Diagnosing hard start/stall issue (2615 HST)

[varover]

Acts like the usual fuel filter clogged issue but this one is "pretty much" brand new. Observation on that at the bottom.

The fuel bowl is always full so I don't _think_ it's clogged to the tank and I've cleaned the cap after thinking it might be clogged from dropping in the dirt one too many times. The most-recent thing I've tried is removing the fuel filter to see if it starts easier and...hmmm...it does seem to. For obvious reasons I haven't tested that for anything more than a couple of minutes/starts but I'm wondering if it might be the fuel pump is struggling....unless....

One thing I noticed when messing with the fuel filter is that this filter (bought on ebay on the cheap) looks just like oem - but something I don't recall about it is it doesn't seem to fit in the bowl like I think I remember the original ones did. Instead of sitting on the little ring at the bottom, it bottoms out when the outside of the metal bottom hits where the bowl rounds in...seems like it's a touch wider in diameter than the oem one? Anyone have one handy they can measure?

Aside from the filter issue, does the fuel pump sound like a reasonable culprit? I'm pretty ignorant of diesel fuel workings so I'm hesitant to pull the lines off to check fuel delivery under the hood...though that may be my next step.

 

[George2615]

Not sure of your location and whether ambient temps may be too cold causing fuel gelling. That is one reason that would for your symptoms.

 

[varover]

Thanks for the reply. Southern VA...it's ~44 outside so that's probably not it...and it's been happening for a while even during Summer. I went outside to give it another round of diagnosing and...while it does seem to start easier with the filter out...and it does idle without stalling (which it wasn't doing earlier today with the filter in), soon as I raise or lower the FEL it stalls. Hmm.

I also noticed that the filter issue was me being bone-headed. Once the filter is in position, it doesn't touch at the bottom. Though I do wonder if I mis-installed it before and now have let gunk get round the top of the filter and into the line. I do not have an o-ring at the top. Oh joy.

 

[varover]

Some other posts are suggesting the fuel shutoff solenoid. Almost $300! Holy s**t.

 

[varover]

And yet google searching for that part # turns up some for ~$40...go figure

 

[arrow]

If it were me, I'd go to Mahindra and get their fuel filter. For some inexplicable reason, Mahindra does not include the small top o-ring so remember to buy that separately. The filter you have may be causing a minute air leak.
I doubt its your pump.
If you suspect debris in your tank, that's easy to discern with fuel being able to freely flow out of the line when the it is disconnected and dropped before the filter.
If it doesn't, just get your air hose and stick it in the fuel line to blow out the debris trapped at the fuel line tank orifice.