Jolly
Veteran Member
This is more of FYI, than a question... Regardless, maybe others can benefit from similar circumstances.
Went to leave work yesterday, and had a no start issue with my MKIV Jetta (5 speed, 293k miles). It was cold, but not cold enough to have a no start condition. I opened the hood and see air in the fuel lines (damn thermostatic tee!!!!). I seem to have repeatedly bad luck with the thermo-tee; the tee radomly fails, and then the pump and injectors loose prime. So, for the occasion, I carry a gatorade bottle of clean diesel and spare thermo-tees.
When I had the hunch that the tee failed on me again, I pulled the fuel lines off the filter, put them both in the gatorade bottle, opened the injector lines to push out any air, and then started cranking. After tightening injector lines, and getting a battery jump from my buddy because the battery ran down to NOTHING in the process, I got it to fire on fuel supplied by the gatorade bottle. While the engine was running, I quickly reconnected both lines to the fuel filter, and I saw that the supply line continued to pull air. I pulled them back off the filter, put them both back in the gatorade bottle, while the engine warmed up and so I could change out the thermo-tee. Finally, with the new tee, and the fuel lines reconnected to the filter; I was on my way home.
Not sure if I am the only one who has similar issues with these therm-tees or not... But for anyone who has a no-start issue because of air in fuel, this may be a place to start trouble shooting.
Went to leave work yesterday, and had a no start issue with my MKIV Jetta (5 speed, 293k miles). It was cold, but not cold enough to have a no start condition. I opened the hood and see air in the fuel lines (damn thermostatic tee!!!!). I seem to have repeatedly bad luck with the thermo-tee; the tee radomly fails, and then the pump and injectors loose prime. So, for the occasion, I carry a gatorade bottle of clean diesel and spare thermo-tees.
When I had the hunch that the tee failed on me again, I pulled the fuel lines off the filter, put them both in the gatorade bottle, opened the injector lines to push out any air, and then started cranking. After tightening injector lines, and getting a battery jump from my buddy because the battery ran down to NOTHING in the process, I got it to fire on fuel supplied by the gatorade bottle. While the engine was running, I quickly reconnected both lines to the fuel filter, and I saw that the supply line continued to pull air. I pulled them back off the filter, put them both back in the gatorade bottle, while the engine warmed up and so I could change out the thermo-tee. Finally, with the new tee, and the fuel lines reconnected to the filter; I was on my way home.
Not sure if I am the only one who has similar issues with these therm-tees or not... But for anyone who has a no-start issue because of air in fuel, this may be a place to start trouble shooting.