Diesel 2008 Auris starting issues

[Christopher Jackson]

Good morning.  I've been having starting issues with my Toyota Auris Diesel 2008. the issue is it will start then cut out straight away, then you go through starting it again and it will do the same for a few times then it will start and be fine. this is a problem that has got worse over the last 3 years or so.. at first it only happened now and then and starting on the second go, but has taken more goes to start over time.. Has anyone else had this problem with a diesel.. the car has done 130k+ miles, but runs fine once it has started up and running.. no smoke issues or misfires, just trouble staying started.. it's had a new Battery anyway, but that of course hasn't made a difference, but i am having the fuel filter changed tomorrow, and to be honest it has only had one new fuel filter change in 10years. last one changed about 4 years ago or maybe more.. does anyone have any thoughts on this issue, or better still has anyone else had the same issue and solved it.  

Many thanks

Chris Jackson 

[Byzii]

Hey,

Definitely change the fuel filter and then see if the issue is gone or at least not as bad.

The thing about diesels is that the only thing that is throttled - and so the only thing that is capable of shutting the engine down - is fuel. If the car starts and immediately dies, it means that the engine is not getting enough fuel. This can be caused by a variety of things so change the fuel filter and go from there. It can range from the fuel tank up to the injectors - anything in between can cause issues. Air in the lines, faulty/worn out injectors, faulty high pressure fuel pump, etc.

For general information, diesel requires 3 things to run: air, compression, fuel. Compression should always be there if the engine insides are in good shape. Air in diesels is not throttled like it is on petrols with their throttle bodies, so the last element is fuel. Car starting up and dying means that the starter is able to spin up the motor, the compression and fuel do their job but then the fuel is cut off.

[Christopher Jackson]

Hi.

  Thanks for the reply.  

I was a mechanic for many years up until 1995 when i decided to call it a day working on cars for a living, and never really got into working with diesels, and i am thinking on the same lines as you have said that it is fuel related.. so new filter will be fitted tomorrow and then see what happens, and if it is still the same then it will need to go in for a full check over from back of the car up to the injectors checking for air leaks and or faulty pumping of fuel.. I much prefer a good old classic car from the 60s or early 70s when all you needed was a few hand tools to keep a car going.. Lol

[Byzii]

I'd suggest connecting the car to a diagnostic computer as a first step of diagnostics (that is if the fuel filter replacement doesn't do the trick), maybe something pops up immediately without digging too deep or maybe a code has been logged without CEL.

[Christopher Jackson]

I agree, if the filter doesn't do the trick then i will have someone put it on a diagnostic test to see if anything is thrown up.

Cheers