Hi everyone,
Cash is a bit tight at the moment so I'm having to research what's wrong with my van, a Vauxhall Combo 1.3CDTI (I know, a lot smaller than what most LJN members drive!), rather than get it to the garage.
I had to get my mower out this morning so I had to park across my parking space, so a 'journey' of about 30 seconds. It started fine, I took my mower out to clean it up, put it back in and now my van won't start. Worse than that, when I try to start it everything shakes almost violently! I've been looking online and all I can come up with is the glow plugs or (increasingly likely) the starter motor.
I know that a lot of LJN members know engines a lot more than I do, so I ask for any thoughts from any of you. I have a friend who's good with engines and lives locally but his mum's currently undergoing emergency surgery.
Really appreciated.
Ben
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Replies
If it's a reasonabley 'modern' variant and has the OBD port in the dash or footwell, can you call a breakdown company or a local garage and see if they can 'interogate' the fault via Diag software on your driveway?
Do you have to preheat the glowplugs (ie wait until a light goes out) before starting? If so, is that light going out as normal? One of those plugs failed on my L200 and that was the only indication other than it being harder to start.
Could be the starter motor solenoid has packed up and left the starter engaged. A good thump with a rubber mallet can release it. Exchange starters are not that expensive.
Other option, has the diesel pump partially packed up - I think you can check - there's normally a drain / bleed valve near the filter.
A few of the issues I've seen with our vans over the years - but I'm nowhere near a diesel machanic :)
Sure there will be some more relevant ideas put up shortly on LJN....
Thank you- it's certainly given me more options to look into. I don't know my way around motors like I should; this is probably my time to start learning! Thanks again.
Hi Ben, as a 4 year time served Vauxhall mechanic, I came across a few of these engines.
If it started first thing - its not the glow plugs - these will (normally) start without glow plugs although they will smoke a lot - indeed the glow plugs themselves are prone to shearing off in the cylinder head when you try to remove them - common issue with all alloy headed Vauxhall engines.
If the engine is turning over - its not the starter motor at fault either.
The thing that immediately springs to mind, especially given the 'violent shaking' when attempting to start is a snapped timing chain - I hope for your sake it isn't as this is an expensive engine strip down job.
These engines DID unfortunately have a issue with timing chains on some models - indeed my old neighbors Combo van did just the same - went from one job to wholesalers, wouldn't start - chain had snapped.
If you want anymore info - you can normally catch me on 'Chat' most evenings, or drop me an email.
So if it was the starter it wouldn't do anything? When I put the key in and turn it I get a lot of laboured noise as well as the shaking.
I've had this problem intermittently before, strangely when parked on a slope. My local garage usually just give me raised eyebrows when I say about it, but it has done this labouring and shaking business when parked across a slope at a funny angle. Nonetheless it always eventually started and was always just a rare intermittent fault... until now.
Get a video up be easier to diagnose, is the noise like a grinding noise like if your tried starting your car while it was running
Adam, can I clarify ? If the starter motor was stuck engaged would it still not try to start and then fail to disengage, thus the engine is turning the starter motor over to distruction ? We had this on one of the vans..The noise was what prompted that suggestion.
Does these run a none interference engine? or has his pistons smashed his valves?
Do non interference diesels even exist? Need a much higher compression ratio for diesel and non-interference engine design leads to lower compression.