If you suspect an air leak/fuel leak...

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:45 pm

My mileage was jumping around a bit and I had a couple of instances of no power. Then I had a couple of hard starts in the morning ( not cold, Texas you know ). It felt like I was getting no fuel, so I popped open the hood and decided to use the Primer Pump on the Water/Fuel Separator to make sure fuel was getting thru...I pumped it four or five times and in a second or two I had a fine mist of fuel coming out from one of the electrical connections at the front of the housing...

Well it turns out that the housing or seal at the connector was bad. They replaced it under warranty and all seems well. Power is back!

Goglio704 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:48 pm

Yet another tidbit telling me this thing needs a lift pump pushing fuel through the filter. Pressurized leaks are messy, but easy to find. :wink:

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

Now you've got me concerned. I recently noticed diesel on one of the connectors on the fuel filter head, the right one as you face the filter. It turns out its the fuel heater connector. I saw diesel evaporating from this connector. Figured I had spilled some diesel on it, but now I'm wondering if it is leaking internally.

Thanks for the heads up.

DZL_LOU · **Posted:** Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:15 pm

Goglio704 wrote:

Yet another tidbit telling me this thing needs a lift pump pushing fuel through the filter. Pressurized leaks are messy, but easy to find. :wink:

Couldn't agree more. The hand priming pump creates a 3lb vaccum.
"shootin the bull" at the dealership with the techs and they have a customer that uses her CRD very infrequently. A small leak around the water separator caused the 3lb vaccum to disappear thus not being able to start the CRD unless priming the fuel pump.

jeep06 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:45 am

I have hand primed mine twice just to see if there was air in the system, both times there was. The last time I tried it, on this last Sat., I cracked the bleeder valve first before pumping and there was a hissing, not sure if it was vacuum or pressure, I should have stuck the drain hose I put on the bleeder valve in a jar of diesel to see if it bubbled or not. Anyway, I pumped it up a few times until it started pumping a little harder, then cracking the bleeder each time, then there was only fuel coming out of the bleeder. I swear there is a little seepage coming out between the fuel heater body and the fuel filter mounting bracket, might be a bad o ring on the fuel heater assembly. Maybe when I change the fuel filter I will get a new o-ring and change it, had to do this on one of my Cummins p/u's. Interesting to say the least. Another mess for US to solve...haha.

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:51 am

The dealership told me the housing was cracked but I suspect that a seal on the Heater Connector was bad...I am pointing to the seal around the sensor...either way, at least we have something to go by.

jeep06 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:10 am

Yes it is some hope to say the least, wish I still had my brake bleeder kit so I could disconnect the fuel line from the tank and plug off the line at the filter head, then connect the brake bleeder hose on the fuel bleeder valve with it open, then pump up a few pounds of vacuum on it and watch if the vacuum drops on the bleeder gauge. That would tell me if I have a leak in the filter system somewhere, I may be wrong on this theory, but might be worth a try. Guess I would need to un-hook the outlet side of the filter head too and plug it so I didn't suck fuel back from the main pump.

BLake · **Posted:** Tue Nov 28, 2006 3:41 pm

I think the fuel dribbles out from the threaded area when you crack the bleeder and collects on the top of the filter. If you have been playing with the bleeder, you may want to clean up before looking at other trouble areas.

I've had a hose hooked up to the bleeder several times and never noticed the fuel getting sucked back in, i.e. no vacuum at the bleeder. I don't have a diagram for how the little pump works but there must be a check valve internally. It only pumps out, nothing backs up like when bleeding brakes.

My Jeep is at the dealer right now with bad fuel. I will pass on the info about the bad sensors. I told them I was getting air in the system.

DZL_LOU · **Posted:** Tue Nov 28, 2006 3:50 pm

jeep06 wrote:

I swear there is a little seepage coming out between the fuel heater body and the fuel filter mounting bracket, might be a bad o ring on the fuel heater assembly. Maybe when I change the fuel filter I will get a new o-ring and change it, had to do this on one of my Cummins p/u's. Interesting to say the least. Another mess for US to solve...haha.

When the dealership boys went to diesel tech school in Auburn Hills to get their level 4 diesel tech cert , DCX told them that any time they un-tighten and re-tighten the nuts around the top of the fuel/water separator to ALWAYS use new o-rings/washers because of the risk of undetectable leaks forming.

BlackLibertyCRD · **Posted:** Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:29 pm

I took mine in for air in the fuel last week and the dealer did a silly flash to the trans and glow plug. I installed an purlator inline filter to the inlet of the filter housing. At times the air I see through the sight glass only was half full and I couldn't understand how the engine still runs. I sure can understand why it bucks when going down the road.

I know when I bleed the system the engine runs great and don't buck as if hitting bumps in the road. I show the results to the dealer and will be taking it back to them next week.

They also replaced the lower ball joints and I later had the alignment checked. The camber is off -.5 deg on the right wheel and will have to be align. The service writer says they will take care of it.

jeep06 · **Posted:** Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:52 am

I know when I bleed the system the engine runs great and don't buck as if hitting bumps in the road. I show the results to the dealer and will be taking it back to them next week.

Me too!! I would swear that it runs better than before the air bleeding, thought maybe it was just me. So must be some air leaking in your system back towards your tank then if you are seeing it in your pre-filter. They probably have some worthless quick clamp hose connector on the tank like the Dodge diesels have that are prone to leaking/sucking air. I will be anxious to hear what they find on yours.

BioJeep · **Posted:** Wed Nov 29, 2006 5:38 pm

I had an air leak that frequently caused limp or stall when I approached WOT. The dealer finally "fixed" it after having it for 2 weeks by replacing the tank module & lines connecting the module to the steel lines. However, although it is definitely improved, it ain't fixed. I can still bleed plenty of air (2-3 pump & bleed cycles worth) from the system after any driving and then Monday I had it die on me again while accelerating hard onto a freeway. I'm pretty disappointed & will be taking it back, again.

BTW, I frequently see references to the great off-the-line power produced by the CRD, often including squealing of the tires, etc. While mine does seem to have decent power (more than a '92 Ford Explorer), it doesn't seem to measure up to these descriptions. E.g., I have never been able to produce a slightest chirp of the tires (although I do apparently have good tires). This is all very subjective w/o objective info, but I wonder if this possible sluggishness may be another symptom of an air leak. Is that possible? It wouldn't also affect mileage, would it? I've never noticed a clear drop in power since new but then the other symptoms began fairly early on and so it may be that I haven't known anything else. Maybe clocking a couple of 0-60's would enlighten me. It did seem that power had increased slightly when I got it back from the dealer last, but I can't be sure. Anyway, if I'm missing power because of this, then I more so want it fixed ASAP.

BLake · **Posted:** Wed Nov 29, 2006 7:49 pm

BioJeep,
The 2006 has ESP (Electronic Stability Program) installed. 2005's didn't. It will be nearly impossible to peel out in the 2006, the computer gets in the way of our childish fun.

BioJeep · **Posted:** Wed Nov 29, 2006 10:46 pm

Quote:

It will be nearly impossible to peel out in the 2006, the computer gets in the way of our childish fun.

Dammit!

Good to know though...thanks.

BlackLibertyCRD · **Posted:** Thu Nov 30, 2006 7:45 pm

I poured 16oz of Power Service, Diesel Kleen (gray bottle) into a full tank and wow what a difference. No more bucking, very little turbo lag, very smooth idle, transmission shifts next to perfect and smoother. Holds gear longer on hills without downshifting. Could it be I just Band-Aid American diesel fuel and that is my problem all along :?:

If so I'm happy about the way it runs and power service will go it every tank.

no-blue-screen · **Posted:** Sun Dec 31, 2006 10:49 am

Did anyone ever get their problem figured out? I think I am getting air in my fuel and it would be very helpful to find out how/if you all reasolved your air in fuel issues.

KenJennings · **Posted:** Sun Dec 31, 2006 12:24 pm

BioJeep wrote:

Quote:

It will be nearly impossible to peel out in the 2006, the computer gets in the way of our childish fun.

Dammit!

Good to know though...thanks.

Hit the button to turn of ESP. Wait for a little rain (or snow) on the road. Sometimes that's enough to let the wheels slip when accelerating from a stop. But, the Nanny-O-Matic computer won't let you really peel rubber.

BLake · **Posted:** Sun Dec 31, 2006 5:17 pm

My Jeep has been at the dealer since Nov 27 and they still can't track down the air leak. They do not know how to do anything other than replace parts to find the problem. After telling them for 4 weeks that the filter housing may be leaking air, they finally agreed to replace it. I just have to wait for one to come in. It would be so simple to pull the lines off the filter, cap one end, apply vacuum to the other end and see if it holds. But that would be old school trouble shooting and that is not allowed in this computer era.

Goglio704 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 31, 2006 8:44 pm

I seem to have exactly what Darby had wrong with his at the beginning of this thread, but I didn't have symptoms yet. I just found a leak in my fuel filter base after changing the fuel filter for the first time. I had the plugs on the base disconnected for access, and when I primed the new filter, the drivers side connector started dripping fuel from the socket. :roll:

I packed it with grease and plugged the plug in. Hopefully that will get me by till later in the week. With a new filter in place it shouldn't suck hard enough to dislodge the grease - I hope.

Added later...

The grease seems to be working for now. I went for a test drive and didn't have any indication of air in the fuel system. Just have to see how it does in the morning. I doubt my dealer will be open tomorrow. Hopefully the grease will get me by for a few days.

If you suspect an air leak/fuel leak...

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