starting problems

[kimd]

I have recently purchased a Hilux Surf import, man. 1990, reg. 1998. I bought in good faith, but find it won't start in the morning. I have been using easy start and once it is going it runs fine all day long. I want to get the problem fixed, have a very unsympathetic husband, who will not spend any money on it. I love my Hilux but hubby calls is all sorts of horrible names!. When I took it to be MOT'd, the mechanic said he would shoot it if it was a horse!. It passed, but blows out a lot of smoke. The guy who sold it to me said it had a diesel leak, but I don't know where to start looking. I am replacing the batteries and glow plugs this week. Will this solve the problem, or could it be something worse? It also leaks oil from somewhere, dripping from the front right of the engine. I am in need of the advice of a good man. thanks.

[stormforce]

I have recently purchased a Hilux Surf import, man. 1990, reg. 1998. I bought in good faith, but find it won't start in the morning. I have been using easy start and once it is going it runs fine all day long. I want to get the problem fixed, have a very unsympathetic husband, who will not spend any money on it. I love my Hilux but hubby calls is all sorts of horrible names!. When I took it to be MOT'd, the mechanic said he would shoot it if it was a horse!. It passed, but blows out a lot of smoke. The guy who sold it to me said it had a diesel leak, but I don't know where to start looking. I am replacing the batteries and glow plugs this week. Will this solve the problem, or could it be something worse? It also leaks oil from somewhere, dripping from the front right of the engine. I am in need of the advice of a good man. thanks.

Hi Kim.Welcome to the home of insane surfers.Tell the hubby to wake up he don't know what a good truck is
You need to get the truck fully serviced to start with oil,coolant,air filter,oil,filter and fuel filter.You can get these items from www.milneroffroad.com at a very good price delivered.I would also get all belts changed aswell to be on the safe side.When the fuel filter is changed fill it with redex or atf and then give the truck one hell of a hard drive to clean the fuel system out.You may need to have the injectors done but do the other stuff first and go from there.If you have got a fuel pump leak then i think on the 1990 model it may be the exspensive pump to get repaired but some one will correct me on that.

[TonyN]

Hopefully not to much wrong with the truck, I'd get the husband looked at.



Batterys and glow plugs are normally knackered on the older trucks, so might help, give it a good dose of redex in the tank to help clean the the pump and injectors. Also make sure the glow plugs are getting 12v, and the fuse hasn't blown.

Oil leak could just be round the filter, or the turbo oil pipes often leak, especially if the head has been off.

Fuel leak is normally from the pump, usually the lid, which isn't so bad, but might need to take the pump out if its from the back.

Its an old truck, if it dosn't above fixes don't help you need to start thinking about more expensive things. Like the injectors and maybe pump. But get a compression test done first, no point spending lots of money on it if its not mechanically sound and the motor is just worn out, especailly if the smoke is oil smoke.

If it has no compression Easy Start is the only to get it started, no necessarily the end of the truck, but you may have to get used to starting it like that every day.

Be sensible about the truck, I don't know how much you paid for it, but you can get a really late, really clean 2.4 for £1000+ these days, if you're paying someone garage rates of labour, then anything expensive in parts you may soon be getting close to this fixing this one, and still have a suspect truck at the end.

I'd do the batterys, glow plug, change the fuel filter, block of the EGR and use plenty of redex. Then if it still dosn't want to run properly, get a compression test done to prove it worth carrying on with. If its OK, then recon injectors next, and finally the fuel pump.

Also try and find someone to make sure the vacuum hoses are all OK, if its been played with in the past.

[NiftyNev]

Hopefully not to much wrong with the truck, I'd get the husband looked at.

That's a great bit of advice.

Nev

[fatboy33]

are you in bidford or bradford ? i sometimes pop up to bradford on avon ?

fatboy33

[kimd]

I'd like to thank all you lovely people for replying and will take all your advice. The mechanic told me there was no compression, but being a woman I just thought he was supporting my husband, who wants me to get rid of the car. I will probably shoot my husband and then try all the other options. I only bought the car to take my son and his bike to motorcross but as always I did the wrong thing. However, all not lost, as I said I love the Hilux and when I have some more money, will invest in a better one. I don't have the money to spend on this one and have just about worked out how to open the bonnet. I live in Bidford on Avon, by the way, don't know any kind souls who will look at it for me. Still there is obviously lots of nice blokes out there willing to help in the forum, so thanks again. Kim

[jeff.fn02jwa]

hi and wellcome to the mad house

hi and wellcome to the mad house did you get your surf off a dealer or did you get heir sorry him or did he come to you fae a private seller

if he came fae a dealer please name and shame them so that other new be surfers can keep a look out for the f****r i wish you best o luck with your surf and dont let this bad start put you off them once more wellcome to the mad house

[kimd]

hi and wellcome to the mad house did you get your surf off a dealer or did you get heir sorry him or did he come to you fae a private seller

if he came fae a dealer please name and shame them so that other new be surfers can keep a look out for the f****r i wish you best o luck with your surf and dont let this bad start put you off them once more wellcome to the mad house

I feel very welcome in the madhouse, thanks. Believe it or not, the guy I bought it from is a neighbour! He lives a few doors away which is why I trusted him with the sale. I feel I am going mad though, I am thinking that my hubby and his buddies are campaigning to help get rid of the Hilux and are trying to convince me it is a heap of s***. I just want to prove them all wrong so that I can wave and smile when I am driving up the road.....the Hilux spends more time hooked to the battery charger!! It hasn't put me off.....I Lurve my Surf.

[stormforce]

good on ya Kim you show them you can sort it and laugh back at them all

[jeff.fn02jwa]

sorry that you are

I feel very welcome in the madhouse, thanks. Believe it or not, the guy I bought it from is a neighbour! He lives a few doors away which is why I trusted him with the sale. I feel I am going mad though, I am thinking that my hubby and his buddies are campaigning to help get rid of the Hilux and are trying to convince me it is a heap of s***. I just want to prove them all wrong so that I can wave and smile when I am driving up the road.....the Hilux spends more time hooked to the battery charger!! It hasn't put me off.....I Lurve my Surf.

sorry that you are so far away as i would like 2 help wipe that lots smiles off

there mush

come on boys there must be some one that can give kim some help with this i sounds like a good surf for the posting the other week about how to look after your surf weekend kim byes the parts and a hole lot o surf owners get the gen on looking after there surf well if i did not live so far north i would be at it banghead:

[kimd]

I am so glad I hooked up with you surfer guys. You are all crazy but so nice to know some people care about others misfortunes. I am even more determined now to get this thing sorted. I have a further question......if there is no compression, is the engine knackered?.......if so should I put my head in the oven now?.........how would I break the news to my son......he loves the Hilux and strokes it when we go out in it.....(getting a bit worried about the amount of affection he has for it).......he is fourteen and I have to keep it going for him as he wants it when he is old enough to drive.....perhaps I will win the lottery before then....thanks again lovely people.

[Sancho]

Kim,

There are one or two members near you that may be able to help, by all means post a 'help needed!' thread up in the general section and someone might be able to come and have a look for you in exchange for a cup of tea.

Quick answer to your question is that if there is no compression your engine is mostly knackered and not worth major surgery to save. Did the garage actually do a compression test or did he just say "oooooooh, looks like you've got no compression". Very different things.

good luck.

[kimd]

Kim,

There are one or two members near you that may be able to help, by all means post a 'help needed!' thread up in the general section and someone might be able to come and have a look for you in exchange for a cup of tea.

Quick answer to your question is that if there is no compression your engine is mostly knackered and not worth major surgery to save. Did the garage actually do a compression test or did he just say "oooooooh, looks like you've got no compression". Very different things.

good luck.

Thanks Sancho, I would love someone to come and look at and for several cups of tea. I will do as you suggest...........as for the garage mechanic, it was more like "ARRRRRRHHHHHH", looks like no compression. He did not do any tests, as I said before, I thought he was in league with the hubby and suggested I get rid. I paid 1,100 for the truck and because I know nothing ......I liked the look of it, took it for a spin and parted with the cash. If I have to sell it on I would not want to sell it to someone without warning them of the problems. If they are not that bad I want to keep it. The bodywork and interior is in good cond. Looks good, but I want it to start in the morning. Why does it not start from cold, but will start every time throughout the rest of the day? .....I cannot believe the engine is knackered as it runs like a sewing machine and purrs like a pussy cat......am I just clutching at straws?

[Sancho]

Well at 1100 quid, you've not been diddled too badly even if it's destroyed. Someone would probably buy it off you as a non-runner for 800 to break up and sell parts.

There are many cheaper things that it could be if the compression hasn't been tested. Could be as simple as a glow plug fuse.

[kimd]

thanks Sancho, will replace glow plugs this week, new batteries and then hopefully off we go......