[gaminou]

Hi. I'm fitting a diesel heater to my T5 2.5 AXD. I've dropped the tank, removed and replaced the sender unit, disconnected the lines and refitted. I've also changed the fuel filter. Now I can't start the vehicle...
I've tried turning the key to prime the filter many times, and turned over for a long time. I've put 10 litres of diesel back in the tank. It is up on ramps under the rear wheels, so on an incline, but I'd have thought it would have enough fuel.
I'm wondering if there's an airlock in the fuel line. I've tried disconnecting the blue line from the tank (marked VF) at the filter, and putting the open pipe in a bottle. When I turn the key I don't get fuel, which I expect I should? Any thoughts on how I can troubleshoot this would be appreciated... Thanks.

 

[triffic]

When you turn the key, do you hear the lift pump (in the tank) run for few seconds? The typical noise is a sort of "squelch" sound as it self-primes - or at least that's what our AXD does.

 

[gaminou]

Thanks for the reply. I got a couple of squelches, then it went quiet. I think the sender pump must have been running dry.
I can answer my own question now. I put another 10 litres of fuel in, and noticed some continuous bubbling from the fuel pipe for quite a while. I left it to settle, re primed the filter (hoses connected), plenty of squelches, then got it going. I think the tilt of it being on the ramps must have been the issue. I didn't want to roll it off, in case I couldn't start it and had to drop the tank again to investigate the sender pump. I also didn't want to put too much fuel in in case I had to drop the tank. Anyway, I'm smiling now and hopefully this will be helpful for someone down the line.

 

[T5 TDI]

Good news. Just to confirm you are correct that you should see fuel coming out of that pipe marked VF on the filter on turning ignition.