Random misfire and running on 3 cylinders

[vanfox]

If I had a pound for every time I've been told the Injection Pump is knackered..........Has anyone actually got a knackered Bosch?

This is a classic case of air getting into the system. If you have the black ring filter try turning it. You should feel the locating lugs, turning it helped it seat properly, stopped mine from leaking.

As you say, the connectors are push fit. I run veg/diesel mix, I have a couple of cheap plastic filters in line from the lift pump using fuel tubing and clips. They don't do much filtering but they give a clear indication of any air in the fuel. Carefully cut the black pipe and insert the filter and fuel tubing.

Another place to check is the T piece behind the head where the leak off pipe joins the return flow pipe. Mine split before Xmas, fuel all over the place.

I suppose we have to remember the W, X and Y reg vans are now getting on for 15 yrs old. I'm sure some of the gear was never meant to last this long, no wonder this sort of thing occurs.

[Stevejan]

Hi, I am new to this forum and hope someone can help me. I own a 1998 mk5 2.5 di transit (good nick for its age). Its developed a fault where it randomly starts running on 3 cylinders and loses power. It first happened about a year ago and when I cracked an injector it picked back up and run fine for months. Lately though its started doing it much more frequently. Doesn't matter if its motorway running or crawling about in traffic. Some days it does it and other days its fine,you just never know. When you slacken an injector pipe and give it a few revs it goes back to normal. Have done the egr mod (Clipped opened the butterfly) a few months ago which gave it more go and cured the smoke when reversing problem. Havent done the leak off mod yet but heard that only helps with starting problems and she starts straight away in any weather so don't think its that. Changed the fuel filter and checked the tank breather and that's fine. Just been up the Transit Center,Dudley and had a word with the guy there who reckons the diesel pumps knackered but im not convinced. Surely if a pumps knackered its knackered (think its a bosch)? Any help would be greatly appreciated?

Still having the same problem. Have changed the filter again for a genuine ford one, done the leak off mod and checked the lift pump and tank breather. It was fine for a few hundred miles and now the problem is back and with regularity. Cracking open number 4 injector pipe releases air bubbles and then it picks back up again but you never know how long its going to last. Could I be looking at a recon pump or has anyone else got any other ideas? Cheers

[Jim Archer]

Have you checked all the feed line from tank dip tube to pump?

Took me ages to find the leak in mine (the 'in' to the filter head) despite sort of knowing what it was - ended up expanding the brass pipe ends (Bosch set-up) to get them to seal, seems to have cured it ...... so far.

Jim

[vanfox]

If I had a pound for every time I've been told the Injection Pump is knackered..........Has anyone actually got a knackered Bosch?

2. If the van usually runs well the injection pump is the last thing I'd change. Just find where the air is getting sucked in. My guess is before the lift pump, reason being the system is under pressure from there on so a leak should leak....diesel. Not discounting leaks after the lift pump, that's why I have the "indicating" fuel filters in line.

The IP can only inject what is presented at its' fuel inlet. If it gets clean fuel all is usually well. If it gets air it will inject ....air, hence yours and my problem. Mine airlocks now and then, must do the leak off mod this year. In the mean time there's a 17 mm spanner under my seat.

Strangely, I've only had airlocking on banana engines, never on .....none bananas.

[Mr RVM]

If I had a pound for every time I've been told the Injection Pump is knackered..........Has anyone actually got a knackered Bosch?

2. If the van usually runs well the injection pump is the last thing I'd change. Just find where the air is getting sucked in. My guess is before the lift pump, reason being the system is under pressure from there on so a leak should leak....diesel. Not discounting leaks after the lift pump, that's why I have the "indicating" fuel filters in line.

The IP can only inject what is presented at its' fuel inlet. If it gets clean fuel all is usually well. If it gets air it will inject ....air, hence yours and my problem. Mine airlocks now and then, must do the leak off mod this year. In the mean time there's a 17 mm spanner under my seat.

Strangely, I've only had airlocking on banana engines, never on .....none bananas.

Same here....I once bought a van from a greengrocer and that had no banana's or leeks not wishing to appear green as I was cabbage lookin I asked him if it had been sprayed recently as there was a bit of orange peel effect on the wings he said "not recently" but within weeks rust bubbles were sprouting out all over so I think he sold me a lemon

[Stevejan]

Still having the problem,had to crack number 4 again today. Its becoming a pain in the arse! One thing I have noticed which might throw some more light on it. I don't think it ever goes when under load. I've never noticed it play up when ,for example pulling up a hill or going under high revs. It only seems to do it when you lift off to slow down or coast down a hill etc and when I put my foot back down that's when it starts misfiring. Does that give anybody any more clues has to what it might be?

[Mr RVM]

99.99% its air getting into system I know that you've been told lots of times already but you need to find the leak it'll be ever such a small one but enough to give you the problems you have you need to start at the fuel pipe at the tank and work thru it I know you have been thru it all already but its there somewhere

I once had a similar problem with a bmw 5 series TD and 3 dealers couldn't find it turned out to be a porous fuel pipe just where it left the tank (10 min fix) it caused the same problems you're having and allsorts of lights on the dash and it was fixed with a 3inch piece of rubber tube

stick with it and you'll find it soon

[fidget]

just a thought to check the first pump in the line, under the exhaust manifold. if that has a small leak in it then it will not show with fuel coming out, as it will suck the air in and pump it up to your filter. I had one that had a tiny rust hole on the top. there is also a gauze filter inside some, they have a small screw and rubber seal on them, again the seal may be letting air in, hope it helps a little.

[Stevejan]

UPDATE Changed the fuel line from the tank to the lift pump and from the lift pump to the filter housing (Rubber fuel line and circular clips, Ford wanted £74 for that rigid plastic crap! WHAT!). Also put a new lift pump on. Went fine for a while then went again. So I got a set of second hand injectors from the transit centre (scrap yard!! £30 exchange) and put them in. Its now pulling LOADS better (goes pretty much anywhere in fifth gear now and using less diesel) and its done a couple of hundred miles so far without problems! Don't know if its cured it but its looking promising. One thing. The injectors I took out had a white spot and the ones ive put in are red spot. Anyone know the difference? Thanks again for everyones input.

[Stevejan]

EDIT The ones ive took off are green dot,not white. The question still stands. Anyone know the difference between the green and the red has its running 100 times better with the red ones.

[Mr RVM]

EDIT The ones ive took off are green dot,not white. The question still stands. Anyone know the difference between the green and the red has its running 100 times better with the red ones.

Check this list......

viewtopic.php?f=31&t=131802

[andypdq]

Sometimes worn injector nozzles can let high pressure gas from inside the cylinder blow back through them into the injector, thus causing air locking, maybe this was your problem. Glad you seem to have sorted it.

[Mr RVM]

Sometimes worn injector nozzles can let high pressure gas from inside the cylinder blow back through them into the injector, thus causing air locking, maybe this was your problem. Glad you seem to have sorted it.

Yeah that makes sense

[MinorMatt]

Green spot is 70PS, Red spot is 76PS

[Sunbmw]

Hi Folks, sorry to resurrect this thread from years ago, but I wondered if this cured the problem long term?

I have the exact same fault, and I have gone through the whole thing apart from the injectors. I am taking them for test/repair tomorrow, but would like to know I am not wasting my time!

TIA, Lee.