Engine won't start

[sfgary]

Good evening, I just got back from the boat and was working on the rigging when I decided to run the engine for a little while. It won't start. I had the boat out for a sail the weekend before Thanksgiving and had no problems with it starting and it ran beautiful all day. It is a chrysler-Nissan Diesel. I checked the fuel system and does not seem to be the problem. I just had a new electrical system put in as well as 4 new group 31 AGM batteries 1 group 27 start battery a new Balmar 70 amp alt and a new starter. The boat has run great until today! It is an old engine and has glow plugs, and I checked the current to the plugs and its fine. I also checked the fuel shut off(engine stop) and seems to be working fine. I'm at a loss. any help is greatly appreciated.

Gary

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Narrowing down the symptoms would help -

does it crank?
fuel getting to injectors?
voltage drop across glow plugs?

 

[onecoolair]

Cylinder Compression release lever ?

 

[higgs]

Bleed the system to eliminate that possibility.

 

[ndavies]

Assuming its cranking, suggest bleeding the system first....if it crancs but wont start, check (or temporarily remove) the solenoid on the high pressure pump that stops the engine - see if it runs then. If it does, stop engine immediately then check the control systems (low oil pressure swich, high temp switches etc)

 

[sfgary]

Thanks to all for your replies,. The engine cranks just fine, I did bleed the injectors but not the whole system. There was no air at the injectors. There was fuel at the injectors and feeding back in the return system. I'm not sure how to check for a voltage drop at the glow plugs but will check into it for sure! There are no low oil switch or high temp switches as this is a very old engine and I have gauges instead. Once again this forum comes through. Thanks again for all your help!

 

[fredr]

If you have fuel spitting at the fuel nozzle with the line nut about 1 turn loose you are getting fuel.
I would say the glow plugs are not coming on. It will not start without glow plugs on that engine. You can use a volt meter or test light to check for voltage at the glow plugs with the glow plug switch on. If there is no voltage at the glow plugs
check fuses and connections first. You should have 12vdc on both terminals of the switch when it is activated and the key is on. You should have a glow plug relay as well that is activated by the glow plug switch.
This is what many of the relays (Bosch) look like with terminals numbered as below.

# 30 - 12vdc w/ key on
# 87 - 12vdc to glow plugs w/ glow plug switch on
# 87A - no wire
# 85 - 12vdc to activate relay
# 86 - ground for relay
w/ glow plug switch on

You can take a short cut and apply 12vdc from the positive + battery directly to the glow plugs.
Use one jumper cable leed, connected to the + battery and connect TOUCH it to the glow plug wire connection on one of the glow plugs.
CAUTION! DO NOT TOUCH THE LEED AT THE BATTERY. NO SPARKS AROUND THE BATTERY or Possible to here... BOOM!
CAUTION! It will spark when you touch the glow plug wire.
Have NO FUEL IN THE AREA!
CAUTION! DO NOT USE A SMALL WIRE IT WILL GET HOT FAST!
Touch the cable to the glow plug connector wire and count to 7.
Have someone crank the engine.
CAUTION! It will may start! Watch where the cables and your hands are.