Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Anyone know anything about deisels????????

My "vintage" 1981 Datsun KingCab pickup has died. Don't know wtf is wrong. Was running fine the day before yesterday. The starter turns over, but it won't fire. Glow plugs seem to be working, and yes there is deisel in the tank. It usually only does this on cold mornings, but I tried all day today to get it to start and it would not. I REALLY don't want to take it to a mechanic, seeing that I only paid $500 for it 3 years ago. Any ideas? I know it's a long shot asking anyone on this forum, but what the hay, I've seen stranger postings... :rolleyes:

First...try spraying WD-40 down the intake.A diesel will fire on this.Spray Wd-40 down the intake while someone cranks the engine.
How many miles are on it ?? Maybe a timing belt broke..when was the last time you changed the fuel filter ?? If it has a mechanical fuel pump,it might have gone bad.

Just some things to start with...

Most of the diesels I'm familiar with have block heaters. When warmed up with a block heater, they often start when cold even with marginal glo plugs. If you don't have a block heater, you might consider one.

Also, when is the last time you bought fuel. If the fuel is not "winterized", it will not ignite as well when cold. Most all outlets sell "winterized" fuel in the winter, but not in the summer.

Many diesels have a fuel heater that pre heats the fuel before it gets to the injector pump. It mostly helps to keep the fuel from "waxing up" when it is really cold, but it does help with cold starts. If your engine has one, is it working?

Going to try changing the fuel filter. Hopefully this will work. Thanks for the replies, everyone. Got your PM, Terry. Thanks.