white diesel smoke\fumes on cold start up?

rubi1

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Hi,I hope someone can help with a problem I have with my 1990 2.5 TURBO DIESEL FIAT DUCATO SWIFT KONTIKI please.

Starting from cold it is very difficult to start,I have to go through 3/4 glow plug sequences before it starts,but when it does it throws out clouds of unburnt atomized diesel fumes, and will not tick over without partial pedal pressure. It isn't steam/moisture as I,ve checked water level and inside the rocker oil filler cap for mayonnaise.

Once it has started and warmed up for a minute or there abouts, she's fine,no further problems, doesn't ever stall,no loss of power,temps OK, fuel consumption is good.

Recently had it to a mechanic because it lacked power on the top end of acceleration,he reset the pump timing and that has made an enormous difference to this,but he said that he had difficulty setting its " cold start" I think he said.

It was quite good at starting before this,but as I,ve said it was lacking power on the top end of the throttle. Once warm it goes like a train.

Items I have checked and or replaced are "Glow plugs" ( beru) and the glow plug relay. It seems to me to be almost like the glow plugs arnt working because its fine after warm up?

I hope all that's not garbled,and that someone may be able to give me some help on it please.

Thanks in advance.
 
It sounds exactly like glow plugs. Have you checked the feed to the plugs, all joints in the wiring for poor connections etc.
 
drewdt3 said:
It sounds exactly like glow plugs. Have you checked the feed to the plugs, all joints in the wiring for poor connections etc.
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Hi drewdt3, thanks for your reply.

What would be the best way to go about this,am OK with an avo and basic mechanics.
Also how does the cold start mechanism work on the pump,there are no other cables,only the throttle cable mechanism?

Cheers.
 
find the glow plugs,set the meter to dc volts, put one probe on a good earth,can't beat negative on the battery,get the ignition turned on put the other on the top nut of a glowplug. if you have power then the relay is ok,next test the continuity of each plug. if only one plug is down you can have trouble starting and smoke
 
I have a Hymer 544 1991 straight diesel. I have a similar problem starting (although I use 70% biodiesel). I usually have to let the glowplugs run twice but I get the cloud of white smoke which is basically unburnt fuel. I changed all my glowplugs, and the glowplug relay but didn't make much difference. As long as I have a well charged battery, it always goes in the end. I did discover recently that when starting these old Ducato beasts, you have to depress the accelerator pedal fully - this does help, despite the clouds of smoke!
 
walpeter said:
I have a Hymer 544 1991 straight diesel. I have a similar problem starting (although I use 70% biodiesel). I usually have to let the glowplugs run twice but I get the cloud of white smoke which is basically unburnt fuel. I changed all my glowplugs, and the glowplug relay but didn't make much difference. As long as I have a well charged battery, it always goes in the end. I did discover recently that when starting these old Ducato beasts, you have to depress the accelerator pedal fully - this does help, despite the clouds of smoke!
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Mine's the same, a 1988 2.5 diesel needs full throttle to start, but the owners handbook states that Turbo diesels don't need the throttle to be touched to start.
 
rubi1 said:
Hi drewdt3, thanks for your reply.

What would be the best way to go about this,am OK with an avo and basic mechanics.
Also how does the cold start mechanism work on the pump,there are no other cables,only the throttle cable mechanism?

Cheers.
Click to expand...

Not sure there is any cold start device on your pump however I am not au fait with that particular engine. Is your heater light staying on for a few seconds then going out or flashing on then straight off? I would start with the avo first checking that they are actually getting a feed and for how long, obviously best after being left overnight, then take it from there.
 
n brown said:
find the glow plugs,set the meter to dc volts, put one probe on a good earth,can't beat negative on the battery,get the ignition turned on put the other on the top nut of a glowplug. if you have power then the relay is ok,next test the continuity of each plug. if only one plug is down you can have trouble starting and smoke
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Hi nbrown,and thanks for your reply. I will do this over the w,end weather permitting, really pleased with the response on this site from you all,what a great find.....can the continuity be checked while plugs are in situ? will post results when I have them.
 
drewdt3 said:
Not sure there is any cold start device on your pump however I am not au fait with that particular engine. Is your heater light staying on for a few seconds then going out or flashing on then straight off? I would start with the avo first checking that they are actually getting a feed and for how long, obviously best after being left overnight, then take it from there.
Click to expand...

Had similar problems with my 2008 Ducato.Clouds of white smoke and very slow lumpy tick over. Lack of revs etc. Problem was diagnosed as faulty AGR valve.(Air,Gas,Recirculation valve) Quite a common problem apparantly.I have since been told that the valve can be blanked off and this will also overcome the fault. How this fix affects the MOT omissions I do not know? The AGR valve was changed and the problem has stopped.
 
Shockingdog said:
Had similar problems with my 2008 Ducato.Clouds of white smoke and very slow lumpy tick over. Lack of revs etc. Problem was diagnosed as faulty AGR valve.(Air,Gas,Recirculation valve) Quite a common problem apparantly.I have since been told that the valve can be blanked off and this will also overcome the fault. How this fix affects the MOT omissions I do not know? The AGR valve was changed and the problem has stopped.
Click to expand...

Are you sure its AGR and not EGR (Exhaust gas recirculation valve), the OP's van won't have an EGR.
 
Sound like the cold start advance my old vw lt35 had one it went to a lever on the injector pump when pulled out it advances the injector pump timing for cold starts without pulling it out on my old van it would smoke like hell and was very lumpy.

Mike
 
could it be a cold start ? i had a lorry that squirted a bit of diesel onto a glowplug in the air intake so the engine would suck flame. another had a screwtop jar of ether that could be fed to the air intake . there's been many funny attempts at cold starts
 
Nothing like that on mine and I can't find any reference to it in the owners handbook.
 
Some have water controlled advance i know my old Peugeot car did it was a metal thing attached to the head think it has wax in it similar to a thermostat and a cable runs out the end to the injector pump. When cold it pulls on the cable think it was adjustable.

Mike
 
ive had new glow plugs that were faulty so dont rule out a glow plug problem because theyve been changed .

you can check their resistance in situe, dissconect the wire(or metal strap) from the top of all the plugs and use the multimeter to measure the resistance between the terminal on the top of the plug and the metal plug body where it screws into the block, summit like 5 ohms but each plug should be the same.
 
Sounds like the mechanic has retarded the timing, this will improve the power at top end but will make it harder to start and cause the white smoke and rough running you describe.
 
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