Are Xantia's Any Good?

[Guest ashman]

Hi new user just thought I'd say hello and ask for some help!!

Been using a bit of veg oil in the past but mainly bio diesel,what ever that is!

When the weather turned colder the car was harder to start,so I just put regular diesel in,things did'nt improve, so I changed the glow plug's, well three of them, could'ent get at that last one by the fuel pump :D !!

This improved things and the weather turned a bit warmer so i switched back to bio-diesel,again things were good and the car started easily.

One morning the car did'nt start despite jump starting etc so I replaced the fuel filter, making sure I used a new rubber seal and filled the filter housing with diesel,primed the hand pump,which does go hard,but still wouldent start.

I was cranking it for ages while squeezing hand primer and eventually loosened one of the fuel pipes into the inlet to make sure fuel was coming through,still wouldent fire, not even a splutter!

It did start up with easy start and was fine all that day, including when switched off and restarted.

Next morning nothing, runs on easy start for a few seconds then nothing,I dont wanna spray any more easy start into the engine.

 

Sorry for the long winded post but I want to give a clear picture of the problem,car is a 1995 1.9 (s) Td Xantia with a Bosch pump.

 

Please help as I cant afford the 90 mile commute to work in my bro.'s T4 !!

[Guest androcles]

I understand that fats in some bio diesel fuels can congeal and block fuel lines at lower temperatures - not dissimilar to the deposits at the bottom of a bottle of olive oil in the cold; car literally needs to be warmed up to clear the deposits. Regular diesel contains inhibitors which ensure that this change in the fuel's physical properties does not happen.

 

Fill up with a combination of regular and bio diesel or establish from your bio diesel supplier (if you can) exactly what treatments their fuel has undergone and how it compares to regular diesel.

 

I'm no physicist and I would welcome more learned/expert comments on this matter.

 

I'm currently experimenting with bio diesel (£1.08 per litre pumped straight into the car or £1 if purchased in suitable containers) at small industrial unit near my village - totally legal, I've seen police vehicles filling up there.

 

My car's an R reg 2.1 TD