So after taking the dogs for a walk on Sunday, and getting quite low on fuel on the way home I heard an odd buzzing fuel pump style noise, stopped off for some fuel and re started, cranked slightly longer than usual but did start, noise returned after a few seconds of running, drover home, all seemed ok but still the noise continued. I popped the bonnet and could immediately hear the noise was coming from the fuel filter, not the pump but the filter, it was heavily buzzing / vibrating to the touch and really hot. So obviously blocking. Just as I walked back to turn of the engine it started missing and struggling to run, I guess fuel starvation. I turned it off. Monday I purchased a new filter, changed it following the wiki advice, also cut the old filter open, and it was in a terrible state, so I’m happy that was the issue. However it now just cranks until the battery starts to go flat. Pump is running, fuel comes out of the schrader valve on the side of the filter if the pin is depressed. Iid shows no fuel pressure in the common rail.

Do I just keep cranking, start cracking of hoses to bleed or is there a process?

So for completeness, and to help anyone in the future, the guide in the wiki may not be correct, although my circumstances where not usual, filter blocking and rough running, putting in a dry filter and cycling the ignition multiple times didn’t work for me, I had to bleed out the air with the valve on the top of the filter housing, took out around 1lt plus lots of air. This was after running the pump many times and 60 odd seconds on and off of engine cranking. And no start. I also had to crack the outlet from the high pressure pump. I had a nasty buzzing high frequency fuel line for 20 or so miles after which I assume was trapped air. All seems well now.

Good news you got it sorted me personally where ever I can always aim to fill the new filter up with derv to help things along.

I don’t think that’s a bad shout, but it was kind of my point that it’s not what the wiki recommends.

I cannot see it doing any harm in theory its just less chance of air in the system

Is that the valve that looks like a tyre valve? I had to so that too when the fuel filter was replaced. Got - 2017 SDV8 Autobiography in Loire Blue
Had- 2008 TDV8 Vogue SE in Java black
Had - 2007 S/C in Stornoway Grey