white diesel smoke\fumes on cold start up?

Quite correct the 8140.x Fiat / Iveco diesel does not have glow plugs merely a fuel fed preheater coil that only works when engine starts to run.

First I assume you gave replaced the fuel filter element before going any further and everything else is in order, good compressions etc.

The engine is direct injection and does not need preheaters (glow-plugs) for starting. These engines will normally start on the button every time with a little wisp of white smoke which clears quickly.

I have seen this problem numerous times before and suggest you check the filter for air leaks, normally where the rubber fuel pipes harden but the jubilee clips don't fully seal. Critically there is not normally fuel leak though. Hard pipes don't seal against vacuum and allow fuel to drain back to tank when engine is stopped, the resultant poor starting is because pump gas to reprint itself.

It would be very unusual for your pump to have failed to cause this issue as it does start
 
n brown said:
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
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i have a hymer 1994 model fiat ducato it has no glow plugs but has the diesel glow plug in the inlet manifold like you mention that sucks flame in.
i have recently had cold start problems but only when it drops to -4 c the cold start device in the inlet manifold does not seem to
work. but it starts ok with a really good powerful battery.
 
I remember many years ago when we started the diesel cement mixers on site in the winter we would set light to to a dry old cement bag by the air in take. Plenty of smoke when that started, haha. I bet they are illegal now, health and safety etc.
 
I to have a ducato 2.5 TD 1991, when I first purchased it, it would smoke allot at start up. I changed the glow plugs, that did'nt do it. After some reading up on the T.O.C. forum I tryed one feasible cause that was the valve seals leaking engine oil into the cylinders when stood . I used some Lucas engine oil stop leak and after a good run out the smoke had reduce significantly and has done so since, Hope this helps. Mick.
 
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I would say neither black nor white, that in it self threw me, black smoke engine oil or fuel, white smoke water. Anyway I can start her up now when on ferries without filling the lungs of my fellow bikers with smoke. Dont get me wrong there is still smoke but no were near the amount as before.
Forgot to say she runs on 90% SVO
 
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My old s750 starts up on the button just wait for the glowplug light to go out
Turn the key even after leaving it for months
But I'd take the ducato back to the garage
 
ricc said:
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.
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Thanks ricc,will do that. And yes it did occur to me that the new glows could be faulty. Thanks for the reply,will post results,but didn't get to it at w,end,weather c..p!😬
 
Thanks for this, nice and succinct, so much so that I have copied it into my van info notebook kept in the cab.

I've been noticing considerable (much more than normal) white smoke on starting until I get into about 3rd gear, over this winter (2002 Transit, 2.4, turbo). My glow plugs are almost exactly 2 years old. There has been the odd time when the van has been sluggish to start when turning over but no real problems starting. Hopefully with the end of winter in sight, I might get to next autumn before having to change them.
 
Hi.
Sorry to hear about your problems.

If you test heater plugs by using a multi-meter without removing them you will only discover that your plugs are getting power to all of them. I always remove heater plugs and test by dropping a voltage across them and watching as they 'GLOW'.
One of the differences between a good mechanic and gifted amateur is that the mechanic can get heater plugs out. [Tip] take heater plugs out when engine is HOT.
I would advise that you take your van to a 'diesel engineer' for tests as an ordinary mechanic will probably not have the very expensive equipment to fully test your pump.
Some older diesel pumps have a lever that is operated to increase fueling to help starting when cold. Some are operated by cable and others like the LDV have a spring loaded cold start assist that works automatically on turning key.
If the timing has been altered 'by ear' by an untrained fitter you will not be getting the best from your engine! Diesel engineers will seal their work on any adjusters they alter with paint to prevent it from being tinkered with.

Fiat Ducato van spares, parts adverts for all commercial Fiats, Ducatos etc
 
I have the same issue with mine, it too stayed put when I changed the others :)
 
you could get whitish grey smoke due to faulty turbo oil seals. It lets oil leak
into exhaust manifold when it heats up the smoke is white. When the seals warm up it leaks less
 
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