Author Topic: air in the fuel lines (Read 6525 times)

droptop87 · « **on:** June 22, 2007, 02:04:20 pm »

hey guys, any help would be great( pics to lol)
89 td jetta...a rock flew up and broke my water seperator cap..i have that fixed till i get another but now my problem is getting it to start. The lines are full of air i guess. Please help!!!! i need her back..cant afford to put gas in my 4x4 lmao!!! thanks guys..just looking for the easiest way to do this

Benjamin · « **Reply #1 on:** June 22, 2007, 02:16:28 pm »

maybe use a electric pump to start up, i do that always.
you also can pull it and put it in 2nd gear, with only using the electric starter the pump dont rotates fast enough.
sometimes it works to fill up the line to the pump, but sometimes its just a waste to your starter.

Greetz, Benjamin

rallydiesel · « **Reply #2 on:** June 22, 2007, 02:17:38 pm »

Keep cranking it until it starts. Don't crank for more than 5 seconds at a time.

jtanguay · « **Reply #3 on:** June 22, 2007, 03:15:18 pm »

so you've removed the water seperator cap??? clean up the o-ring and mating surfaces, or you will suck air from there.

and as Benjamin said, you can use a nice little solid state electric pump. i got one for cheap and it is quiet, and i have zero bubbles in my clear fuel lines now!

55mpg06 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 22, 2007, 08:16:12 pm »

I could be confused :? (this is normal) but with the cap broken, wouldn't the car just suck air all the time or worse leak your precious diesel?

Couldn't you just unbolt the water seperator box, unhook the two hoses (in and out) from the water seperator box (they are attached by little clamps) and just connect the two hoses together. This should bypass the problem TEMPORARILY altogether, I would think, as your fuel filter that is in the engine compartment should have a water filter in it anyway. To check, just make sure there is a plastic knob on the bottom of the fuel filter; this is used to drain the water from the fuel filter. On the 86 I had, the owner before me did this and I never had a problem (not recomending it for a permanent solution, dispite keeping it that way for over 3 years). :wink:

burn_your_money · « **Reply #5 on:** June 23, 2007, 06:27:48 am »

He said he temporarily fixed that problem.

Personally I'd permanently bypass that water seperator

jtanguay · « **Reply #6 on:** June 23, 2007, 09:39:04 am »

if you change your filter frequently (say every year or so) then there shouldn't be a problem with water contamination etc.

i was wondering... if i unscrew my water seperator, is there a lot of fuel that leaks out??? i would imagine that there wouldn't be much, but just curious as i will be doing it in the very near future...

thanks

burn_your_money · « **Reply #7 on:** June 23, 2007, 09:52:24 am »

When I deleted my water seperator I had 3/16ths of a tank and I lost maybe 10mm

Doug · « **Reply #8 on:** June 23, 2007, 10:15:30 am »

Like the guys say, throw away that separator. Run one piece of fuel ine from the filter to the tank. That will eliminate your problems. You may have to fill the fuel line from the front of the car to get the draw from the tank to start.

jtanguay · « **Reply #9 on:** June 23, 2007, 11:13:51 am »

maybe try to pinch the lines to keep the prime, and then the residual fuel being sucked into the pump should have enough vacuum to suck fuel back into the lines.

my little $30 dollar solid state pump is working pretty damn good

droptop87 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 23, 2007, 06:08:31 pm »

thanks guys!! I replaced the broken one with a used water seperator and tried to get her going...lots of air! I am bleeding the air out at the injectors and so far cant get it to stay running to long. My wife made me give up tonight to take over daddy duty so tomorrow i go back at it. So....do lots of you guys bypass the water seperator? Cause a new fuel filter would be easier every year lol...i think you can drain that from under as well?

jtanguay · « **Reply #11 on:** June 24, 2007, 08:11:38 am »

Quote from: "droptop87"

thanks guys!! I replaced the broken one with a used water seperator and tried to get her going...lots of air! I am bleeding the air out at the injectors and so far cant get it to stay running to long. My wife made me give up tonight to take over daddy duty so tomorrow i go back at it. So....do lots of you guys bypass the water seperator? Cause a new fuel filter would be easier every year lol...i think you can drain that from under as well?

if you're having that much trouble with it, just bypass it, and change your fuel filter approx every year (and drain the water out using the piece at the bottom by unscrewing it)

rallydiesel · « **Reply #12 on:** June 24, 2007, 09:44:32 am »

Yeah, if it starts up but keeps dying it must be drawing in air from someplace. Make sure all your connections are tight and there are no cracks in the tubing.

Author Topic: air in the fuel lines (Read 6525 times)

55mpg06

Doug