Will not prime

skates04 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:42 pm

I just changed my fuel filter and can not get the jeep to prime.... I put on the filter, it primed but fuel started leaking out the sensor on the bottom so I tighned the sensor and went to re-prime and now I can not to get any pressure to build up. I push the primer several times and crack the bleeder and I am not even getting any air pressure.
I have double checked all the seals are on and everything is good.... Any idea's??

Luke

GaryC · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2011 12:59 pm **Posts:** 21

I suspect the fuel drained out of the line back to the fuel tank so you've got a line full of air.

Have you tried taking the filter off again and filling it with clean diesel fuel? This might give you enough fuel in there to start to draw a vacuum.

I'm accustomed to redneck engineering and I'll tell you what I'd do if nothing else worked. I'd pressurize the fuel tank with an air hose. I'd take a tennis ball and cut about 1" hole in it, cut a small slit on the opposite side of the ball big enough to get an air hose blower in through. The tennis ball is just to make a gasket to put in the fuel filler inlet. Stick the ball on the filler intake, put the blower nozzle in through the slit an give it a little air while someone else under the hood loosens the fuel filter just enough to let the fuel flow out. Once the fuel is flowing tighten the filter and it should prime up then.

I've never done this on a CRD so I can't swear it'll work on it, but I have on my dodge cummins when it had a bad lift pump and occasionally on gas powered vehicles, a couple of four wheelers and a jet ski. It's never failed to reprime a fuel system when it's lost it's prime.

I'm sure someone will be along shortly to say why it's a terrible idea, but if all else failed that's what I'd personally do.

skates04 · **Posted:** Fri Sep 07, 2012 2:08 am

I appreciate your redneck engineering... It was funny I was sitting here looking at my air compressor thinking of how I could use it to prime the system!! However my daughters room is right above the garage, so firing up the compressor was not really an option until morning... I came up with my own idea... I used a lawn sprayer put some fuel into pressurized it and filled up both the fuel lines and then shoved them back on the housing with a filter full of fuel still could not get any pressure with the primer. So knowing the lines were full I cranked it over a couple of times for a few seconds and she fired up on the third try, let it idle while I cleaned up the tools and bolt the filter housing back to the firewall and took it for a drive, runs great.

I am new to diesels and it seems the fuel filters have some sort of check valve or something inside them. The old filter which I am thinking is pretty new and did'nt need to be changed (Has the a new updated filter head) rattled a bit like something was opening and closing. The new filter did not do this and when I filled it with fuel it would leak out the small hole on the WIF sensor no matter how tight I got it. The sensor did not leak from the hole on the old filter.

Even now that it is running and the system seems to be primed the primer still does not get firm when I push it so I am thinking maybe I messed it up. The first time I put the filter on when it leaked when priming it got firm after about 5-6 times of pressing it and then fuel started pissing out the WIF. Maybe let it get to firm??

Either way the Jeep is running great... I just hope I don't have to prime the thing.... If I did'nt already have the new housing I would do the swap just to have good primer..

Maybe some one else will have some insight.

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Fri Sep 07, 2012 11:16 am

Get a Fauciet(sp?) or other electric fuel pump and let it draw the fuel up. Otherwise if you have some type of suction device to connect to your compressor that would work too.
Whatever you do DON'T just crank the engine thinking the CP3 will eventually will prime.

Now might be the time for a lift pump :BINGO:

skates04 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 10, 2012 12:19 am

I think your right on the lift pump, I was just reading about them today in the tech section... The Jeep is running good but the primer is still not working (never firms up) Rather than spending the money on a new filter head/assembly I think I would be better off just doing a lift pump and not needing a primer. It is a bit nerve racking not having the primer, I have only needed to use it once, but I don't want to get stranded some where just because my stupid primer doesn't work.

Will not prime

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