Non starting Inca

matt_k

Active Member
Sep 16, 2008
51
0
Fife
As far as I can see there is no sub forum for the seat inca....so in here it goes!

I'm having problems starting my 1.9d inca. Turns over but just won't start,seems to me to be fuelling related.

I've checked the injectors and getting nothing coming out of them at all.
I have a supply voltage at the uel pump but its like its just not pumping fuel through.
I changed the fuel filter and filled it with diesel, even then still nothing getting pumped.

Is it possible I have a blocked fuel line from the tank to filter? Or more likely a knackered fuel pump?


Any help is greatly appreciated :D
 

Viking

Insurance co's are crap.
May 19, 2007
2,317
4
Near Richmond, North Yorks
Crack an injector line off and see if there's fuel at the injectors when cranking the engine(or have you done this already?). You say you have nothing coming out of them but is there fuel going into them as required?

If you have fuel at the injectors then possible causes are relay 109 (does your glow plug light come on when you turn the ignition on?), weak battery or starter motor and engine not getting up to speed to enable injection (must make 300rpm before the ecu enables the injection system).

Also, injection timing wrong or possibly cambelt jump/failure would give problems similar to your symptoms, but that would have to be a big cambelt jump and your pistons/valves would be meeting by now. This hasn't happened has it?

However, if you have no fuel at the injectors then it could be the fuel shut off solenoid on the fuel pump. Have you a clear fuel line on the fuel system so you can see if fuel is circulating when you crank the engine?
 

matt_k

Active Member
Sep 16, 2008
51
0
Fife
The glow plug light does come on, does this eliminate a faulty relay?
The battery is weak now but its a brand new battery, even when I fitted it fully charged it didn't start.

Do you mean crack an injector off at the pump itself?

I don't think it would be timing etc, van was running spot on, although very very low on fuel when I turned it off. Then just wouldn't restart. I stuck 15 litres of diesel in incase it was due to this. Although with it being so low i was thinking I may have blocked a fuel line with crud from the tank?

I cant see if fuel is circulating but I'm pretty sure its not. I emptied the fuel filter and refitted it and it didn't refill with fuel from the tank.
 

Viking

Insurance co's are crap.
May 19, 2007
2,317
4
Near Richmond, North Yorks
The glow plug light does come on, does this eliminate a faulty relay?
Yep, the relay should be fine then.

The battery is weak now but its a brand new battery, even when I fitted it fully charged it didn't start.
Okay, best get it charged again then.

Do you mean crack an injector off at the pump itself?
No, loosen an injector delivery pipe at the injector.

I don't think it would be timing etc, van was running spot on, although very very low on fuel when I turned it off. Then just wouldn't restart. I stuck 15 litres of diesel in incase it was due to this. Although with it being so low i was thinking I may have blocked a fuel line with crud from the tank?

I cant see if fuel is circulating but I'm pretty sure its not. I emptied the fuel filter and refitted it and it didn't refill with fuel from the tank.

You've probably got the fuel line from the tank to the filter full of air now that you've had it disconnected. Did you clamp the lines to stop the fuel dropping back to the tank? If not then you'll be struggling to get fuel back into the circuit. Take the suction line off the filter and suck (with a vac pump or your mouth) the fuel back up to the filter. Then clamp the pipe as you reconnect it so you don't do the same again. Take a look here for a more detailed explaination of what I mean.
 

matt_k

Active Member
Sep 16, 2008
51
0
Fife
Ok thanks,

I'll charge the battery up and give it a try with sucking some fuel up the lines tomorrow. Fingers crossed that it works :)

It was at the injector that I had cracked them off previously. all I gt was a tiny drip out the end due to vibrations I think. No fuel coming through.


If it still doesn't work tomorrow I'm guessing all that is left really is the fuel pump. How does the cut off solenoid work? Would there be an easy wasy to test that aswell?
 

Viking

Insurance co's are crap.
May 19, 2007
2,317
4
Near Richmond, North Yorks
Well, if you have fuel circulating through the pump and none at the injectors then I'd blame the solenoid (if it's getting power from the ecu). But you'll have to get fuel to the pump before you go anywhere.
 

Seat Adam

Dirty Densel Driver
Sounds like air in the system. Wouldn't have thought the pump would just let go and fail. Make sure you have fuel in the filter and up to the FIP before you rule that out. Is there a lift pump in the tank, that could be blocked or failed if there is. Best check cheaper fixes first.
 

matt_k

Active Member
Sep 16, 2008
51
0
Fife
Ok, so I went out tonight and blew through the fuel hose back to the tank to check it was clear, heard bubbles in the tank. So closed the filler cap and then sucked on the pipe, got a mouth full of diesel but managed to get it running out the end and connected it up to the filter.
So I now have fuel getting to the filter, its a start!!

I had the van connected up to my leon for a jump start, when I turned the key to the 2nd position so all the electrics were on, I got a kind of ticking noise and the glow plug light was flashing. Then when I turned the key to start the engine, I got nothing at all. No lights, no noise, just went dead totally.

Not sure if its just the battery so will leave it connected for a while? :shrug:
 
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matt_k

Active Member
Sep 16, 2008
51
0
Fife
Changed the battery for a good one this afternoon. I'm now back to square one with the original fault.

Van electrics all come on as they should, glow plug light goes off after a few seconds. Then when I try to start it, it will turn over all day but just won't fire up. I know I have clear fuel lines up to the filter and have diesel in them, I cracked off an injector to bleed it again but got nothing through still.

So its looking like the pump?
 

Viking

Insurance co's are crap.
May 19, 2007
2,317
4
Near Richmond, North Yorks
If you can see fuel/air bubbles circulating through the clear fuel hoses then the pump will be working. The shut off solenoid sounds like the culprit to me, as the pump will still circulate on the low pressure side, but the solenoid is holding back the high pressure injection side. Not sure if it's possible to replace the solenoid or service it, but if it is that then it's cheaper than a new (recon) pump.
 

cheshire cat

Full Member
Dec 28, 2002
1,813
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cheshire
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disconnect the feed to the solenoid and hook up a feed from the battery, you should hear it click in and out if OK but I would take i out anyway for a coat of looking at
 

leeandstaz

Guest
My inca wont start either

Hi Guys new to this Forum...

So here it goes.......[:@]

I have a seat Inca van V reg 1.9 diesel non turbo..... Its my work van and have owned it for around 2 years... and its ran like a dream.
About 6 months ago the glow plug light started flashing permanently! Ignoring this as the van has always started regardless i have stumbled upon a bit of a problem.
Using it ealrier on in the week when it got low on diesel popped into the fuel station to top up and when i come back to the van it wouldnt start.
Left it an hour tried again and it started.
Drove onto my next customer turned the van off left it for 10 minutes come back to it and again it wouldnt start.
So i got my son to tow me home, Left it over night and it started, turned it off after 3 mins and it wouldnt start........ And since then it wont start atall, Ive turned it over that much its drained the battery (Currently on charge)
So i fitted a new fuel filter as the one on it looked like it was the original one from new bearing in mind its done 133,000 miles.
But didnt crtimp the fuel line. But i did fill the filter with diesel before refitting it.
Also fitted relay 109 as i beleive its a known fault on these vans.

Now ive removed the fuel line at one of the injectors and it doesnt seem to be getting any fuel??
And it may be a coincidense that there is also no sign of the glow plug light (it may well have blown from all the time its been flashing but im unsure?)

Any help greatly appriciated.

Many thanks, Lee..
 
Last edited by a moderator:

techie

Skoda Techie
Mar 22, 2003
5,438
5
Worcs
A flashing glow plug indicates a fault in the engine management (depending on age, some dont run an ECU).

Wont be related to this fault but another common issue is the drivers door pin switch falls out. This activates the glow plug system on the Incas so worth checking.
 

leeandstaz

Guest
A flashing glow plug indicates a fault in the engine management (depending on age, some dont run an ECU).

Wont be related to this fault but another common issue is the drivers door pin switch falls out. This activates the glow plug system on the Incas so worth checking.

Its a 1999 i beleive (V reg) at the mo there is no glow plug light but not sure if the bulbs blown or not due to it being flashing for the last 6 months.
 

GTV

Veggie powered TDi's
Feb 16, 2008
479
0
Cambridgeshire
my relay 109 is playing up, car will crank and all lights will light up but will not start, so just because you glow plug light is on could still be r109.