Stuck in the Driveway

[mtnbob]

86 Golf 1.6TD-----Car wouldn't start this morning, thought it was the loose alt belt. Charged battery, cranked many times, but won't start. Changed out the fuel filter, checked the air filter, still nothing. Any suggestions on the logical way to go about this?
Thanks
 

[mtnbob]

I finally got it started and it is running ok   but I noticed that I am getting exhaust smoke? under the hood. Is it possible to have a bad connection between the manifold and the downpipe? Where else might exhaust smoke be coming from?

[ORCoaster]

Gaskets at head between Manifold could be mis oriented.  Two go one way two the other.  Might be preventing head/mani clamping tight.  Also downpipe might be turned and pushing exhaust by o ring?  Clamps tight on that toilet bowl thing?

[mtnbob]

They look good at the downpipe connection. Is it possible that the turbo is coking up and not working? Plugging the intake? Please excuse my ignorance on this subject.

[CRSMP5]

does it have a POP sound? if not its after turbo... look for hole... pop/click/tap is pre turbo...

[Dakotakid]

My guess is that it will quit smoking after you burn up all that fuel you injected while trying to start it.

[mtnbob]

I got it started drove it 75 miles, and now its stuck again. Battery is fully charged. It just doesn't seem like it is getting any detonation. Glow plugs?  Do they go all at once? Car started fine in cold weather just three days earlier.

[air-cooled or diesel]

are you sure smoke is coming from exhaust?? and not smoking form some other place? are you using plenty of cold flow for fuel?

[TylerDurden]

I'd set the smoke issue aside for a moment and check the basics on starting/running:

I'd place a 12V test light on the GP buss and another on the fuel cutoff.
Clear lines to/from the IP. (If you have vinyl lines, they get stiff in the cold and can let in air at the barbs.)

If those check ok, but still hard to start:
I'd crack the hardline fittings at the injectors to verify fuel is reaching the injectors.
I'd bottle-feed* the IP to eliminate the tank/lines/filter as factors. (* lines to/from IP go to clean container by engine)

If those check ok, but still hard to start:
Could be compression, maybe leaking turbo seals dumping oil into the intake/exhaust. (would explain smoke - leaking onto exh. manifold) I'd check compression and look in the intake elbow for oil soaking.
I'd install a hose-heater in the bypass hose to warm engine - get through the season until a good time to re-ring or rebuild turbo.

[R.O.R-2.0]

are you sure smoke is coming from exhaust?? and not smoking form some other place? are you using plenty of cold flow for fuel?

plenty of cold flow for fuel?!

what are you talking about?

[R.O.R-2.0]

I'd set the smoke issue aside for a moment and check the basics on starting/running:

I'd place a 12V test light on the GP buss and another on the fuel cutoff.
Clear lines to/from the IP. (If you have vinyl lines, they get stiff in the cold and can let in air at the barbs.)

If those check ok, but still hard to start:
I'd crack the hardline fittings at the injectors to verify fuel is reaching the injectors.
I'd bottle-feed* the IP to eliminate the tank/lines/filter as factors. (* lines to/from IP go to clean container by engine)

If those check ok, but still hard to start:
Could be compression, maybe leaking turbo seals dumping oil into the intake/exhaust. (would explain smoke - leaking onto exh. manifold) I'd check compression and look in the intake elbow for oil soaking.
I'd install a hose-heater in the bypass hose to warm engine - get through the season until a good time to re-ring or rebuild turbo.

Have you changed any fuel lines anywhere lately?

have you checked the input shaft seal on the injection pump? pull the timing cover, and check that the pump shaft, pulley, and pump bracket are not wet..

are you positive that you dont have any air leaks in your fuel system?

air leaks will cause the engine to smoke at idle as well, because the pump cant make enough internal pressure to operate correctly..

[mtnbob]

I replaced all four glow plugs and I'm back and running. Not sure how I missed that, but they must have been slowly dying and I didn't notice.

[air-cooled or diesel]

are you sure smoke is coming from exhaust?? and not smoking form some other place? are you using plenty of cold flow for fuel?

plenty of cold flow for fuel?!what are you talking about?

what im talking about he had cold start problems, seems he fixed it with glow plugs, cold flow could have been problem(fuel mixture for cold weather).

[libbydiesel]

I replaced all four glow plugs and I'm back and running. Not sure how I missed that, but they must have been slowly dying and I didn't notice.

Sometimes when the glow plug relay fails it will trigger the glow plugs on while driving which will burn out all four in short order unless they are duraterms. 

[R.O.R-2.0]

are you sure smoke is coming from exhaust?? and not smoking form some other place? are you using plenty of cold flow for fuel?

plenty of cold flow for fuel?!what are you talking about?

what im talking about he had cold start problems, seems he fixed it with glow plugs, cold flow could have been problem(fuel mixture for cold weather).

cold flow? There doesn't have to be ANY FUEL flowing, as long as the pump is full of fuel, and the injector lines are primed.