diesel won't start in the cold

[pinback2001]

Hi all, I wonder if anyone can give me a bit of advice about my 1993 rover maestro 2 litre diesel van. When it's frosty it is very very reluctant to start. The van also smokes badly on startup. I am no expert on diesel engines, and wonder if a new set of injectors will sort this problem out? Does this engine have glow plugs, and if so are these part of the injectors?? Or do they have to be fitted seperately? How difficult is this fitting job? Any advice gratefully received from any diesel men out there! It's a shame cos the van is a good runner once it's started and got over the worst of the smokiness.

[tony]

hi ,the injectors are connected to the metal pipes that comes from the injector pump,the glow plugs are connected below the injectors the glow plugs have one eletrical wire going to them,then the wire jumps from one glow plug to the next one,as for your problem it sounds like the glow plugs are ready for changing,not that hard to do but very fiddilly, put aside plenty of time :) welcome to the best club you will ever join:) :cool:

[E_T_V]

First thing to do is check or change the glow plugs. My van is an absolute pig to start at the moment and I think this might be the problem. In theory they are really simple to change (just like changing a spark plug) but the access is quite cramped to you have to be patient.

A set will be about £25 from your local motorfactors.

To find them they are the small thing with a wire screwed to the top of them to the left of the injectors (when viewed from the front of the car).

Also worth checking is the cold start solonoid (not sure how you test this though) and also the fast idle advance as the wire to it breaks quite often.

Depending on the milage worn injectors might contribute to this prolem but they are harder to change (although not much) and more expensive so I'd go for the cheap option first as that will cure it I bet.

[SteveC]

Depending on the milage worn injectors might contribute to this prolem but they are harder to change (although not much) and more expensive so I'd go for the cheap option first as that will cure it I bet.

What sort of money are we talking for a new set of injectors then?

Any recommendations as to a good supplier of these?

[John]

If you have a meter you can check the glo plugs, mine on the Astra are 1 ohm resistance when OK and go open circuit when bust. They are the most probable cause of bad starting and once one goes they all tend to die, so try them first.
Good luck

[J199 HHG]

Injectors were about £60 each when I bought a set. Get some from the scrapyard.

Note there are two types, (at least), top entry and side entry for the feed from the pump. Get the right ones.

[SteveC]

Originally posted by J199 HHG
Injectors were about £60 each when I bought a set. Get some from the scrapyard.

Note there are two types, (at least), top entry and side entry for the feed from the pump. Get the right ones.

Coo, a bit pricey then.

I think I'll investigate how much for some exchange ones, or having the existing ones cleaned, before I go down that route.

I seem to recall that the last time I looked in the Haynes book of lies, the later EGR models have slightly different different injectors to the earlier models.

[E_T_V]

There are two types of injectors, single stage ones and two stage ones (which will be the ones fitted to a later car with EGR).

If the milage isn't mega then I'd do the glowplugs and not worry about anything else. Mine are just fine at 200k, (well they pass emissions tests and keep up with a similar van which has been totally stripped and rebuilt!) :D

You can't always tell by the resistance of the glow plugs. Granted one that reads over a couple of ohms is bound to be knackered but they can fail and still give around the right resistance. I know as mine still won't start but all the resistances are the same. Time to change them all I think.

[H48HPE]

Does this engine have glow plugs

the fact that you asked this makes me think your not using them properly?

when you switch the ignition on wait for the orange light with the twirly line to go out, when it does you can start the engine. if its particually cold wait till the light goes out and then wait a few seconds longer, you will hear a sort of click/ping from the engine compartment (this means that the glow plugs have gone off) and then start it (gives it a bit more heat).

dont think im saying your stupid cos I'm not, I only mention this cos I caught my mate struggling to start an escort van cos he didnt know how the glow plugs worked.

Andy

[talkingcars]

My mate at work had a diesel maestro van that wouldn't start well when it was cold, he changed the glowplugs, it was much better after that.

James

[pinback2001]

Hello everybody,
Just to let you all who took the time to give me advice know that a new set of glowplugs has fettled the problem a treat. Well worth the few quid and skinned knuckles! Thanks to all