Car is BX 17DTR Turbo diesel. Mileage 140k
Problem is that a few months back I started to get engine overrun, and vavious members of this and other forums pointed me in the direction of possible problems with the injection pump. The problem seemed to stop and I jsut made a mental note that I should book it in for the pump to be looked at some time.
On sunday I started the car in the afternoon, having not used it that day. Normally it starts with a slightly sluggish gait and then builds up ( yes I know the injectors probably need doing anyway) with a modicum of white smoke, which soon goes once I drive off. This time it started with a slightly faster gait, and thick clouds of white smoke came out of the back ( the road was impassble for the smoke for a short time) It was also knocking badly, and indeed started to over run.
I have booked the car into a good local garage which is only half a mile away, but they are not taking it till 6/1/03. In the meantime I have to get it there. The same happend when I tried it again today. I must say that the firs ttime it started to improve once the engine was warmer. Does anybody have any suggestions as to why it has gone suddenly like this, and is there anything temporary I can do just to get the car to the garage. Or has the injector pump just finally given up the ghost, and I will ahve to get a tow in.
Any help would be appreciated.
White smoke on starting
Moderator: RichardW
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Dave Burns
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What do you mean when you say over run, if you mean the engine keeps going after it is switched off with the key, that would indicate a stop solenoid fault.
If as I suspect you mean the engine increases its revs all by it self, then this is likely to be caused by air getting into the injection pump, and if so you will very likely have a rotodiesel (lucas) pump fitted, these pumps are very susceptible to air ingress as they rely on hydraulics, using the fuel they pump to transmit operational forces within the pump.
If air gets in, which obviousely is compressable, things start to go a bit haywire, this can cause the engine speed to rise and fall uncontrolled and even runaway in the worst case.
Dave
If as I suspect you mean the engine increases its revs all by it self, then this is likely to be caused by air getting into the injection pump, and if so you will very likely have a rotodiesel (lucas) pump fitted, these pumps are very susceptible to air ingress as they rely on hydraulics, using the fuel they pump to transmit operational forces within the pump.
If air gets in, which obviousely is compressable, things start to go a bit haywire, this can cause the engine speed to rise and fall uncontrolled and even runaway in the worst case.
Dave
Thanks for the help guys; Eventually I changed the glow plugs and this improved things enough for me to drive the car to my local friedly all purpose garage, who then completed the diagnosis that the pump was at fault, so they have found me a good second hand one, and soon everything will be fine - i hope.
The glowplugs were mess y when I got them out, so they were worht changing anyway; clearly two problems mixing the situation up.
The glowplugs were mess y when I got them out, so they were worht changing anyway; clearly two problems mixing the situation up.
The saga continues, which is why I could do with some advice.
My garage took off the old diesel pump and put a second hand one on of good provenence, though they did admit that it was not f rom a BX but apparently had all the right numbers on it. It is a lucas by the way. They says they had to adapt slightly to fit.
Off they go on a test drive with the car running sweet, but as soon as they hit a hill and put power on so came tons of white smoke again, though no over revving, and no clattering. pointed to still being fuel problem. The thought either something was wrong about the "new" pump, or the turbo was malfunctioning.
After much consideration, and with my agreement, they got Lucas to collect the original pump, and I now understand that Lucas had rebuilt the pump ( which is perhaps what should have been done in the first place.
By Monday, or even Saturday, they will have the restored pump back on the car. But what if the same problem comes up. Any ideas on what would have caused the white smoke on power with the replacement pump. I ask in case it happens with the restored pump - where do we look now. Suggestions asap would be appreciated.
My garage took off the old diesel pump and put a second hand one on of good provenence, though they did admit that it was not f rom a BX but apparently had all the right numbers on it. It is a lucas by the way. They says they had to adapt slightly to fit.
Off they go on a test drive with the car running sweet, but as soon as they hit a hill and put power on so came tons of white smoke again, though no over revving, and no clattering. pointed to still being fuel problem. The thought either something was wrong about the "new" pump, or the turbo was malfunctioning.
After much consideration, and with my agreement, they got Lucas to collect the original pump, and I now understand that Lucas had rebuilt the pump ( which is perhaps what should have been done in the first place.
By Monday, or even Saturday, they will have the restored pump back on the car. But what if the same problem comes up. Any ideas on what would have caused the white smoke on power with the replacement pump. I ask in case it happens with the restored pump - where do we look now. Suggestions asap would be appreciated.
have a llok at this site - this is a comprehensive guide on all aspects of Citroens and includes a section on the functioning of the diesel pump.
http://www.tramontana.co.hu/citroen/citroen%20guide.pdf
What you will find is that the actual functions of the pump are quite simple and that it has no reliance on outside sensors apart from cold starting. This means that there aren't many ways it can go wrong.
I suggest you get the car back and see how it goes and let us know if there are further problems.
jeremy
http://www.tramontana.co.hu/citroen/citroen%20guide.pdf
What you will find is that the actual functions of the pump are quite simple and that it has no reliance on outside sensors apart from cold starting. This means that there aren't many ways it can go wrong.
I suggest you get the car back and see how it goes and let us know if there are further problems.
jeremy
The saga is over, and I must thank all those who offered advice. Which is why I am posting what the final outcome was. The car continued to spout white smoke when under load, even after the recon diesel pump was fitted.
When the head was taken off we found that a piston ring had broken up, and to cut a long story short we replaced the engine with a decent second hand engine with only 60k. Now she is running like a dream. It was a very expensive exercise, but I was locked into it, as I would have wasted a lot of money if we had given up. At least I have a car that I know what exactly has been done to it, even though I could have bought something else for the same money.
The one silver living in tghe cloud was when theengine was taken out I told the garage to replace the clutch, but when it came to it the clutch was only about a third worn ! That is on at least 70k miles that I have driven the car, and I do not know when the clutch was replaced before.
Another point is that just at the end fo the repairs the garage noticed a slightly leaking spiral hydraulic pipe connected to the power steering that they replaced easily and quickly. Since then the suspension has seemed much better, so I think I had a slight drop in pressure or something that has now been cured.
In the summer it will be time for new spheres, but that is another story.
When the head was taken off we found that a piston ring had broken up, and to cut a long story short we replaced the engine with a decent second hand engine with only 60k. Now she is running like a dream. It was a very expensive exercise, but I was locked into it, as I would have wasted a lot of money if we had given up. At least I have a car that I know what exactly has been done to it, even though I could have bought something else for the same money.
The one silver living in tghe cloud was when theengine was taken out I told the garage to replace the clutch, but when it came to it the clutch was only about a third worn ! That is on at least 70k miles that I have driven the car, and I do not know when the clutch was replaced before.
Another point is that just at the end fo the repairs the garage noticed a slightly leaking spiral hydraulic pipe connected to the power steering that they replaced easily and quickly. Since then the suspension has seemed much better, so I think I had a slight drop in pressure or something that has now been cured.
In the summer it will be time for new spheres, but that is another story.