Cold start problem on 2.8 GU Patrol

[Hippo]

Hi there.
Have a cold start problem with my '99 GU 2.8 Patrol. Always started just fine but has been getting worse over the last month or so.
She now take 2-3 goes @ 30 seconds or so of turning over before she'll start when cold/cool. No problems if engine is hot.
Have replaced Battery, glow plugs as well as air and fuel filters. Don't know Volts at busbar.
Have tried turning ignition on and off several times for glow plug light but makes no difference.
Read somewhere about installing an advance plate and 'o' ring under fuel pump? is this the next thing to try.
Any help gratefully recieved as i'm at the end of my knowledge of diesel engines.....

[lufkin]

Do you put your foot flat to floor while turning over?

[gbab01]

Hi. Try using the Air Bag light as the glow plug light. Turn it over when the Air Bag light goes out and see how you go. I have a 2000 GU 2.8 and if I crank it after the glow plug light goes out it takes a while to fire up. If I crank it after the Air Bag goes out it starts easy. I don't use accelerator. Worth a try, might save you some drama...

[Hippo]

Thanks for replies
1. have tried both foot to floor and off, doesn't seem to make much difference. Maybe slightly better with foot off? will try both out over the next few days.
2 Since having starting issues have been leaving ignition on longer in hope this would generate 'more heat' in glow plugs. at least until air bag light has gone off. Have even tried multiple sets of 'glow plug light' turns of the ignition.

[Ben-e-boy]

check your voltage at the busbar, before spending money or trying other things.

[Hippo]

Ok, I've got 10.5V at the busbar under load.
She defiantly starts better if you keep your foot off the accelerator while she's turning over

[robbo0001]

Mate all I do, after researching the car prior to buying it second hand, is wait til the airbag light goes off and start it (foot off accelerator).
If I ever experience any problems, the first thing I do will be placing the Nissan supplied spacer under the injection pump.
10.5V underload (ie cranking) is OK in my eyes, so the battery should be good.

[whits86]

I've heard of a rumor about 2.8 cold starts. Never witnessed it tho. It involves the pump and where it's mounted. A simple fix is mount the pump on a bracket situating it away from the surface. Pretty sure it's a heat sink/cold sink prob

[ghostrider_oz]

I have always used the electric antenna instead of the glow plug light to time it, when it hits the lower setting hit the key (foot off accelerator), just had the timing belt changed and found that the fuel pump had been set to fully retarded, after advancing it back a bit it now starts alot better cold & hot

[patrol2.8]

Hi there.
Have a cold start problem with my '99 GU 2.8 Patrol. Always started just fine but has been getting worse over the last month or so.
She now take 2-3 goes @ 30 seconds or so of turning over before she'll start when cold/cool. No problems if engine is hot.
Have replaced Battery, glow plugs as well as air and fuel filters. Don't know Volts at busbar.
Have tried turning ignition on and off several times for glow plug light but makes no difference.
Read somewhere about installing an advance plate and 'o' ring under fuel pump? is this the next thing to try.

Any help gratefully recieved as i'm at the end of my knowledge of diesel engines.....

G`day Hippo
I did the plate for a hot start issue but basicly my car was doing the same as yours here is a link to what i did i included pics of how its done aswell http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?7013-Gu-2.8-hot-start-issue since doing this i havnt had a problem cost is around 45.00 and is a really easy fix

[Hippo]

Thanks for the help. Will try my Nissan dealer for a new cover plate & 'o' ring. will let you know the outcome

[krogh]

Some times the fuel can drain back because the check valve on the primer pump on the fuel filter can leak because of rubbish caught under it.. If you remove the filter and primer you need to look inside where there is a small check valve that sometimes gets a small amount of rubbish under it it.

[Hippo]

Ok,
Installed the new cover plate and 'O'ring. Vasalene helped keep the "o"ring in place while i fumbled with the cover plate!It's in a bitch of a place to see. Taking battery out is a must.
Anyway, started first time after installation, and again this morning so hopefully this has cured the problem.
Thanks to all for your help & advice, esp patrol2.8
Hippo

[patrol2.8]

No prbs hippo let us know how its going in a couple of weeks

[Hippo]

Ok, the saga continues.
All has been good for the last two weeks. Noticed over the last few days she's not been starting as well, sometimes taking two goes to get her fired up.
Then this morning it was a 5 minute battle to get her to catch. Eventually got her going accompanied by lots of smoke from my previous efforts. I'm sure my neighbour appreciated it at 5:50am outside his window!!!
Any clues as to what to try next? Injectors? Injector pump?
Hippo

[the ferret]

Hey Hippo, if you contact Nizzbits and ask him for the advance plate, he will post it.
about $40 I think.
This solved my hot start issue, dunno about cold starts tho.
Cheers, the ferret.

[Hippo]

Thanks Ferrit,
Is the advance plate different to the cover plate & 'O' ring i fitted to the injector pump?
H

[the ferret]

Thanks Ferrit,
Is the advance plate different to the cover plate & 'O' ring i fitted to the injector pump?
H

This is the advance plate for the 2.8 hot start problem.
Cheers, the ferret

http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt164/ferret/004-3.jpg

[Hippo]

Already fitted that a couple of weeks ago. Seemed to cure the cold start problem for a couple of weeks but she looks to have slipped back to her old ways!
Need to find out what to try next.

[the ferret]

Sounds like air in the system or your fuel is waxing up, common problem in cold temps.
Cheers, the ferret.

[Hippo]

Ok.
Still having problems getting her to start in the morning. Once shes been run no probs.
Have noticed that the primer pump on top of the fuel filter can be pumped a couple of times before it goes firm. Does these mean i'm getting air into the system when left for a period of time? and if so whats the best way to bleed it out? No obvious signs of a fuel leak
If this fails can anyone suggest a next step forward?

[aaron]

easy fix new glow plugs mate

[Hippo]

new Glow plugs were the first thing I did, so unless they're faulty I need to come up with a new solution.Will check fuel lines foe air leaks this weekend

[Hippo]

Problem solved Should have taken my last post more seriously! It seems the new glow plugs fitted back in May have ALL turned out to be faulty!!
The insulation on two of them has cracked & fallen off, and they are all showing more pitting and carbon deposits than the origional ones I took out which were probably 12 yeras old!
Will have to go back thru bank records to find who I got them from and give them a serve. Cheap Chinese crap no doubt that they put a heafty mark-up on.
Pity i didn't do the advance plate first off and save myself a good few dollars

[roon]

cheack the engine heater timing it will be less then 5 second therefore its giving trouble in starting and also check deisel filter

[Wine_maker]

Also it can be the nozzle sprayer. When I rebuild my engine only one nozzle work properly. So in my case it was a reason of cold/hot start problem.

[Shaunous]

Problem solved Should have taken my last post more seriously! It seems the new glow plugs fitted back in May have ALL turned out to be faulty!!
The insulation on two of them has cracked & fallen off, and they are all showing more pitting and carbon deposits than the origional ones I took out which were probably 12 yeras old!
Will have to go back thru bank records to find who I got them from and give them a serve. Cheap Chinese crap no doubt that they put a heafty mark-up on.
Pity i didn't do the advance plate first off and save myself a good few dollars

Hi Hippo,
Thought I'd let you know your not the only one to fall to poor quality glow plugs, and also let everyone know if they get the cold starting problem and they have new ones in, still dont count them out.

I've had a cold starting problem for a few weeks and havnt had a chance to look at it. Now history of my car is, the engine was fully rebuilt 16,000km ago, with new glow plugs thrown in 10,000km ago because I kept the old ones in at the time of the rebuild, which I realised later were buggered. I done a trip to Birdsville which was about 4000km and the car started playing up half way there. So these glow plugs only lasted me around 7000km.

I checked them yesterday and only one glow plug is ok, the other 5 are buggered, so I got 7000km out of a set of glow plugs...

Just a warning to others out there, dont discount anything, new parts or not....

cheers,
Shaun...

[Yendor]

Guys, if your glow plugs are failing so early you need to connect a test light or voltmeter up to your busbar and confirm how long the glow plugs are on for (the warning light in the dash is not a true reflection of how long the glow plugs are powered up for).

It sounds like they are on for too long and are burning out.

[Shaunous]

Guys, if your glow plugs are failing so early you need to connect a test light or voltmeter up to your busbar and confirm how long the glow plugs are on for (the warning light in the dash is not a true reflection of how long the glow plugs are powered up for).

It sounds like they are on for too long and are burning out.

I've checked this months previous, and I also checked it this time round. As per Nissan, they stay on for 20seconds untill the engine is started, then continue to stay on untill the engine reaches 50 degree's.

Sometimes the timer relay can pack it in i'm told, and your glowplugs stay on 24/7. Mine don't, but i'll continue to check. Or find out what a timer relay is worth and just replace it anyway....

Cheers,
Shaun...