[Gregos09]

Hello you lovely people,

I have a problem with my van. I took it to a garage to get the fuel bleed hoses changed (I know it's an easy job but I'm away visiting family so just chucked it in the garage to sort it). So went to pick it up and the van wouldn't start at all. We bled the pipes to the injectors and hey presto she started. However when we turned her off and back on she wouldn't start. Again we bled the pipes and she started but now she won't start at all even after bleeding. All of this happened at the garage. They now think that the solenoid inside the fuel pump isn't energising but haven't confirmed that as it was Saturday afternoon and they had a hard morning of grafting so needed to go home...... Anyone had this before? Are the 2 cables that go to the pump both power or is one an earth? Is the pump internally earthed?

Thanks in advance guys!

I always try to avoid garages when I can but I thought what's the worst that could happen??

 

[beefabro]

The two wires are a 12 volt and the immobilized signal wire. They are prone for the immobilisers to pack up. Difficult to test for without the correct gear. The immobilized can be removed and the 12 volt supply used to bypass it.

 

[Gregos09]

Hello thanks for the fast reply. When you turn the ignition all the way without starting the engine should you hear the solenoid energise (click) on and then off when ignition turned off? Are solenoids prone to failure on these (vw t4 1.9 td) and are they easy to change?

 

[beefabro]

Hello thanks for the fast reply. When you turn the ignition all the way without starting the engine should you hear the solenoid energise (click) on and then off when ignition turned off? Are solenoids prone to failure on these (vw t4 1.9 td) and are they easy to change?

Can you see the solenoid? If not is there a black box on the back of the pump?

 

[Gregos09]

I'm not sure. Would have a look but van is still in garage and with it being Sunday they aren't open. I'll have to pop down tomorrow morning and have a look. Was just looking for some info/advice that I could pass on to the mechanic who doesn't really have much of an idea apart from starring at the engine until it something happens. Wish I just pushed it out and got the rac to have a look.

 

[Gregos09]

Any other advice or quick diagnostics I could pass on to the mechanic?

 

[Gregos09]

Would a failed solenoid stop the engine from starting? Just seems to me that the only thing that has been played with is the bleed pipes and now it won't start? Unless it's just a coincidence?

 

[Gregos09]

Any last minute advice before I go back to the garage in the morning?

 

[mikeb59]

mines got exactly the same fault, ive changed my fuel pump solinoide but still no start bleed evrey thing too, its drivivng me bonkers, the solinoide is a b****h to change, pm me and i'll tell you how to do it and the solin is 50 to buy for gods sake

 

[Gregos09]

Thanks bud. PM sent.

 

[Gregos09]

Got to the van this morning and started twice first time!! However on the third attempt it didn't start! What is wrong with it argh!

 

[nicklouse]

Got to the van this morning and started twice first time!! However on the third attempt it didn't start! What is wrong with it argh!

3err you forgot to turn the key?

who knows we were not there. give some info.

did nothing happen?
did it turn over but nothing happened.
did it turnover and fired a little with some smoke?
did it fire abd then stop?

 

[Gregos09]

Same symptoms as previous. Just cranks and doesn't fire into life. Get all the correct lights on the dash. Glow plugs are working. Seems to be an intermittent wiring fault somewhere.

 

[Gregos09]

3err you forgot to turn the key?

who knows we were not there. give some info.

did nothing happen?
did it turn over but nothing happened.
did it turnover and fired a little with some smoke?
did it fire abd then stop?

Thanks for the sarcastic post aswell. All symptoms have been mentioned in previous posts. Thx for you input though.

 

[Helen00]

What about the alternator? I have had a couple of non-starts due to the wiring to the alternator. I drove to the shop, all fine then when I came out I turned key and nothing. All the dash lights come on as normal, just a "nothing" when the start engages which is normally when the engine fires up. It may be nothing to do with your issue, but it did cause the unexplainable won't start then will situation. All I had to do was move the wiring about next to the alternator and it started fine. It has done it twice now though in a few months so will be maybe replacing the connection...after everything else is done!

 

[nicklouse]

Thanks for the sarcastic post aswell. All symptoms have been mentioned in previous posts. Thx for you input though.

you call that sarc! so the problem is exactly the same as before? then why did you not say so!

 

[Gregos09]

Still no idea what's causing it and the useless garage ain't got time to deal with it so getting recovered 260 miles back home. Gonna check the solenoid out tomorrow when back home in my garage. Will update you on the final solution if I get there haha. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[T4 VIRGIN-1]

why did the van go in the garage in the first place ?,what was the previous problem,just leaking leak off pipes ?. You say useless garage,remember you dropped it off on the spur of the moment.Maybe they had big jobs already booked in for today ?,most garages i deal with have a diary for booking in jobs ?

 

[Gregos09]

They said they wouldn't know how to check the solenoid and wouldn't feel confident doing it because they would have to break the moby box off. The RAC even asked them to do it instead of recovering us. RAC are baffled why they refuse to do it.

 

[T4 VIRGIN-1]

The solenoid is behind the immobiliser box located on the back of the pump. Im sure the box is fixed on with tamper proof screws,so needs drilled off,not easy to get in to,and not easy to do. At the end of the day,they could do that and its still not the solenoid ?,what if they ruined the pump doing it,if the rac were baffled let the rac man do it ?.If it was the solenoid how did it bleed up and start the first few times ?