trouble starting diesel engine in the rain?

Question

i have a vauxhall frontera and if it has rained it really struggles to start - need to use easy start to get it going

Answer 1

Most likely your engine has a grid heater/ flame start/ glow plugs and a "wait to start light", simply turn the key on twice and let the grid heater cycle. After two times it should start fine. If not the grid heater/ flame start/ etc must not be working. look to see if the temperature probe in the intake is plugged in. Also the fuses for the heater relays could be blown.


Use Ether (easy start) or WD40 sprayed in the intake in short bursts--unless it has a fire start , grid heater,or igniter in the intake. This has been done for going on 60 year. Since your just looking for a simple--one or two times type deal-----over the road trucks for 50 years have had ether injection for cold and hard starting problems. When the air if full of moisture and the compression stroke tries to compress the air in order to ignite the fuel--the moister causes the air not to be as hot--so ignition is more difficult. (remember it is the temperature of the air in the combustion chamber that ignites the fuel being sprayed in the cylinder) Ether will vaporize as soon as it leaves the can or with-in a second--so there is no washing of the cylinder walls, same with the wd40--just burns off like the diesel being injected.

Answer 2

Hi

First things first, DON'T SPRAY ANYTHING INTO THE INTAKE!!! If you keep doing it it will wash oil from the cylinder walls, wear the engine, and then your vehicle won't start without the spray, which is known as "addiction" in the trade.

If there is a lot of white smoke whilst you are trying to start the vehicle then you have air ingression into the fuel lines, which may be solved by renewing the fuel filter and seals, otherwise you will need to check for signs of "damp" on the fuel lines, possibly the injector leak off pipes, to find the problem.

If there is black smoke whilst the engine is churning and not starting then you possibly have a glow plug problem. Try activating them about two or three times before starting the engine and see if that makes any difference.

Cheers

Geordie

Answer 3

It could be a bad head gasket. But I would change the distributor cap and wires out first. It is cheaper and easier for one. Not to mention that it sounded like it needed to dry out before it ran better. The thing that made me say head gasket though is the fact that the temp gauge was acting up. If you change the cap and wires and the temp gauge still does that then you have a bad head gasket.

Answer 4

You Have Cold Start On It. Buy Hot Start And It Will Start Right Up. I Used To Have One!!

Answer 5

Could be moisture getting into glow plug circuit. There are sprays available to drive moisture out of electrics. Check your local auto supply store.

Answer 6

what is a frontera? I work with payloaders, we had a simmilar problem, the injector pump wasn't adjusted properly. not sure how your fuel system works, hope this helps.

Answer 7

i try checking the glowplugs not sure what ure glow plugs ohm out to but you can get a do it self book from any car parts store for ure truck it tell you step by step on how to do things and what ure going to need for tools best of luck

Answer 8

easy start aint good m8 ure car will rely on it to fire if u use it tooo regurlarly check glow plugs of for a diesel leak or an air leak

Answer 9

Can't see how rain would affect starting it man, sounds like your heater plugs. shout back n i'll tell you how to check em

Answer 10

service the motor, sounds like a coincadent? (however you spell it) your fuel filter har a air intake and wants replaced. easy diy job.