classic1952 Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 If my Caterham has been left for a week or so it takes ages to start, as if there is no fuel. The fuel pump can be heard ticking and once it stops I need to turn the engine over for 20 seconds or so before it starts. Does anyone have any suggestions please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Fuel injection or carburettors ? Sounds like fuel draining back to the tank ? Has any work been done recently .... or has it always been like this ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classic1952 Posted June 27, 2019 Author Share Posted June 27, 2019 Hi It is fuel injection -1800cc 140 bhp spec. I have only had the car for a couple of months, during which it seems to have got worse. It does seem that the fuel is draining back but not sure what might be causing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Did you buy it from a dealer or privately ? A loose connector on a fuel line could allow air in, and thus drain fuel back to the tank, but this should be obvious when fuel is under pressure ... unless it is sealed under pressure, and seal relaxes when no internal pressure, allowing air in ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classic1952 Posted June 27, 2019 Author Share Posted June 27, 2019 I bought it privately. I have checked through the fuel system ad there are no leaks at all. Once started it runs perfectly. It is as if there is a non-return valve somewhere in the fuel system that is allowing it to drain back to the tank when standing. Am hoping to find someone who has suffered similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Memories returning .... I had a diesel Skoda Octavia which exhibited exactly these symptoms after it had been standing. Turned out to be a twisted o-ring on a hose connection on to the fuel filter. Under pressure, it was pushed into place. When standing, it allowed air back in and fuel drained back to the tank. Not aware of a NR valve on the k-series fuel line. You could check the o-ring where the pressurised fuel line connects on to the fuel rail ... this is at the rear of the rail in my 2002 car. Single bolt (or two ?) holds the hose connector on to the end of the rail ... with an easy to lose o-ring between the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classic1952 Posted June 27, 2019 Author Share Posted June 27, 2019 ThanksI will have a look at that in the morning. It sounds promising!CheersGreg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garybee Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Just give it a blast of easy start next time it's been stood for a while. If it's a fuel problem it will start straight away. It'll save you a lot of time guessing and wondering if it's fuel or spark.If it is fuel you're then looking at losing fuel pressure or the ECU not triggering the injectors. The 1st is easy to rule out with a cheap fuel pressure gauge (a very handy tool worth owning). The 2nd is starting to get a little more in depth but don't worry about that unless you have to.I would suggest starting your diagnosing with the easy start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Piers300 Posted June 28, 2019 Area Representative Share Posted June 28, 2019 If you have a bad ECU earth, the pump will run and give fuel and there will be a spark. Every thing you need, except the bad earth prevents the injectors from firing. Ask me how I know - it took a few years to find. On mine, if you squirted fuel into the throttle bodies, it would start immediately and run fine. It would also start some of the time when hot. It did my head in trying to find the problem and in the end, Sevens & Classics found the problem. It got worse and worse over a two year period till in the end it would not start without a squirt of fuel into the T/B’s.Piers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classic1952 Posted June 28, 2019 Author Share Posted June 28, 2019 Thanks everyone. Busy weekend for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 Hey .... what news ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classic1952 Posted July 21, 2019 Author Share Posted July 21, 2019 Everything checks out fine so far. With the current weather it is being used 3 or 4 times a week so has not stood for long. Time will tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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