Need help with dash wiring on my 79 diesel wago n

[79olds510]

If it's a diesel still it won't have a carburetor. If the engine has been swapped, or its a dx block converted to gas, it'll have a carb but not run off diesel.

That's why the comment confused me when I guessed that's what you may have meant...

You think by bleeding the fuel lines that will help it?

 

[ck80]

You think by bleeding the fuel lines that will help it?

First you need to determine if it's a diesel. If it has a carb it is not a diesel.

If it's a diesel, because it was a new installation, you need to determine both if there is water in the fuel, and, if there is any air in lines. Bleeding the fuel line will tell you about air, and, catching what comes out of lines will tell you about water.

If the car has been sitting a long time I'd recommend first empty and clean the tank, then bleed the lines.

You've got to work from 'known' variables, and there's checklists to go through to know what you're working with.

Owning a diesel, and reviving one that had sat a long time, isn't the same as a gas motor. Might be less steps if you knew more about when parked and what's been done, but, buying an interrupted swap/repair project then thems thr breaks. These are basics, eventually you get down to injector pumps and glow plugs, but for now we need to determine it's getting fuel, and good fuel.

 

[BELLELJ1981]

Air in the lines will cause a no start. Do you have a wait to start light? My 81 has a wait to start and water in fuel. Not sure the 79. I have the entire dealership factory repair and trouble shooting manual as well as the wiring diagrams. Make sure you do not use starting fluid aka ether. You have to use WD 40 sprayed into the intake. Ether will cause a vapor lock and could mess up your glow plugs. The wiring is important as the glow plugs must cycle to heat the chambers for starting. I do have the DX BLOCK which is upgrade from the older engine. I do not think the 79’s have that block. If you want some specific answers I can try to help. Just hit me up. Maybe we can trade phone numbers and talk. Regards john

 

[Ugly1]

3 questions:

1) have you ever heard it run?

2) has it been run out of fuel?

3) have you tried bleeding the fuel lines to get air out of them?

Not saying you don't have hacked up wiring, because you do. But if you've got air in your fuel lines you can crank forever and it's not going to start. Diesels need to be bled, not just cranked till a pump pushes gas to the carb like a gas powered car....

Not sure if they had a water separator on those. Can kill it too I think.

 

[ck80]

At this point I'd also suggest editing the title on this thread. Make it something like : "need help getting 79 diesel wagon running" as, personally, I stand by you needing to ignore most of what you're implying from what was told when you bought it and start from square one testing each piece to get her running again.

If you move through the flowchart a-z you don't need to look back and jump around later figuring out missed steps.

 

[79olds510]

Air in the lines will cause a no start. Do you have a wait to start light? My 81 has a wait to start and water in fuel. Not sure the 79. I have the entire dealership factory repair and trouble shooting manual as well as the wiring diagrams. Make sure you do not use starting fluid aka ether. You have to use WD 40 sprayed into the intake. Ether will cause a vapor lock and could mess up your glow plugs. The wiring is important as the glow plugs must cycle to heat the chambers for starting. I do have the DX BLOCK which is upgrade from the older engine. I do not think the 79’s have that block. If you want some specific answers I can try to help. Just hit me up. Maybe we can trade phone numbers and talk. Regards john

Yes I do have the wait light