Weird starting issue

[DeeTurbo]

Has anyone heard a HDI make this noise before when starting? Sometimes it'll do that noise four or five times before starting.

I need to find out why it's making that noise and fix it.

I've cleaned the FPR and I've put in a known working lift pump in as the old one started making a noise. The injectors seem ok when I did a leak off test.

If the timing was out a little would this happen or could it be a crap starter motor, what do you think?

http://youtu.be/TpFRaFqwYoI

[Ruan]

Can't tell if that's the ECU applying fuel, suddenly realising the pressure is too low and killing the injection for the next stroke or it simply struggling to start.

That's the sound of an engine firing on about 1 or 2 cylinders before actually firing into life...

Got a video of it starting on diags? It'd be great if you could probe the FPR maybe - the OBD updates aren't really fast enough to really tell what's going on... Every time I see one like this I want to grab an oscilloscope to watch what's actually going on with the damned thing!

Nothing wrong with that starter though, cranking just fine, you're just used to earlier HDi starters which crank very fast, they swapped back at around a Y plate (different reduction gearbox on the nose, way better starters IMO, but they were expensive, so they stopped using them on the later HDis and went back to the older DT style starter)

For the record:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_aQbp5PXTk
^^ High torque earlier HDi starter.

[DeeTurbo]

Awesome reply.

I put a video of pp2k showing fuel rail pressure not long a go and it show it cranking over at 100 bar. Yes your right that the values don't refresh fast enough. I have a scope at work I could hook up, which pin on the FPR and FPS do I need?

I've heard it could be down to a faulty FPS, could it be that? I'm going to be replacing the belt and water pump this weekend so I was also thinking of putting my spare HP pump on to.

Also is there any visible difference between the old starter and the newer style, I might try and get one for better starting power.

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Here's the video of the pp2k screen
http://youtu.be/NgSreIe7xxU

[Ruan]

Could be a bad/sticky FPR but I doubt it since it doesn't seem to have any issues under load with over/under pressure of the rail.

From the looks of the video, it's struggling to raise fuel pressure enough to start, probably cutting in and out.

If you can scope it, see if you can watch the injectors - that way you can see when the ECU starts injections - also watch the FPR on a meter... Looks like it's probably a fuel filter, (I'd normally shout "lift pump!!" at this point but you have changed it), maybe even a dodgy HP pump... From experience I've so rarely seen the HP pump fail I tend not to believe it is that, but seen as you've got the belts off, might as well try it!

[DeeTurbo]

I should have said the filter was the first thing I changed when I got the car in back in Feb. It looked like someone had changed it recently as it looked fresh and clean.

Could the FPS be under reading on cranking? Have you ever had a faulty FPS? I've never heard of one go faulty.

Where are the main areas it could lose pressure internally, is there a "blow off valve" for if the pressure goes to high or is that all governed by the FPR?

The bay is dry so now leaky fuel pipes, I've heard and I've had the fuel pipe union come loose before. That would have been a nice easy fix.