Chrysler Repair: Chrysler Voyager 2.8 CRD 2004 randomly will not start

Question
Hi Roland,
I have a Chrysler Voyager 2.8 CRD 2004 year.
I have a problem with starting the engine, very randomly it will not start at the first time. The starter turns the engine with no problem at all, one day it starts at the first time, then after few hours I can spend few minutes before it starts. It looks like the fuel is being cut off. Once it is started it never failed to run.

Have you got any idea where to look at?

Cheers
Arek

Answer
Hi Arek,
I have to admit that I am not expert in diesel engines. My approach would be first to check for fault codes that might have been detected by the engine control module and stored as four digit numbers in its memory. Then see what those suggest is next.
I have the wiring diagrams if those are needed. My brief scan of those suggest the possibility of the fuel pump (as you surmised), the glow plug circuit, and the exhaust gas recirculation valve (which if that is sticking ajar can lean out the mixture too much to allow an idle).

The EGR is easy to check out first. Look for a narrow side-pipe that branches off the middle of the exhaust manifold and which runs directly to the EGR valve. The valve has a body that the pipe attaches to. Then it has a round vacuum operated top piece, look for a vacuum hose on that, and between that top and the body there is a flanged area inside of which you will see a rod which has a circumferential slot around it. That rod is the valve stem and you can move it back and forth by means of the tip of a screwdriver inserted in the slot. You will feel spring-action in one direction which is attempting to close the valve. Exhaust vapor can clog the action of the valve so it doesn't close when the spring attempts to do so. If you take some WD-40 or similar penetrant oil and squirt it on the stem where it enters the body of the valve, then move the stem back and forth, you can often free-up the 'action' so it now closes to a dead stop by itself. See if doing that ends the intermittent no start situation.

One last possibility could be an issue with the vehicle theft security system which if that is not disarmed can also shut off fuel pump and possibly the glow plugs. Have you noticed whether the security alarm light is 'off' whenever you try to start it?
But second do a fault code readout. Turn the ignition key: "on-off-on-off-on and leave on" doing that in 5 seconds or less elapsed time. Then watch the odometer window in the instrument cluster to see if the kilometer reading disappears and is replaced by any 4-digit numbers preceded by a P. Let me now what you learn.
Please read the PS below and respond to it.
Thanks,
Roland