It is wet, I'm in my suit with promotion interviews to perform, I'm half way to work, and the engine starts to die. I pull over and it picks up, poop I think clogged filter. Change that, prime it, starts of I limp no power. I've still got the engine cover up so I think air in the system prime some more.
The primer piston is clamped down tight onto the filter housing. I disconnected the delivery hose to a sucking/vacuum noise the inlet pipe to the filter dripped fuel and I had the primer pump back.
Pipe back on and into work no problems until the carpark where it died. Rolled into a space and walked away.
I won't get to look at it until tonight, when no doubt it will be wet dark and cold!
My first thoughts are gunge in the tank, poop just filled up with Tesco derv Tuesday, or a collapsing fuel pipe. Any other ideas?

- (#451) Clive (Bristol), 31 Mar 05 04:31

try with the filler cap off, the breather hole might be blocked.....

- (#451) neil (torbay), 31 Mar 05 05:10

Blocked breather (might be the hose above the tank clogged with mud or it's checkvalve sticky)- I think the cap is sealed IIRC; crap in the strainer sock- you run bio, yes?, collapsed hose.

Regardless, take the cap off and you'll get home, and this at least proves that your transfer pump is working well and the filter is on tight...

- (#451) david miller, 31 Mar 05 05:26

My apprentice had a play around at lunch time. He tried with filler cap off, may have been a little better? He blew down the delivery hose with lung power, not much puff needed to do that. He dumped some system/injector cleaner in, but, and here is the cleaver bit, he took the delivery hose off, connected a spare bit of hose and fed the other end into my jerry can. Started and ran fine for about 2 and half of the five litres. It is now parked up in that state waiting for me to drive home. So it looks like from the filter back, probably the tank will come out tomorrow and I'll find out what it is. Hope I find a soggy hose before I drain the 50 or so litres out!

- (#451) Clive (Bristol), 31 Mar 05 10:04

"engine starts to die. I pull over and it picks up ... starts off, I limp - no power"

Sounds just like the symptoms that I had last summer with bio. I never found out why, just changed back to fossil. I assumed it was excessive heat but maybe you're about to find the real explanation?

- (#451) Dave Mason (Sussex), 31 Mar 05 10:19

Two weeks after I fitted a new fuel filter last summer, I had almost exactly this problem. When I replaced the filter with another new one, it solved the problem.

Now how can I say this diplomatically......the faulty filter was one of the cheep ones that I got from you, Mind you so was the other, and that's still in the van 9 months later, so they cant all be bad. LOL
- (#451) dave Bright, 31 Mar 05 11:14

Got home ok, changed to a 20 litre tub of fuel and did the normal Dads taxi run. Tickover was low but it did not die, and went up through the gears ok. Looks quite heavy on the fuel, 10 litres (ish) for 50 Kms (ish), so I'm going to revisit the filter first.
Sun is out I'm off work, garden needs doing, I think a big fry up is needed first!

- (#451) Clive (Bristol), 1 Apr 05 02:28

Clive, did it USE 10l, or did it remove 10l from your drum and recirc half of it into the tank???

I'd definitely look at the filter IN the tank, although (from personal experience in the Suzuki) you might also take the opportunity to clean the little filter in the stop-solenoid valve. It seems that if there's any crap in bioD (fats etc) any that makes it past the fuelfilter may find it easier to drop out of solution under pressure...

- (#451) david miller, 1 Apr 05 02:38

Dave Miller - Don't know how much has returned to the main tank so consumption may not be that bad after all?
Dave Mason - I had filled up with Tesco Derv, 38 litres I think.
Wife has just come back via a taxi, the driver said they don't use Tesco even though they get a discount as there has been lots of problems with the fuel.
I've stuck a new filter on, the one that came off had a slimy grey film around the top. I've dipped the tank with a my flexi drain clearer, it came back with grey/black slime on the end 5 mm. So it looks like I've got gunge in the tank that has spread to the fuel line.
Any fall out I've come across from bio-diesel has been yellow, so I'm pointing the finger at Tesco's diesel.
- (#451) Clive (Bristol), 1 Apr 05 05:29

Nah, Clive. it could still be biological (or indeed just water...)
There's plenty that say stuff about "supermarket fuel", but there's also tanker drivers that deliver all brands from the same depot tanks...

- (#451) david miller, 1 Apr 05 10:14

Well all I can say is **********s!
Tank out, and all the poxy hoses. I poked a length of old curtain wire down the pipe a little gunge but not much. Cleaned the tank out as best I could, the small amount of stuff was more like wet sand. Pick up filter mostly clear but washed in Derv anyway. along with the fuel level sender.
All back on with a new main filter - fires up and runs for 15 minutes then dies again, primer pump clamped down tight. Release the input hose and that pops back up. Runs ok from a tub still using the filter.
I'm at a loss what to do now, along with knackered and fed up I'm seriously thinking of sticking it in a garage.
Note to anyone who removes the fuel tank, that little bit left in it still can crush your fingers when it drops!
Clive well and truly brassed off, not only unable to resolve the problem (I do have the tub in the passenger foot well - so am mobile), but may end up handing hard earned over!

- (#451) Clive (Bristol), 1 Apr 05 11:22

I hear what you say about Diesel fuel David. I think it is just the one local to me, and therefore the Taxi Co.. Had no problem with Asda where I often top up.
I'm off Asda at the mo as I tried to get the weekly shop delivered and they could not until next week! Now I'm tubbed up I'm off to Sainsbury. What a life eh I get around all the supermarkets.
Big grin after all it's only a car, or as the wife says "calm down dear it's only a car"..

- (#451) Clive (Bristol), 1 Apr 05 11:27

There *might* be a non-return valve in the pickup. If so check for clogging. It's a problem on VWs. And blow the lines through reverse. Might be worth doing that with petrol, as long as you have access to air to blow it off again...

- (#451) david miller, 1 Apr 05 12:00

Non-return valve um.. I did not want to poke around too much, as you well know, that little bit of plastic that just snapped off is a Toyota only 2nd mortgage item sir!
If I get the tank off again tomorrow I may well do away with it completely.
On a high note my fuel gauge appears to be working again!
Any takers for tank removal contest at an Ace Jam?

- (#451) Clive (Bristol), 1 Apr 05 12:13

Had a mull over last night and went through all that I did step by step, along with ideas you kind folk sent me. No I do not want to buy your petrol one Ted thankyou!

I checked all connections and yes they are tighter than my wallet.
I blew down the delivery hose, bubbled into the tank.
Started and died so not that.
I blew down the return hose and this took some puff!
Started and ticked over for a while.
Blew down the return pipe again, not so much puff needed. Dripped some system cleaner into the pipe and gently blew that through.
Connected a length of hose onto the return outlet and started up. the fuel coming out of the return was clear and clean. And yes it ran.
Turned off reconnected the return hose after a few drips more of cleaner.
Started and ran on idle up fine.
Round the block fine, ticked over fine.
Now I need the confidence to go for a spin, may re-visit and check all pipes again first!
I had not poked the return pipe out as the curtain spring thingy is a fraction to big.

- (#451) Clive (Bristol), 2 Apr 05 05:52

All sorted now. it was the return hose, did not need to drop the tank after all! Why it worked when fed from a remote jerry can who knows. On the bright side I got a lot of gunge out of the tank, and despite all the system cleaner a fair bit of bacteria growth. My fuel gauge now appears to have resumed normal service.
A clear advantage for the 4WD Townace, the ground clearance on the 2WD is not enough to slide the tank out once it has been let down.
Thank you for all your ideas, offers to help and deals on used Townace!
- (#451) Clive (Bristol), 5 Apr 05 08:06