Hard Starting Diesel Engine When Engine Is Hot

[nano31]

My Toyota 2C Diesel is having intermittent episodes of difficult starting when it is warm.

It starts fine when it is cold.

It has clocked 170k and not burning engine oil.

It has slight fume from the dip stick but never oil.

My battery is very new it is all right.

My car is ce110 diesel 1998YOM, Automatic

[nano31]

Luckily I got another two CE110s with my family.

I observed following,

1.When I switch on the ignition switch the glow bulb on for few second (5~10sec) and turned off and if I keep another few seconds I can hear "tuck" sound probably glow plug relay turning off at that point engine can be started less than one second.

2.Do glow plugs keep heating even AFTER the glow light turning off?

3.When I disconnect "a sensor wire" which is situated in engine side wall ( injector pump side) the glow bulb turn on prolong time and I can here the relay turning off sound when the light turning off but even the engine is warm up the glow light keep on as if the engine is cold

4. My conclusion is when the engine is cold the glow plug turned on for bit long. When the engine is warm glow light quickly turning off but the glow is still working which is probably malfunctioning in my glow relay unit; this is because engine starting normally when that sensor wire is disconnected

5. I could not hear two click sounds in my engine when it is warm but in the other two engines which are more or less similar km on the clock

Could any one explain about these glow system in 2C diesel?

Edited June 25, 2012 by nano31

[nano31]

any diesel 2c expert or any one with similar experience?

[terrabytetango]

Our 2C powered Townace exhibited a similar behaviour. In the morning I would always wait for the "tuck" sound, thats actually when the glow plugs switch off. Sometimes I would heat it twice just to make sure. I also experience the difficulty to start after the engine became warm. AFAIK, the glow plugs do not switch on when the engine is hot. I attribute the difficult starts after engine warm up to the fact that compression is reduced by way of expanding cylinder liners (ours was rebuilt twice).

[nano31]

I too have heard about the under compression and difficult warm start from local mechanics but no one knows how to explain it in fact the difficult cold starting can be explained by under compression.

My engine is clocked 171k and very slight engine oil reduction can be noticed in every 3000 km so I agree that the engine is somewhat warn but it can still be started without any pre heating in the morning in 2~3sec but with heating once it starts in a moment.

I do not believe this difficult warm start is due to the under compression because this problem happens intermittently.

Edited June 26, 2012 by nano31

[terrabytetango]

Well I attribute the intermittent occurrence to this; These engines are shut down by a simple fuel cut off, and I believe sometimes just enough fuel remains in the fuel circuit to get things going again. Cold starts are easier because everything is back to their original tolerances, thus better compression (better seal between piston ring and cylinder wall). Once again, this is just speculation from owning a vehicle with a 2C engine for over 13 years.

[Amila G]

We too had this issue when our old 2C was nearing an overhaul. Don't know what caused it, but went away with the overhaul.