My diesel engine/genset has not been used for over a year and it won start – whats wrong and what should I do?
The fuel system is very possibly “frozen-up” because of stale “varnished” fuel. This can cause the injectors, fuel rack and the injection pump’s plungers to stick and not deliver fuel. The entire fuel system should be thoroughly checked and repaired if needed prior to starting the engine. The sea water pump impeller, if not removed from the pump, can take the shape of the interior of the pump. The pump impeller can also be brittle – check it and replace if needed. If the engine wasn’t fogged prior to decommissioning, or if it’s never been run, there could be some rust in the cylinders. This can be addressed but we strongly recommend it’s accomplished by qualified personnel only! Remove the glow plugs or injectors and squirt a good quality lubricating oil or penetrating oil such as mystery oil into each cylinder. This will loosen up frozen rings and sticky valves. After letting the oil penetrate the engine’s internal components for a good period of time, turn the engine over by hand wit
