No start issue CRD

[Crrrrrrd]

Hello, for the past month or so my 05 CRD has been giving me some grief when it comes to starting up. I am thinking it could be a fuel pressure issue but I am not sure. Here's the progression of the issue.
1. Taking a bit longer to start
2. Will coldstart but needs starting fluid to start a second time. Will start fine after it's been started second time.
3. randomly won't start after it consistently cold starts
4. Won't start ever without starting fluid

Some smaller details are that I sometimes faintly smell diesel when driving, the car chugs on coldstart for a bit, and the temperature has been getting colder outside. The first thing I did was replace the crankshaft sensor but it didn't help. I found a seeping nut on injector 4 near the firewall and tightened it but it had no effect on the issue. I also noticed some moisture around some injectors and all over the back side of the fuel rail near the firewall. I'll include footage.

When the car is running there is no noticeable difference in performance. The pictures are from when I found the seeping nut on the injector. I cleaned the area after and took the video after driving for a couple hundred miles.

Video:

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Any help would be much appreciated on the issue (last 30 seconds of the video has better focus)

 

[KJowner]

This is a common CRD issue, mine is currently doing the same. You have a small leak in the fuel supply allowing it to drain back to tank overnight, the usual culprit is the later filter/primer assembly, however its a poorly designed system anyway, the engine high pressure pump has pull fuel all the way up from the tank.
The wetness around the injectors could be from the spillback hoses, mine were perished, standard 1/8" fits so no need to buy from Jeep.
Mine is an earlier one with the 'better' Racor filter, however I've just taken it off and found my priming pump isn't sealing allowing the fuel to drain back...
If you look on here you'll find an upgrade to the system is to add a pump to pressurise the supply, unfortunately the parts are American so cost a fortune here. I'm looking at fitting a VW pump in mine, annoyingly I pulled the boot carpet up yesterday to find mine is a later one without the access panel, so it's a tank out job, yours will be the same. I have seen a Facet cube plumbed in between the tank and pipework, much easier to fit but possibly not as effective.

 

[Crrrrrrd]

I have a lift pump already installed as well as the updated filter head. Is there a way to tell if it’s coming from the primer and filter area?

 

[KJowner]

All you can do is put some see-through hose temporarily on the inlet and outlet of the filter.
Have you checked to see if you lift pump is actually delivering anything?
Unfortunately if that all checks out then it's probably rail pressure.

 

[Crrrrrrd]

Sort of, I use the lift pump to bleed instead of the plunger.

 

[KJowner]

Do you have a Racor filter then?
I took mine off and stripped it yesterday, there was a bit of muck around the NRV ball and no seal on the threaded pump knob, I cleaned everything and all the seal faces in the housing and found a suitable o ring to pop onto the pump shaft & refitted it this morning, just tried the Jeep now and it started instantly.
Might be worth doing the same to yours.

 

[Crrrrrrd]

Not aware of a racor filter. I have a generic Napa one.

 

[KJowner]

The early Jeeps had a white aluminium Racor, then they made there own.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Crrrrrrd]

I believe it is rail pressure everything checks out on my low pressure side

 

[KJowner]

I believe it is rail pressure everything checks out on my low pressure side

That's a pain, check the injector leakoff and the relief valve in the back of the rail. Injector leakage should be roughly equal and the relief shouldn't be letting any fuel out during cranking.

 

[Synthetic-oils]

Keep using starting fluid and you will have a much bigger problem