Hi Everyone,
We are having a problem with my dads JTD. We serviced it a couple of weekends ago, oil and filter change, fuel filter and air filter. The air filter was a right mare to change!!
Anyway about 2 days later it wouldn't start, It ticks over, but just wont catch and start. We contacted a local fiat/lancia/alfa independant specialist we know who came and plugged in his snap on scanner. It came back with just one fault, the EGR. we took the EGR off, and the solenoid had seized, so we bought a new EGR. It still woulnt start. He then plugged it back in, and it came back with no faults. He didn't know what to suggest, apart from maybe the crank sensor, which we changed. We also changed one glow plug (as we couldnt get to the other 3 without taking alot of other things off) However, when tested on the bench, that plug was working fine, as the plugs were only about a year old., so we are pretty sure the other 3 are fine. we also know we have a good fuel supply.
The only way we can start it is with easystart sprayed into the air intake, and turn the ginition on and off to ingntion 2 a couple of times to warm the plugs. The other way is by bumping it, both these ways start the car fine, and once started its good as gold. However sometimes the 'water in fuel filter' message flashes for about a minute then will dissappear.
The car was full of diesel, so iv gave the car some good runs to empty it, in case it was a dodgy batch of diesel, but with fresh diesel, it still makes no difference.
The fiat/lancia/alfa specialist seems to be out of ideas, as he is more of a lancia alfa guy, and hasnt really worked on stilos.
The only thing we can think to do, is completely strip the air intake off, and clean all the pipes etc whcih we will do saturday.
Is there anything it could be that we havent thought of?
cheers all!

We removed and cleaned the intake pipes on the car, but its still th same, wont start unless bumped or with easystart.
Does anyone have any idea as to what we could look at next?

One thing you have not tried is changing the battery! You say it runs fine when its going but is a bitch to start. To me that sounds like a classic case of poor battery.

The battery was new only just before Christmas. It also turns over healthily when trying to start.

if hes more of an alfa/lancia guy tel him its the same engine as whats in the 156 JTDs!

so it runs fine when you can get it started... you can bump it... and you have bench tested 1 glow plug...

if it starts good when hot then ill go out on a limb and say its a glow plug issue.

afaik glowplugs dont throw a fault code or warning when they're shot, i maybe wrong though.

take them all out and bench test them make sure theyre not cracked and look for a healthy orange (almost yellow) glow. let them cool down and fit just the feed wire onto them then ground the casings using a jump lead. look for the same healthy orange glow when the ignition is on. i suspect a glowplug feed issue so check the fuse and/or relay controlling them. if this is still all ok im stumped but the only reason i can think of that an indirect diesel wouldnt start from cold is a glowplug issue given all the info you have previously stated.

A friends JTD had a similar problem, at first we suspected it was the injectors.

I serviced it. Oil, filters etc. and while I was replacing the air filter I removed and cleaned the MAF.

The car was then a little easier to start so I replaced the MAF and told him to buy some Forte Diesel Injector Cleaner.

A week later the car was better than ever, starting almost the instant the key was turned.

I suspect you may have the same problem, a combination of faults preventing the car from starting.

Start by unplugging the MAF sensor and see if the car starts easier?

These engines being common rail don't really need the glow plugs to fire, I have certainly been out and fired mine up in minus 10 and not bothered with the check and just turned the key and has fired up no problem.

Generally these stilo's will tell you if you have a pre heat fault anyway!!

Could compression be an issue when cold??

Timing and everything else like that ok??

Yes i would defo unplug the mar sensor first. If not read below.

First of all forget the glow plugs you dont even need them on common rail diesels.

Sounds like a injector/s to me. Get an injector back leak test done. When cranking do you get plooms of smoke coming out of the exhaust. Or when it starts do you get loads of black smoke out the exhaust.