Cold Starting Problem 2.4TD

[Yorkshire Devil]

I'm having a problem starting my LJ70 engine first thing in a morning(with 2.4TD 2L-T engine)

It just seems to turn over for ages & ages since the weather went cold. I can hear the glow plug relay sound when warmed and suspect the glow plugs might need changing.

Have any people has problems with the glow plug relay failing?


Can anyone point me in way of a guide on how to replace the glow plugs?

[Tokyo drift]

Like my Surf when i picked it up, it was a pain to start first thing, you had to cycle the key 5 or more times, ok rest of day, you could hear the relay working but as it turned out 2 of my 4 glowplugs were not heating up, new set plugs (mind to ream out the pre chanmbers of carbon) and starts first turn.

To change out the glow plugs-

* Disconnect the battery(s)
* Remove air ducting from top of engine
* Disconnect bus bar (take note of insulator spacer sequence)
* Remove plugs
* ream out chambers
* Fit and torque new plugs
* Then it's just a reversal

Tip though is fill the recess that the plug sits in with releasing fluid the night before to help free them up.

Hope this helps.

[Yorkshire Devil]

Rough Starting

What do you mean by 'reaming out' the chambers?

[Tokyo drift]

Where the glow plug tip goes into the cylinder head is the pre chamber. The 'tunnel' that the glow plug tip passes through builds up with heavy carbon which is what can make it very difficult to remove the plugs in the first place.

Believe me that reaming the holes makes a massive difference in starting and i found my mpg got better too.

I made a reamer as the available kits do not contain the 1.25 thread pitch required for the reamer guide. Also it is important to ream the base where the plug seats as with glow plugs, the seat is before the thread not after like with spark plugs.

If you google 'glow plug reaming' it will probably explain it better than me.

[Koi]

remember to make a note of how the washers on the buzz bar are assembled or you will blow the fuse

[Yorkshire Devil]

Cold Starting Problems

Update - The vehcile will turn over but not fire up it just flattens the battery. There is power to the glow plugs but I have bought a new set of plugs which I plan on chnging.

I only have the starting problem when the vehicle has been left overnight. Once I have bump started the car it starts no problem throughout the day.

I have noticed that the fuel primer pump just pump firm, do these pumps go faulty could the fuel lines begin to perish?

[Tokyo drift]

As with mines it would be a bugger to start in the morning but perfect the rest of the day.

I found the only way to realy check the glow plugs was to test them out of the vehicle with a battery. When i tested resistance in situ i kept getting different readings (probably due to corrosion or the like).

Could be a hole in your filter head priming pump and is allowing the fuel to gravity drain back to the tank overnight. Or and air leak somewhere causing the same but in that case if air was entering, diesel would be weeping..

[Yorkshire Devil]

LJ70 Cold Start Problems

As with mines it would be a bugger to start in the morning but perfect the rest of the day.

I found the only way to realy check the glow plugs was to test them out of the vehicle with a battery. When i tested resistance in situ i kept getting different readings (probably due to corrosion or the like).

Could be a hole in your filter head priming pump and is allowing the fuel to gravity drain back to the tank overnight. Or and air leak somewhere causing the same but in that case if air was entering, diesel would be weeping..

I think it could be a air problem, I will check the pipes tomorrow, can the pick up pipe in the tank cause these symptons when it has corroded? Do the manual primer pumps often go faulty?

[Tokyo drift]

There is a screen type filter gauze on the pick up pipe in the tank, this could be blocked but then you would have lack of power too due to fuel starvation..

Regards to primer pumps, don't think my primer works becuase it doesn't go firm when pumping and there are alot of posts on here relating to primer pump diaphrams leaking fuel back to the tank, then again mines is 20 years old so the old girl deserve to be a bit broken

[Yorkshire Devil]

Faulty Primer Pump

There is a screen type filter gauze on the pick up pipe in the tank, this could be blocked but then you would have lack of power too due to fuel starvation..

Regards to primer pumps, don't think my primer works becuase it doesn't go firm when pumping and there are alot of posts on here relating to primer pump diaphrams leaking fuel back to the tank, then again mines is 20 years old so the old girl deserve to be a bit broken

Can a faulty primer pump allow air to enter the system?

[Diezel Weazel]

I had a problem (draining back to Tank) with my ol 2.4, I used to parked it facing up hill n as a temporary fix I parked it facing down hill till I acquired another primer pump !!
Worth a try Bud ...

11+ Years of Surfs ..... n Faultless to a "T" is my Yota !!

[Yorkshire Devil]

I had a problem (draining back to Tank) with my ol 2.4, I used to parked it facing up hill n as a temporary fix I parked it facing down hill till I acquired another primer pump !!
Worth a try Bud ...

11+ Years of Surfs ..... n Faultless to a "T" is my Yota !!

Shouldnt the pump pump firm? Mine is just carrying on pumping, but its impossible to start on the key, bump starts no problem.

I did think about leaving it facing downhill on the main road but if I leave it on the main road I doubt it will be there in the morning!

[Diezel Weazel]

Shouldnt the pump pump firm? Mine is just carrying on pumping, but its impossible to start on the key, bump starts no problem.

I did think about leaving it facing downhill on the main road but if I leave it on the main road I doubt it will be there in the morning!

Yes the primer Pump should firm up after a few pumps so sounds like ya pump is kaput ....
Maybe worth putting in the wanted section .....
Bushwhacker may have one.

11+ years of Surfs ..... n Faultless to a "T" is my Yota !!

[Yorkshire Devil]

Yes the primer Pump should firm up after a few pumps so sounds like ya pump is kaput ....
Maybe worth putting in the wanted section .....
Bushwhacker may have one.

11+ years of Surfs ..... n Faultless to a "T" is my Yota !!

Would the primer let air back into the system so much to cause all these problems? I was going to bypass the primer and connect to a through filter to see if it was at fault. Could the primer carry on pumping if there was air coming in from elsewhere?

[Yorkshire Devil]

Primer Pump

Yes the primer Pump should firm up after a few pumps so sounds like ya pump is kaput ....
Maybe worth putting in the wanted section .....
Bushwhacker may have one.

11+ years of Surfs ..... n Faultless to a "T" is my Yota !!

Bushwhacker do you have a primer pump for sale that will fit a 2.4TD LJ70 Land Cruiser?