a kind forum member with the correct diagnostics equipment (followed by a box of beers) and it will be sorted. Fingers crossed as if nothing else there’s £100 worth of diesel sat there ready to be used!
 
Yea I’ve got quite a few cars but irony is they are either broken, in storage, mileage sensitive or track cars. The pug, as much as I hate it, cost £50 and is embarrassingly fun to drive. It does the job.

Bloody hell I thought nobody else had vehicles from an Ape to a Rover p6 needing resto and then a Ford courier smart fortwo and a FC 101 needing work insurance etc and having to use a Fiat seintento as a daily...lol
 
Remove the innards and refit that solenoid. Bleed it and get it running.

DO NOT do that. The solenoid is the emergency stop valve the ECU uses to stop the engine in case of a quantity servo malfunction. As said. Listen to the mechanic not the petrol pump attendant.
 
No absolutely dead. Speaking to a man in the know this evening via Facebook it’s not uncommon for them to fail entirely. I’ll order a new one via work in the morning so hopefully I’ll have that before the day is out.

However it also seems entirely possible that the cause of the glow lamp to be off is that the BECM has lost sync with the ECU as the battery is now only reading 10v due to the repeated cranking attempts.

So hopefully a new solonoid and a kind forum member with the correct diagnostics equipment (followed by a box of beers) and it will be sorted. Fingers crossed as if nothing else there’s £100 worth of diesel sat there ready to be used!

You say there is no power to the 80 amp fuse in the glow relay. That is strange as the power to that comes direct from battery. Even if the BECM and ECU are out of sync you still should get power to the glow relay. The glow relay is then switched by the ECU for varying time periods subject to temp readings from the ECU temp sensor. (Green one between cylinder three and four inlets). The hot fix works by interrupting the signal from the temp sensor to the ECU telling the ECU that the engine is cold. You should see a Grey/Blue tracer wire that has been cut and the ends connected to the hot fix. To cut out hot fix disconnect these two ends from hot fix and reconnect together. Find out why you have no power from battery to one end of 80 amp fuse in glow relay. Then come back.
 
He won't give up will he.:rolleyes:

I am waiting for the first person to take his advice on the stop solenoid when it is working correctly, when the ECU has used it to shut down the engine because of a quantity malfunction. And the only time the engine stops is when the con rods come through the crankcase. :D;)
 
I am waiting for the first person to take his advice on the stop solenoid when it is working correctly, when the ECU has used it to shut down the engine because of a quantity malfunction.
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Does anyone remember that legendary thread from a US forum when someone suggested hooking up a sand blaster to his engine to polish the intake tracts. The guy did it, and then wondered why his engine stopped working...

Don't worry I've seen some incredibly dodgy advise on forums and from some know it all 'mechanics' over the years. Whilst i'm not a qualified mechanic I work for a car repair and tuning business and have a large technical knowledge but not having been formally trained I only know what I have experience with and diesel is a whole new world for me.

You say there is no power to the 80 amp fuse in the glow relay. That is strange as the power to that comes direct from battery. Even if the BECM and ECU are out of sync you still should get power to the glow relay. .

That is strange. I'll check the connections to the battery but I put the multimeter across the blade with the ignition on and absolutely nothing. The big red wire from the battery looks fine too so a bit surprising. I'll check again this evening.
 
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Does anyone remember that legendary thread from a US forum when someone suggested hooking up a sand blaster to his engine to polish the intake tracts. The guy did it, and then wondered why his engine stopped working...

Don't worry I've seen some incredibly dodgy advise on forums and from some know it all 'mechanics' over the years. Whilst i'm not a qualified mechanic I work for a car repair and tuning business and have a large technical knowledge but not having been formally trained I only know what I have experience with and diesel is a whole new world for me.



That is strange. I'll check the connections to the battery but I put the multimeter across the blade with the ignition on and absolutely nothing. The big red wire from the battery looks fine too so a bit surprising. I'll check again this evening.

You won't get anything with meter across blade you need to put positive to blade and negative to ground. There will only be current through it when glow relay is pulled as glow plugs supply the ground..
 
You won't get anything with meter across blade you need to put positive to blade and negative to ground. There will only be current through it when glow relay is pulled as glow plugs supply the ground..

Ah OK that's interesting. Again, I'll check that when I get home later.
 
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