Whats the symptoms of water in diesel? Leaking pump !

[Christine]

 It's an N reg flat front VW LT horsebox , apparently lost power down to walking pace , not far from home so unloaded and walked the horses back.. Went back and got it started in fits and starts got it home at a crawl ..foot on the floorboards it has no power by all accounts...blocked filter or water in diesel? Funnily enough my van did the same thing t'other day ..  but we used a different filling station ' 

[Lacquer Peel]

Probably a blocked filter, water in diesel is rare these days unless it's leaking in somewhere.

[PiperCub]

Not had an LT but is it easy it whip out the filter or drain the housing into a bowl so you can inspect the contents? You should see water in the diesel if there is any present. 

 

Failing that, is it possible to rig a temporary fuel supply to run the engine (& bleed the system) and see if things improve?

[Christine]

If i can drain the filter is water at the bottom ?Will that come out first?. Will it then have air in the system?

[Christine]

Probably a blocked filter, water in diesel is rare these days unless it's leaking in somewhere.

I was wondering as its been so wet ,whether it was condensation

[scaryoldcortina]

LT has two fuel filters, there is one in the nearside wheelarch that gets missed all the time - this is the one that fills with water first.

 

It also has a big flat tank and a filler pipe that is perfectly shaped to put rainwater into the tank if the cap is a bit iffy. I know because I have one, and about once a year I have to drain the tank to get the water out of the bottom of it.

[noseypoke]

"Dya want water with that?"   nah usually take it with sugar.

Seriously tho,If it's found NOT to be your f/filters ...Don't use that Service station again..the owners don't seen to be keeping their storage tanks clean.

[forddeliveryboy]

Condensation can be a problem if a winter has both massively varying temperatures within 12 hour cycles and the air is wet. This winter has been perfect for it, I'd say. 

[Jimmycrackcorn]

I used to have similar symptoms with blocked filters. 

[DSdriver]

Check also for diesel bug which manifests itself as black slime. It is best to keep the tank topped up if you do not use the vehicle much in winter. I expect Cheggers is an expert on this as well as me, both being boaty people. Boat filters tend to have a screw in the bottom that you can loosen to drain out any water trapped there. I don't know about diesel cars because I have never had one.

[Christine]

I has been to look at it..

  Coolant clean , oil up to mark , Some cranking and it eventually started, revved up fine and sounded powerful enough . Let it idle ,smooth enough ... for five minutes or so , gave it full throttle and it sounded strangled, revs dropped off, misfire , back to idle and it stalled . More cranking ,and  it started again. it would idle and rev up on 1/4 throttle.... anymore throttle and it stuttered and revs fell off . Holding on 1/4 throttle any misfire would chuck out light colour exhaust smoke  

 

It was in a muddy patch and i wasn't gunna kneel down to look for draining filters ..

[Lankytim]

It's the filters.

[colnerov]

 Hi, As SOC says the first one in the wheel arch is an agglomerator bowl and is designed to take water and sediment out before it gets too far and so needs to be drained regularly. Keeping the tank full will help stop condensation in the tank. Plus protect the filler cap from allowing water in. A filter change won't do any harm, when was it last done? Has the lift pump got a priming lever on it? If not consider plumbing in one of those bulb type primers before the main filter, it will save you churning the engine over on the starter to bleed it.

 

 Colin

[djimbob]

Had a cold start problem on my Kia Sedona which was cured by a change of fuel filter  - I let the water out the bottom of the old one and it made no difference, so I would say change the filters for what they cost, it's a no-brainer

[billyboy406v6]

Has it been run on veg, as this sometimes perishes seals in fuel lines, causing air leaks ?

[DSdriver]

It's the filters.

Yes but... don't just change the filters and think "job done", find out why, otherwise you will be changing them again soon... on the hard shoulder of the motorway or down a single track lane with people stuck behind*

 

*other shitty situations are available.

[martc]

"Whats the symptoms of water in diesel?"

 

Having to be rescued by the RNLI.

 

 

 

Sorry, I'll get me coat.

[dollywobbler]

Diesel has a nasty habit of breeding sludgy algae stuff, especially in vehicles that don't get used very often. Like horseboxes. 

[colnerov]

"Whats the symptoms of water in diesel?"

 

Having to be rescued by the RNLI.

 

 

 

Sorry, I'll get me coat.

 

 No, that's diesel in the water. Sometimes called sinking.

[Christine]

Changed filters , and just before the pump ,someone has fitted n extra  plastic inline filter  ,so you can see the diesel being pulled through ..

Got it started , a bit crackly with air in it to start with .....then the inline filter filled up.. engine sounded good ..revved it up let it idle and suddenly all these bubbles are coming through this inline filter and into the pump.. A spill  off pipe is leaking too.  Turned it off and the filter drains away to empty , start the engine it fills up ..Ah ha  I think .. Air's getting in the spill pipe and the pumps sucking in air and diesel!  Changed the pipe ...still the same .. The pump seal on the cambelt end pulley  is leaking !!!!   Is it gunna be expensive?