My Generator Won’t Start!
We have recently received an elevated amount of calls complaining of engine start issues or poor load acceptance, most if not all of these issues can be traced back to problems of fuel or lack of sufficient fuel. In the majority of the instances the engine was getting air in the fuel system due to the unit running out of fuel, changing of fuel filters or new units being started in the field for the first time. Air in the fuel system can play havoc on a diesel engine since the trapped air can be found in the fuel filter(s), fuel lines, injectors etc... Proper and complete bleeding of the fuel system is essential in avoiding engine start and load acceptance issues. Some issues involve units that run fine after bleeding the fuel system but won’t start after sitting all night, these units have lost their prime due to a small amount of air penetrating the fuel system and require purging the air out of the system again, in one case the unit would not take more than 50% load, investigations revealed a pinched o ring on one of the fuel line fittings that would draw air in when a higher demand for fuel was needed. There are several methods for checking the fuel system for air, one method involves using a glass fitting in line with the fuel hose allowing you to see bubbles in the fuel line and thus be able to determine if it’s getting air before or after the fuel filter, fuel filter to fuel pump or fuel pump to injectors, other important things to check are the hoses for pin holes, fittings for looseness or over tightened crushing the o ring, cracked fuel filter or seals, broken or cracked injector tubes, loose injectors, dirty fuel that can block flow due to debris, etc.. In effect anything and any place that could allow for air to enter the system or foreign objects to block the flow of fuel to the engine.
Rafael Heredia
Service Advisor
FGW Latin America & Caribbean
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