Starting trouble on a cold day

[Nebu]

Dear Friends,

 

I have a toyota avensis 2.2 D4D. 140K miles done. This is a 2007 model.

For the last few months, i am having the problem in getting the car started.

I have to crank the car few times to get it started. 

For the last few weeks, the problem has worsened (due to cold may be).

I have managed to get over this problem for the time being by priming the fuel pump manually.

So, everyday in the morning, i have to push the black manual pump on the fuel filter to prime it and when there is enough resistance to press it.

I am able to get the car started.

Once the car is warmed up after 30 minutes of run. Life is normal.

Last year i had this problem and when i took it to the Toyota garage, they said the fuel injector need to be replaced. They managed to get one of the two partly faulty injectors. They could not take the second one out as it was stuck and they didnt wanted to take the risk of shearing it off.

All in all, the call work perfectly during warmer months but during colder months, i need to prime the pump before starting it on a cold day.

 

Any suggestions??

 

Thanks and regards

Nebu

[Notoyboy]

Hi Nebu,

Firstly, I should say that I have absolutely no specific knowledge of your car or the engine in it, and I wouldn't have replied, except for you saying that the car starts once you've manually pumped the fuel pump.  By fuel pump, do you really mean the pump on the fuel filter perhaps?  I ask because the symptom you describe, of having to pump to prime the fuel system, reared it's head back in the '80s and 90's, where, on Citroen/Peugot diesel engines, the main fuel injection pump sucked the fuel from the tank, through the filter.

The problem was that if one of the fuel line joints wasn't achieving a perfect seal, or if the fuel filter seal had been disturbed (say by changing the fuel filter but not the rubber sealing ring),  then a poor seal would allow air into the fuel line, and the fuel would then run back to the tank. (The way round this, from the manufacturers viewpoint, was to fit a small lift pump in/near the fuel tank, to always maintain a low pressure to feed the filter and the main injection pump).

With a failing seal/joint, the problem tended to happen when the car was allowed to stand, say overnight, allowing enough air into the fuel line for the fuel to run back.  Although I refer to a failing seal/joint, the same could happen if a split deveoped in one of the flexible rubber hoses.  I had such a problem when I disturbed an old rubber fuel hose, and my moving it slightly caused a split in the hose.

Of course, your car is of a much more up-to-date design, so I may be barking up the wrong tree.  And I'm ignoring the fact that you think the problem's worse with the colder weather.  If your car has a lift pump in/close to the fuel tank, then ignore what I've said! 🙂

[2009joe]

29 minutes ago, Notoyboy said:

Hi Nebu,

Firstly, I should say that I have absolutely no specific knowledge of your car or the engine in it, and I wouldn't have replied, except for you saying that the car starts once you've manually pumped the fuel pump.  By fuel pump, do you really mean the pump on the fuel filter perhaps?  I ask because the symptom you describe, of having to pump to prime the fuel system, reared it's head back in the '80s and 90's, where, on Citroen/Peugot diesel engines, the main fuel injection pump sucked the fuel from the tank, through the filter.

The problem was that if one of the fuel line joints wasn't achieving a perfect seal, or if the fuel filter seal had been disturbed (say by changing the fuel filter but not the rubber sealing ring),  then a poor seal would allow air into the fuel line, and the fuel would then run back to the tank. (The way round this, from the manufacturers viewpoint, was to fit a small lift pump in/near the fuel tank, to always maintain a low pressure to feed the filter and the main injection pump).

With a failing seal/joint, the problem tended to happen when the car was allowed to stand, say overnight, allowing enough air into the fuel line for the fuel to run back.  Although I refer to a failing seal/joint, the same could happen if a split deveoped in one of the flexible rubber hoses.  I had such a problem when I disturbed an old rubber fuel hose, and my moving it slightly caused a split in the hose.

Of course, your car is of a much more up-to-date design, so I may be barking up the wrong tree.  And I'm ignoring the fact that you think the problem's worse with the colder weather.  If your car has a lift pump in/close to the fuel tank, then ignore what I've said! 🙂

funny u should say that i remember back in the day with my last car a vw 1.9tdi i had the hard starting problem and i was told to put a one way valve int the car after the fuel filter see if fixes the problem but tbh when i put it in tbh didnt matter if was in or out still was the same so i took it out and kept it . was a fuel non return valve i put in more or less a one way valve 

[Nebu]

Thanks Martin. Yes, its the small pump located on top of the fuel filter. I will have a check on the hoses and see if the seals are tight enough. I have done the fuel filter replacement couple of times in the last 2-3 years. I usually, get the fuel filter replaced once every two years.