Hi all,

(skip to the end for a summary)

I have done a bit of searching and I am waiting for activation of my account on French Car Forum but maybe somebody here would be kind enough to help...

My younger brother's Xantia just passed its MOT with no advisories. It's only issue was it was taking longer and longer to start over the past month or so. He ordered a set of glow plugs and I said I'd fit them for him. His is the 1.9 TD with the Bosch diesel injection pump.

It took much longer than it should have done for all the usual reasons: leaving it until it was dark, not having my tools organised and failing to read the tips online from real people (such as tying string/wool to the new plugs as you lower them in). One of them started to round but managed to get it out. For the last, and hardest to access plug (behind the injection pump) I felt it was also going to round so I decided to disconnect the fast idle cable, its adjustment/location bracket and the fast idle lever on the pump itself. This allowed me to fit a 1/4" drive socket onto the plug and avoid rounding it. Fitting the new plugs, my hands (and probably brain) had already frozen in the cold and rain and I dropped the last plug deep into the engine bay! It was behind the alternator with zero visibility or access for hands. In an attempt to fit my hand in I removed a small cover plate on the front of the pump. This was attached with 2 bolts and contained 2 springs, a seal and a plunger which I left undisturbed. Fuel leaked out from here so I knew air had made its way in. I still couldn't get to the plug so re-fitted the cover and called it a night.

The next day I bought a cheap magnetic pick-up tool, small mirror and parts tray but had to go out. My younger brother managed to use these new tools and bits of wire coat hanger to retrieve the lost plug. When I returned we fitted the last plug, the wiring for the plugs and all the extras removed for access - including that fiddly fast-idle lever on the back of the pump. I used the 'grenade' in the corner of the engine bay to prime the fuel system and tried to start it. It didn't sound quite right and never jumped into life.

I then tried disconnecting the fuel return union on the side of the pump, inserting the key in the ignition and turning it to activate the stop solenoid (but not crank it over) and manually primed the system with the grenade again. I stuffed rags around the pump and watched as air bubbles and fuel gushed out. After a while the bubbles reduced so I re-tightened the return union.

I rinsed away any spilt diesel and tried to start it up again. I possibly sounded slightly better but didn't want to start. Next I tried with the accelerator pushed down. The engine started, but as soon as I let off the pedal it stalls again. I tried revving it for longer to try and clear any last bubbles out but it still stalled just as quick.

I even disconnected the fast idle cable and re-attached it as the Haynes manual outlines. As far as I could see the cable was clamped in the same position and no adjustment had been made since before we started.

Has anybody had anything similar? Is there anything sensitive I may have broken without realising? Or what should I try next? The only thing I can think of is the small shaft that the fast idle lever locates onto (with matching flats so can only be fitted one way?) has some how moved relative to whatever it is actuating inside the pump. This means that adjustment would be required to the cable clamping position and idle adjustment screws either side of the lever. I just don't know where to start and don't want to rush into it and risk further unwanted alterations!

I know it's long so, to summarise:

• 1.9 TD Xantia with Bosch pump was running fine - just getting slower to start recently

• Glow plugs were bought but, due to foolish mistakes; parts of the pump were removed for improved access (rounding old plugs & dropped new plug)

• One item removed was the fast idle lever on the back of the pump

• Upon re-assembly and bleeding the pump of air the engine cranks but wont start

• Whilst cranking the engine can start with accelerator pressed and will rev once started

• As soon as the accelerator is let off the engine stalls

• I have re-checked the fast idle lever and everything seems to be unchanged (adjustment/position wise) compared to before the job was started

Thanks in advance for any people patient enough to read this and help! He's planning a trip out with the girlfriend on Friday so he'll be very happy if it's running ASAP.