Won't start
-
Etonetyate
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Dec 01, 2024 10:05 PM
- Location: Etowah
Won't start
I've owned an '85 524td for a little over a year and haven't been able to get it running. It's getting plenty of fuel to the injection pump but the injectors are barely spurting. My dad thinks it's got something to do with the injection pump. I have very little mechanical knowledge. Any ideas or links would be helpful. I love this car and want to be able to hear it run and drive it more than anything. Please help!!!
-
Andrew 524td
- Posts: 43
- Joined: Sep 26, 2007 8:47 AM
- Location: Russia, Voronezh
- Contact:
Re: Won't start
hello
First, I would check the operability of the glow plugs and the operation of their automatic relay. It is easy to check the candles- unscrew them from the head and apply voltage from the battery charger to each one - (+) to the threaded tip for the wire, and (-) to the glow plug body. It should glow red hot.
It is also necessary to check whether the fuse under the lid of the candle control unit is intact, this is an aluminum strip with the inscription "80A"
First, I would check the operability of the glow plugs and the operation of their automatic relay. It is easy to check the candles- unscrew them from the head and apply voltage from the battery charger to each one - (+) to the threaded tip for the wire, and (-) to the glow plug body. It should glow red hot.
It is also necessary to check whether the fuse under the lid of the candle control unit is intact, this is an aluminum strip with the inscription "80A"
Re: Won't start
Can also just pop the cover off the glow plug controller to check things out. Under the lid is a fuse link, make sure its not burned. If thats good, unplug the connector and ohm check from ground to pins 1-6 on the car-side harness. You should see 3-4 ohms on each one if the glow plugs are good. Any open circuits or significantly higher resistance means a bad plug. If one is bad, I'd probably change all 6 because the next failure isn't far down the line. Look it up by the Bosch part number, lots of things used this plug and the prices range quite a bit depending on what they are selling it as. I got the set in my car listed for some Mercedes application and they cost me about 10 bucks per-plug. BMW listings were more like $15-20 each for the identical item.
I wouldn't power them directly, they get really hot and its a good way to burn yourself. If they are getting power and they ohm out OK, they're getting plenty hot.
Won't get much fuel when cranking, it just needs to have something. Make sure the injectors are fully installed, and maybe crack the line loose at each injector while cranking to verify its getting fuel instead of air.
Absolute last ditch effort, and I don't reccomend this lightly, a shot of starting fluid in the intake should get it lit off. Ether is generally bad for diesels but its sometimes the only way to get one with bad glow plugs to start. Once it lights off it should keep going on it's own if the injection stuff is basically working and the compression is good.
I wouldn't power them directly, they get really hot and its a good way to burn yourself. If they are getting power and they ohm out OK, they're getting plenty hot.
Won't get much fuel when cranking, it just needs to have something. Make sure the injectors are fully installed, and maybe crack the line loose at each injector while cranking to verify its getting fuel instead of air.
Absolute last ditch effort, and I don't reccomend this lightly, a shot of starting fluid in the intake should get it lit off. Ether is generally bad for diesels but its sometimes the only way to get one with bad glow plugs to start. Once it lights off it should keep going on it's own if the injection stuff is basically working and the compression is good.