ran out of diesel (not starting)

[Mr Angry]

hi there

great forum!
i recently ran out of diesel and was wondering wot mite be the problem with my hilux 3ltr ltd edition deisel starting back up! i filled the tank with about 3 gallons and still would not start! i have tried using the pump on the fuel filter as it says on the manual but it doesnt seem to tighten after so many pumps, it is still slack wen pumping! do u think there mite b a blockage somewhere within the tank or pipes? i did unscrew the fuel filter to see if the diesel is pumping through manually and it is. any ideas on how to fix this?

much appreciated kind regards Mr Angry

[BUSHWHACKER]

You'll need to loosen the injector pipes and crank the engine untill diesel spurts out. Do each one in turn, loosen, spurt tighten. It helps if you have someone to crank the engine while you do the injector end!

[Mr Angry]

You'll need to loosen the injector pipes and crank the engine untill diesel spurts out. Do each one in turn, loosen, spurt tighten. It helps if you have someone to crank the engine while you do the injector end!

can u tell me wot size of spanners or sockets to use cos i dont hav a haynes manual for this. also is it a big job to do this? if this still fails to start any other ideas u mite suggest? i mustve drawn all the **** left at bottom of tank. i do hav diesel fuel cleaner...should i put this in again wen im up and running and can u recommend good stuff to help this? do u think there is any long term damage or problems to other areas of engine because of my stupidness?
kind regards me

[TonyN]

Use a 14mm spanner, you can see some of the injectors without taking much off.

Be careful not to short out the glowplug busbar.

Sometimes the pumps are tempremetal, pump it while some is turning the key, or failing that, pull the hose off that comes from the tank to the filter and suck some deisel through.

[Bogus]

It will start after youve bled it at the injectors. Dont worry about **** from the tank bottom or anything like that. Its simple really, you just dont let yourself run out of diesel, if you do then you must bleed right through to the injectors.
Its not like a petrol engine where you just throw in a gallon and off you go.
If you want an easy life you just dont let the tank go that low. and somehow I feel sure that you never will again

Bogus

[kcsl]

On a related point - over the years you must get a fair amout of cr*p in the bottom of the tank. I've always been told, never let your tank (petrol or diesel) run that low so you don't get this gunk taken into the engine.

But I've never understood this.

If the cr*p floated, I'd see it when I fill her up - and I fill right to the very brim - you can stick your finger in the filler hose and touch the diesel.

If the cr*p sinks, it would get caught immediatly in the fuel line - full tank or not - so I'm assuming that the engine fuel feed actually comes out of the side of the tank, near the bottom but not at the bottom to avoid sucking in the gunk.

Or am I missing somthing....

[BUSHWHACKER]

You sir are correct. except on motorcycles where the fuel outlet on the tank is more or less at the lowest point, but they have a removable gauze filter in the fuel on/off tap.

[Morr]

....... I've always been told, never let your tank (petrol or diesel) run that low so you don't get this gunk taken into the engine.

.......

Or am I missing somthing....

There is some wisdom in this. Any dirt should settle to the bottom of the tank. The fuel outlet is often up to an inch above the lowest point. Ordinarily, even with the movement of the vehicle this dirt should stay at the bottom of the tank relatively undisturbed, when low on fuel however the sloshing of the fuel in the tank will have a greater agitation effect on any dirt at the bottom, thus bringing it into suspension within the fuel and thereby more likely to be caught at or drawn thru the tank outlet.

[kcsl]

I never considered the 'slosh' factor - excellent point.

Thanks,
Joe