Very randomly, 3 times in the last six months my car will crank and not fire. The conditions are always first thing in the morning. It has never cut out/stalled while driving. It will initially start as normal, then stop. It will then require a 'lot' of cranking, eventually putting up the message 'engine system fault'. But, keep cranking and it will fire and then operate as normal for weeks/months. No codes showing/pending, no leaks, regularly serviced (Oct 2018). Goes like a train in all other respects.

Any help would be gratefully received!

Thanks

 

Answering my own question here but the car was serviced just before I got it and I wonder if the fuel filter has been fitted correctly, ie the rubber seal?

 

have you had the car plugged in to see what fault its logging?

 

your non-start would be more often, even all the time if that was the case.

If the engine malfunction message has shown on the dash there will be a fault code.

Have you been checking the on-dash self diagnostics? They aren't much use.

 

No EML. No fault codes, no pending codes.

 

Just had a mate with a 'Delphi' diagnostic pull a code P0089 Fuel pressure control valve - Signal is above maximum threshold.
It's been running fine today, but that code was logged. No EML showing.

Again thanks

 

Make sure fuel filter is good
leak off test on injectors
No leaks on fuel pipes/hoses

 

You do tend to get some diesel around the engine but the only place I've noticed some 'wet' is on the plastic pipes where they loop around under the brake reservoir? Can't see anything obvious but its there all the same. Is there a guide on here regarding the 'leak off test'

Thanks

 

I may have posted up about leak off tests on here in the past, ideally you need a special tool which is 4 calibrated bottles and pipes to measure the leak off.

I'll see if I can find my old posts.

 

https://passionford.com/forum/6302016-post6.html

https://passionford.com/forum/genera...not-start.html

http://www.bba-reman.com/forums/topic95757.aspx


Measure diesel injector return quantityStart engineLet engine run until one of the measuring cylinders is filled completelyStop engineThe maximum permissible return quantity is 3x as large as the smallest return quantity measured

Measuring cylinder of injector
Contents
1
41 ml
2
44 ml
3
50 ml
4
46 ml
Maximum permissible return quantity:
41 ml x 3 = 123 ml
All the injectors are in good order.
Example not okMeasuring cylinder of injector
Contents
1
50 ml
2
18 ml
3
18 ml
4
10 ml
Maximum permissible return quantity:
10 ml x 3 = 30 ml
Injector 1 has too large a return quantity. It must be replaced.

The format is a bit pissed on here but you get the idea.