Technical 1.3 diesel refusing to start

Currently reading:
Technical 1.3 diesel refusing to start

Philjay51

New member
Joined
Feb 14, 2006
Messages
113
Points
34
Hi, my daughters 1.3 diesel has decided not to start. she has complained once or twice that when cold it was low on power but no big deal but tonight on her way home it died. When cranked it would fire and run badly for a few seconds then die. Now it will not fire at all. I can hear a pump running when the ignition is first switched on but nothing else. I know nothing about diesels, they are a black art to me, any help will be appreciated.
 
When did it last get treated to a new battery? This type of weather often spells the death of an aging battery.

Next question - has the little screwhole in the middle of the black bit under the wipers been siliconed up? Rain water can enter through the airbox if it hasn't been done. Open up the airbox and check to see if it's dry.

Oh and more details about the car - age, mileage, service history, etc would be good.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the replies, it's a 54 reg model, my daughter only bought it a few months ago, no service history but was serviced before she got it, 90k ish on the clock. When it was running it was fine, except for these odd drops in power. The engine warning light goes out so I am guessing there are no issues but I do have Multiscan, so I can check.
I have not looked at anything yet, what about a blocked fuel filter? Water in the system, can I drain the tank, and or empty the system, I wonder about the fuel.
Oh, no idea about the battery but it cranks it over for ever.

We are located in Chester.
 
It must be one of the first Multijet Pandas as it was released in February 2005...

When you say about 'odd drops in power', does this happen usually within a few hundred metres of first setting off when cold? Is it a case that when you ask for some go, it hesitates for up to around 20-30 seconds, kind of clears its throat a bit and then decides all is good and takes off, being fine from that point onwards? If this is the type of symptoms that the car has had, then it is likely that water is dripping into the engine through the screwhole I described above. If the ingress has been more severe, water may have got into the engine. Check the air filter box to see if it is dry.

Or are there drops in revs when sitting idle? What kind of miles is the car driven daily? I'm finding this weather that it is taking my car around 8 miles to get up to temperature. If she's doing short distances and not getting the car up to temperature regularly, it will coke the car up. The egr can get blocked up so you could check that. I usually will put some carb cleaner in to keep things running smoothly (especially in winter when it's cold), and don't forget that it's a little Italian so it can do with an Italian tune-up ;) regularly to keep things right.
 
Mine was registered on 1st of March '05 and has done 93,000 miles so far. I had an issue with the revs dropping at idle speed when slowing down for lights while the engine was cold. I've never had an issue with water leaking into the air filter as others have done but my idling fault was down to a clogged up EGR valve. Although it would have been cheaper to have it cleaned out, I went for a new one instead.

It's also worth checking (if possible) if the car has had the camchain changed. If not, by 90-odd thousand miles it will need doing.

Although it might be a bit of a drag, I can thoroughly recommend a garage in Sandbach who have carried out work on my MJ and Mrs. Beard's Alfa for the last few years. If you want the details please feel free to PM me.
 
Would not expect a glow plug fault (although glow plug integrity is easy to check), because the 1.3 Multijet will start without glow plugs if churned for long enough, as you have been doing.
Neither would I give priority to water ingress through the air filter - although blocking the centre scuttle screw and sealing the rear of the air filter box (which distorts and let's in unfiltered air even if water can't get in) is a sensible precaution.
It's a case of elimination, isn't it?
Water in the fuel? Check fuel filter for this.
Battery condition? Take a before and after reading.
Fault code reader is needed - there are so many sensors that 'doing a Dealer' - just swapping bits and hoping - is just shooting in the dark at your expense.
Fault codes will give the experts here a good lead to be able to help you
 
Last edited:
OK, been outside in the cold and damp, air box is clean and dry, air filter very dirty, battery is OK but now on charge. The pump in the tank is working and pressurising the system as far as the hpp, that of course does not mean that the filter is ok, have not checked that yet, but there was no trace of water in the fuel at the HPP end. I still have this feeling that the fuel has something to do with it, is there an easy way to drain the tank?
 
These cars have a water in fuel sensor in the filter assembly, the filter in theory traps the water in the bottom of the housing.

An easy way to not have to empty the tank would, if you had some good fuel empty clean/replace and prime the fuel filter with the known good fuel and try and start the car, there is enough fuel in the filter to run the car for a little while maybe few minutes at idle.

I suspect as is often the case with the exact problem you are describing, that it's often the high pressure pump that's failing to provide enough pressure to get it running, and quite often doesn't show on diagnostics
 
These cars have a water in fuel sensor in the filter assembly, the filter in theory traps the water in the bottom of the housing.

An easy way to not have to empty the tank would, if you had some good fuel empty clean/replace and prime the fuel filter with the known good fuel and try and start the car, there is enough fuel in the filter to run the car for a little while maybe few minutes at idle.

I suspect as is often the case with the exact problem you are describing, that it's often the high pressure pump that's failing to provide enough pressure to get it running, and quite often doesn't show on diagnostics

To be honest, the HPFP is my worst fear, I have considered what you say about filling the filter with good fuel, weather permit, that will be tomorrow's chore.
I am falling out of love with Fiat.
 
It is a possibility at the mileage, but I'm thinking not for your Panda. My high pressure fuel pump bearings went before Christmas at 94K miles with wear and tear. When it went, the diesel leaked out onto the road but it didn't stop the car running.
 
I have managed to get my laptop to talk to the car and using Multiscan it came you with the following codes:p0180; P0190; P0090; P0460; P1612.
Strangly the EML was not on. P0090 is the one that concernes me. Any thoughts as to the best way to figure it out.
 
Err no, but good point. Having said that the immobiliser light goes out.
 
Hi, progress is being hampered by lousy weather and somebody who does not like getting cold(me).
I hooked my laptop to the car and after clearing all the errors mentioned earlier P0190 and P0090 re occur. I have changed the regulator and and sensor on the fuel rail from a scapped Corsa, hoping that that might help, the regulator error re occurred.
I have checked the continuity of the cabling and the values at the point of connection, also the values at the ECU end. I have obtained from a pal a high pressure pump, going to give that a go. Failing that I believe the problem will lie with the ECU and I will have that checked out.
Thats it, I wish I could report good news, when I look at the various forums, Fiat, Vauxhall and Suzuki nobody seems to have reported the answer to the problem.
When I eventually crack it I will post.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top