Swapped Engine > Issue Starting '54 Series 2 Hdi 2.2 Exclusive

[MrMoonstone]

Hi > car is a series 2 HDi 2.2 auto estate on a '54 reg with 170k miles

 

This time last year I had all the full symptoms of a blown head gasket and mothballed the whole situation until the weather and inclination (and funds) recovered and here i am now hopefully on the brink of getting a fixed resolution!! I wish.

 

To get some upgrade on modest expenditure without getting into a potentially lengthy head off job on a high milage engine I purchased a replacement 90k engine off a '54 reg donor C5 saloon that was sold in gwo which I have no reason to doubt and take in good faith going by the seller's reputation and efficiency - this was also an autobox car. I have spent the past week swapping over the two engines which wasn't as horrific as it sounds albeit some faffing shoehorning the mill in and out of the tight access of the engine bay. The weather has been gorgeous and I have actually enjoyed the spannering right up to the point where it won't start. The autobox split and reconnection went smoothly and I have taken my painstaking time swapping the cut donor loom for the original recipient car one.

 

Right - so it's all now plugged in together but won't start with fresh diesel present in the low pressure filter housing side of the diesel feed all primed and full but there is no sign of high pressure diesel injection - I have a bone dry injector feed and a starter that comfortably turns over a correct sounding compression 2.2 HDi engine. 

 

I have Lexia and the only error listed under Injection I bring up is a permanent fault on the fuel pressure regulator - 'short circuit to earth or open circuit' P0090.
The immobiliser seems happy saying ECU is not locked / is matched and 'no problem is detected' and the central locking all operates with folding mirrors etc.
The only hassle is the car is keen to keep going into battery economy mode.

I have tested the glow plug relay switch / installed tested new glowplugs, can live feed the %age of accelerator pedal and have double checked all multi plugs and flywheel sensor and have poured over 100's of digital camera pictures I have taken at every stage of the engine swap - that's why it took me so long!! I couldn't get any vibration or buzz from the pressure regulator that came with the donor engine so for a 20 minute punt I have swapped to the original engine pressure regulator in case that yielded a result with a known working unit but there's no change and that's as far as I have got. I have checked and rechecked all the gaggle of wiring and ecu's on the nearside 'consumer unit' that had to be removed and all the fuses and earths.

 

What could be significant is the vacuum pipes had originally seen some previous owner butchery and I have tried as best as possible to match factory setting pipework on the donor engine with the various plumbing and vacuum valves on the car and spent a while looking at my many pictures and service citroen for the gas recycling circuit set up - I have the standard egr pipework setup BTW.

 

Is there a trick to priming the pump that was drained before it was shipped as I don't have the old bulb primer as found on previous Xantiae or button on the filter housing as per CX / XM? For all the world it seems like the classic old fuel cut off switch problem on the CX DTR 2.5 that had the tiny electromagnet plunging pin that locked into shut mode when failing.

 

I love this car and don't want to give in just yet but have spent rather too much time bending into the engine bay lately...

 

Any ideas? I don't mind answering all / any / silly questions.

 

Charlie

[paul.h]

This has some things to check against P0090 https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/p0090-obd-ii-trouble-code-fuel-pressure-regulator-1-control-circuit-by-spencer-clayton

 

Have you used your Lexia to check any live data, the fuel pressure being an obvious one from what you are saying ? I am not sure, but you may need about 250 bar for it to start. Also look to see if the crank sensor is working by giving a rpm value.

 

This also has a list of things to check http://www.auto-diag.co.uk/diesel-hdi-c4-engine-fault-finding/