Another T4 saved from the scrap yard.
Over the past few weeks we have had a T4 in that was left standing for over 4 years. It hadn’t been started once. The owner tried to start it but no way was this going to start so it was sent to us on a trailer.
These are time consuming jobs so what we try to do is a few hours here and there between pre-booked work, this keeps your bills down and allows us to investigate the issues. Some people don’t like this approach and want to drop it off and for us to work on it non-stop but when you present them with a bill for 20-30 hours labour they get all upset, we wonder why.
This was left with us with the owner being really cool and leaving us to it with just a weekly-ish update.
To begin with this wouldn’t even turn over. It could have seized over time, we had no idea so we stripped the timing down an d checked everything was in place and manually turned the engine over and over. Once we were sure the engine would turn over ok we attempted to start her, no chance.
This would not start so we start at the beginning, the fuel pump relay was dead, the cut off solenoid was dead, the glow plug relay was dead. We replaced all these with new and whilst it lit up nicely it still wouldn’t start.
We then removed the injector pipes and what can only be described as a gooey diesel substance was present, the fuel had gone off. We then had the fuel tank professionally drained and fresh fuel put in. Still no joy.
We then removed each fuel pipe one at a time to clean them out (to the injectors) and we were happy clean fuel was going through, obviously we also changed the fuel filter. Still it would not fire up.
We then checked the timing again and set it up to be advanced rather than retarded so it would start and it did, but it would only run for 10-15 seconds before cutting out.
So fuel pipes off again, make sure they are clean. Whilst there we took the old glow plugs out which may as well not have been in there as they were that worn out.
Still no joy. We had checked everything fuel related so this should fire up and run. Next then, it must be stalling due to an exhaust blockage. We removed the cat and it was blocked solid with carbon and some what can only be described as gloop, even the back boxes were blocked due to not running for so long. We then removed the down pipe from turbo the cat and the amount of soot/carbon that was bult up in there would not have helped either.
We turned the key and she came to life, but would she carry on running. 15 seconds passed, 20, 30 a minute, she was alive!!!
So, new dummy decat and exhaust fitted from PPTuning and because it was ticking over we were able to reset the timing perfectly.
It was running, clanky and a big squeal too which we found was being caused by the alternator which had a cracked bracket and not sitting right, new alternator and belt fitted and she is perfect.
The owner left us some service parts so we did a full engine detox and service to finish it off.
So, 4 years without running and this now runs perfectly. It took some doing but we got there in the end.
