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2000 ford transit diesel wont start when cold

My brother has a 2000 ford transit turbo diesel, 300.000 km (<200k miles mercon) won't start when it's a frost. He had it at a mechanical workshop and they say the injector pump is failing. Would this only be when it's cold? Runs perfect other than that but has quite a bad injector rattle. Any ideas?
 

dustybumpers

don't play well w others
My old Ih did that. I would have to plug it in anytime it was below 30* or it would kill the batteries trying to start. Rebuilt the pump, and it started fine when cold without plugging it in. That was an IDI though. Yours is an electric pump in the frame rail.
 

1970Custom

They call me Spuds
14,107
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Middleton, ID
Either is cheaper...
 

dustybumpers

don't play well w others
Does it do better plugged in?


You might also want to check for air leaks. look around the filter housing, , or any lines.
Even the gasket on the filter housing could be marginal.

Try cycling the key, and letting the elec pump run a few times to see if it starts better
 
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Andy when you put the new glow plugs in did you test the controller? How long do the plugs glow for?
just make sure you disconnect the glow system before firing a shot of "start ya bastard" down it's throat
 
Has your brother had a compression test done on it Andy? ...... it is probably getting down a bit with those 'kays on it and you might just find those cold starting issues showing up with winters arrival.
Whip the intake manifold hose off and shove a heat gun or the old chooks hairdryer in there for 5 min or so before trying to start it Andy - that'll give it some hot air and help with lower compression - if it starts then i'd look at fitting a block heater to it and plugging it in at night or driving it way , way , way up north and flogging it off..... it'd make a great donga for someone in the NT - especially as they only drive it for one tank of fuel lol.
 
our work trucks do it when it gets about 50 degrees out and they all have less than 100k on them. one little shot of starting fluid always worked good.
 
hmm, fancy seeing this old post, seems to be similar to the trouble I'm having with my old IDI, have to plug 'er in below forty degrees farhenhiet, (replaced two bad plugs last fall), then after I changed the fuel filter in Feb, she's not wanting to start when she's all warmed up but has sat for a minute, finally took her to the mech, he said batteries, couldn't recreate the same circumstances I'm having... batteries didn't do the trick so I think he replaced a couple fuel lines that were seeping, I'll be picking her up later today... My theory all along was a fuel pump and or injector pump, someone said starter, and another says glow plug relay. Don't really want to keep throwing parts at her hoping something sticks, lol.
 

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