I had my 1989 ctd started today and it was a cold start and it fired right up as usual, i let it run for around 10 mins then went back into the house then had to go to town and the darn thing would crank over but not fire. I checked the fuel and it has no water in it and i am getting 12 volts at the injection pump. Need help please. thanks

 

My first guess would be a bad fuel solenoid on the injection pump not turning on = no fuel to the injectors

 

how can i tell if it is the solenoid?

 

You can remove valve and take out the valve and spring. Screw the valve back in and if it fires up you have a bad valve. You can then use the manual lever to shut engine down that's on the side of injection pump. Replacement valves are available.

 

ok, i will try that

 

where is the 12v at the injection pump being checked at ? 89 inj pumps are manual types, no 12v anywhere

 

i am getting 12v into the Shutoff solenoid and KSB solenoid. i just probed my multimeter in the back of each plug and i was reading twelve volts with the key on.

 

Yes the valve in the injection pump should have power key on , 12.75 volt is a fully charged battery , 12 volts is getting low .
Pull the electromagnet / valve & spring , put the magnet back in , like mentioned above .
If this does not work , I do not remember , if the 1st gens had a lift pump , I do know that that injection pump is very similar to the VWs , no lift pump , check for pressure if it does have a LP , or vacuum if not , I have seen the VWs get a leak in the supply line , then suck air not fuel , then the pressure is controlled by restricting the fuel return to tank , slowly pinching while trying to start , may bring pressure back .

 

There is a mechanical fuel pump on the block

 

Then check for fuel pressure , remove those parts if you have pressure .
If you listen closely you should be able to hear the valve move when 12 volts is applied .

 

Yes an 89 has a lift pump on the DS of the block and it has a manual lever on it for priming the injection pump.
The injection pump (ve) is similar to the bosch pump on the VW and in fact uses the same solenoid you can buy it from VW and bolt it on.

Pull the plunger and after about 25 strokes on the lift pump lever to prime it try to start it and let us know what it does.

 

How cold is it where you are? Dying after idling for 10 minutes sounds like a wax plugged filter.

 

this happened yesterday and it was around 26 but i called the local diesel shop and they said it wasn't cold enough to gel so he told me to take of my fuel filter and dump it in a clear container to see if it had water in it and it has not seperated. I then put some power service in the filter plus some new diesel. and it still hasn't started

 

don't know if this will clear things up but after i let it run for 10 mins i shut it off, then i found out that i had to make a trip into town and it wouldn't fire. Sorry for the confussion

 

Not sure , so many threads , I am not going back to read all .
Reusing an old filter is not going to solve a filter , put a new one in , as long as were on that how long since it was changed ?
Checking the fuel shut off , to see if its opening , the easiest may be , to remove the electromagnet / valve & spring , then put the electromagnet back in , to plug fuel system , now it can not be plugging / stopping fuel from flowing , if that dose make it start , I thin you can just pull the fuel linkage all the way back to shut off .
If that does not work , go back to many of the other suggestions , at this point , checking fuel pressure ?