Citroen Xantia: Fuel Injector Pump Not Working

Hi.

We have a Citroen Xantia Break from November 1995 that we use as a company car.

Is it a 1.9TD engine with 90 horsepower that uses a Bosch rotary injection pump?

Kompression ist i.O. Heating system as well.

If the vehicle has been sitting overnight, it simply won't start.

However, if I pump fuel into the system using the rubber bellows pump located before the diesel filter, the engine starts immediately, even in freezing temperatures.

I installed a check valve from the non-return zone into the supply line to prevent it from running empty through there, but it didn't help. Yesterday, the system still only started with the pre-pump running.

A direct leak cannot be identified in the engine compartment, and the diesel filter, including its gasket, is also new.

Since the car is only expected to last until spring and already has 315,000 kilometers on the odometer, investments should be kept to a minimum.

I can only imagine that the return line is empty, and I now have two plans in mind:

Install a small solenoid valve (normally closed - NC) into the return line. This type of valve is commonly used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems. When de-energized, the valve will remain closed.

2. Install a pre-pump that either runs continuously or is connected to the glow plug relay.

What are these mechanics talking about?

Thank you for any help.

Rüdi.

Hi Rüdi,

The MV (motor vehicle) and pre-filter pump are only masking the underlying cause, but the VFP (variable frequency pump) is at least working, and the solenoid valve should also be functioning.

Okay, if it weren't so complicated, you could remove the timing chain cover and check if any diesel fuel has been pushed out from behind it by the ESP system. If the system is losing pressure, air must be getting in somewhere, and if there's no connection before the pump, it's likely a seal on the pump itself, and the most common culprit is the shaft seal. To replace it, you have to remove the pump, but then it's just a matter of taking out the old one and putting in a new one. I recently did this with my brother, and we also replaced all the seals on his ZX's ESP system, some of which have a vacuum effect or are inaccessible when the system is installed. Removing and installing the pump was the most time-consuming part of the job. The cost was less than 10 Euros.

Smoky greetings.
Peter.