Lange17
Member
I just recently (yesterday) replaced the timing belt and water pump due to a coolant leak. I figured while I was in there I should replace the fuel filter since it hasn’t been done since I’ve owned the car (currently at 80k). However, I didn’t read how to replace the fuel filter and since I’ve never owned a diesel before I did it wrong. I removed the old filter, the whole housing actually, and cleaned out all the sediments. Once the priority service (t-belt/water pump) was done I threw a new filter in and bolted everything back up. An important note is that I did not put any fuel or any liquid in the canister at all. It was completely dry. I then primed the fuel system for a few minutes but turning the car on without starting the engine. Once I tried to start the engine, it was run for a second and immediately die. I then repeated the previous step for a few more minutes and same thing. After a few attempts at this spanning 20 minutes or so the engine finally started. No engine lights or warning indicators at all. In fact, I let it run for about 30 minutes while I made sure the coolant level was correct. After I shut the engine off to put some trim back on, I tried to start the car to move it out of the spot. Same thing as before. After I got it running (a few minutes later) I drove about 30 minutes with no issues at all. Now I parked the car and tried to start it and the same thing happened again! I figured the system has to be primed at this point since it has over an hour of run time.
What is going on? Is it somehow losing its prime over time? Maybe an air pocket?
What can I do to fix this issue? Rest assured, next fuel filter replacement will come with more care and attention.
What is going on? Is it somehow losing its prime over time? Maybe an air pocket?
What can I do to fix this issue? Rest assured, next fuel filter replacement will come with more care and attention.