Custom struggles to start, just cranks

[KooperS]

Hi All

Any help/advice would be appreciated,

I have a 2016 Transit Custom that has a starting issue after standing for longer periods of time. It let it crank over for about 10 seconds at a time before letting it rest and trying again, normally the battery goes before it starts and I have to boost it or use easy start to get it to go. Once the van has started it will turn off and start again no problem, leave it for an hour or 2 hours and it will still start the first time, but leave it any longer than this and it becomes troublesome to start again.

I took it to garage A who checked glow plugs and injectors which were fine. They fitted a fuel filter but nothing improved. I took it to an electric specialist who plugged it in and told me the van was in perfect working order.
So it went to garage B, a Ford specialist, who checked the injectors again (all OK) and put another fuel filter on, but nothing improved. The van developed a misfire and finally developed a code So the van went back in and had a diesel pump fitted (their guess at the main isue) and injector 4 replaced (the code that had come up due to the misfire) and its still exactly the same but with the misfire gone.

Has anybody come across this issue? I've heard it could be common on the Add Blue vans but no one seems to know a cure.

[FJ111200]

Have you had any excess oil dilution from the partial regens? Check the oil level and sniff the dipstick for that diesel smell.
I had what you're describing and it turned out that the excess fuel in the oil had cleaned off the oil on the piston rings, heavily scoring the cylinders and there was no pressure in the cylinders to fire it up. It worked fine all day once it had initially fired up.
I needed new cylinders and rings and whatever else had occurred but your problem sounds exactly the same and mine is a 2016 model.

[KooperS]

Have you had any excess oil dilution from the partial regens? Check the oil level and sniff the dipstick for that diesel smell.
I had what you're describing and it turned out that the excess fuel in the oil had cleaned off the oil on the piston rings, heavily scoring the cylinders and there was no pressure in the cylinders to fire it up. It worked fine all day once it had initially fired up.
I needed new cylinders and rings and whatever else had occurred but your problem sounds exactly the same and mine is a 2016 model.

Thanks for this. I've been and had a sniff and it just smells like oil to me. I'm going to keep a good eye on levels etc now just in case

[MartinWalker77]

i have the same problem on a 2018 Van. did you managed to fix yours? Thanks

[gfear]

@KooperS

Did you manage to find out what the problem was in the end?

We have a 66 plate with what sounds like very similar problems and also had the same work done to it as yours.

Serviced as per the book at Ford dealers, owned from new, Around 130'000 miles on the clock.

Its been in various garages for coming up a year now (including Ford), and no-one has managed to find out what's wrong; no codes coming up, and intermittent starting. On some occasions it will start after being left for a day (may take a few cranks), on other days, just cannot get it started. Can crank till it times out over and again but refuses to start. Sometimes 'splutters' as though its attempting, but nothing doing. Once it starts, it drives absolutely fine, and if you turn it off after its been started, will usually start again. Its never particularly lively to start.
From memory, we have had the following work done in this order:
New battery
Fuel filter (twice - at different garages)
Fuel pressure test (I think)
Compression test - Cylinder 1 = 240psi Cylinder 2 = 310psi Cylinder 3 = 320psi Cylinder 4 = 280psi
Timing belt (Had skipped a tooth and debris was found in the sump, but after this was done no real improvement. Could the compression have been low due to the timing being out?)
Injectors bench tested
Crankshaft position sensor
Fuel lines (a split was found but after these lines were changed, no real improvement)
One way valve on the fuel lines from the fuel tank (done in-case fuel was draining back to the tank)
4 new genuine injectors put it (these were replaced with the originals after finding they didn't improve the situation)
I believe one or 2 other sensors

Really would appreciate any suggestions from anywhere. We need it back badly but don't know which way to turn!

Many thanks in advance.

[Jaythesprayer]

What was the outcome, anyone fixed theirs.
I have a 2018 that will not start
No codes
Only 37k miles with full Ford history