Technical Doblo Engine Stalling

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Technical Doblo Engine Stalling

david17uk

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Hi again guys.

As you may remember from my last post, i collected my doblo van last week. Had a few problems with it already, but sorted most.

It wouldn't start yesterday, but was fixed with a new battery and glow plug and seemed to be running fine today.

When driving home the engine management light came on, after stopping and restarting it went off and seemed fine again. Later on whilst slowing down for a roundabout, the engine stalled and the fuel warning light came on and the gauge seemed lower than it was before.

I put some more fuel in thinking that was the problem (eventhough the low warning light wasn't on before it happened). Seemed to fix it for a few miles but then it happened again slowing for some traffic lights, just cut out and the fuel light came on. Happened 3 times before i managed to get home (although it starts fine each time it's happened).

Any ideas or common problems it could be?

It's a 1.9 JTD, 51 plate van

Cheers.

Dave :confused:
 
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Yep, it's me.

Hope it's cheap and simple to fix like a blocked fuel filter. (y)
 
Update Time. :(

Right started it up this morning. It won't idle now. If i keep my foot light on the throttle it will run fine but as soon as i lift off it splutters and dies.

I've looked over all the air/fuel hoses and everything looks to be ok. Thinking it could be a faulty lift pump or EGR.

Any help will be greatley appreciated. :eek:
 
2nd update.

Took the pipe off the top of the fuel filter, put it into a jam jar and turned the key on. The electric pump didn't pump anything into the jar.

I'm guessing this means the electric fuel pump (or wiring somewhere) is knackered. Can someone confirm this?

Also, i haven't got a manual, does anyone know the relay and fuse details for the electric pump.

Thanks to anyone who can help.

Dave
 
Bit more news. Turns out i don't have a JTD engine, even though there's a JTD badge on the back door :(

It's a 1.9D, no wonder it's slow. Anyhoo, still got all the same problems. If i disconnect the wiring from the in tank pump, it won't start.

Any ideas, please help. :eek:
 
Oh the Joys of the doblo! I have a 51 plate and every time i ordered parts for it i was told it was a JTD using the reg number. Turns out its a 1.9 diesel.

I am having the much the same problem with mine, It will start with the accelerator fully on the floor, and i have been running it for the last month keeping the revs up, sometimes it will idle, others it will not. VERY frustrating to drive but i have few options as its my work van.

Searching the net and coming up with various solutions which didnt make much sense to me, i took it into my local fiat garage and paid £60 to have it diagnosed, turns out all the repairs will cost £2500 :eek:

MAF sensor/actuator and Diesel pump. Cant get the MAF from anywhere but fiat £150 and a recon pump £270. I am waiting to take the pump off on monday so i can be sure i am getting the correct part.

The MAF is very easy to take off, 3 screws, and on inspection, the rod which controlls the butterfly was snapped, so was worthless and randomly blocking the airflow, removing the butterfly and replacing has helped my problems a little. so might be worth checking.

I had tried getting a local auto sparky to check the codes, but i just got ripped off to the sum of £50.

I think the money to fiat is well spent as long as they hav diagnosed the problem correctly.

Hope this helps a bit, and you get to the bottom of it!

(y)
 
Thanks for the reply.

I stripped the back out and removed what i'd read was the in-tank priming pump, which is actually just the fuel gauge. (even though there's 2 wires that get power but don't go to anything, as if some engines have the pump).

I changed the fuel filter yesterday and it ran ok for 10 mins driving, then back to how it was.

Started it this morning and it seemed ok for a short while, but still the same.

I'm hoping it's not the injection pump, but my choices are getting smaller.

Going to try a code reader, then crank sensor next...

Let me know if you get yours solved and i'll do the same, as we have exactly the same problem.
 
Most Doblo running issues can be atributed to air ingress into the diesel fuel because the Lucas Epic injector pump is very intolerant of air in the fuel. The injector pump on the early non turbo 1.9D's had to draw the fuel from the tank and through the filter before feeding it to the injectors which is a big ask and can/will pull air from any one of several connectors which deteriorate with age including the very unreliable fuel filter canister and non-return valve set up. Remove the fuel feed pipe from the fuel filter i.e. the one going directly to the injection pump and the fuel return pipe i.e. the one coming from the injection pump. Effectively you can bypass the filter and fuel tank by putting both the suction and return fuel pipes into a 5 litre can of diesel and run the engine. Secure the 5 litre fuel can under the bonnet and take the car for a short spin. If it performs well you have at least proved the pump is ok and you can start looking for an alternative (and less costly) fix. Do not be conned into an injector pump replacement by any "Fiat specialists" because many pumps have been replaced only to find the original fault is still there. If you are reluctant to do the 5 ltr tank thing try replacing the feed pipe with a length of 5mm clear poly pipe and look for air bubbles, I bet you'll see some.
 
Big thanks for the helpful reply!

Right, here's what i've figured... with a clear tube connected from the filter to the fuel pump inlet i'm getting small bubbles. So then connected a clear tube onto the fuel filter inlet and put the other end in a can of diesel.

The diesel only goes to the fuel pump (from the tank) at higher revs, which i thought was strange. So i took the pipe out of the tank and put my finger over the end with the engine idling. Made no difference and it didn't stall once i'd got it idling.

So I'm hoping it's the non return valve on the filter needs replacing, does that make sense??

Or it's the pump not priming at low revs, and what fuel was left in the filter is why it didn't cut out straight away??

If changing the non-return valve doesnt sort it, will an electric priming pump in the tank fix the problem?

Thanks again

Dave
 
The valve is not really a non-return valve, it's a diverter valve which diverts the return fuel back to the suction side of the filter in certain "engine demand" situations. The valve is prone to varying degrees of failure which can cause total engine cut out and/or non tickover. I had a valve go so bad that it caused the injector pump to over pressure the return line up to the filter and blow the injector leak off Tpiece. Lucas pumps have the injector leak off Tee on the return line and Bosch pumps have the leak off plumbed into the suction side.
After two filter or valve related failures in 4 months I lost faith in the Fiat filter set up. I coupled the return line straight back to the tank and replaced the Fiat filter canister with a decent in-line filter. The car starts much better, runs much better, ticks over great and does not cut out any more. The Fiat filter set up is flawed and when it fails it can fail to danger i.e. engine cut out with power steering eeek!!!!
 
Thanks again for the reply.

I'm 95% sure the valve has failed and the engine is pulling it's fuel up the return line (ie. not getting filtered).

Gonna replace the valve as soon as i can get hold of one and see what happens.
 
Had one final play today and solved it. The non return valve thing isn't sealing properly on the filter, finally found the problem which shouldn't cost too much to fix!
 
Im going to check the air in the diesel today, i will let you know. Does your engine ever die when you are deccelerating and give you an engine management light? this has been happening more and more for me over the last 8 weeks.

fingers crossed!
 
Yep thats exactly what my symptoms were. Approaching roundabouts or junctions it would die and the light would come on, then starts back up with a bit of throttle fine.

Struggled to idle and th problem was worse after driving faster speeds then slowing or stopping usually.

Then every now and then it would idle fine.
 
The story continues...

The new filter and valve arrived today but still getting air in pipes. So i isolated each pipe again but still the same.

Fuel can be fed from a can (no bubbles), then comes out the filter with bubbles.. ive tried bypassing the return valve but still the same.

Any ideas??? Im stumped now, unless either theres trapped air in fuel filter or somethings reacting with the diesel to cause air.
 
Took it to a garage today for a diagnostics test.

Got error code P0252 ([FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Injection Pump Metering Control (A) Range/Performance)

[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Seemed to have got the trapped air out, but still having the same problem..
[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]
Thanks to anyone with info. I'm starting to wish i hadn't bought it now :bang:
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The diesel was fine and didnt have any air in it at all (much to my dissapointment, but thanks for the tip) so along i went to a diesel specialist who billed me £500 for the hours work including parts, and got back a perfectly running van.

So after thinking about replacing the whole pump (which i was advised to do on several occasions) the job is as simple as replacing the two rather expensive actuators on the top of the pump.

Having driven the van for nearly 2 months with this fault, and suffered the absolute frustrations of this, I am very glad to have the problem sorted. even if it did cost an arm and a leg.

Jobs a goodane! thanks for all the help, and hopefully someone will save a little time from our experience.

Dave
 
fitted new filter engine started -eventually- then stalled.managed to get it to run but very 'lumpy' once revs die down tends to stall. will keep going but with fairly high revs. out on a run will tend to stall when at roundabouts and low revs.
 
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