NissanDiesel Forums

I've only driven my '83 Sentra three fifteen mile trips, but I've found one big problem already: it will not restart if it's up to temp.

That is, I got stuck when I stopped at a FLAPS near work this morning. I was inside the store maybe three minutes, came out, would not start. Walked to work, came back a few hours later, it fired right up, drove it to work, drove it home, shut it off in the driveway, immediately tried to restart, no-go.

Full tank of fuel.

It seems to crank fast enough, but only seems to fire on maybe one cylinder.

I will check valve adjustment tomorrow, but I have a clue what is going on and I'm not happy if it turns out to be the case. I'd love to hear other folks' guesses on this one. It would be really cool if it was a failing fuel cut solenoid, but I don't think I'd get even the one cylinder firing if that was the case -- has anyone experienced a failed VE-style fuel cut solenoid? What are the symptoms?

Here is my guess for what its worth Is it getting fuel when you crank it when it is hot? Does it make a lot of black smoke when it finally does start? If it does then I would think that it is getting fuel and the cylinders are over fueled. If it does not, then, no fuel . No fuel, try tapping the solonoid with the handle of screwdriver when cranking and see if it "un-sticks", or hook 12VDC directly to it to eliminate ignition switch/wiring harness issues. If you get lots of smoke when it finally runs then we come to a possible compression issue. Valves too tight or sticking when hot. Let cool and they shrink enough to allow enough compression. OR The poor little guy is just plain worn out and a compression check is in order. That would be where I would start, and, perhaps you have already looked at all that, so I may just be typing words for no real reason other than to hear the clack of the keys
Had to add this on an edit: Is the fuel cap venting? Is the tank a big vacuum resevoir after its been running and when you shut it off is the fuel being pulled back into the tank

I had a 350 diesel do that years ago. IIRC it was caused by a restricted pickup strainer in the tank. No, I never could explain why it primarily affected hot starting. Real frustrating when a diesel won't start hot.

I don't know if the VE works like the Stanadyne pump or not. In the Stanadyne, the solenoid shut the pump down by choking the return to the tank. Anything that created enough backpressure in the return line would shut the pump down.

Again, I don't know how much of this applies to the VE. Brainstorming you know.

Might implicate the fuel delivery by shooting some WD40 into it when it plays dead. If it fires and runs on WD40, the engine's OK, just not getting fuel for whatever reason.

Best luck. Rufus

Engine is worn. Blowby gasses and EGR flood the intake.

BUMMER ! ! ! ! ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, What now coach,,,,,,,Punt

when the fuel shut off solonoid failed on my puegeot -ve style pump -i left it running in the parking lot of diesel fuel injection services in pdx and when i came back out it was off. the boys inside where fantastic and helped with fuel, tools, time, expertise and a spare solonoid from a junk pump -all for free!

without a working solonoid there is no starting that engine.

are you going to try disconnecting the egr system from the intake?

asavage wrote:Engine is worn. Blowby gasses and EGR flood the intake.

yes, the egr system can be a pain, mine malfunctioned and stayed open and the throttle valve didnt open randomly. The egr control unit was uber expensivek, so i removed the whole system.

asavage wrote:Engine is worn. Blowby gasses and EGR flood the intake.

yes the egr system can be a pain, mine malfunctioned and stayed open . The egr control unit was crazy expensive, so i removed the whole system.

To disconnect the EGR, only one connector need be disconnected, right next to the engine oil dipstick. With that three-wire connector disconnected, the intake butterfly stays open, and the EGR valve stays closed.

Nothing else needs to be removed or plugged.

asavage wrote:To disconnect the EGR, only one connector need be disconnected, right next to the engine oil dipstick. With that three-wire connector disconnected, the intake butterfly stays open, and the EGR valve stays closed.

Nothing else needs to be removed or plugged.

yea i disconnected the solenoid valves at first, later on the egr valve grew a crack in it for some reason and leaked exhaust into the engine compartment. The intake butterfly I took out because i felt like it xD and had an expensive cone filter laying around not being used.I also found it more aesthetically pleasing without the non working stuff in the engine bay.

So blow by and the egr are the causes of your hot start problems?

another thing i had to do with my ve pump equiped vehicle when it was smoking under load and loosing power and sometimes starting, sputtering and dying -was to(after replacing everything from the tank up to the pump and isolating the problem with short lines into small containers of fuel) was to install an electric inline pump pushing about 3-5psi for about $50.

there is at least one seal on the side of the pump that is under vacuum, probably around the internal lift pump, that sucks enough air to cause those symptoms. the 3-5psi is just enough so the internal lift pump doesn't have to work so hard sucking 16ft from the back of the wagon and through a filter -yet not enough to make the seals leak. the improved throttle response and excelleration are a bonus.

-something interesting that clued me in was when the ulsd just came into this area i filled the tank twice with it cause i was tired of all the bio related hose leaks and the pump developed a leak out of the side and when i filled it back up with b99 it stopped leaking. of course after another year of b99 it started seeping again.

so ulsd shrinks and hardens old seals and bio swells and softens them until they are destroyed -just like old hoses.

my next door neighbour has an early 2.4 hilux.

recently he ran out off fuel and has been unable to blled the system.

I was passing a gave asistance with compressed air looking for leaks and blockages.

the engine runs for a few minutes then runs out of fuel.there is a flow of fuel returning to the tank but becomes white just before loosing power.there is fuel at the filer.

we are thinking that the shaft seal is leaking air but there is a flow of fuel returning to the tank.

FIX,he fitted an electric pump. after the filter.