1.4 HDI Diesel 2005 wont start

Hi everyone.

I have a C3 Exclusive 1.4 diesel. I am comfy with petrol engines but have never worked on a diesel.

I replaced the brake master cylinder and then fixed a small oil leak at the turbo outlet.
Car started fine, idled for a minute but as soon as I put my foot on the accelerator it died. Won't start at all now.

Any ideas?

Thanks

MJ

I just noticed that the battery light is flashing and my car displays "Economy mode Active".
Could it be a simple as no diesel getting through?

Some more investigation revealed 2 disconnected pipes.
No idea what these do.
Can anybody point me in the right direction please?
Can these disconnected pipes cause the car not to start?

Thanks!

Welcome to the forum MJSchutte

I just noticed that the battery light is flashing and my car displays "Economy mode Active".

This happens when the engine hasn't been started after about 20 minutes while the key is in accessories position. Starting the engine will clear eco mode.

Could it be a simple as no diesel getting through?

The reason the engine won't fire up is usually through a lack of fuel, but the cause is often more difficult to pin down.

I assume the engine turns over? please let me know if I am wrong.

Some more investigation revealed 2 disconnected pipes.
No idea what these do.
Can anybody point me in the right direction please?

If these also connect to the brake servo, which looks like they do (which would make sense if you were in the area of brake master cylinder), then they are vacuum pipes. Vacuum pipes control EGR and turbo variable vanes. If they don't stop the car from starting they will definitely affect performance.

You will need to reconnect them to see if its solves the problem.

The clear plastic pipe connects to the bottom of the fuel filter. The black pipe seems to just double back into the same line. Both are connected now.
The car started this morning but died almost immediately again. 99% sure it's because of diesel not getting through.
I turned the engine over a few times and now there is a humming noise that slowly disappears after every attempt. Seems to be coming from inside the dashboard.

Problem solved, but I am not certain how or why.
My son noticed some liquid dripping beneath the car (very little) when I tried to start it. I disconnected all the fuel pipes, made sure they were not blocked, reconnected it all, primed the fuel system with the hand pump and now it works. Just drove about 3 miles without a problem.
Real test will be tomorrow when I have to drive 70 miles to work. Hoping for the best.

Problem solved, but I am not certain how or why.

Thanks for the update!