New Member with a strange fuel problem

[Paul55]

Hi All, I'm new to this forum and forums in general so please forgive any transgressions.

I have a 2004 1.9 ltr diesel  Berlingo based Romahome. After approximately 280 miles on a full fuel tank she starts to run a bit rough as if she's running out of fuel. My local garage suggested she was running out of fuel and that the fuel gauge was at fault. I didn't believe them.

So today with around 300 miles on the trip counter, I cut the fuel pipe under the bonnet, connected a pump (£15 from Lidl) and started the pump up. Several things happened. The fuel just kept coming. 34 litres in all. When the diesel stopped coming the fuel guage showed empty, so not the fuel guage sender then. As the fuel was being pumped out a vacuum built up in the tank. I had to remove the filler cap. That surprised me. Last, but by no means least, after about six litres of steady stream the diesel started coming out with air in it, lots of it. This carried on until the tank was empty.

My questions are :-

How could air be getting into the fuel? It smacks of a crack in the pipe in the tank maybe but I don't know how things are arranged inside the tank.

Could this account for the rough running?

Should a vacuum have built up in the tank?

I have an inline brass union to put the fuel pipe back together but it's very tight. How should I warm up the pipe to make it easier to get the union into it? I'm thinking something not involving naked flames.

Any help would be very gratefully received.

Paul

[brodfather11]

https://www.berlingoforum.com/thread-20731.html

Have a look at this post , it may help you.

A vacuum in the tank will stop fuel coming out
Yes it will cause rough running
a cup of boiling water would soften the plastic pipe


A hair drier can put out a lot of heat , you could try that  but maybe too much .

[Paul55]

Thank you. That all helps.

[geoff]

Good result

[RattyCortina]

I don't know if it applies in your case, but I think others have had issues with fuel tank vacuum caused by the breather filter in the filler pipe becoming soaked in diesel.

[Paul55]

The breather pipe will certainly be my first port of call.

However, answers lead to more questions. Am I correct in thinking my berlingo will have an electric pump inside the tank? How do I determine which model of diesel engine I have? Is it on a plate somewhere? My engine doesn't have a priming bulb it has a pump on the left hand side of the fuel filter.

The biggest question I have left is how is air getting into the fuel stream after the level of fuel in the tank reaches a certain level?

Thank you for all your help.