Petrol starvation?

[Mark2cars]

I had a few starting probs with my X reg. ex police T5 - turned out to be the sensor which recognises the key, replaced at a main dealer. However, wouln't start again this morning and at first I thought this bit had gone wrong again. Just on a whim I opened the bonnet (always useful) and did something I had seen the AA man do a while ago - took the little cap off the little valve at the end of the fuel rail (if that's what it's called) and pressed the thing in the middle (it looks like a tyre valve). Sure enough a bit of petrol came out. The car then started first time! Seems like there was some sort of blockage / air lock which pressing this valve cleared - is that a likely explaination? If so what might be causing it and what might cure it?
When I first had cars 25 years years ago I used to tune the twin SUs with a bit of hose pipe in my ear - things are a bit different these days!
Cheers,
Mark

[dreadly]

The AA man pressed that valve to check for the presence of fuel in the high pressure fuel rail, releasing the pressure would make no difference, as the fuel pump would regulate the pressure as soon as you turn the key to the second position.

He was probably just checking that the fuel pump was working or more importantly that the immobiliser wasn't disabling the fuel pump. This would cause the problems you are getting.

When you say a 'few problems' starting it, what are the few problem? - What happens, any lights, codes noises etc ???

Gotta say, from what you have said, it sounds more like a problem with the immobiliser to me than the fuel system.

[dreadly]

When I first had cars 25 years years ago I used to tune the twin SUs with a bit of hose pipe in my ear - things are a bit different these days!
Cheers,
Mark

I used to tune SU's with a hammer :)

Then replace them with decent fixed venturi carbs, like webber sidedrafts ;)

[Mark2cars]

It's been a while, but I was away in Oz'. They replaced the bit in the ignition which reads the transponder in the key - seems to have solved that one -
HOWEVER - I still have a problem under hard acceleration, which feels like miss firing. Dealer thought they had traced it to some faulty wiring, did some soldering etc. (£90 labour), but it is still the same, miss fires under full throttle when revs hit about 5,000. nay ideas? No warning lights accept once only the little picture of an engine did light up, which the book says is emmission problems?? Doesn't usually though. Initially the dealer (well their computor) said it could be faulty coil / plugs on cylinder 5, but they seem to have ruled that one out - somehow.
Cheers,
Mark

[dreadly]

It's been a while, but I was away in Oz'. They replaced the bit in the ignition which reads the transponder in the key - seems to have solved that one -
HOWEVER - I still have a problem under hard acceleration, which feels like miss firing. Dealer thought they had traced it to some faulty wiring, did some soldering etc. (£90 labour), but it is still the same, miss fires under full throttle when revs hit about 5,000. nay ideas? No warning lights accept once only the little picture of an engine did light up, which the book says is emmission problems?? Doesn't usually though. Initially the dealer (well their computor) said it could be faulty coil / plugs on cylinder 5, but they seem to have ruled that one out - somehow.
Cheers,
Mark

I don't know where you are, maybe it's worth a trip to somewhere like VolvoTuning or RT Mechanics to have it looked at.
Could be a sensor thing...

[Mark2cars]

Thanks Dreadly, I am in N.W Wales, far from most places. Where are those specialists you mentioned?
Mark