Hi guys, i have ran my 3.0l out of diesel and have since tried to get the air out of the system but had no luck. i pop the fuel line at the pump,bleed it up but when i put the fuel line back on and pump the fuel through again it sounds like it still has air in the system. do these things get air locks in the pump? or am i going to have to crack an injector which i know your not supposed to do?
Airlock in fuel system
- Thread starter Ashy
- Start date
Help Support Nissan Navara Forum:
Welcome to the forum!
While I've never run out of fuel myself - I've been within a litre - on 6th June this year I put 149.14L into the 150L tank - I've been instructed that if I do run out of fuel, I should pump the primer bulb until it is firm, then start the car and give it a good rev.
The fuel pump moves the fuel around rather quickly, cycling through the entire contents of a normal tank of fuel every few minutes. Air pockets should not occur - if they are, and your primer bulb remains soft after 5-6 squeezes, then I'd suspect a small leak on the suction side (near the filter) either due to an over-tight hose clamp pinching the hose, or perhaps some debris on the hose fitting or even a split in the line.
While I've never run out of fuel myself - I've been within a litre - on 6th June this year I put 149.14L into the 150L tank - I've been instructed that if I do run out of fuel, I should pump the primer bulb until it is firm, then start the car and give it a good rev.
The fuel pump moves the fuel around rather quickly, cycling through the entire contents of a normal tank of fuel every few minutes. Air pockets should not occur - if they are, and your primer bulb remains soft after 5-6 squeezes, then I'd suspect a small leak on the suction side (near the filter) either due to an over-tight hose clamp pinching the hose, or perhaps some debris on the hose fitting or even a split in the line.
tony d22
Member
I'm not sure but are there bleed screws on the injector pump like on older mechanical diesel injector pumps?
johnbritto
Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2011
- Messages
- 182
- Reaction score
- 0
hold everything ;;;; these primer pumps from what i have heard fail or more to the point the one way vaulve inside, mine has been stuffed for a while now. try this undo fuel hose just before injector pump and take fuel cap off get an air line into your tank and presureise tank with air as soon as fuel starts coming out of removed hose put it back on and start car i do it all the time just when changing filter it works
Dont panic ive done a similar thing. When changing the fuel filter i removed both hoses without clamping. To they both just ran downstream to the pump and to the tank. So completely air filled all fuel lines. This technique may not be right but it worked for me. Put a lot of fuel in TANK.
Keep in mind your going to have to pump this system like 5 million times... :/
First up. get either your filter or a new filter. Fill it up with fresh diesel. At the fuel filter housing, Connect the fuel line from the tank and UN-connect the fuel line to pump so resulting in an open system.
Put filled filter together. Now..... what i did was pump and turn the filter on its side and upside down maintain pumping during this procedure.
You may feel that the plunger goes hard upside down then as it return to level it will be soft...
I kept doing this, the plunger seem like it cannot remove large quantities of air (either that or mine is stuffed). Remember top fuel filter up with diesel to the BRIM.
Yes some might squirt out... and then it might just stop.. just keep trying this technique until it start to pull the fuel from the tank. This will be successful when you find that each pump of the plunger pump outs even amount of fuel consistency (filter level, not upside down).
Once you get to this step (and i hope you have a good battery or a mate to jump start you). Fill the hose that leads to the injector pump with fuel via a syringe. then clamp it back onto the fuel filter housing. Now pump it like you've got a purpose until it goes rock hard.
Now start cranking. all the air is the system should only be in between the filter and the injector pump. Not sure if this is correct but due to the zd30 not having a fuel priming pump like petrols the injector pump can only create a pumping pressure if it has something to pump....eg fuel?
anyway I started to weaken my battery so i got a mate with good NRMA cables to jump me when i started to get low and WALAH it finally turned over after.
NOTE: don't just hold the key on crank.... do it it bursts, say 5 seconds then off... let it sit then 5 seconds again as i don't think the injectors/pump like pumping just air constantly, someone can sort this out.
Keep in mind the system will be Rough as guts for a bit. Depending on how much air you have failed to removed. Mine went for around 20-30 seconds. Didn't want to idle and just stall so keep the revs on (say 1500-2000) until its it is idling on it own.
This procedure sounds strange just made it up as i went and it worked.
Keep in mind your going to have to pump this system like 5 million times... :/
First up. get either your filter or a new filter. Fill it up with fresh diesel. At the fuel filter housing, Connect the fuel line from the tank and UN-connect the fuel line to pump so resulting in an open system.
Put filled filter together. Now..... what i did was pump and turn the filter on its side and upside down maintain pumping during this procedure.
You may feel that the plunger goes hard upside down then as it return to level it will be soft...
I kept doing this, the plunger seem like it cannot remove large quantities of air (either that or mine is stuffed). Remember top fuel filter up with diesel to the BRIM.
Yes some might squirt out... and then it might just stop.. just keep trying this technique until it start to pull the fuel from the tank. This will be successful when you find that each pump of the plunger pump outs even amount of fuel consistency (filter level, not upside down).
Once you get to this step (and i hope you have a good battery or a mate to jump start you). Fill the hose that leads to the injector pump with fuel via a syringe. then clamp it back onto the fuel filter housing. Now pump it like you've got a purpose until it goes rock hard.
Now start cranking. all the air is the system should only be in between the filter and the injector pump. Not sure if this is correct but due to the zd30 not having a fuel priming pump like petrols the injector pump can only create a pumping pressure if it has something to pump....eg fuel?
anyway I started to weaken my battery so i got a mate with good NRMA cables to jump me when i started to get low and WALAH it finally turned over after.
NOTE: don't just hold the key on crank.... do it it bursts, say 5 seconds then off... let it sit then 5 seconds again as i don't think the injectors/pump like pumping just air constantly, someone can sort this out.
Keep in mind the system will be Rough as guts for a bit. Depending on how much air you have failed to removed. Mine went for around 20-30 seconds. Didn't want to idle and just stall so keep the revs on (say 1500-2000) until its it is idling on it own.
This procedure sounds strange just made it up as i went and it worked.
Last edited:
johnbritto
Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2011
- Messages
- 182
- Reaction score
- 0
or do all of above without the pumping and flattening of the battery put compressor into fuel tank seal around air line with damp rag or somthing and turn compressor on when fuel comes out injector feed line put line back on and start car even e smell tyre inflation compressor will do the trick im looking into getting an after market eletccic fuel pump on my car some where before fuel filter for just this type of aplication but i need to find something that will pump/prime system when i switch it on and will still allow a free flow when pump is turned of someone here will understand what im trying to achieve and hopefully be able to suggest the right type brand of eletric pump have also thought of replacing standard nissan fuel filter and housing with a ryco universal type they sell at supercheap has a filter and glass water trap set up on it any thoughts
D22Nav_Man
Member
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2011
- Messages
- 113
- Reaction score
- 2
the easiest way is to pull the hose the filter that goes to the injectors and pump it till fuel starts coming out once that happens reconnect the hose and pump till it goes hard then start the car.... if there is still air in the line the car will stall and then just repeat.
johnbritto
Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2011
- Messages
- 182
- Reaction score
- 0
primer pumps as i said are prone to failure due to one way vaulve in top stuffing up these are not kittable from what i can see to buy a genuine nissan one is over $300 and if it happens to fial on a sunday arvo then it wouldnt matter if the cost were $5 you would still need to start your car thats why i will say again if u have a small compressor for pumping tyres up all u need do is pressusise tank thus forcing the fuel to where it needs to be the injector/fuel pump once fuel is coming through line put line back on and turn key this works very fast about 10 seconds from switching on compressor till ignition
you will need to crack an injector as you will have air in the injector lines. just undo one a little bit, not all the way off, and crank the engine.
by memory its 17mm spanner and it will just get at the first injector.
also may pay to put foot on throttle when cranking it over. that way it fires as much fuel up the pipes as it can.
hey mate,do everything the guys above have said to do as im sure they all have a great knowledge of diesel and in particular the nav.but just for futre refrence incase your ever stuck without all your stuff like i was a few months back this is an option.we were in the middle of the bush and it was the first week i had my nav so was not yet loaded with my gear/tools.i pumped for ages and ages and ages and just could not get fuel up after running out (when i ran out we put 30ltrs back in before we started trying to pump it up the lines with the primer pump on the FF) so with no other option and absolutly floggin the battery we hooked up the snatch strap and towed me along for about 300m in 3rd and 2nd gear and eventually she woke up,so in other words i was jumpstarting the car like you would a motor bike but getting pulled (as i dont think i can push my 2.8 ton nav LOL) now i am guesing as i dont know bugger all about diesels that this is REALLY BAD for the engine however we had no choice,so if your ever stuck like i was theres an idea last resort.
