Dear Barth Owners:
I had the good fortune of buying a '82 35 ft. Regency months ago. I've learned to start it 2 or 3 times a month and run a bit and I also drive it 20 miles once or twice a month. A couple times just, 30 seconds to a minute into warmup the engine dies as if an off switch were hit. It then fails to start even with use of starting fluid. The motor has less than 50,000 miles, decent compression and got me across country immediately after purhase less than 500 miles ago. I appear to have a 1/3 full fuel tank(diesel). Does anybody have any ideas? Unfortunately my mechanical skills are poor.
Thanks,
Dave

Hi Dave,
Had the same thing happen to me and here is what I found:

1. Have you changed your filters? air filter, water seperator, etc? I spent several hours trying to get mine to run and no luck. Called the local diesel guru and he came out installed new filters...wala, it runs like a top. NOTE: Be sure and fill the new fuel filters with diesel before you install them otherwise you will use the hand primer several hundred times to get fuel to the engine. Good Luck.

Al Benton

Hello Dave,
A couple of things come to mind. If you store your rig with 1/3 of a tank of fuel you can get condensation in the tank. I would try to keep it near full. I would also put in an anti microbial additive in the tank when I fill it. Bacteria can grow in diesel fuel, and clog up fuel filters.

I also had the experience of my engine shutting off after a few seconds because the ignition switch had a bad connection in it. The electricity stopped going to the fuel solenoid, and the engine died immediately. It was an intermittent problem, but the result was sudden and total.

I hope this helps.

Tom

Al is right. New fuel and water separator filters will usually fix the fault. The problem seems to be aging (two-years) of the rubber gasket that seals the (rectangular, clear) water separator bowl. Any amount of air in the water separator will cause fuel cavitation. However, note that visible empty space 1/4-1/2" above the fuel level in the separator is OK. This is vacum, not air.

When you started your engine, it ran for a few seconds on resudual fuel. The first stage injector pump then started to cavitate when air was drawn into the water separator through a leaky gasket.

If all else fails to get the fuel up (after changing filters) try VERY LOW pressure (max 5psi) air in the fuel tank through the filler cap (air hose covered with a rag) with the water separator bowl lose. Allow all air to purge; then tighten the bowl, and start the engine.

Two notes of caution. Make sure you ground the coach AND the air hose nozzle (use brass nozzle only) before removing fuel cap. You don't want a spark. Further, if your fuel tank is over 1/2 full, release the air pressure from the tank sl-o-o-o-o-wly. A diesel fuel shower burns like hell. If you do get soaked, get rid of your clothes immediately and run for the showers.

Hope this helps. Let us know

S.F.