[Adrianus]

Please find attached a few pictures of the engine bay. I guess the manual pumping device is the thing on the last picture, right? I can turn it loose and pump, then lock it again.

How many toimes should I pump? (Sorry about such basic questions. I promise that I will learn fast.)

[narendra.vw]

Why don’t you try to push start in a slope, If it starts then fuel pump , pump solenoid switch & fuel line should be OK .

[Sudarshan]

Originally Posted by Shubhendra

Hi Adrianus,
check FIP solenoid switch and wiring if this switch thoroughly, wire may be short circuiting.

Shubhendra

yes , sounds logical , try to bypass the switch wiring . if possible remove it from line & check the result .


Sudarshan

[DirtyDan]

When it refuses to start you can have somebody take off the hose(s) coming out of the fuel pump to see if the pump if really pumping fuel. If it is, then this result will tend to point to something further up the line like the injectors. If it is not pumping fuel at all then it's probably fuel pump, fuel line related. Make sure to check the return fuel line as well.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Adrianus

Please find attached a few pictures of the engine bay. I guess the manual pumping device is the thing on the last picture, right? I can turn it loose and pump, then lock it again.

How many toimes should I pump? (Sorry about such basic questions. I promise that I will learn fast.)

Yes, its the thingy. Just pump it till it gets "hard".
If engine starts then its a fuel pump issue. Something is not allowing fuel delivery when started on a hot engine.
Another experiment.
Take a wet cloth, cold water, tie it on the fuel pump, and then see if the jeep starts?

[sumitkalindi]

Yes it is the last thing. It should be pumped till is very hard, and very tough to pump. Priming the pump actually pumps out the air bubbles trapped in the fuel line.

You transported your vehicle to Malayasia, right? Was the pump primed when you filled fuel for the first time in Malayasia? if not , then maybe you have the culprit. Hope this helps.

[DirtyDan]

Don't rule out your new starter. Starters are notoriously finicky, even new ones. I have seen bad batteries act this way, too. I think we covered everything. Well, it's not your air freshener.

[Adrianus]

Dear all,

Thank you for helping me think through my Mahindra Classic Diesel starting problem. Over the last couple of weeks I did just about all the checks and experiments that you have recommended in your responses to me. And guess what, starting has greatly improved! Now I usually only need one or two glow plug/ignition sequences the get the Diesel engine going, even in hot condition.
While I am happy (“thrilled” would be a more appropriate word for my excitement) that it all goes a lot better now, I have not really definitely changed anything and therefore I cannot say for sure what the one and only problem was and thus the same thing may still be lurking around the corner.
My gut feel says it was the single wire to the FIP Solenoid Switch. It was mentioned by Shubhendra and ex670c, later supported by Sudarshan. I wiggled that wire a bit and tightened it better to the switch connection. Just about at that same time I also did a thorough priming of the diesel pump as suggested by tsk1979 and supported by sumitkalindi. Taking the air out of the fuel system may have helped as well.
Anyway, thanks again all. I learned a lot about Diesel engines through this process and next time I will have a Diesel engine staring issue I certainly will know where to look for problems. (And indeed DirtyDan it was not the air freshener and the rear mirror was ok too
Following this “Diesel Engine Learning Experience” I am even more interested in the Mahindra Classic Fuel and Electrical diagrams and the User’s Manual. Someone’s got these?

Thanks again.

Regards, Adrianus