hand Prime pump/possible air in fuel line question

[ShaneOwnsANissan]

Hi all,

2001 3L DDI

When driving I'm getting the "0707 Injection Pump injection timing control" code and the car loses power. If i turn the car off for a few seconds and turn it back on I then regain power and the engine light turns off. Pressing the manual prime pump, it feels soft and I can press it a few times before going hard again.

My questions:

1. Would the soft prime pump indicate air in the line?
2. If so, would this mean the air is coming from before the filter/the filter itself e.g. does the pump have a diaghpram which prevents air coming back from further up the line?

I had this error the day before, thinking maybe bad fuel, put 60L and injector cleaner and the error didn't appear for 100km.Due to the prime pump being soft, I'm thinking maybe just coincidence or perhaps i have a small air leak but the main issue is bad fuel quality?

Regards,
Shane

[Rumcajs]

G'day,

1. NO, because it is on the suction side and if it only takes several presses and it goes hard then that is normal behavior.

2. Yes, you can have air entering from the priming pump diaphragm 

Use of injector cleaner create sometimes more problems then it is worth. Did you change fuel filter as well? If you did, it is possible that the filter installation is not correct and it is bypassing the sealing or that extra "O" ring everyone ignores.....

 

Anyway, this is a dreaded fault for anyone "lucky enough" to own vehicle with that abomination made by Bosch the VP44 radial injection pump.

What you should really do is to check ICV % via Nissan "datascan" or ECU talk software and Consult cable while engine is running. Anything less then 35% duty cycle  at idle indicates issues with fuel delivery to the pump. It should be around 50%-70% under load and on deceleration even higher.

To identify issue with air in the fuel is very difficult. You will need to ensure that fuel lines are sound including steel lines and pick up in the tank. That's why it is essential to be able to compare ICV% values/readings as you perform diagnostics.

* Change fuel filter in case it is blocked with what cleaner has created and bleed the system thoroughly first if you can.

* Check/Decide if running new fuel lines and  hose clamps might fix the issue

*If problem persist  create/make  temporary  clear see through fuel lines/hoses running  from the pipe in the chassis to the filter and from filter to the pump so you can  visualize what   air if any is coming in.

* if still there run the lines from spare jerry  or bucket filled with  clean diesel fuel to eliminate fuel lines leading to fuel filter depending on above step.

*  Depending on the outcome of previous checks  try another fuel filter housing to eliminate priming pump diaphragm  if the air in the fuel is still present.

*  If the problem persist it is possible that the  injection pump is failling and the big bill is coming your way.

If you have access to compressed air and are handy with creating temp blanking plugs then I'd disconnect the fuel line from the  injection pump, blank its end and then disconnect line at the tank and pressurize the line with max 75-85 kPa and check for air leaks. That will tell you quite quickly if there is an issue with the tightness of the system. 

Also don't discount possibility for fault in the electrical harness on the pump. 

Good luck

 

Edited October 5, 2018 by Rumcajs

[ShaneOwnsANissan]

Wow, Thanks foir the detailed reply Rumcajs!

I haven't yet changed the fuel filter however the previous owner said they did it right befoire i bought it, so thinking it could be a possibility. I've changed the majority of the fuel lines however the smaller line, it looks like i tightened the hoseclamp too much and it has a slight seep from the clamp.

I'll start with the fuel filter as I've already bought a replacement and then look at the other suggestions.

I'll update the thread with what the fix is.

Thanks,

Shane

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ShaneOwnsANissan]

For anyone Following this topic;

I changed the Fuel Filter and since, have not had any '0707 Injection Pump injection timing control' codes.It appears the fuel filter was over-torqued and the O-ring was was crushed which likely allowed air to be sucked in.

Link to images showing Crushed O-ring and Filter contents:
https://imgur.com/a/yOrUbqb

Video showing how easily the filter O-ring would fold over where it appeared to be over-tightened:
https://youtu.be/pqd6yAi9jB4

[Patrolherb]

2002 ZD30DI

i have had a priming issue for a while approx 3-6months 

sometimes I would have to manually prime 

today it won't prime at all so won't draw diesel into the filter 

the truck was running fine yesterday,now I can't even get it to prime

im assuming it's just the primer but was wondering if it could be something else